Tag: International travel

Touts approached every single individual alighting from every single bus that arrives in Bagan terminal. They offered taxi services with exceptional persistence. The sun was almost up and it was their major selling point—the guarantee of getting you at any available pagoda where the view of the sunrise is stunning. No other available cheaper transport that time, so I dealt with one to get me to a Pagoda for sunrise, and then bring me to my hostel immediately after. At the gate just outside the terminal, an outpost was setup to collect tourism fees. A 5-day tourist pass to Bagan Archeological ... Read more

I could see your eyes from the sparking lights

The structure is so majestic as it stands proud and paramount in Malaysia. When I got to its greatest height, I realized that it was even more stunning. I could relate as to why people at the top would do whatever it takes to remain in their post – it is because falling is really scary and painful. Anyway, back to my visit to Petronas Twin Towers, I was able to reached the highest accessible floor, the 86th floor, which is 370 meters above street level. The sunset at the top was even more amazing. [Related blog: How it Felt to ... Read more

Last year, I organized a backpacking tour with my office mates to visit Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. While Aaron and myself were busy with some other stuff, Roderick silently took our photos from behind. All these fifteen photos are courtesy of Roderick Ordoñez. 1. Arrival in Suvarnabhumi Airport (Bangkok) It was Aaron’s first time to be overseas and he was amazed how advanced the airport is, compared to the Philippines. Related Story: Day 1 of the 7-day Indochina Tour: A Walkathon in Bangkok 2. Arrival in Our Hostel, Lub d Siam Square A lot of freebies: book exchange, free pop ... Read more

Before we headed to our 7-day Thailand-Cambodia-Vietnam Tour, I made some research as to what are the places to visit, transportation to take, and their corresponding fees. Here is the actual result of that research which includes the commuting guide and itinerary. I provided some links (colored fonts) just in case you wanted to know the details of our tour. You can leave your comment(s) if you have questions and I’ll try to provide answers to the best of my knowledge. Border Crossing [custom_table style=”1″] Route Time and Description Fare/pax Bangkok-Seam Reap 05:55AM – Train leaves Hualamphong Station 11:35AM – Train ... Read more

Whatever is causing the conflict, don’t ever resolve it with war – that is what I learned when I visited the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam last December 2013. We only had a day in Ho Chi Minh – technically, just a half day. We arrived in the southern Vietnamese city from Phnom Penh passed 1:00 in the afternoon so we had to hurry to make such half-day productive. We had museums, shopping centers,  dining areas, and some interesting parks on our list but our priority were the Reunification Palace and the War Remnants Museum. For ... Read more

Below is the gallery of the photos I got from the Independence or Reunification Palace in Ho Chi Minh City, the last stop of our 7-day Indochina tour. If you want to use one of the photos below, please read our terms and conditions then contact me. [custom_gallery id=”8306″ layout=”masonry”]  

From Thommanon, our guide drove us to Ta Prohm, our final stop in our Angkor Tour. When Aaron heard that it was the featured location of Angelina Jolie’s  2001 film, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, he surprisingly got excited. Maybe he was already well rested when he refused to climb the Phimeanakas, and he’s also a great fan of places shown in the popular culture. A walkway to Prasat Ta Prohm When we arrived in Ta Prohm, we noticed that the place is heavily vegetated with huge trees. We entered the compound via the west gopura, a designated gate for tourist entrance. We did ... Read more

After getting dumbfounded in Angkor Wat, we headed to Angkor Thom and explored every temples within the complex. We stumbled in Bayon, ascened to the top of Baphuon, climbed the highest point of Phimeanakas, wondered around the Royal Palace, lingered the stretch of the Elephants Terrace, and roamed in the the channels of Leper King Terrace. It was an awesome temple run in Siem Reap. But hey, we weren’t done yet. Though Aaron already met his limit, we still headed to some amazing temples outside Angkor Thom. We left Angkor Thom through the Victory Gate and stopped in Thommanon. Thommanon was built ... Read more