Every journey needs a bangin’ soundtrack -— a collection of songs that weave themselves into the fabric of my adventures. They turn moments into core memories. They didn’t just play in the background; they became part of the story. Whether it was a mellow tune accompanying a sunset drive, a belty anthem that turned airport…
It’s officially 2025, but before I start looking forward to what I hope to be an awesome year, I find myself looking back on 2024 with a mind brimming with memories and a heart bursting at the seams with gratitude. This year wasn’t just about ticking places off a list —- it was about moments…
18 YEARS AGO, when a rare lull in our usual afterclass conversation presented itself, Maw broke it with a seemingly random musing. “Parang ang saya mag-travel sa US and Canada, ano? Gawin kaya natin.” And the only thing I could say to that was, “Hindi ko afford.” “Tange, hindi agad,” she said. “Years from now…
Overwhelmed by wonderful comments on our latest FB/IG post. But this one made me tear up. 🥹 It brought me back to my early years as a personal blogger. I wasn’t a travel blogger then, but I would comment on others’ travel-related posts a lot, wondering whether I’d be able to go to those places…
NAIROBI, Kenya, 2024. Sheldrick Elephant Nursery takes care of 20+ baby elephants orphaned in the wild. Each baby has their own story of survival. The most compelling are those of orphaned African elephants that were adopted by bull elephants. The bulls would still protect the baby elephant as much as they could. But sadly, protection…
NAIROBI, Kenya, 2024. Meet Raha, one of the two baby black rhinos at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Nursery in Nairobi, where they keep orphaned rhinos and elephants until they are ready to be released back in the wild. We dropped by the site before the actual safari tour. Raha was spotted fighting for her life…
Wearing 3 continents on my wrist now. 🇰🇪 a beaded band created by Maasai women in Kenya 🇬🇷 a bracelet from Tinos Island, gifted by a friend who hosted us in Greece 🇹🇭 a sai sin, blessed by a Buddhist monk in Thailand Too bad I didn’t purchase any bracelet in North America and Australia.…
I just realized that 20 years ago last week, I published my very first blog post. While 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐫 was established in 2010, marking the start of my traveler era 😂, I actually created my very first blog in April 2004. I think it was my good friend Jerwin, who introduced the concept of…