This will come as a surprise to many that the Philippines offers visa on arrival to over 150 countries, but India is NOT one of them. If you’re an Indian and do not have a valid US/ UK/ Schengen/ Japanese/ Australian visa on your passport, then you will have to apply for it well in advance.
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The Philippines surprised me in many ways. Be it the lack of good local fare in Makati (Manila) or the uncomfortable but exciting habal-habal ride in Bislig, the country left me craving for more. By the end of the trip I was just not prepared to say goodbye; it had become my home.
If you have read my previous stories, you’ll know that before going to a foreign nation, I do a ton of research. The most amount of time I spend reading is “beware” or “safety” in a country. This is particularly important while holidaying in a developing country, otherwise, you’ll find yourself in many unpleasant situations.
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I have to admit, one of my biggest fears before I left for the Philippines was whether I would find food to survive as a vegetarian during my month-long stay. None of my friends or family had visited the Philippines previously, so I had only blogs and websites to rely upon. Most of them detailed accounts of several ghastly (sorry my Pinoy friends), unthinkable foods like Balut (half-formed embryo of duck) and full roast pigs. Continue reading
Seven kilometers from the town of Bislig lies the small town of Mangagoy, a popular stop for all visitors to two major tourist spots- Tinuy-an Falls and Enchanted River. There are several buses from Butuan city to Mangagoy every day, but most of them are non-air-conditioned.
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When i created an itinerary to visit 6 regions in Indonesia in October 2015, little did i know of its reputation as the “worst place to fly” on earth. Just last year, The Telegraph published an article explicitly illustrating the dangers of flying in Indonesia, a country which has seen at least 40 air crashes in the past 15 years, highest for any single country. Continue reading
Mount Bromo is one of the most popular volcanoes in Indonesia and rightly so, for it offers a view that shouldn’t be missed. Located in East Java (About 5 hours from Bali by road) near the town of Probolinggo, reaching Mount Bromo takes a fair amount of planning. Continue reading
That evening I sat with my husband and our host Joseph after a tiring day in the town of Iringa. It is unlike any other place in Tanzania and much of our time was taken by the scenic beauty and happy locals. Continue reading
If you’re a meticulous planner like me, you’ll know what a nightmare, an unplanned trip can be. That’s exactly how we ended up visiting Bali.
Ever changed your itinerary after landing in a foreign country?
Without any idea to where to stay, what to do, see or eat or how much will it cost, but convinced about visiting that unplanned destination? If you’re a meticulous planner like me, you’ll know what a nightmare it is. But that’s exactly how we ended up visiting Bali. Continue reading
West of Sumatra Island is vastly known for two reasons- palm plantations and orang-utans. If Sumatra and seeing orangutans in the wild is on your wishlist, then I’d say head to Ketambe. It is often a battle between Bukit Lawang and Ketambe for orangutan spotting; the difference is that the former is more organized and orangutans are often tamed/bred there. Ketambe on the other hand is wilder. Continue reading
