A travel & adventure blog by Kara Santos
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.
Baguio City has always been one of the country’s top destinations during the Christmas season. The cold, chilly breeze, Christmas lights, scenic spots, and great eats make the City of Pines a favorite among those based in Manila and the rest of Luzon looking for a quick getaway for long weekends and holidays.
Baguio City never gets old. The view of pine trees, mountains, and cold weather is always a great experience for those coming from the lowland areas. You can feel the Christmas spirit here all-year around, which makes it a great place to visit with friends and family. With a super long weekend coming up at the end of the month and the upcoming holiday season, Baguio is an easy destination for travelers coming from Manila.
For families traveling with kids, seniors, and pets looking for a place to stay in Baguio, The Forest Lodge at Camp John Hay is one of the top hotels to consider. This chill 5-story mountain resort with 178 rooms caters mostly to families, couples, group travelers, and leisure tourists.
Continue reading “The Forest Lodge at Camp John Hay: Family-friendly mountain resort in Baguio City”The mere mention of the City of Pines immediately brings to mind images of hot chocolate, brewed coffee, ube jam, strawberry taho, and a lot of other iconic eats. Baguio City is an amazing destination for foodies, with a sheer variety of artistic homegrown restaurants to choose from serving all types of cuisine. In the past few years, Baguio has become a destination for beer lovers as well.
Looking for a unique and affordable place to stay in La Union with direct access to the beach? Charlie’s Hangar Surf Hostel is an aviation-themed hostel in the surf town that offers bunk spaces for as little as P750 a night.
La Union, considered the surfing capital of the Northern Philippines, has always been a popular destination for weekend travelers coming from the metro. Aside from surfers, Elyu attracts digital nomads, backpackers, solo travelers, and families taveling with kids and pets who want to enjoy a hassle-free vacation place without having to book flights from Manila.
Continue reading “Charlie’s Hangar Surf Hostel: Budget-friendly beachfront bunks in La Union”Want to try biking in La Union on your next beach vacation? Most tourists go to Elyu to enjoy the beach and the waves. But if you’re looking for new things to do in La Union aside from learning to surf, food-tripping, going grape picking, or sightseeing, biking might be a good activity. Biking can let you discover a different side of La Union.
International tourists and locals looking for a place to stay with a rich sense of history close to Manila’s major landmarks might want to check into Rizal Park Hotel. This boutique hotel located along Manila Bay is relatively new and has a unique history as it adaptively reuses the former Manila Army and Navy Club building, a National Historical Landmark originally built in 1911.
Since pandemic restrictions have eased, we’ve been traveling back to our hometown of Naga City in Bicol more frequently these days. During our last trip to Naga in August 2023, my sister and I stayed in one of the newest hotels in Camarines Sur called Litton Hotel by Carterson. This modern and stylish boutique hotel is the first to offer loft-type rooms in Naga City.
NOTE: This travel guide was originally written in December 2016 and updated in September 2023.
When you think of tourist destinations in the Philippines, Abra is not often at the top of most traveler’s bucket lists. In fact, it remains one of the least visited provinces in the country. For outsiders, there’s still an air of mystery surrounding the place.
Every tourist town needs a proper craft beer joint and in the heritage city of Vigan in Ilocos Sur, one unique watering hole you can visit is Calle Brewery. The Spanish colonial town, one of the country’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites, is well-known for its homegrown restaurants serving authentic Ilocano cuisine. Established in March 2018, Calle Brewery offers a relatively new spot in Vigan where tourists can enjoy craft beer and smoked meats in a brewpub converted from a century-old stone house.
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