Author: iAn L.

After a tiring layover in Ho Chi Minh City, the last stop of our Indochina Tour, we visited Jollibee Vietnam. Roderick, with the help of his MapsWithMe app in Android, pointed the direction to shop which was relatively close to the War Remnants Museum. Back in the Philippines, we sometimes snub Jollibee or we only visit the store if its the only option left, but seeing it abroad gave us a strange feeling – unusual joy and pride. We hurried to go inside and we noticed that the atmosphere felt exactly like home, though the language was different. Jollibee Store ... Read more

After our sightseeing along the Chao Phraya River and a simple local breakfast at Tha Chang Port, we headed to the Grand Palace. Well, the reason why we took the boat was to reach the Grand Palace, and since cruising Chao Phraya River with locals is an awesome activity as well, I piled it to my list of activities completed. Important Reminders The Grand Palace opens daily at 8:30AM so be sure to be there before the mob rushes, because if that happens, you’ll find a hard time looking for an empty space for your photo ops. The palace closes ... Read more

Angkor Wat is one of the destinations you must see before you die. December 2 this year, I crossed out one of the entries in my bucket list and saw it from the moment it was pitch black until it slowly revealed itself as the sun lit the surroundings. Seeing the world’s largest religious monument was truly hair-raising and exhilarating experience. I wasn’t alone but with a mob who were also waiting for the one of the most anticipated sunrise ever. The Angkor Wat deserves a good space in this blog that is why I feature it in Freedom Wall Shutter. ... Read more

The Erawan Shrine (ศาลพระพรหม or San Phra Phrom) seats at the intersection of Ratchaprasong and Ratchadamri Roads in Pathum Wan district, Bangkok. Unlike any other Thai temples in city, the image, which is a Thai depiction of the Hindu god of creation, isn’t sheltered with a big mondop. The shrine was built in 1956 by Erawan Hotel to counter the negative karma caused by laying the hotel’s foundations on a wrong date. The shrine was once a subject of great controversy when a man was killed by bystanders last March 21, 2006 after hammering the statue. The Erawan Shrine (ศาลพระพรหม or ... Read more

Our first stop for the day 2 of our Indochina tour was the Grand Palace. To reach the place, we boarded BTS at National Stadium station and got off at Saphan Taksin station. Sathorn Pier was just few steps away from the west exit of Saphan Taksin. We hopped on a boat, and then it turned into an instant cruise in Chao Phraya River. The fare was cheap at TH฿15/pax. We took the boat with the orange flag which we pre-determined to make a stop in Tha Chang Pier (N9), the closest pier to the Grand Palace entrance. (Boats with blue ... Read more

Before the walkathon in Bangkok, let us talk about our amazing race in the Philippines first. I did not go on leave a day prior to our trip. I took a mid-shift work schedule wherein I came to the office at 03:00PM and left at 12:00AM. I had all my stuff ready to make sure that by the time the last second ticks to midnight, I am ready to go and catch our 08:00AM flight. Our airport of departure was in Clark, and, as per my research days prior, we can take Victory Liner to Baguio or Five Star Bus Co. ... Read more

We stayed in Lub d Bangkok Siam Square on the first leg of our Thailand-Cambodia-Vietnam tour. We spent three nights in the cozy hostel and the experience was totally great for us. Well, not mentioning the strategic location and a lot of freebies for guests, we shared memories with other travelers, and, of course, gained new friends. Lub d has two branches in Bangkok: one is located in Silom, a place for an excellent night out; and the other is in Siam Square, a shopping haven. For us, we chose to stay in the Siam Square branch. Its not that we ... Read more

We reached Ayutthaya around 3PM on the second day of our Thailand-Cambodia-Vietnam tour. That means that we only had three hours to explore the ruins of the capital of the once prosperous and Southeast Asia’s most invincible, the Ayutthaya Kingdom (1351 to 1767 AD). Ayutthaya, by the way, was the capital of the Empire of the same name. Ayutthaya’s Past As noted in the history, Ayutthaya’s greatest extent was achieved in 1605 during the reign of King Naresuan. Its territory covered some of east Burma, the present day Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia, and the west part of the central to north Vietnam. ... Read more

Katibawasan Falls is located 5 kilometers away from the town center of Mambajao and sits at the foot of Mount Timpoong, the highest peak in Camiguin Island. It measures 250 ft. (76 meters) and plummets to a pool surrounded with lush greeneries. We headed to the falls after dipping for almost two hours in the waters around the White Island. It was a long steep travel for a 5-kilometer distance. We noticed that the surrounding of the falls were already developed for tourists. We found a lot of souvenir shops along the entrance. There were also small stores that sell snacks. ... Read more