Tag: History
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A Sunday Afternoon at the Ruins
The next afternoon, we head to Talisay, a city that for travelers is essentially an extension of Bacolod. (Talisay is actually part of Metro Bacolod but residents want to make clear they are not part of Bacolod.) We have coffee at a cafe in the District mall and then take a taxi to the Ruins.…
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Patan: City of Beauty
After Pokhara, we return to Kathmandu for a few final days before our flight home. One of the places we set out to explore is Patan, a city steeped in history and craftsmanship. Also known as Lalitpur, which translates to City of Beauty, Patan was once the capital of a powerful kingdom. Nowadays, it’s essentially…
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First Time in Kathmandu: Exploring Thamel, Asan Bazaar & More
I finally mustered the courage to travel internationally again. The idea had been lingering for a while, but it was during my COVID-19 quarantine last year that I made the decision. An ad for Nepal trekking tours popped up on my feed, and something about it stuck with me. I wanted my first post-pandemic trip…
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Legazpi City: More than Mayon
Back in Legazpi City, I immediately resume my walking tour, this time walking to Ligñon Hill from the main highway. However, it turns out that the park is closed due to renovation. All’s not lost, though, as I am rewarded with this shot of Mayon as it starts to hide behind a blanket of clouds:…
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Tagbilaran: Getting Back on Track
Before the pandemic, Bohol has become a darling in the local travel circuit. Foreigners have been flocking to this Visayas island for the range of attractions it offers, most famous of which are the white-sand beaches of Panglao Island and the dive sites off its coast. Of course, Filipinos know the Chocolate Hills and the…
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To the Land of the Kings 5: Jaisalmer
Going further by train to the northwestern region of Rajasthan and the surroundings give way to a more barren landscape. The train stops at Jaisalmer, the last city before the road stretches west to the border with Pakistan, and while there is a sense of being far-flung (it’s a 7-hour trip from Jodhpur), it’s far…
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To the Land of the Kings 4: Jodhpur
There are no direct trains between Udaipur and Jodhpur, my next stop, so I ride a bus, leaving Udaipur just before dawn and arriving in Jodhpur in the early afternoon without any major hitch. But as soon as I ride the autorickshaw to the old city, the din of India’s streets greet me again. The…
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To the Land of the Kings 3: Udaipur
My next destination is Udaipur, where I arrive by train the next day at around noon. I eventually reach my accommodation for the next two nights, the Lal Ghat Guesthouse, which sits on a scenic spot on the east bank of the lake. It’s not my original choice, actually, but the one I booked doesn’t…
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To the Land of the Kings 2: Amber
Eleven kilometers north of Jaipur lies Amber, a low-key town with less the hustle of its more famous neighbor. It does have the one sight that trumps perhaps all of Jaipur’s: the Amber Fort. Nestled atop an arid hill, the fort combines Mughal and Rajasthani architecture and the golden color of its sandstone fortress make…
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To the Land of the Kings 1: Jaipur
After a couple of days in Agra, I head to Jaipur, the third corner of the traveler-favorite Golden Triangle. As the capital of Rajasthan, the city naturally then makes for an ideal gateway to the rest of the state. Rajasthan, literally “Land of the Kings,” is India’s largest state and its most stylish and exuberant.…
The Tourist Gaze 