A travel & adventure blog by Kara Santos
There’s something about getting stamps on a passport that can motivate you to travel, even if it’s just to nearby local destinations.
I recently got hold of the Quezon City Explorer Passport, a handy tourism booklet with maps, detailed entries for different spots around Quezon City, and blank pages where users can collect stamps and stickers as they explore.
Looking for new travel inspiration this year? You might want to grab a copy of Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2026, a collection of 50 best destinations and experiences around the world for intrepid travelers for the year ahead.
It can be tough to plan trips during the rainy season in the Philippines. There’s a lot of uncertainty when traveling by air and sea, especially if a typhoon hits. Once you arrive at your destination, overcast skies and seasonal downpours can be a downer during sightseeing and typical outdoor activities like going to the beach.
But this doesn’t mean hitting the snooze button on travel. Some places around the country come alive once the rainy season sets in. Natural landscapes like waterfalls look their finest and mountain scenery is at its greenest. The fog in mountainous areas can make places look more captivating.
Continue reading “5 rainy season destinations in the Philippines for nature lovers”Traveling to Europe has always been on our travel bucket list. We originally hoped to go on a European tour in May 2020 for our 10th wedding anniversary, but we all know what happened that year. In the past few years, I’ve realized that life is short and we should take the time to travel and enjoy life while we can. Fast forward four years later, and the dream came true when we finally went on our first-ever trip to Europe to 10 countries for almost a month in June 2024.
UPDATE: As of January 2025, the Philippines has 82 provinces within 18 administrative regions. In June 2024, Negros Island Region (NIR) was re-established with Siquijor transferred from Region VII. In September 2022, the province of Maguindanao was split into two. This travel guide was originally completed and written in 2019 before the split and the pandemic, but has been updated to reflect the new province and newer photos from more recent revisits.
The Philippines is made up of 82 provinces, spread out under three major island groups: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanano. Currently, there are 38 provinces in Luzon, 16 in Visayas, and 28 in Mindanao. The provinces are grouped under 18 different regions based on their geographical, cultural, and ethnological characteristics.
Continue reading “Travel Guide: 82 Provinces of the Philippines”In 1983, a group of teenagers in neon shirts and indoor sunglasses was doing something unprecedented in the corridor of a newly opened Orchard Road mall: nothing useful. They were loitering, breakdancing to cassette players, and taking up space that business owners had other plans for. Within two years, they had a name—the Centrepoint Kids—and the street had its first real evidence of what it would become. Not just a shopping destination, but a place where the youth figured things out.
What people today experience as Orchard Road shopping carries forty years of that history in it: generations working out what to wear, who to be with, what kind of city they wanted to grow up in. The shops have changed considerably; tracing four decades of that shift reveals as much about the people as it does about the street.
Continue reading “How Orchard Road Reflects Singapore’s Evolving Youth Culture”Looking for roadtrip-worthy destinations to visit on weekends? With the start of the rainy season, destinations become greener and cooler, and the next few months might be a good time for you to hit the road and discover local hidden gem stays in and near Metro Manila.
With its wide, tree-lined roads, network of dedicated bike lanes, and lush, open spaces, Clark is an amazing destination for cyclists. Located in Pampanga roughly 2-3 hours from Metro Manila, the whole area offers a safe, accessible, and scenic escape perfect for both leisure riding and intense training. Bike events and races are regularly held here, but it’s also great for leisurely bike vacations and solo explorations.
Cyclists looking for a place to stay in Clark, where the whole family can enjoy, might want to consider The Henry Glass House Clark.
Continue reading “Bike-friendly hotel in Clark: The Henry Glass House Clark”Looking for a hidden escape to unwind in Bonifacio Global City? Apartment 1B x Elias BGC Taproom is a great spot if you’re in the mood for gourmet comfort food and craft beverages. This relaxed taproom offers a cozy space designed for easy evenings and casual conversations over local craft beer, ciders, mead, cocktails, and other hard drinks at an affordable price.
Angat Buhay and the Maginhawa Food Community, supported by ASA Philippines, launched “Kusina ng Pag-asa,” a national network of community kitchens for disaster response. The program unites restaurants and community kitchens into a swift-response network, providing hot meals to communities in times of emergencies.
Intramuros is one of the top tourist destinations in Manila for good reason. The Old Walled City is the premiere destination for any first-time tourists in transit to Manila and the go-to destination for entertaining balikbayans who might be home for the holidays.
There have been a lot of improvements to the area in the past few years like the Pasig River Esplanade, new museums like Centro de Turismo Intramuros and new cafes in Intramuros, which might be of interest the general public.
Continue reading “Intramuros commute & parking guide: How to get there and best ways to explore”One of my favorite experiences aboard the Disney Adventure cruise ship as a child-free adult was hopping around the cafes and bars inspired by different Disney, Marvel, and Pixar films. It’s not every day you get to do coffee crawls and pub crawls while at sea, and the themed bars on the cruise ship were just fantastic.
Like the ship’s themed areas and main restaurants, every cafe, bar, tea salon, nightclub, and lounge featured incredibly detailed interiors, whimsical touches, and unique signature drinks referencing Disney characters and films.
Continue reading “Where to drink on the Disney Adventure cruise ship: Bars, cafes & lounges guide”The Disney Adventure, the largest ship in Disney Cruise Line’s fleet and the first to homeport in Asia, is now sailing from Singapore. While the themed areas, attractions, Broadway-style performances, and character meet-and-greets will entice families, foodies may find that the dining options alone are a good enough reason to book this cruise.
Truth be told, we were overwhelmed with the choices and ended up running around the ship like crazy, going back and forth just to decide which restaurant to eat in.
Continue reading “Disney Adventure dining: 10 things to know about the food and drinks on the cruise ship”As someone who grew up watching and loving Disney animated classics, sailing aboard the Disney Adventure cruise ship from Singapore felt like a fairy tale come true. Exploring the cruise line’s first-ever ship to sail in Southeast Asia made me feel like a kid again.
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