“Laci” is synonymous to heritage. Inferring from the sheer size of its convent to the remarkable interior architecture of its church, I could tell that this place must have been one hotbed of religious activity. As it turned out, the Lazi convent was the retreat center, in the late 19th century, of Augustinian Recollects who […]

Traveling through Southeast Asia brings us in contact with exotic food, flowers, people, and wildlife. Animal lovers who visit the region have a unique chance to see some of the world’s most interesting animals up close. Here are five ways tourists can encounter local wildlife: 1) Ride an Elephant through the Jungle Swaying through the […]

Baguio City is known as the Summer Capital of the Philippines. Its location high up in the mountain regions of the Cordilleras gives it a much cooler climate that the surrounding lowlands, making it a favorite destination of many Filipinos to escape the sweltering heat. Most of Baguio’s visitors know of the city as a […]

Thailand gets all the hype as one of the world’s glitziest beach mecca, but what does not get as much exposure, at least outside the birding community, is that it is the avian lovers’ paradise for its staggering diversity of winged creatures big and small, bland and colorful. Its more than 500,000 square kilometers contain […]

Maria is a common Spanish name, and it is also a name of a town in Siquijor, a province deeply devout in the Catholic faith. Maria, the town, is famous for a delectable beach and (eerie) Catholic (night-walking) image of Santa Rita. To get to Maria, you can take a “habal-habal” (heavy-duty motorcycle that should […]

For Buddhist-majority countries in southeast Asia like Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar, the full moon day of the third month in the lunar calendar is a sacred event, one that venerates the teachings of Buddha, a commemoration popularly known as Makha Bucha in Thailand. Among Burmese (Myanmar) Buddhists, however, the celebrations will start a week […]

Summer in the Philippines was achingly short this year, with the monsoons roaring in as early as the latter half of May (which they sometimes do as late as the latter half of June). When it’s raining for days on end, there’s really not much to do except stay indoors and try to keep warm. […]

More than just a beautiful decoration in local parks, flowers in Southeast Asia are significant in both culture and religion. Worldwide, red roses have come to represent passion and romantic love; likewise, in Southeast Asia, there are many other flowers that symbolize emotions, characteristics or ideals. The blooms you see tended on balconies in the […]

From a humble reclamation project in the 1970s sprung up what will eventually define Singapore’s artistic and engineering achievements that could only be dreamed of by its Southeast Asian neighbors and even by mega-cities from around the world. The Marina Bay, initially constructed to support the rapid growth of the city-state as a financial and […]

Singapore has earned a reputation as a sterile urban Utopia defined by its squeaky clean streets, public transport that runs – to the last minute – according to published schedule, and an international airport that handles 51 million passengers a year without suffering an inconvenient glitch or a complete nervous breakdown. As a well-planned, efficiently […]

You’re dressed to impress, have a bit of cash to blow, and are officially ready to experience Asia’s mecca for all those who love any and all nightlife scenes. Bangkok really does offer it all. Don’t think it’s a city only full of cheesy karaoke bars and seedy clubs. Bangkok offers far more than just […]

Bangkok is one of the most interesting, perplexing, and famously cultural Asian cities on the map. This cosmopolitan city is hectic and even overwhelming at times, however it has a compelling draw for most people who visit. While in this mega city full of lights, smiles, massage parlors and tuk-tuks, you surely shouldn’t miss these […]