Pushkar was a small town near Ajmer in the desert state of Rajasthan. Daily life and other activities there—including religious ceremonies and rituals—centered around Pushkar Lake, a sacred Hindu site. Surrounding the lake were more than fifty Ghats where pilgrims bathed and the nightly aarti ceremonies were held. Narrow alleyways lined with vibrant bazaars, housed in centuries-old havelis (traditional Indian mansions), and hundreds of temples surrounded that small town. Brimming with a rich history, colorful culture, savory cuisine, and revered religious events, Pushkar was more than just a charming destination—it still hid many gems that every traveler would delight in discovering.

Rishikesh, also known as the "Gateway to the Himalayas" and the "Yoga Capital of the World," was one of the Hindus' holiest places. It was a pilgrimage site dotted with centuries-old temples. The River Ganges, which was considered sacred in India, began its flow in the state of Uttarakhand, where Rishikesh was located. Made famous when the Beatles visited in the winter of 1968, Rishikesh had become a place where one could find spirituality, tranquility, adventure, culture, good food, and more. Here were some things to do and places to see in Rishikesh to learn more about it.

Arriving from Bandung, I headed straight to Wonderloft Hostel, where I had reserved a bunk bed for one night before flying back home to Manila. I originally planned on catching up on sleep, but when I learned from the receptionist that the hostel was just a few steps away from the historic Kota Tua Jakarta, I ditched rest in favor of the chance to explore more.

Describing the abundant advantages of travel, Saint Augustine was quoted in John Feltham’s English Enchiridion (1799) as saying, “The world is a great book, and none study this book so much as a traveler. They that never stir from their home read only one page of this book”—an evocative passage that summed up the ultimate desire of modern-day travelers: to learn and discover whatever exists outside our comfort zones.

Did you know that staying at home during the COVID-19 pandemic was one of the best ways to fight the virus? Healthcare workers referred to people staying at home as “our wartime air and artillery support. The more people who stay at home, the more chances we have to contain and fight the virus.” Stopping the spread of that deadly disease meant pushing the pause button on daily lives. It was a sacrifice everyone had to make to “flatten the curve” of infection. However, and understandably so, many suffered anxiety because they could not go out and help. Unfortunately, as the virus continued to spread, leaving home only invited more risk than it produced much-needed help for the public.

Not far from the frenetic streets surrounding Connaught Place in Delhi, an ancient subterranean marvel possessing a fascinating history remained in an almost Zen-like condition. For the believers of mystical tales and legends, this was also where strange occurrences happened and ghostly demons plotted curses. The Agrasen Ki Baoli was an ancient water reservoir common all over India of the olden times. Descending to a total of one hundred eight stone steps, it had three levels all lined up with arched niches on both sides.

Slept on an airport floor. Been there, done that. During my previous red-eye flights to Kuala Lumpur, I remembered dozing off in several carpeted areas of Kuala Lumpur International Airport T2 (KLIA2) as I awaited my connecting flight the next day—a few times to India and another to Sri Lanka. However, on my last trip to India, I found cozy and affordable accommodation located right inside the KLIA2 terminal. Aptly called "Capsule Transit," it served its core function perfectly: providing just enough space for transiting passengers who did not have the time or money to head into downtown Kuala Lumpur to look for a hotel.

I first came to learn about the banig weavers of Basey, Samar many moons ago when, on a pre-Yolanda morning, I explored the entirety of the San Juanico Bridge on foot. I had arrived in Samar with no destination in mind until a local I encountered pointed me to a fascinating place. “You can go to Basey; it is a small town not far from here. There’s an old church there and a cave where you will see women weavers making beautiful banig,” he told me in Tagalog.

During the first night of our #LakbayNorte8 in Pampanga, we were taken to a lawn-covered ground surrounded by towering trees in Clark. “We’re going to go glamping,” our host told us travel writers and vloggers as we got out of our chartered bus. Surveying the scene, I immediately saw the rows of tents pitched for us and a wooden table full of charcuterie boards screaming of an incoming feast.

It might have felt like eons ago when Taipei 101 stood as the tallest skyscraper in the world when it first opened in 2004. Ten taller buildings later—led by Dubai’s Burj Khalifa—Taiwan’s tower of power remained an enigma of an architectural wonder lording over the skyline of Taipei. Standing one thousand six hundred sixty-seven feet with one hundred one floors, Taipei 101 held the title of the world's tallest building from 2004 to 2010.

Ask them what kind of activities and environments they enjoy. Do they prefer the beach, mountains, urban travel, or something more adventurous? Research has shown that sensation-seekers are drawn to other adrenaline junkies, and it seems to be a trait that's conducive to romance. A study presented participants with high sensation-seeking measures with descriptions of potential romantic partners.

My not-so-fond memories of passing through Jones Bridge were always associated with grinding traffic, so I never appreciated the bridge’s neo-classical design by architect Juan M. Arellano, nor the three arches resting on the two piers. First constructed in 1920 spanning the Pasig River to connect the Binondo district to Padre Burgos Avenue in Ermita, the bridge had undergone numerous reconstructions. The most tedious of them all was in the aftermath of the Liberation of Manila during the tail end of WWII. Another restoration was done in 1998, but still, the bridge remained an afterthought to most pedestrians. It was only in 2019 when Manila Mayor Isko Moreno injected twenty million pesos for a redevelopment of the Jones Bridge.

For two days, I experienced what it was like being inside an athlete’s village. Ever since I started following the Olympics, I had been curious about what it was like being in such a place. Fortunately, I was invited as part of a small media team to spend a night at the one the Philippines built for the 30th South East Asian Games, held at the New Clark City in Tarlac. Although that sporting event was a lot smaller in scale, I was hoping that we could further expand our sporting infrastructures so we could host the Asian Games and then the Olympics someday.

The renovated 1940 neoclassical Agriculture and Commerce Building wowed everyone when it reopened as the National Museum of Natural History in May 2018—thanks to an arresting design element addition. Not even a week later, social media was flooded with photographs of the museum’s imposing atrium, which resembled a DNA helix. Architect Dominic Galicia and interior designer Tina Periquet collaborated to bring the Tree of Life to fruition as the centerpiece of the museum.

Some of my fondest memories of Baguio City always included food—well, and the exceptional company I was with. There was Sarah giggling non-stop at Oh My Gulay, my former girlfriend Lauren giddily explaining to me the intricate elements of Spinach and Chicken Galantine at PNKY Café (now sadly closed), and the heavenly face of another former partner, Monette, as she finished her plate of signature lomo ribs at Canto.

After numerous trips to the province of Cebu and skipping the opportunity to stay on the island of Mactan, I must admit to never having heard of Jpark Island Resort and Waterpark before. I had my assumptions managed to a middling level when I joined fellow travel and lifestyle writers on a media trip celebrating the resort’s tenth-year anniversary.

More and more people were choosing to embrace the vegan lifestyle not only to become healthier but also to advocate cruelty-free eating. Doing so, believers of greener dining habits were shattering previous misconceptions about veganism, such as “vegan food doesn’t taste good,” “there aren’t many vegan options,” and so on. Thanks to them and the growing number of vegan places in the country, more people were learning that vegan food was not that bad at all. In fact, it had spawned creative dishes that provided memorable gastronomic experiences.