A travel & adventure blog by Kara Santos
After a full week of sightseeing in Italy’s capital city Rome and Vatican City ticking off all the big-name attractions for first-timers and biking along Rome’s ancient Roman roads, we got a taste of “La Dolce Vita” (the sweet life) in the Tuscan countryside near Florence on our way to Venice.
Cravings, the well-loved establishment known for serving home-style comfort food and cakes since 1988, has found a new home on Maginhawa Street.
House of Cravings is a dessert bar and events place on Quezon City’s famous foodie street. To kick off their new space, House of Cravings will be hosting a monthly “Unlimited Cake and Coffee Buffet” to highlight their signature offerings.
Bataan, a 3 to 4-hour drive from Manila via the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), is a rising road trip destination near Manila. This province best known for historical landmarks like the Shrine of Valor at Mt. Samat and cultural destination Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar also has spots that will appeal to foodies.
If there’s one place you must visit from Da Nang in Vietnam, it’s Hoi An. This charming and well-preserved UNESCO Heritage Town on Vietnam’s central coast is known as the “city of lanterns,” with small streets cutting through scenic canals. Multi-colored lanterns hang in front of every shop and lantern-lit boats look magical as they sail at night.
La Union is famous for its surf scene, but foodies know that it’s also a great place to go on a food trip. You can find a variety of Filipino and international cuisine here catering to all kinds of travelers, from weekend warriors on a budget, barkadas in the mood to party, and families with the whole clan in tow.
As the world’s oldest Chinatown (established in 1594), Binondo in Manila is a well-known cultural and foodie haven. Here, you can find lots of authentic hole-in-the-wall establishments serving everything from flashy Cantonese-themed lauriat meals to homey Hokkien-style Tsinoy cooking. However, there are over 100+ restaurants in the area, so it can be quite overwhelming to decide where to eat.
After almost two years of being stuck at home and riding only to nearby areas because of the pandemic, we decided to go on a motorcycle road trip right before Christmas last December 2021. Social gatherings were still limited, checkpoints in some areas were still strict, and borders to select destinations were just easing up. At the time, Dingalan in Aurora was one of the few places accepting tourists from other provinces and Metro Manila without a lot of requirements.
You know how hard it is to plan trips with friends. With everyone’s busy schedules, work conflicts, and adult responsibilities, another year goes by and you haven’t had a chance to catch up over coffee or have drinks. Sometimes, planning a staycation in the city can be an easier and more relaxing alternative to out-of-town trips.
Hidden along a quiet residential street in Cubao is a stately Filipino mansion that has opened its doors to the public as a living museum and boutique events space. The MiraNila Heritage House and Library in Cubao is a heritage house originally built in 1929 in the California Revival Style, with lovely gardens and preserved interiors.
My family and I have made it a point to travel together more this year. Since we live in different households with my parents based in the province, we’ve had a lot of catching up to do. This is the first year since the pandemic that we’ve been able to celebrate milestone celebrations together like birthdays.
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