• Asia,  Cambodia,  Travel

    Siem Reap: Angkor Wat (Small Circuit) Tour

    I availed a joined Angkor Wat Temple tour from Siem Reap Shuttle Tours. The tour costs 13 USD per person and has the following itinerary and inclusions (text lifted from their website):   Tour Itinerary  08.00 hrs. Pick up from the Hotel in SIEM REAP for Temple Tour. 08.30 hrs. Departure from the city Visit Angkor Thom Complex Visit Bayon Temple Visit Ta Prohm Temple Back to restaurant for lunch time Visit Angkor Wat Temple Visit Phnom Bakheng (Sun Set) Back to the hotel (around 1830pm)  Angkor Wat Temple. Only trousers or long knee-length skirt are permitted, Service Include :  Pick up / Drop Off Hotel  Van / Mini Bus  English…

  • Asia,  Cambodia,  Travel

    Vacationing in Cambodia

    APEC holidays were declared back in July 2015 which prompted me and my friends to set a vacation plan. Holidays for the private sector covered November 18 and 19, 2015 (Wednesday and Thursday). My friends and I thought about the possibility of going to Boracay. However, people started backing out one by one until I was the only one left who’s determined to push for an APEC get-away. I wasn’t very keen on going to Boracay alone given that I’ve already been there a couple of times. I started thinking of places I can visit given the following considerations: Somewhere I haven’t been to before Accessibility Affordability   I haven’t…

  • Asia,  Philippines,  Travel

    Banaue, Batad, Sagada before La Niña 2016

    With peak season at work occurring during summer, my office friends and I planned a trip to Banaue, Batad and Sagada by end of May, when it’s highly likely that the teams won’t be busy anymore. We headed to Banaue on the night of 25th May 2016 by taking Ohayami Bus’ 10pm trip. The trip from Manila to Banaue should only take roughly 9 hours, but ours took 22 because of an accident in Nueva Vizcaya. We arrived in Banaue at around 8pm of May 26. Instead of continuing to Batad as planned, we just stayed in Banaue for the night.     Accommodation in Banaue was at People’s Lodge…

  • Asia,  Singapore,  Transportation,  Travel

    Singapore to Kuala Lumpur by Train

    When I was doing my research on transportation options from Singapore to Malaysia, most blogs and forum posts I’ve read suggested taking the bus. I was fortunate to stumble upon the Seat61 website since I was not very keen on travelling via bus for long hours. I learned from Seat61 that I can take the KTM train from Woodlands Singapore to Kuala Lumpur Malaysia.   I booked 2nd class sleepers for our trip from SG to KL back in 2013 using KTM’s website. Singapore and Malaysia immigration procedures will be done prior to getting on the platform. Our train was scheduled to depart Woodlands at 23.30 and arrive at KL Sentral…

  • Asia,  Philippines,  Travel

    Cebu Pacific Air Seat Sale (March 2016)

    Cebu Pacific Air is on sale today until March 18 or until seats last. Travel period is June 1 to December 31, 2016. I was able to book roundtrip flight Manila-Caticlan(Boracay) for only 983 PHP without check-in bags. Visit their website and grab those promo seats now! Happy hunting 🙂 Here’s what I booked: Promo list on their website    

  • Asia,  Philippines,  Travel

    The Beauty of Batanes, Philippines (Batan and Sabtang Islands)

      Batanes is located in the northernmost part of the Philippines. My friends and I were able to book a flight going there via PAL Express for a trip back in February 2014. We were considering touring Batan, Sabtang, and Itbayat at the start of planning stage. After reading about how to get to Itbayat, we decided to drop the said island from our itinerary.   We availed North Batan, South Batan, and Sabtang tours from TRavelYoung, a travel agency referred by our original contact person – Ryan Cardona. Instead of just the usual Sabtang day tour, our group also decided to stay overnight in the island.   Accommodation in…

  • Asia,  India,  Travel

    A Taste of South Goa, India

    We had an early morning flight from Bangalore to Goa on my fifth day in India.   The thing that stuck to me while we were in Bangalore Airport is that they check the passenger’s flight details a lot – either by checking your flight itinerary or, once you have it, your flight ticket. If I remember correctly, checks were made (i) at the airport entrance; (ii) right before my bags were scanned immediately after entering the airport; (iii) during body check by the bag scanner when entering the departure area; (iv) right after the scanner when I was getting my bag; and, (v) during boarding. Details of the ticket…

  • Asia,  India,  Travel

    Bangalore Hop-on Hop-Off Bus

    Since my friend was working during our stay in Bangalore, he convinced me to try and see the city instead of just staying in the hotel for four days. I considered his suggestion and started researching on places to visit in the city. I read about Bangalore’s hop-on hop-off (HOHO) bus from the pocket guide I got from the hotel’s lobby. A google search led me to this site (http://www.mybmtc.com/bangalore-rounds) which lists down the attractions covered by the HOHO bus. The tour costs 400 INR. Starting point is at the Kempegowda Bus Station, near the ATMs. Seat reservation can be made online at www.ksrtc.in by indicating “Bengaluru” as origin and…

  • Asia,  India,  Travel,  Visa

    I found my way to India

    It was new year’s eve when I got a message from a friend saying that he will be flying to Bangalore on January 10th and asking if it would be possible for us to meet up. Below are the steps I had to consider and take before I was able to say something like “Of course, I’ll see you soon!” with some smiley at the end.   VISA Travellers with Philippine passport are eligible to use India’s e-Tourist Visa (eTV) facility.  Application should be made using this website https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/tvoa.html   The list of countries/territories eligible for eTV plus the application guideline and other useful information are also available on the said site.  …