After four extended visits, each lasting nearly a month, it's fair to say that India has carved out a space in my wanderlust. Friends often ask me why. Their curiosity is usually marked with skepticism, sometimes even concern. “What do you like about India?” they ask with bafflement. The question is often followed by a familiar refrain, shaped by viral TikTok clips of dirty street food pantries: “Isn’t it dirty?”

Siargao’s easy-going vibe proves to be a draw, but unchecked growth threatens its soul. Old-timers speak of a Siargao that once felt raw and unvarnished, similar to what I would imagine Itbayat, Batanes is today—a far cry from the island visitors encounter today.

Kalinga’s Awichon Cultural Village is an accommodation that defines the very meaning of a homestay stripped of resort amenities yet filled with the comforts of home, and enriched with a heritage character, as it was built by the cultural bearers of Kalinga.

Memes about millennials looking younger than their age ring true. Compared to our parents and older relatives, who seemed to age faster, the difference is obvious. In a recent conversation with a friend, we wondered if the difference lies less in genetics and more in lifestyle.