Showing posts with label Travel With Me. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travel With Me. Show all posts

May 29, 2016

5 Day Sydney Itinerary

Just posting my Sydney and Melbourne Itinerary which you can completely switch around. I could have gone around more but I also factored in visits to family and friends. The details as well as the stories will be found in a separate post.

view of the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge from Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens

I flew to Sydney via Cebu Pacific. I took a red eye flight which was perfect as I had 8 hours to sleep and I can go around Sydney as soon as we arrive at 10am.

Here's the itinerary!

Day 1 - City
Arrived at Sydney at 10:00 AM
Travelled to Dee Why beach to my cousin's house (45 mins up north)
Lunch at Sandbar with a nice view of Dee Why Beach
Drive back to Sydney and check in at The Springfield Lodge in Pott's Point (But really close to King's Cross, but in a quiet road)
Rest a bit
Dinner at GRK Souvlaki in Newtown
Drove around the The Rocks and got a nice view of the Harbour Bridge
Circular Quay
Opera Bar

Day 2 - Blue Mountains
Cousin drove us around so we got to see the following:
Left the hotel at 7am , drive through at Hungry Jack's
Featherdale Park where we saw Koalas, Penguins, Fed the Kangaroos, Wallabys, Tasmanian Devils, Dingos, Snakes and a whole lot of other animals native to the region
Drive to Blue Mountains
(You can have lunch at Leura Village first, we completely skipped lunch)
Go to Three Sisters 
Dropped by a bunch of other walks
Snacks and Hot Choco at the Chocolate Factory in Katoomba Town
Drive back to Sydney
Ramen dinner in Sydney

The Three Sisters at Blue Mountains in Sydney


Day 3 - City
Left the hotel at 9am
Breakfast at Macca's
Took the train to Martin's Place
Walked to the following attractions: 
Queen's Square (where you can find a statue of Queen Victoria)
Hyde Park  (take a photo at the Archibald Fountain)
Lunch at Chiswick in Woollahra
(at this point you can already go to Bondi Beach but we opted to go back to the city instead)
Took the train from Bondi Junction to Town Hall Station 
Chinatown & Chinese Garden of Friendship
Walked to Darling Harbour
Took the Wynyard Station train to go back to our hotel

Day 4 - City, Watson's Bay and Bondi
Left the hotel at 9am
Bought croissants at Croissant D'or at MacLeay Street in Pott's Point
Took the train to Martin's Place & Crossed the Road, passed through Sydney Hospital to get to The Domain 
Walked around the Royal Botanical Gardens
Went to Macquarie's Chair for a good view of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge together
Sydney Opera House (for a nice view of the Harbour Bridge)
Walked to Circular Quay
Lunch at Doyle's 
The Gap
Drive to Bondi Beach
Churros at San Churro Bondi
Iceberg's at Bondi
Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk (we only did about a 15 - 30 minute walk because we were tired)
Drove back to the city and stopped by Ikea (Dinner at IKEA)

View of Bondi Beach right after Sunset from Bondi Icebergs Club


Day 5 - Skydiving in Picton, Kiama Blowhole, Wollongong and Free Time
Left the hotel at 7:30
Cab to Sydney Skydivers Office near Central Station (you can also take the train)
Skydive in Picton at 8am
Kiama Blowhole
Sea Cliff Bridge
Drive Back to Sydney via Grand Pacific Drive and passing through the Royal National Park
FREE Time
I opted to go to the Art Gallery of New South Wales (you can get off at Martin's Place Station, cross through the Sydney Hospital, pass by The Domain and you'll see the Museum at the end) and then have dinner with family. My friend decided to go back to Chinatown to shop for souvenirs.

Skydiving at Picton with Sydney Skydivers


Day 6 - Fly home
There's an airport shuttle that costs $14 and picks up people from a bunch of hotels in the city
My friend flew home to Manila and I flew to Melbourne.

May 31, 2015

The Most Beautiful Thing I Have Seen in a Long Time

This will be one of my best memories of travelling to El Nido.

We recently had an event in Lagen Island, in El Nido, Palawan. But since the place was fully booked, we had to stay in Miniloc Island instead which is a 20 minute boat ride away. The event was going to end late at night and I was dreading the boat ride to Miniloc because my overactive imagination supplied me with images of creatures rising from high waves in the darkness. That and I couldn't swim. But sometimes, our biggest fears turn out to be the source of the most amazing fleeting moments we could ever have.

I was tightly clutching the rails in the speedboat as it cut through the waves in pitch black. We were making small talk to distract ourselves from the streaks of lightning that illuminated the surroundings from a small distance away. In an attempt to distract myself, I looked up and saw the most beautiful sky I have ever seen in my entire existence. It was dotted with stars and in the darkness, it looked so bright. I was in awe. I pointed this out to everyone and we all fell silent. Maybe this was what Coldplay was looking at when they wrote Sky Full of Stars. haha!

Inspiring moments happen when we least expect them.

March 29, 2015

The 19th Philippine Hot Air Balloon Festival checked off my bucketlist


This hot air ballon was so fascinated with all the other balloons - 19th Philippine Hot Air Balloon Festival


I've always wanted to go to the hot air balloon festival. I've been putting it off for the longest time for various reasons but this year I made the decision to make things happen instead of waiting for things and events to happen to me. 

I can credit my fascination with hot air balloons from a childhood filled with Jules Verne's books and a fascination at how science has managed to make people's dreams of flying a reality. 

The event was a four day affair (Feb 12-15) but we decided to catch the festivities during the last day. We decided it was best to check in the night before to avoid the traffic from the influx of festival goers during the early hours of Feb 15 and we also wanted to get a little rest. 

We checked in at Tune Hotel via Agoda. For a budget hotel, it wasn't so bad. The beds are comfy, pillows are a bit thin. The rooms are, as expected, just the right size to accommodate two people. The bathrooms are clean, there's cable TV and the air-conditioning worked well. What I wasn't expecting was the wonderful service. We checked in a bit late and were told that while we had booked a room with twin beds, the only room available had a queen sized bed. They apologized and instead gave us the option of a late check-out to compensate for it. I also realized that I forgot to print out our hot air balloon tickets. The staff, at the ungodly hour of 3am printed it out for us and told us it would be ready at the reception.

Tune Hotel Pampanga



At 4:30 AM, we decided to leave the hotel, there was already a long line of vehicles going to the area and there was a bit of traffic as cars were led to the parking areas. I was rather impressed though with how orderly it was done. There were designated parking areas and a lot of people to assist and answer any questions people might have. The queue to get inside the venue was also very efficiently run, and I was grateful for booking online tickets since there was only a short line.


My favorite part of the program, aside from the balloon flying was the part when the skydivers jumped out of the plane with the Philippine Flag. That was the most amazing flag ceremony I have ever experienced!
A video posted by Deandra (@deandracmg) on
19th Philippine Hot Air Balloon Festival - One by One the Balloons come to life


19th Philippine Hot Air Balloon Festival - Little Boy and Little Girl


Early morning fun

This little devil of a hot air balloon thinks it can go to heaven

So many cute merch!

Colorful Pasalubongs

We had so much fun watching the balloons take off as well as watch skydivers jump off the plane.
Afterwards, we went back to sleep at the hotel and checked out at lunch time to eat at Meat Plus and have coffee/tea at Cafe Tre.

Cafe Tre
Unit 45 C & D, Austine Bldg. Regency Park Townhouses
J. Abad Santos corner E.Aguinaldo St., Clark Freeport Zone



The condensed version:

What to bring:
Mats, banigs or chairs so you can be comfy while waiting for the program to start
Water - preferably a reusable bottle (help save the environment, avoid disposable bottled water)
Your trusty camera
Insect repellent


What to wear:
Comfy tops
Shorts or leggings
Sunglasses
Bring a light raincoat, you never know what the weather will be like (I reco Uniqlo).
Sneakers/Rubber shoes - the grass in the parking area can get muddy if it rains but the grounds are actually concrete.

Other Tips:
If you have the budget for it, book at the Holiday Inn or Widus
If you're on a budget, Tune hotel is worth it
If bringing a car, be there early, the line at the parking is long (but efficient)
Buy tickets online

March 15, 2015

10 Things I Asked before I did the Trek to Mount Pinatubo's Crater

I haven't trekked/hiked in a long time. The last time I did, I wasn't prepared. I wanted to do it right this time so I did a little research. But as with everything else, some questions are best answered from experience. So here are a list of 10 questions I asked myself while preparing for the Pinatubo Trek.

View from the Top: Mt. Pinatubo Crater Lake


1) Should I go with a tour operator or do I plan and DIY my Pinatubo Trip?
The answer is really dependent on how big your group is and the number of people. The maximum capacity of the 4x4 ride to the drop off point is 5 people. If your group is in multiples of 4 or 5 and you're a big group it will be cheaper to DIY your trip. We opted to go with the TriPinas tour because we were expecting to have 6 people in our group and it only cost us Php1,999 each (vs our estimated Php2,400 per person if we went with the DIY option). It was more convenient for us. Plus Mr. Tee, the tour guide/operator for TriPinas was extremely organized and efficient and answered all my questions before the tour. He was also respectful of everyone's time, arrived at the meeting point very early and made sure everything was right on schedule.

Mr. Tee, French Tour Guide from Tripinas schooling Pinoys on Pinatubo. Photo c/o Aaron Vales



The rest of the people from the tour on the bus ride home. photo by TriPinas
2) Should I wear contact lenses or glasses
I listed pros and cons for this before I decided to just wear my glasses and it did it's job. The 4x4 ride was very dusty and if I wore contacts the risk of irritated eyes and possibly an infection is higher. The lens solution would also mean added load, and I was already carrying 1.5 liters of water in my backpack. The trail was an easy one so I didn't have to worry about my glasses falling off. I asked my friend who wore contacts if it felt inconvenient or if her eyes got irritated, she told me the dust didn't get in her eyes because she was shielded by her sunglasses and yes, lenses were convenient. So this is really just a matter of personal choice.

3) Should I wear hiking sandals or rubber shoes? 
Due to lack of time to research and money to shop, I opted to wear my Brooks Pure Connect running shoes. They were lightweight so it was easy to walk around in. It was made of mesh so everytime there was a stream, my toes would get wet (but it also dried fairly fast) the shape was also rounded which according to a few website reviews were reminiscent of trail running shoes. The grip was okay, I didn't slip so no further damage was made to my accident prone and recently sprained left foot. It also protected me from getting cut from a few odd shaped rocks along the way. I saw a few people wearing hiking sandals which was also fine since they were able to navigate the shallow streams quite easily (versus those in rubber shoes who were afraid to get their feet wet). I guess you can wear either hiking sandals or rubber shoes as long as it's got really good grip. 

Brooks PureConnect - Lightweight, Snug Fit, 4mm heel to toe drop, breathable mesh. My running buddy for 3 years.
4) How much water should I bring?
The tour guide said 1.5 liters should last you the entire trip and it was a fair estimate. Please bring re-usable bottles, we don't need to add to the millions of non-recyclable bottles of water that contribute to global warming.

5) Should I bring a jacket?
I recommend bringing a jacket. It's windy and if you're ginawin like me you'll need it. Also, if you don't want to get sunburned, this is the way to go. I really wanted to buy the KWay Jacket but I opted for the Uniqlo Windbreaker (from the Men's Section). It's cheaper, it's also water resistant, good for light rains, lightweight, foldable, keeps you cool, has UV protection, has a hood, two side pockets and makes you look like you've been hiking trails your entire life.


6) Are there restroom stops?
There's a pay restroom at the base camp (5 pesos for the washroom, 50 pesos for the shower), another one at the area where the 4x4 drops you off to begin your hike (with water and tabo), and another at the Pinatubo Crater.

7) Will the 4x4 trip be boring
Nope. The roads may be dusty and bumpy but the scenery is beautiful. We asked the driver to stop a couple of times so we can take photos.



8) Can I make the trek even though I don't live an active lifestyle
Yes you can! :)

9) How much food should I bring?
I'm always scared of starving or getting lost so I brought half a kilo of cooked cheesedogs (for sharing), 1 cup of rice, 3 snickers bars, M&Ms and Piattos which was really more than enough.

10) How much should I tip the driver and the tour guide
We gave the driver and the tour guide P100 each. Not sure if that's the standard or we're just kuripot. Drivers and tour guides get paid around 300 - 400 pesos each for an entire day's work. They can only make one tour trip per day because it's time consuming and they only have work during the summer months because once the rainy season comes, the paths to the crater are filled with water and they have to look for other odd jobs to sustain them and their families. So please consider that when deciding whether or not you should tip.

 Other things you'll need to bring:
Trashbag
Scarf - to cover your nose from all the lahar/dust from the 4x4 ride. I brought my headware (20 ways to wear!!!) and used it to cover my nose and as a neck scarf so my nape won't get sunburned.
Sunglasses - to shield from the dust
Light backpack - please do not overpack. You'll regret it.
Extra shirt/Shampoo/Soap/Towel - you will be covered with dust when you get back to the base camp. You will need this.
Sunblock - I brought Coppertone for my arms and legs and Ocean Potion Zinc Oxide cream (which has tons of mixed reviews online but worked okay for me) for my face.

Mt. Pinatubo Crater. Photo by Rosella Lopez


Slow down when you hike. It's not about how fast you get to the top. Enjoy the scenery.

Check out my friend Leeza's blog for her Pinatubo adventure and stories from her and her sister's travels across the globe.

November 23, 2014

10 Christmas Gift Ideas for the person who loves to Travel

I was mentally preparing my Christmas wishlist and realized that all of the items I wanted this Christmas are travel related. If you have a friend like me, and you're stumped for ideas on what to give, then check out the list below of 10 Random Travel Related Gift Ideas


1) Travel Inspired Wall Clocks

If my wall clock looked anything like these eye candy, pinterest-worthy metal clocks from ACTEC, I would never ever be late. Don't be fooled by the photos. They are actually really really big!





 2) Travel Posters

You can never go wrong with this one. You can DIY it by making an actual painting or printing out something inspiring from the internet and then buy a frame from the department store. Or you can buy these readily made ones. I saw a couple of nice ones in Papemelroti just yesterday and am still contemplating what to get for my room friends.

taken from Papemelroti's website

taken from Papemelroti's Website

Taken from Papemelroti's Website

3) Maps

I bought a scratch globe from Quirks a couple of months ago. But this scratch map is also a really nice alternative and it comes in this nice poster tube.

Scratch Map from Quirks. Photo taken from Quirks website

Papemelroti also has a nice fiberboard map and you can use pins to map out and mark the places you've been to. 




4) Quirky Bagtags

Gone are the days when our Titas and Moms would wrap our luggage in huge masking or packaging tapes and label them with our names and addresses to avoid luggage mix-ups. I've been using a couple of bagtags and these ones from Flight 001 are on my wishlist. 


5) Travel Containers
I get a little OC sometimes when I pack and I've been using a couple of items (pouches and cases) that my friends got me from KIT (Keeping It Together). If your friend/loved one is a little OC when travelling, they will love this.

Foldable Bag

Hanging Toiletry Pouch

6) Books
Self explanatory. Preferably small and light ones and something from their favorite author or a genre that they love. 

7) A Travel Adapter
I know it might look like you ran out of time to look for a gift. But if they don't already have one - this is a lifesaver and they will love it. If you're uncomfortable giving a travel adapter as a gift, just add a small piece of chocolate and make it a gift bundle. No one will complain. Trust me.
I saw this cute charger from Flight001 which is color coded. You just have to go to this website and check which country you're going to and based on the color, it'll tell you which one to use. So useful. 

Flight 001's travel adapter


8) Aquazorb Towels
My favorite towel to bring when I travel because it's lightweight and it dries easily. I just passed by Aquazorb's stall in Rockwell last week and they now have slippers. I really really want one! 





9) Lagu
Lagu is a beach-friendly blanket which repels sand and dries quickly. Not only does it make it easier for you to clean it up but you also help save the sand and the beach because the sand stays put on the shore instead of clinging to your towels. Get this for the beach bums and the surfers in your life.




10) Neck Pillow

Self explanatory. I got a beanie neck pillow from SM a few years back and it was the most comfortable travel pillow I have ever had. 

Hope this list helps you pick out a gift for your loved ones this holiday season. :)








FYI: This is not a sponsored post

October 25, 2014

Bacolod Masskara Itinerary: Three Day Stay in Bacolod



I booked our flight to Bacolod just a month before the Masskara Festival because I was feeling spontaneous and created this itinerary just a week before the festival.

Trip Priorities
As I've mentioned before, people want different things out of each trip, our priorities for this trip are: 

a) Take part in the festival and street parties and see the local culture
b) A little sight-seeing
c) Food trip
d) Rest time

The Landscape
Just so you're familiar with the layout when deciding to tweak the itinerary, check out the map below:


The Airport is in Silay city, the heritage sites are also in Silay City so you can opt to visit it upon arrival or before departure. The Ruins is found in Talisay, which is halfway between Silay and Bacolod City. The Masskara Festivities are held in Lacson Street in Bacolod City

A Sample Itinerary:

August 24, 2014

Bitten By Wanderlust Again

I haven't been to the beach in a while.
I haven't been on a plane to anywhere in a while.
It's unsettling me, this feeling that my wandering feet have been keeping still for far too long and my next planned travel is still five months away!!!

I keep thinking I need a travel buddy.
Or I can just go out there and travel by myself.

I need to see the beach. Feel the sand under my feet. Fall in love with lighthouses and hot air balloons and the sunrise.

For a little inspiration, I got this scratch globe from Quirks at Rockwell. So far, I've only scratched off China, Malaysia, Cambodia and Hongkong. Can't wait to scratch off more places.

April 16, 2014

Hangzhou and Shanghai China: A Five Day Travel Itinerary

I can't believe this trip is over. I also can't believe we managed to do and see so much in a span of five days in a country where none of us knew the language, considering that this trip was planned a little over a month before it happened. Check out our itinerary below.  


 The 5 Day Hangzhou - Shanghai Itinerary

Day 1 (Arrival)
23:45 Arrival at Shanghai Pudong Airport.
Midnight Snack and Sleep at the airport's Burger King (comfy couches)

Day 2 (Hangzhou, China)
07:00 Wake up and look for the Long Distance Bus Terminal and buy Tickets.
On the way to the Bus Terminal, you will see the Shanghai Train terminal. Buy a 3 day tourist train pass. This will save you a lot of money!
08:30 Bus departs for Hangzhou
12:00 Arrival at Hangzhou - Wulinmen Square
12:30 Arrival/Check In at Bokai Business Hotel (Rest and Refresh)
13:00 Lunch
14:20 - Onwards Boat Ride in Hangzhou West Lake (you can go to 3 Pools Mirroring the Moon)
Just walk around, you won't run out of things to see. Even when you feel like you've already covered half of the area, when you check the map you'll realize you've only seen a fraction of West Lake.
20:00 Dinner at New Life Fried Buns (beside Bokai Business Hotel)

Boat ride at West Lake, World Heritage Site Sign,
Long Distance Bus Ride, 
Day 3 (Hangzhou, China + Shanghai China)
09:00 Cab to Leifeng Pagoda
There's a ticket station here so we already bought our bullet train tickets to Shanghai with the help of tourists from Hong Kong.
09:30 Explore Lei Feng Pagoda
10:30 Explore Su Causeway (short walk from Pagoda)
11:30 Lunch
12:30 Check-out of Hotel
02:30 Bullet Train to Shanghai.
I mistakenly told my companions to book at the Hangzhou East Railway Station which was so far so always double check and make sure you pick the station nearest to your hotel.
03:30 Arrival at Shanghai Train Station
04:00 Take Subway to Hotel
Download the "Explore Metro" app or you can do it how we did it using the old fashioned train map. You'll never get lost because the train system is so efficient.
05:30 Late Check in at New Asia Hotel (Rest and Refresh)
06:30 Take Subway train to East Nanjing Road for dinner and shopping (F21, Uniqlo, Zara, Etc.)

Leifeng Pagoda, Su Causeway and Shanghai Train Station that looks better than our Airport!
Day 4 (Shanghai, China)
09:00 Subway to Xintiandi + French Concession Area
11:30 Train to visit Yuyuan Gardens + Ate Xiao Long Bao
02:00 Train to go to Tianzifang (Tourist trap, haggle very well. Souvenir items are cheaper at Yu Yuan)
04:00 Train to go to People's Square (also near Shanghai Museum)
06:00 Hotel to rest
07:00 Xiao Long Bao Dinner inside a mall in Middle Huaihai Road Commercial Zone (South Shaanxi Road Station)
09:00 Visit the Bund

Wandering around and getting hungry. We got tired of dumplings and finally had McDo.
Day 5 (Shanghai, China)
10:00 Buy souvenirs
12:00 Hotel Check Out
12:30 Lunch
01:30 Shanghai World Financial Center Observatory + Explore Pudong
04:30 Train to go to Mr. X Game House
05:00 Arrival at Mr. X. Game House
07:00 Back to the hotel to get Luggage
07:45 Train to Shanghai Pudong International Airport
09:30 Arrival at airport, dinner at Burger King
10:30 Airport Check In

SWFC, Pudong Financial District and Mr. X Game House

Shanghai's (and China's) train system was so efficient, it makes it so easy to get around that you don't really need to book a tour. All you need to do is research, plan ahead and be very flexible (and resourceful) in case your plans fall through.

March 25, 2014

How to Make A Travel Itinerary - 7 Steps to follow

For me, the most difficult part of planning a trip is creating a custom-made itinerary to suit your needs and to cram in everything you want to see in a short span of time. Sometimes it feels like it's so much easier to just book a tour. But creating your own itinerary frees you up to explore a city from a unique perspective and enriches you.

Everyone has their own methods of creating an itinerary. Some people book tours, some copy friends' itineraries or travel agency itineraries and follow it to a T while others opt to have no itinerary at all. My process is a combination of all of these.

Here's my itinerary making process.

 Determine the Theme
I usually read a brief background of the city and find out what it's well known for. Is it well known for its food? Is it a place brimming with art? Is it famous for historical landmarks, architecture or culture? After finding this information out, I work around that theme and start to do my research.

List down all the places you want to go to
After the theme, I research on the tourist spots via my travel best friends Trip Advisor and  The Lonely Planet. I pick out the places I want to go to, check the reviews to see how accessible they are, see if it's worth going to.

Map It Out
I then map out the areas using either Google Map or an actual store bought map and find out which tourist spots are close to each other.

Shortlisting
Now that you've mapped it out, it would be easier for you to categorize places as "Must See", "Optional", "Delete from your list"

Determine the Dates
After shortlisting the places you really want to visit, it's time to add a schedule. Plot out which areas should be visited on which day of your travel and check if it's feasible. Feel free to move things around.

Research and Book a Hotel
Once you know which areas you'll be visiting, it would be much easier to find a hotel (I use Trip Advisor to research and Agoda to book it) or to know if you need to stay in different hotels during the different days of your trip.

Some of my considerations when looking for a hotel
  • Budget
  • Proximity to Train Station and Tour Area
  • Proximity to Restaurant or Grocery (to make sure I NEVER go hungry)
  • Has to have a clean bathroom
  • Reputation and reviews
Transportation Options
Now that you've booked your hotel, it's time to find out how to get to each place you shortlisted. I use google maps for that or ask in various travel forums.

Other Tips:
If you need to find out where best to sleep at an airport, visit Sleeping in Airports. This was so useful during our red-eye flight to China and we needed to find out where we can comfortably stay for a couple of hours until the train stations opened.

Good luck in making your itinerary and do let me know what other sites are helpful for future travel preparations.

March 13, 2014

How to get a Chinese Visa in Manila, Philippines

A couple of weeks ago, we had a really fun vacation in Shanghai & Hangzhou. But before all the the fun, first came the tedious tasks of researching our travel, preparing our itinerary, booking our hotels and of course getting a tourist visa.



I visited the Chinese Embassy's website to check for the basic requirements.
Since this is the first time I was travelling to China, there were a lot of them. Collecting the documents was the difficult part so I've made a checklist as well as a step by step guide below to make it easier for you.

STEP 1: COMPLETE YOUR REQUIREMENTS

 Chinese Visa Requirements for First Time Travelers

Requirements that need to be requested
  • Passport 
    • Valid for another 6 months
    • Must have at least 1 blank visa page
    • Photocopy of passport photo/info page
    • Photocopy of emergency contact page
  • Financial Statements (took me 2-3 days to request)
    • Bank Certificate
    • Bank Account History - 6 months or Passbook + photocopy
    • Payment receipt for Bank Certificate & Bank Account History
  • Requirements to request from your employer (2 days - 1 week to request)
    • Certificate of Employment w/ details on salary and length of employment
    • BIR Stamped Income Tax Return

 Requirements that you can easily obtain
  • Chinese Visa Application Form
    • Preferably typewritten (use Foxit PDF Reader/Editor)
    • Fill up all the data that applies to you
    • For those not applicable, write N/A
    • Photo - white background, no head covering, 48mm x 33mm
      • IMPORTANT! Glue to the Application form as they will not accept stapled, clipped, detached photos.
  • Travel Itinerary 
  • Copy of round trip plane tickets
  • Copy of hotel booking
I submitted bank certificates for 2 banks just to be sure. One of my banks could only provide me with 3 months worth of Bank Account History so I opted to include my passbook and a photocopy of all the pages of my passbook that contained transactions for the last 6 months.

February 20, 2013

Gigantic Trees at the Tomb Raider Temple

This time last week I was packing my bags, readying myself for an adventure in Cambodia.
And now I find myself with a lot of time on my hands, so I figured why not write a little about it. I haven't written anything in months.


I was unprepared for the kind of summer they had there. It was very humid, there were no gusts of wind to relieve the heat. The ground was very dry, cracked and had a reddish brown tint. But the temples, even in ruins, were majestic. You could see the craftsmanship and the dedication that went into building every wall, every stone and every carving. I am unsure whether or not to be in awe or be alarmed at how big the trees are. Their roots wrapped around the huge slabs of carefully sculptured stones. And after years of what seems to be a laborious growth, they finally claimed it as their own. They claimed it so fully that it was difficult to figure out where the trees end and the temple began. They reminded me of The Little Prince's Baobabs.

Photo by: Karen Calingasan - Villaceran
Taken at Tomb Raider Temple (Ta Prom?), Siem Reap, Cambodia
Copyright © 2014 Excessively Random