Fireworks During Sinulog Festival in Cebu City, Philippines

I had a conversation last time with my sister. She told me that probably we can go home together to witness again the famous and one of the biggest Sinulog festival in Cebu City in Visayas, Philippines. Sinulog is an annual festival held every year in Cebu City. It commemorates the Cebuano people's pagan origin, and their acceptance of Roman Catholicism.

I had the pleasure to witness this festival during my last vacation to the Philippines last January 2010. It was truly a worth to see festival when you are in Cebu.

The fireworks on Sinulog festival. It usually takes place after the Sinulog Contest which is usually held in the Cebu City Sports Complex. I was glad to be there last 2010.

The Sinulog celebration lasts for nine days, culminating on the final day with the Sinulog Grand Parade. The day before the parade, the Fluvial Procession is held at dawn with a statue of the Santo Niño carried on a pump boat from Mandaue City to Cebu City, decked with hundreds of flowers and candles. The procession ends at the Basilica where a re-enactment of the Christianizing (that is, the acceptance of Roman Catholicism) of Cebu is performed. In the afternoon, a more solemn procession takes place along the major streets of the city, which last for hours due to large crowd participating in the event. more infos here

My Top Three Destinations in Indonesia

Can you imagine a country with over 18,000 islands? It is Indonesia and it is considered as the largest archipelago in the world. This country is dubbed as the sleeping giant in Southeast Asia. It is the fourth most populous country in the world with over 240 million population spread in its 6,000 inhabited islands.

There are a lot of interesting island destinations in this country. Among the few of my favorite are;

Bali- It is not only the most popular destination by Indonesians but also among travellers from all corners in the world. Its rugged coastline and beautiful sandy beaches, unique culture, varied landscape of hills and mountains are only some of the reasons why Bali has become the top favorite destination and also considered as a paradise of many global tourists.

Travellers to this island will surely find cheap Bali hotels, guest houses, dorm accommodations, beach resorts and luxury villas that best fit your style, needs and budget.


Java- This is considered to be the most populated island in the world. Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia is located in the island of Java. I would like to experience some outdoor attractions in this island. I would say, sightseeing in one or two of its less than 121 active volcanoes is also included in my to do list. Its volcanoes of which many are active make this island quite remarkable. A visit to its white sand-beaches and coral islands like in Pulau Seribu or Karimunjawa can also be a wonderful thing to experience. There are just a lot of things to do in this island like shopping in the huge malls of Jakarta, watching the sunrise at Borobudur temple, trekking in its national parks, eat Javanese delicacies....anything else you want to add?

Sumatra- The island that is best known for its natural and cultural wealth. The jungles, volcanoes, the lakes ans other natural landscapes are the main attraction of this island. The Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra which comprises of three distinct national park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Seeing the endemic Sumatran Orangutan, the Sumatran Tiger and Sumatran Rhinoceros can be a terrific and unique experience. I would love to go trekking there also.

Visit to the Chocolate Hills in Bohol, Philippines

It is truly fascinating how the Chocolate hills in Bohol, Philippines were formed. The power and influence of nature are truly amazing. It was a pleasure for me to visit and to witness this beautiful creation of Mother Nature. I was there twice and still willing to go back when I can. During my first visit in 2006, I did experienced the chocolate-like coated hills because they were really brown. During my second visit last February 2010, they look liked chocolate minted hills because most were covered with green grasses. Just look the snapshots I took below during my second visit.

There are at around 1,260 hills and maybe more spread over an area of more than 50 square kilometres (20 sq mi). They are covered in green grass that turns brown during the dry season, hence the name Chocolate Hills.

such an amazing beauty of nature! I was there!

Paris Experience

The dream destination of many, a global and most liveable city in the world, Paris is truly a must-to-see when taking your holiday in Europe. It is a beautiful city worth to visit and to explore. Dubbed as the "City of Lights" and the "Capital of Fashion", it is home to the world's finest and most luxurious fashion designers and cosmetics. Among the few are Yves Saint-Laurent, Chanel, Christian Dior, Lancome, L'Oreal, etc. Anything else you want to add?

the famous Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, an impressive Gothic cathedral that was the inspiration for Victor Hugo's novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame. I took this image during my first visit in March 2009.

The city and region of Paris has over 3,000 historical monuments. Can you imagine that? Four of which are listed in UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Being the capital and largest city of France, Paris is also the world's leading business and cultural centres. With its numerous iconic landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, the Notre Dame, the Louvre museum, Paris is the most visited city in the world with 45 millions of tourists every year.

These are also the reasons why I visited Paris twice already. I believed I am one of those lucky tourists who had a great and wonderful experience in this city. My first visit in Paris was in March 2009. Sad to day, I did not experience the lights of Eiffel Tower during our cruise in Seine River because it was Earth Hour that time. It means that most of the lights in Eiffel tower were turned-off. It was only a day-tour but I did saw and experienced a lot.

The most famous symbol of Paris, the Eiffel Tower built by Gustave Eiffel for the 1889 Universal Exposition. Better bring an umbrella even on summer days in Paris but the unfriendly weather did not stopped us from exploring it. This was taken during my second visit last August 2010.

My second visit was in summer 2010. Me and my friend from the United States found some cheap flights to Paris. Since we were on the go that time, we did not had a second thought and immediately booked the flight and hotel to stay-in. That is how the second adventure in Paris started. We spent 3 days in this lovely city. The fun and experiences we gathered in Paris were priceless. We did the sightseeing by ourselves. This time I was able to see and experience more of the famous sights in this city.

If I have the chance again, I would surely love to visit one of the most expensive cities in the world and that is Paris!

Bursa Grand Mosque in Bursa, Turkey

Vacation is over but I always have something with me when I go home. The travel photos, memories and the experiences are the things that I gained for every travel and trip I spent. It is the same when we visited Bursa in Turkey last September 2011.

One of the sights we visited in Bursa was the Ulu Camii, commonly known as the Bursa Grand Mosque. Our tour guide explained the history and the building of this mosque to us. It was ordered by the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I and built between 1396 and 1400. The mosque has 20 domes and 2 minarets.

I admire the architecture of this mosque..and once again it was a wonderful trip we had in this part of Turkey. Here are images for you to see.

One of the minarets of the mosque during our visit last September 2011.
The Ulu Camii has a Islamic, Seljuk architecture.

the interior of the Bursa Grand Mosque. I have to cover my head with a scarf or else they won't let me in. Bring one if you want to go inside. They actually have some for you to borrow.

Places to See When Touring Vietnam

There are a lot of beautiful countries to visit in Southeast Asia. Included in my travel wishlist is Vietnam, the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula. Its neighboring countries are China to the north, Laos and Cambodia to the west. Despites Vietnam's history of war, rebellion an colonisation, I still believed that there are a lot of wonderful things to discover and to explore in this fascinating Southeast Asian country.

If I will have the chance to take part of some tours in Vietnam in the future, these will be my top places to visit.

Hanoi- Visiting the capital city of Vietnam is a must for me. According to Frommer's travel guide, Hanoi was named as one of the world's "Top Destinations 2010". This reputation is for sure one of the reason's why this city is a must to visit in Vietnam. Its fascinating blend of East and West is also another reason for it to experience.

Among the sights to see are Ho Chi Minh Museum, Vietnamese Women's Museum,Temple of Literature - Van Mieu,Ngoc Son Temple, Bach Ma Temple,Hoan Kiem Lake, Lenin Statue & Park,Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, National Museum of Vietnamese History, Hoa Lo Prison and many more.

The Turtle Tower in Hoan Kiem Lake, in central Hanoi. Photo by Sin Kim Ho.

Ho Chi Minh City- commonly known as Saigon, it is the largest city in Vietnam and the former capital of the Republic of Vietnam or South Vietnam. I remember a Filipina singer and actress, Lea Salonga who took part of the musical Miss Saigon. She did really a great job performing the lead role of Kim in this musical Miss Saigon. She was also the first Asian to play the roles of Éponine and Fantine in the musical Les Misérables on Broadway.

There are a lot of historical and religious sites to visit in Ho Chi Minh. The War Remnants Museum, Reunification Palace, City Hall, Ho-Chi-Minh Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral, Central Mosque,Quan Am Pagoda, Thien Hau Pagoda are only a few of it.

Hue- This former imperial capital is located in the central region of Vietnam. When you talk about Hue, you can always connect it with the Nguyen Dynasty who ruled from 1802 to 1945 , when the Emperor Bao Dai abdicated in favor of Ho Chi Minh's revolutionary government.

I would love to see the Imperial Citadel and the Tombs of the Emperors when I visit this place. The Thien Mu Pagoda and Ho Chi Minh Museum are also included in my list. If I still have more time, I would love to go to Thuan An Beach which is around 15 km from Hue.

Dalat- This is the place if you want to see the French architecture in Vietnam. It is located in the South Central Highlands. Dalat is considered to be a tourist town in Vietnam. This is where the adventurous travellers usually go due to its setting and lovely scenery. This is where you can experience the best mountain biking, hiking and canyoning opportunities in Vietnam.

Other interesting destinations to visit in this country are Hoi An, Nha Trang, Ha Long Bay, Phan Thiet, Tay Ninh, My Son and Con Dao.