Lakwatsarah

While a package tour of the Holy Land can get really expensive, there is a country that also offers that rich historical religious journey that is both healing and pocket friendly. Ever wondered how it feels like to travel to the first Christian nation in the world ? That feeling of being transported back to a time when Jesus' apostles are starting to spread Christianity, the tour almost felt like a pilgrimage!  Noravank Monastery A tiny country located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Armenia was the first ever country to declare Christianity as its official religion in 301 AD. During the first century, Apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus aimed to spread the Christian religion. Our short visit made us realize Armenian’s serious religious devotion. It's a country blessed with beautiful people who are regarded as descendants of  Noah's son, Japheth. Day 1 Our first day was a great introduction to the first Christian nation. We were given a sneak peak on the rich hi...

our millions of Vietnamese Dongs How much will a trip to Southeast Asia cost? This is the most commonly question my relatives and friends ask me after knowing of my recent backpacking trip to Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. I won't be able to give you an accurate answer to that. But what I can share here is our personal journey from budgeting to spending. 10 days won't cost you a fortune, that's the good news. Asia is comparatively an affordable region to travel. We set aside a simple plan of knowing head on what to save, when to save and where to save. 

Summer is definitely here! What better way to enjoy summer heat than to bask under the sun, sea and sand in any of the many enchanting islands of Coron. Bring with you your best gal pals na super bibo and your summer will forever be memorable. This Palawan province is blessed to have the grandest of mother nature's mystic beauty. Thumbs up, Coron is my No. 1 Summer Destination this 2014!  Here's a quick glimpse of what we did during our awesome 4 days in Coron. You can use this as your guide when planning your own Coron getaway :)

Puraran Beach As it turns out, January isn't really a good month to see Catanduanes' full bloom beauty. The weather’s not cooperating and the breeze was too cold for us, we couldn't even gather the courage to drag ourselves into the water and swim. Not to mention the very strong waves. I passed the yearning to swim and bond with my camera underwater as the last thing I want is to find myself in the middle of Pacific Ocean. The water was  rough even near the shoreline. Despite the gloomy weather (which happened all throughout our stay), we didn't pass the chance to see Catanduanes famous tourist spots especially two of the top beaches of the province, Twin Rock Beach Resort and Puraran Beach. Travelers shouldn't miss these two gorgeous beaches especially during the calm summer months and even during the rainy season for seasoned surfers. The trip happened last January 18-20 with college buddy Yael.  Here's how we spent t...

This trip took place on the eve of November 29 - December 2, 2012. Away from packaged tours (as always), let me share some notes of our day to day activities during our long weekend in Sagada.

Our weekend was full of unforgettable first time experiences. What's great about this trip was that we were able to do many things in just 2 days and swim in different bodies of water - falls, batis  and lake. See, Laguna is more than just hot springs, slides and theme parks. what our Php2000 budget allowed us to do ^_^ Laguna Weekend Series: Travel Video: Laguna Weekend Getaway Laguna: The 2-Hour Plan Challenge Pagsanjan Falls: The Php150 Challenge Villa Sylvia Resort, Nagcarlan Lake Pandin: Not Your Ordinary Outdoor Pool Places we visited: Pagsanjan Falls (via Cavinti Trek), Villa Sylvia Resort in Nagcarlan and Lake Pandin of San Pablo. Here's a rough draft of our itinerary:

Together with my aunt and uncle, we visited Puerto Princesa city last February 21-23, 2012. Feel free to copy our itinerary. Day 1 - check in at Marianne Home Inn - lunch at KaLui Restaurant - at around 2pm, we started the City Tour - dinner at Balinsasayaw Day 2 - at around 8am, van fetched us for the Underground River Tour - early lunch at Sabang (meal included in the tour) - Mangrove Paaddle Boat Tour - Sabang Zipline   - 3pm start of Underground River Tour - dinner at Skylight Restaurant Day 3 - Pasalubong/ Pearl Shopping at Delma Pearl and Souvenir Shop for authentic south sea pearls - Pasalubong shopping for shirts at the newly opened pasalubong center - lunch at Badjao Seafront Restaurant - check out/flight back to Manila Expenses: Roundtrip ticket - Php350 roundtrip (thanks to Piso Fare) Terminal Fee - Php200 (Naia) + Php40 (Puerto Princesa Airport) Tour package - Php2990 (inclusive of 3 days 2 nights accommodation with bre...

There must have been something amusing about the number 5 during my recent out of town trip. Working harder for my annual pension plan payment, I was geared to be wearing my tipid mode hat for this 5 day trip up north. Luckily, I ended up using less than my target budget. With only Php5,000 this trip covers Baguio, Benguet, Vigan, Laoag and Pagudpud leg with the Panagbenga Festival Grand Float Parade as the trip’s highlight. So how in the world did I manage to work within that budget? Here are my saving tips for those planning to travel to North Luzon: