Lakwatsarah

Young monks taking rest in Angkor Wat Backpacking Cambodia is a famous bucket list destination of many world travelers. This Southeast Asian country is famous for having the world's largest religious monument, the historical grandeur of Angkor Wat - made even more famous by Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie (ever watched Tomb Raider ?) It took us a long 16 hour cross border bus trip from Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam . When we arrived in the bus terminal of Siem Reap, it was almost midnight. Good thing our chosen accommodation in Cambodia offers free pick up service. We settled in our rooms and rested immediately. Bou Savy Guesthouse, a TripAdvisor favorite Bou Savy Guesthouse Of all the guesthouses in Cambodia I decided to push through with Bou Savy Guesthouse mainly because of the ...

Crossing border: Cambodia to Thailand I have always wanted to travel to Indochina by means of backpacking, it's cheap, there's more freedom plus it's more adventurous than getting a typical tour package from a travel agency. I have pictured doing this together with friends while carrying each of our own backpacks. But strikingly, one Piso Fare promo had me traveling with people more than twice my age!

I woke up seeing my aunt almost ready for the day's tour which I found odd because she has always been the last to prepare. She forgot that Vietnam is one hour delayed of Manila time!  Day 1 left our toes tired and muscles aching (the effect of our 10km marathon  stroll). The first day was more of 'DIY-slash-it's okay to get lost tour'. Day 2 turned out to be a more 'relaxed-slash-dive into Vietnam's historical tour'. Having booked a half day tour, we rode a bus that brought us to Cu Chi district. TNK Travel Our tour guide from TNK Travel was prompt, picked us up from our hotel, and assisted us to the bus where we'd be joining other tourists. Almost 80% of travelers inside the bus were made up of young American-European backpackers. Cu Chi district is approximately 1.5 hour's drive from Ho Chi Minh. It was a comfortable ride with our guide sharing his invaluable stories and insights about the Vietnam War. He was more than knowl...

This Southeast Asian budget trip took almost a year to conceive. Thanks to Piso fare promo, I have ample time to save up for the right budget. From Manila - Ho Chi Minh, the flight took almost 2 hours. We arrived in Vietnam close to midnight (Vietnam is an hour behind). Ho Chi Minh city as seen from the plane For airport pick up, I arranged two taxis prior to our arrival which was taken care of by our hotel. Our accommodation was an easy 30-minute drive from the airport. A few minutes down the road, the sleepy street was slowly turning into a vibrant nightlife as we arrived in the colorful street of Pham Ngu Lao, Vietnam's backpacker's district.

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.

Boracay may seem to be an expensive destination. But here's one thing I realized, like many of Philippines finest tourist spots, it can be done on a budget, especially if all you want is to simply enjoy the waters. Afterall, Boracay is really about the powdery sand and the crystal clear waters. 5 members of the family was able to enjoy Boracay in less than Php30,000 (all in!) Feel free to copy our itinerary ^_^

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...

Sharing an overview of my 5 days itinerary in Malaysia covering the city of Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Alor Setar and Penang. Click here to read  Day 1 arrival at LCCT airport super late lunch at a local food court afternoon trip to Putrajaya  (Seri Wawasan Suspension Bridge, Masjid Putra, Perdana Putra, Putrajaya Royal Palace) Merdeka Square dine in at Sek Yuen Restaurant check in at Alpha Genesis Hotel stroll the streets of KL until we get to Petronas Twin Towers  

This is an overview of the specific places we've been to during our 5 day North Luzon trip. Day 1: Baguio day tour (Part 1) Burnham Park Session Road Baguio Cathedral Good Taste Botanical Park Wright Park The Mansion Mines View Park Good Shepherd Day 2: Baguio day tour (Part 2)

Here's a sample itinerary of what we did. We actually stayed there for 3 days but I'll just share the places we've seen on the first 2 days since the 3rd day was spent watching the Panagbenga Float Parade. Prior to the trip, I made some internet research before deciding on what places to go to. Feel free to follow our itinerary on your next Baguio trip. The first day was spent touring my friend the basic tourist spots of Baguio. Places me and my cousin has actually visited a number of times except for the Good Taste Restaurant. Day 1 07:00 am:      Check-in into your hotel/lodging house (we went to Benguet State University to follow up on the status of our reservation. BSU is located near Strawberry Farm, a 30 minute and P77 taxi drive from Victory Bus Liner Baguio Terminal) 08:00 am:      Breakfast at McDonald's beside BSU 09:00 am:       Burnham Park | Session Road | Baguio Cathedral          ...

Getting around Lake Sebu is a total breeze (I mean literally!). You see, the province's local transportation itself known as skylab aka habal-habal is an exciting road trip experience that's definitely worth a try. Unlike other provinces, the place serves no tricycles or public utility jeeps. It's either you bring your own car or hop on the skylab experience! lake house at Lake Sebu