Laos: Wandering the main streets of Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang Street Side Baguette

Situated 700 meters above sea level, I felt relieved that Luang Prabang has cool mornings and nights compared to the other places I’ve visited in Laos. Surrounded by mountains and intersected by the mighty Mekong River and Nam Kahn River, it has one of the most varied landscapes in Laos. Add in a charming town dotted with numerous temples, crumbling French colonial houses and gentle people, Luang Prabang is like a place time almost forgot. Definitely a favorite of all the UNESCO World Heritage Sites I’ve visited.

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Batanes in Mono: My favorite walking spots from Basco

Aside from finding the range of accommodations in Basco and also discovering places to eat, I spent a lot of my time in Batan Island just chilling out and wandering around. It was after a 4 day of assignment so I didn’t really want to pressure myself to produce as many photos as I needed. I decided to be experimental this time and set my camera to monotone mode and capture Batanes in monochrome hues. At different times of the day, I go to these places walking distances from Basco center and just sit there for at least an hour and just be amazed at this wondrous creation.

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Transit: The VIP Bus Ride to Luang Prabang

Transit- VIP Bus ride to Luang Prabang

I was swatting mosquitoes while sitting on the Northern Bus Station in Vientiane. It was 7:30pm, 30 minutes before my boarding time and I started applying a mosquito cream lotion on my exposed skin. There were several buses online and I wondered which one would be the VIP bus I would be taking. I saw other foreigners starting to move on to the last bus on the right. Yep it was our bus, “Luang Prabang” as the sign says. I placed my large pack at the lower storage and hopped in.

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Quezon: Kiping the Pahiyas Tradition in Lucban

Lucban Quezon San Isidro Pahiyas Festival

It’s not all about the langgonisa! While I love the Lucban langgonisa as much as its northern variant in Vigan, it was not the only reason I went to Quezon this time of the year. Come mid May, an array of colors spread through out the streets and houses of Lucban. What is usually a sleepy town with cooler weather than its neighboring provinces in Quezon, Lucban is very much alive at this time as droves of people join to celebrate the Pahiyas Festival, a tradition spanning more than five centuries.

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Laos: The glimmering Pha That Luang in Vientiane

Laos Glimmering Pha That Luang at Vientiane

My 2nd day in Vientiane is also the day I leave the city on my way to Luang Prabang. But before that, first, I have to visit Laos most important National Monument, the Pha That Luang. Officialy named Pha Chedi Lokajulamani, which means World-Precious Sacred Stupa is also the symbol of Buddhism and Lao Sovereignity. The stupa image, which is found at the national seal is located some distance from Patuxai, so it’s best to hire a Tuk-tuk going there.

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Batanes: Accommodations and places to stay in Basco

With more time to roam around Basco Batanes, I was able to see what has changed since last time I was there. Nothing much really aside from some re-construction of some buildings. What I noticed though are some changes and additions on accommodations in Basco. With the rise of tourist in Batanes, it’s a good thing there’s a growing number of places to stay in Basco. Here’s a nifty guide on where to stay in Basco with personal comments and impressions on each of them.

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Laos: Vientiane’s Patuxai

Laos Vientiane's Patuxai

From the main road of Th Lan Xang, it’s hard not to miss the very prominent monument of Patuxai. Even coming into Vientiane for the firs time, this Arch, which unmistakeably look similar to Paris Arc de Triomphe welcomed me coming from the southern bus station. But before I could take a picture and claimed I’ve been Lost in Paris, a closer inspection of this famed monument reveal their differences.

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