Scattered on the shoreline of Valugan Boulder Beach were bigger and bolder versions of the sedimentary rocks found in Mabua Pebble Beach in Surigao City. In lieu of powdery sands, these large stones spewed by the ancient-time eruptions of Mount Iraya spread across the coast of this tiny part of Basco, Batanes fronting the Pacific Ocean.

On a normal day, I was displeased dragging my body out of bed at four in the morning, especially after sleeping soundly in the Manor at Camp John Hay. Not that particular morning, though. The reason being the destination we were going to would give me an opportunity to literally and figuratively pause and smell the flowers. Being able to travel for the first time since the March 2020 lockdown, the trip to Northern Blossom Farm in Atok, Benguet opened a door to rekindling my love affair with traveling—with precious moments of introspection to boot—in the company of the great outdoors.

Home to a magnificent set of picturesque highland countryside, the region of the Cordillera featured an abundance of wonders. From its cool weather all year long to its majestic set of nature, fascinating culture, and mouth-watering local cuisine, an all too familiar feature of the region was gaining much-needed attention. These were the fruit and vegetable farms of Benguet and Mountain Province.

Fresh from binge-watching “The Haunting of Bly Manor” a week prior, it was understandable why I initially likened the feel of The Manor Hotel to the haunted series’ mansion. Take out the strange ghostly apparitions, and you would see a charming property laden with fancy landscaping and fascinating architectural patterns.

Waking up to a rainy and foggy morning had me entertaining the idea of staying in until lunch, curled up on my bed. Appealing though the thought was, the opportunity to see another UNESCO World Heritage site prevailed, proving to be motivation enough to make me stand up, stretch my arms, and face the window to announce to myself, “Good morning, Vietnam!”

Situated within the old city of Jaipur near the City Palace and Hawa Mahal is the UNESCO World Heritage site of Jantar Mantar. Named after the words yantra, which in Sanskrit means “instrument,” and mantrana, meaning “to calculate,” Jantar Mantar is an equinoctial sundial engineered to measure local time and track the declination of the sun alongside the wider celestial sphere.

It was not a question of “Why?” anymore. Rather, “How?” as in how we could help our farmers more should be the fitting query. Fortunately, a long-overdue response to the plight of our farmers was then taking shape. Thanks to small entrepreneurs like The Local Goodness PH, local produce from far communities was finding its way straight to the doorsteps and onto the table of new consumers. Suddenly, the concept of farm-to-table was slowly becoming a reality.

As I was walking around downtown Da Lat, I picked up a flyer about an Easy Rider tour taking travelers on a motorcycle exploration of the countryside. I was not one to easily shell out money on tour packages, but I figured I could easily sightsee the outskirts of Da Lat as a passenger on the back of a Vietnamese Dennis Hopper. I couldn’t text the number as I did not have a local SIM card. Fortunately, my hostel—Da Lat Homestay—offered the same tour. Along with the other guests, who all turned out to be Israelis, I signed up for the Easy Rider the next day.

As a frequent guest of Azalea’s Baguio property, I already had an inkling of what to expect at their Boracay location. Still, upon our arrival, I was taken aback by the niceties of the layout that blended perfectly with the vibe of the island. The wide entrance highlighted by the globe fountain and centerpiece quickly arrested my attention. The available space created an additional charm befitting the post-modern architecture of the five-story establishment bursting with appealing lines and patterns.

“Every lake belongs to the quietness desired by the swans,” poet Munia Khan wrote. Her description mirrored what we collectively sense about these bodies of water existing under the shadows of big-swell oceans and streaming rivers. Lakes dished a different vibe far from the seas we were accustomed to visiting in our geographically gifted, archipelagic country. The stillness of their natural pools of freshwater provided a tranquil atmosphere coupled with the lush greens that usually surrounded them. Therefore, if you were wandering around the Philippines, a jaunt to one of these lakes would instantly give you a memorable travel experience.

Technology had linked the divide between manufacturers, food producers, and consumers by mere clicks of a button. The quickly expanding economics of delivery had made it possible for consumers to purchase goods expediently—a convenience highlighted significantly during the pandemic.

Previously known as Bombay, Mumbai—aside from being the country's most populous city—was India's center of financial and commercial activities. Founded on an ancient settlement, its name was derived from the local goddess Mumba, a form of Parvati, the consort of Shiva and one of the main deities of Hinduism.

After our friends from Philippine Airlines, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, and fellow travel bloggers/vloggers departed for Manila, the three of us—myself, Karla, and Coleen—extended our stay for a few more days. Doing so, we got to experience more of the city, including seeing it above the roof of a thirty-five-story building. How did we do it without breaking and entering? Let me take you back to a little flashback.

As a spectator many times over of numerous Philippine festivals in the past, I still overflowed with enthusiasm each time I witnessed a new one. After experiencing the Ati-Atihan three times and the Sinulog twice already, I had had a more than enough dose of fun from those twin festivals honoring the Santo Niño. However, I was always game to immerse in the different vibe of other lesser-known festivals in the country. Camarines Norte’s Busig-On Festival was not just previously unknown to me, it also had an interesting backstory involving a widely retold local story. Therefore, during my eight-hour bus ride to the province, I already visualized the kind of frenzy atmosphere that awaited me.

I remembered being envious of my then-girlfriend years ago when she went on a solo backpacking trip to Tawi-Tawi and hiked Bud Bongao. Not only was the mountain located in the southernmost province of the Philippines, it was also considered a sacred peak. Two preachers mentored by Karim ul-Makhdum—the Arab missionary who brought Islam to the Philippines in 1380—were said to be buried on Mount Bud Bongao in a location called the Tampat Rocks.

The future of traveling faced uncertainties brought on by the “new normal” or, as aptly put, the "temporary abnormal," until global medical health frameworks stabilized. Until then, travelers expected travel to become heavily reliant on strategic precautionary measures such as social distancing. Overcrowded tourist destinations would—for the meantime—be out of travel plans. This, however, challenged travelers to be extra creative in exploring alternative locations. Great news, though: beachgoers did not need to worry. Because in a country blessed with more than 7,000 islands, there were a lot of beach choices that perfectly met the criteria for wide-open spaces. Here were some of them.

Blame western pop culture pandering outsiders for coining a needless also-known-as name for this jaw-dropping place in Batanes. Racuh a Payaman, as the locals referred to it, sounded more faithful to its appearance: rolling hills showcasing the wealth of nature. It took a while before one's amazement was mellowed down by its spellbinding landscape stretching as far as the eyes could see. I missed out on going to that part of the island during my first visit there in 2014. On the morning when we were supposed to head to Racuh a Payaman, my friend Audrey suffered an accident. A tidal pool pulled her into the rocky bed while she was standing on a rock formation at one of the viewpoints situated along the road.

As the capital of the Indian state of Rajasthan, Jaipur is one of India's most popular cities among tourists. Part of the so-called Golden Triangle alongside New Delhi and Agra, the city draws travelers eager to experience an environment teeming with palaces, temples, magnificent forts, colorful bazaars, and, of course—plenty of roaming cattle. All these, combined with stunning architecture, rich culture, and a lively culinary scene, make what is widely known as “the Pink City” an unmissable destination in India.