Traveling enriches your perspectives, and literally changes how you see the world. Up close, these landmarks may not altogether look dramatic, but try to see them from where the eagles stand and you will instantly be transported to a different world and a different space-time. Below are some of the most magnificent and intriguing landmarks […]

Holi is a religious festival strongly observed by India and Nepal. Countries with a diaspora of Hindus also celebrate Holi, particularly Malaysia, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States, United Kingdom and Mauritius. Holi has a particularly strong significance for the people in the Braj (Uttar Pradesh) region in India. Mathura, Barsana, Nandagoan and […]

Volcanic eruptions are both a spectacle and a terrifying sight to behold (being in the shadow of Mount Kanla-on and having seen it throw tantrums thrice), a reminder that beneath the placid surface we call earth lies a heaving, gurgling river of molten iron that could wipe out everything we know (including us) and literally […]

National Geographic names Burma as one of its Best Trips for 2013. With a new era in politics being ushered by the homegrown champion of democracy Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma (which the junta changed to Myanmar) has opened up its doors that were, since the 1960s, closed to the outside world. Unlike the well-trodden […]

Each country has its own quirks, but because we are often introduced to them via popular media, we are not as shocked when we see them first-hand. Consider, however, a country whose freedom of the press has been severely restricted in the past and is only starting to abandon censorship. This leaves the rest of […]

With an unbelievable jump in tourist traffic since its subterranean river’s inclusion in the world’s New 7 Wonders of Nature, Sabang, Baranggay Cabayugan, has become a small town that hit it big. Gone are the sleepy days when the only accommodations were thatched native bungalows and the occasional hammock. Big name resorts have made its […]

Sometimes, it pays to (politely) barge into a conversation to ask questions. I found the cheapest accommodation in El Nido this way. A couple of young women who were ahead of the queue for a lunch stop at Roxas happened to be living in El Nido and one of them knew where I could stay […]

While most of the world is intimately familiar with good-looking and sweet-tasting apples, pears and peaches, and the more popular tropical fruits yellow mangoes, pineapples and bananas (you know, the fruit basket you often get upon checking in at a high end hotel), how many have heard of the spiky and pungent durian (OK, that […]

When it comes to research, nothing comes close to the Smithsonian Institution, a massive complex of museums, research centers and a zoo that are dedicated to amass knowledge for the “increase and diffusion” of the same. When asked of their own bucket list, the Smithsonian – who should know nature, the arts and world culture […]

There’s no arguing that the world’s two largest temple complexes dedicated to Hindu deities and Buddha are a marvel in themselves and deserve special pilgrimage because of their religious value, historical significance and aesthetic appeal. Beyond these ancient engineering wonders, however, await a smattering of other architectural interests that hold the same wonder and allure […]

When authority speaks, we ought to listen. This year, the heavyweights of the travel industry have spoken; taken their pick (and road-tested) superlative – best, fairest, cheapest – destinations for 2013. Their choices definitely vary, but they arrived at a common conclusion despite differences in criteria: Southeast Asia just won’t quit. Take for instance Fodor’s […]

Christmas is one of the world’s most recognizable and celebrated holidays. Countries and cultures all over the world prepare for this time of the year and celebrate with much pomp and revelry. It is one of the holidays which have both religious and secular roots. Every year, Christmas falls on December 25. Christian Origins The […]