Author: Ian Limpangog

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

If you want to witness something spectacular this season, try visiting Ayala Triangle in Makati City. A symphony of lights, dubbed as Ayala Triangle Gardens Lights and Sounds, is shown every thirty minutes from 06:00PM to 09:00PM. This dazzling musical show is presented every Christmas season. It is now one of Makati’s most anticipated holiday offerings. Ayala Triangle Lights and Sounds Show The lightshow started last November 20. It is composed of more than 800,000 pieces of colored LEDs linked by up to 45,000 meters of wirings. So before these LEDs dim their shimmer, be sure to be there not later ... Read more

From afar it shimmers, seems enticing every gazing individuals from the main island’s shore. The White Island in Camiguin is like a floating gem wherein you’ll be tempted to touch it once you see it. You want to feel its texture, dazzle its luster, seize its beauty, and experience its wonder. White Island is pure white sand island that floats 1.4 km (0.87 mi) off the northern coast of Mambajao, Camiguin’s capital. The tide constantly re-size and reshape the island and sometimes divide it into even smaller islets. The island was the first stop of the day 2 of our Camiguin ... Read more

‘Twas almost two years since we visited Coron in Palawan. I suppose to wait for three more months for me to “sigh” and say “it has been two years” but I just can’t help it. I browsed through my Facebook photos and I found some pictures (tagged by Marx) with indelible memories and I got really excited to share the story. That is why, I couldn’t wait for three months to make a throwback post about it. Since I’m three months short, maybe, I should call this a “throwback post: three months early”. We went on a remote island hopping ... Read more