Wanderlust: Ha Long Bay

When one of my best friends asked if I could travel with her after her residency, I said yes right away. Best friends for more than 15 years and this was to be our first trip together, other than our educational tour of asylums during our uni days. It was definitely easy to say yes!

“Where?,” She asked. Well after three trips to Thailand, that was off my list. Indonesia was far too much of a hassle for a quick getaway and brought about slightly unpleasant memories so that was off the list too. Cambodia will always be one of my favorites, but I wanted to see something new. Cambodia off the list as well. I’ve never been a fan of busy cities for holidays so places like Singapore and Hong Kong were off the list too.

“How about Vietnam?” It felt like that was the best option for a quick getaway after the narrowed down list.

And so there we were, with a trip to Vietnam to plan. We had 4 days, 3 nights. After some research, we opted to head over to Ha Long Bay.

Beautiful Ha Long Bay, yes.

1,960-2000 islets, mostly made of limestone. An unknown territory for me. A UNESCO world heritage site; was there even anything else left to consider?

We booked a family room to be shared by my best friend, her sister, and I with Paloma Cruise.

That was all we needed to do, aside from the airline tickets to Hanoi, of course, and our hotel for the night in the said city. Post that, we were counting the days to our trip away.

The Trip to Hanoi and Ha Long Bay

From Manila, we took a Cebu Pacific flight to Hanoi. If my memory serves me right (which normally isn’t the case), it took us three hours to get to Hanoi. Since we got there at midnight and our trip to Ha Long Bay was at 8 am, we had to book a room with Serenity Hotel in the Old Quarters area in Hanoi.

The trip to Ha Long Bay took 3 hours as well from Hanoi. We were happy with the comfortable van ride, especially since I claimed the front seat right away.

Once at the port, we checked in at Paloma Cruise and our beautiful journey began.

Yasmin, Chic, and I waiting for our flight to Hanoi

A Quick Stop in Hanoi

We really had nothing to see, considering we only had a few hours in the city and we were dead set on resting before our 3-hour van ride.

Filled with bikes and busy roads. That pretty much sums up my experience of the city.

I have to say, though, that staff members at Serenity Hotel were extremely helpful and friendly.

Paloma Cruise: Exploring Ha Long Bay 

The minute we caught a glimpse of Paloma Cruise, we knew we had booked with one of the nicest cruises out there. 4 decks, 22 cabins. Beautiful interior design.

Excitement took over the minute we went onboard. 

Day 1 – Checking in Paloma Cruise

The cruise’s car picked us up at our hotel in Hanoi. Stayed at the Paloma Cruise office by the port to wait for us to get onboard. Took a quick small boat ride to the cruise. Delicious lunch. Trip to the floating village. Sunset party. Vietnamese cooking demonstration. Dinner. And squid fishing (for those who wanted; obviously this list did not include us).

  
  

  
  

  
  

  

  
  
  



  
  
  
  

  
Day 2

Breakfast on the boat. Transfer to the smaller boat for Lan Ha Bay excursion. Three Peaches beach. Lunch (supposedly on the beach) but we ended up having lunch on the boat that day. Visited a quaint fishing village. Kayaking to find colored jellyfish (where I bid my iPhone goodbye, thanks to my oh-so-efficient waterproof bag). Swimming. Back to the big boat. Sunset Party. Dinner.

  

  

    
   

Day 3

Breakfast. Trip to The Amazing Cave. Check out. Back to the wharf. Back to Hanoi.

   
    
    
 
   
    
    
    
    
   

My Overall Experience

I fell in love with the place. Initially, it was more like a hmm-I’ve-never-been-there-so-why-not kind of mindset towards the place. But that way of thinking was thrown out the window the minute I saw Ha Long Bay. Even more so, when I went onboard Paloma Cruise.

Beautiful. Magical. Romantic (of course when with your SO).

It felt like I was in a place where I’d be forgiven for forgetting the rest of the world. And that is exactly what I did while I was there.

Note to self: I must go back someday!

I hope you fellow Nomads will find your way there, if you haven’t already, someday soon. 

  

Travel Finds JCAF Bags: Thank You!

I’ve been getting messages about how my friends have stumbled upon our JCAF ladies in #Intramuros. 

Can’t say it enough, years ago I would never have imagined that I would be able to share my art, my passion, in this way.

Jayme (@travelfindsshop) and I had one goal: to share our love for both traveling and art with all of you. 

2 years, 4 collections.

Thank you for the continuous support and love you show for this passion project of ours. Let’s continue to support our local workforce (yes, these bags are handsewn in Cainta) and more importantly, let’s continue to spread the love for the art. 

A big thank you once again to all those who have been posting their adventures with our #TravelFindsJcafbags. I am eternally moved!

  

Wanderlust: Phuket, Thailand!

Where do I even begin?

I have about roughly 1000 pictures from this trip, a few videos, wonderful memories, soulful new friends, and battle scars to document out of this 7-day trip of mine.

My traveler friends always find it slightly shocking when I say that this has been the longest trip I’ve ever taken this year. Out of the four out-of-the-country trips I’ve taken in 2014, this is indeed the longest. Most of the time, I escape only on weekends. And, sometimes, when I’m lucky, I get to add another day and have three days all in all. Status quo for my trips is always fly out on a Saturday, come back on a Monday.

So why did I go for it? I celebrated my birthday last month, and despite knowing how busy my December will be, I decided to give myself the gift of time and disappearing in a place I’ve never been to before.

I’ve gone to Thailand twice, but never to Phuket. The first time was in Pattaya and the second, in Bangkok.

I have to say, out of my three Thailand trips, this side is my favorite. I have, however, yet to see Chiang Mai. This place I surely must visit for the lantern festival in the near future.

Anyway, back to my Phuket trip.

I went barely with a plan in mind. I had two thoughts, get to Patong, then head to Ko Phi Phi.

This is the route I ended up taking:
Phuket town –> Patong (Barely a day) –> Ko Phi Phi (3 days) –> Railay (1 day) –> Kata Beach (2 days)

This is what it visually was like for this route:

Stop 1:

Stop 2:

Stop 3:

Stop 4:

There are other islands that I hear are good that I could have visited like Ko Lanta and Ko tao that would have been nice stops, but I guess it only means I have to head back.

The only way I can probably talk about this trip of mine is to talk about each place, each stop, and all that I enjoyed (and didn’t enjoy) doing while I was there.

Let’s start with the infamous… PATONG!

Even before I flew to Thailand, one of my friends had already warned me. Don’t go to Patong! “It’s a red light district,” he said.

Considering I got to Phuket at about 10ish, I was in a rush to choose a place to head to and Patong seemed to have a good hostel there so I ended up choosing that as my first stop.

From the Patong airport, you can take a cab which is about 700-900 Baht. I opted for the mini-van, because it’s only for 150 Baht.

Although, the first indecent proposal I got there was at the airport where you are tasked to book the van ride. “You come with me, and ride free…”

Uhmm tempting (…not), but no thanks.

The van ride is about an hour and maybe 30 minutes or less. I remember getting to the place, Bodega hostel, at about midnight.

The only thing I could pretty much do aftet that, according to the nice receptionist, was head to Bangla Road. You see, I never knew what Bangla Road was prior to my field trip there. I had asked the receptionist where I could get street Pad Thai and he quickly said “Bangla Road.”

Excited for my street pad thai, I freshened up, left my bags, and headed to the streets.

I stopped at a pharmacy and asked where Bangla Road is and one guy who was buying medicine as well chuckled and said “You won’t miss it…it’s the noisiest part of this area.”

And he was absolutely right. Bangla Road was just about 5-10 minutes away from where I was staying. One thing that surprised me, though, was how it transported me back to my shocking trip to Pattaya.

“Ahh, so this is what my friend meant,” I thought to myself.

I felt rather uncomfortable walking around, so I quickly found my spot, which is highly disappointing for my first meal during this trip, but I ended up in Mcdonalds, ordering what I normally get, Mcchicken and fries.

I cannot be blamed, though, as a female lonesome traveler, all I wanted to do was eat and be gone!

And that I did.

Below are some pics of my hostel in Patong and Bangla Road:

Recommendations for those who plan to stay in Patong:
– If you’re the type who likes hostels, I give Bodega 3.5 stars out of 5. I like that it’s artsy and the beds are comfortable (except for the pillows), the lockers in the room, and most of all the really helpful and nice receptionist.
– From the airport, if you take a mini-van, they will take you to a tour company. Please do not avail of the trips there unless you know it’s the cheapest. I got talked into buying a van+boat ride to Phi-Phi deal for 500 Baht. Had I read Bodega’s thank-you-reserving-a-room-email, I would have known I could have gotten it for only 350 Baht. Oh well, lesson learned.;)
– Go eat at No. 6 Restaurant. That’s probably the only place I got to eat at because I had to leave for Phi-Phi. How did I find out about it? I asked one of the guards in one of the streets in Patong, and he said that was one of the best. They were good, yes, but I still heartily missed the street food in Khao San Road in Bangkok.
– Go see the beach! I certainly wasn’t able to go.

Next stop… Ko Phi Phi!

Oh beautiful Ko Phi Phi. It wasn’t much of a hassle to go there. For 550 Baht, I was able to get a van ride and boat trip to the island.

I didn’t know what to expect, all I knew was everybody, and I mean everybody, told me to make sure I won’t leave Phuket without a trip to Phi Phi.

As an obedient girl (hah!), I did exactly that and boy am I glad that I did! The minute we caught a glimpse of the island, everybody was obviously in awe of the place. Picturesque. The beach. The longboats. Everything
was just so lovely!

Here are a few pics of Phi Phi:

Things to do in Ko Phi Phi:

1. Go on tours! I went for the Ibex Tour which outlined about 4 stops, including Maya Bay. I only got to enjoy about 2 since I got myself into a bit of a predicament after cliff diving. Despite this, I absolutely enjoyed the experience! Well, admittedly, it could’ve been better without my injured eye and back.:p

Below are some pictures to show you how beautiful this tour was for me (and the whole group):

2. The only other thing to go for aside from going to the other islands or on tours is to check the night life and the restaurants or food stalls there.

The best bar I got to go to there was Banana Bar. Rooftop. Big screens. Music Videos. Good drinks (Loved their Hawaiian Margarita). Great vibe!

Other party places are lined up mostly by the beach. Stones. Blancos. Ibiza. And the list goes on.

You’ll see electrical rodeo bulls there. Fire dancing. Fire limbo rock. Buckets for drinks.

If that’s what you are after, Ko Phi Phi is the right place for you.

Here are some pics of my first night there:

3. Food. For those who’ve read my other travel blogs, you’d know I’m not a big eater. I did, however, enjoy some of my favorite Thai dishes while I was there. My favorite spot is but a stall on the way to the beach called Ko Phi Phi Fast Food.

Other places to try are Grand PP Arcade and Capu Latte.

Aside from those two, I must say it’s quite easy to find an eating spot. There several food stalls and restaurants all over the place.

4. Enjoy the beautiful beach! I stayed at Stones Hostel so it was quite easy to do this. Stepping outside was all I needed to do to enjoy the sun and beautiful view.

There are lots of options for accomodations and it really depends on what you prefer.

Next stop: RAILAY!

Oh beautiful Railay! I moved to another island because three days in Ko Phi Phi was enough for me. I had seen and done all there was to do.

I’m so glad I chose Railay because I saw the best beach there. I spent only a day there, but, boy, was it enough!💗

Beautiful scenery. Lesser people. Quiet hideaway. Peaceful. It was a welcome change, after spending three days in Ko Phi Phi.

Here are some beautiful pictures of Railay:

The highlight of this stop was the trip to Phra Nang Beach.

The walk to the beach itself was already amazing. The beach, even more mindblowing.

Despite carrying my backpack (with my fractured spine–an unknown fact then), I still loved every minute of it!

Oh and when I saw the beach, I completely fell in love. I’ll let the pictures show you why:

We stayed at Diamond Cove Resort, by the way. Beautiful and serene place:

By the way, I paid about 350 Baht for a boat ride from Phi Phi to Railay.

After my Railay stop, I had to decide on where to go to be near Phuket for my flight back to Manila.

I didn’t want to go back to Patong and it seemed like the most logical thing to do was head to Kata.

Kata is a lil more quiet than all the other spots I went to. I would say it’s more of a family or couple destination.

I had fun though, thanks to the wonderful folks I met. I stayed at FIN Hostel. I loved how it looked; it was so vibrant and beautiful. I loved their rooftop pool and common area.

One of the highlights was seeing another lonesome lit lantern up in the sky! My newfound besties and I tried to look for one while I wasn’t there, but to no avail. The sweethearts found one on the night I left though and lit and let it fly for me!

Oh such sweet friends they are!

Anyway, here are some pics from Kata:

Here are some pics of FIN Hostel and my newfound besties there:

Countless beautiful islands. Wonderful beaches. Soulful new friends from all over the world. Sunsets. Swimming with planktons. Lanterns. Amazing, precious memories.

Thank you, Phuket!

Will I ever head back? Definitely! Sans cliff diving and injuries, of course.;)

Wanderlust: Visiting Paradise – Coron, Palawan

As always, another adventure beckons, so here I am unloading pictures from my phone in hopes of capturing the beautiful moments of my last trip far longer than this phone can ever fathom. I do so because I know there will be days when I’ll be stuck in 14-hour sleepless work days and I’ll need a reminder of what I’m doing all this for.

And this reminder, Coron, will be one of the most beautiful reminders I can ever have.

Somewhere out there is a paradise waiting to be visited. Less than an hour away from Manila with limitless beautiful spots to devour.

I went for a quick weekend, but even that was enough to induce the energy and excitement I have been yearning for for a while now.

Although this wasn’t my first time to see Coron’s beauty, I still was pretty much in awe during the whole time I was there.

Why? Well, let’s start with the string of pictures below and maybe you won’t need my words to explain. Although you know I still will. Here it goes:

The view on the hike up to go see Kayangan Lake

Special thanks to Darss for taking most of these amazing pictures, by the way.

So there you go. Do you get what I mean when I say that there’s no need to say anything about these beautiful spots? In every corner, every boat ride, every Island stop… I was in complete awe of the world’s beauty.

I purposely did not mention the specific places as going Island/Lake hopping is quite easy. All you need to do is go for any package and the friendly and helpful guides will take you around paradise after paradise. Yes, to your heart’s content. It would normally just cost 650 for one tour.

Aside from the beauty around, the beauty under the sea waiting for you to unravel is indescribable.

I’m not an avid fan of diving but I have to say I enjoyed snorkeling.

Take a look at these:

Photo credit: Darss 😉

For those who are wondering about what they should do there, below are spots I believe you should not miss out on:

1. Kayangan Lake

This is simply my favorite spot in Coron! Serene, relaxing, and beautiiiiful!! I stayed on a wooden plank relaxing sans any toxic thoughts and it was simply amazing!

2. Go island hopping!!

Beautiful, almost-secluded, beaches. Lakes. Clear water. Beautiful creatures under the sea. The first string of pictures shows the sights I saw while Island hopping. We started the tour at about 9 am and ended at about 4 pm. All this for only P650.

3. Visit Maquinit Hot Springs

I have not gone for this during my first two Coron trips, but a lot of my friends say it’s worth it. Even if you get to Coron in the afternoon, you’ll still be able to manage in the evening. It worth a visit, I hear. I’ll definitely go during my 3rd trip.

4. Climb Mt. Payas

I didn’t get to do this; obviously because I only had practically half a day.

Here are pictures taken by Darss though:

5. Meet people! Go out there, join big traveling groups. That’s the best part about traveling anyway.

Our island hopping tour was composed of six individuals. Individuals I would otherwise never have met had I not gone for this adventure. I was lucky, my trip was made even more memorable thanks to them.

Oh and where did I stay? During my first trip two years ago, I stayed in Coron Gateway Hotel. They had exceptional service. They upgraded our room to the best suite they had which was awesome! Spacious and fairly new when we stayed there.

For this trip, we stayed in Sea Dive Restaurant which was just as nice. My favorite part about that place is the view from the restaurant. So beautiful.

Below are some pictures:

How much was the damage? And this, I always include so everyone can see that it is pretty much manageable! Coron isn’t as expensive as most people think.

Below is the breakdown:
* P4,900 for my plane ticket from PAL (which I bought on the Wednesday before my trip that Saturday)
* P1,300 per night from Sea Dive Resort
* Food per meal is about P100-P300
* Island hopping per day is about P650. You can also rent a boat for about P2000
* P150 for the van to and from the airport

As I traveled through Coron for the second time, what made it a lil more special this time around was having my Travel Finds Jcaf Art bag with me. I had a little bit of my art world with me while exploring which was amazing.

Oh beautiful Coron, this blog will never ever be enough to let everyone know how beautiful you are…

For those reading this, if you have not
gone there… It’s high time you book a flight and head out there. Trust me! 😉

All she wanted,
was to find a place to stretch her bones
A place to lengthen her smiles
and spread her hair
A place where her legs could walk
without cutting and bruising
A place unchained
She was born out of ocean breath.
I reminded her:
‘Stop pouring so much of yourself
into hearts that have no room for themselves
Do not thin yourself
Be vast
You do not bring the ocean to a river.

– Tapiwa Mugabe

Year 30, Day 1

Four more hours to go before I bid my 29th year goodbye. Here I am again writing my annual blog-slash-informal-summary of what the year has been like as I always do. This year is a bit more special as I am kissing such an essential decade of my life farewell. It is true, what they say, your 20s will truly make you understand who you are and what you want in life, if you use your years well.

The last few hours of my 29th self are invaded by nostalgic and happy thoughts of where I was 10 years ago, and all that has happened in between then and now. Being the only girl of six children and to add to that, being raised by my grandparents, I have always been the girl with the curfew, the girl who was NOT allowed to hang out with boys, the girl who was not allowed to go out of the house, the girl whose granddad (bless him) would wait for me to get home at 6 pm even when I already was in college.

I could have chosen to be that girl forever, but I didn’t. I gave my family an ultimatum. Okay, I’ll stay in my hometown for college but I must, and I mean MUST, leave for work the minute I graduate. And that is what I exactly did. Was I scared? Hell yes! Scared to walk alone, scared to commute, scared of almost everything. But not for too long.

More than two jobs and a sum of 10 years after, here I am, doing what I always thought I should be doing… living far away from home, sans curfews, sans protective brothers hovering around (well occasionally they’re around which I love lol), but mostly sans the fear instilled in me since I was young.

I was once told I should pursue a certain profession to live a happy life. I knew what my heart wanted and I never forgot the passions I have always vividly understood since I could remember thinking for myself. And that is precisely why this year, my 29th year, proved to be such an important phase of my life. It is truly this year that I have fallen madly and COMPLETELY in love with my passions in life and that I am slowly but surely pursuing what I think I was meant to do in this universe.

I, The little girl who once painted on her bedroom door (against her grandmother’s wishes), finally got to join an exhibit! I would never have known that this would be possible as I have never pursued it in the last 9 years. But I believe if something is meant for you, it will find its way knocking on your door if you keep your love for it alive. Aside from that, I am doing a job I love, hosting. Talking to people, performing, and it keeps my heart alive and full.

I think what I am most grateful for this year is how my life took an unexpected turn which forced me to reorganize my priorities and plans in life, for the better. Looking back and remembering how that particular experience affected me at first, I know it had to happen. It gave me a new perspective of the next steps I should focus on.

With all that has happened, I only have one piece of advice to give those living their splendid 20s, remember to love yourself first. KNOW yourself. Pursue your dreams. Make mistakes. And don’t be in a hurry to give your life to someone, unless you have given YOURSELF your best shot.

I am close to that, close to saying wow, I made it happen. And I can’t help but be joyful for having faith in my dreams and in what I could do with them.

Yes, I am turning 30 soon, and I am welcoming this whole new adventure with arms wide open.

I’m Jamie…I’m 30 years old and happy. 🙂

Memories for keeps, highlights of year 29.

*New sunsets, new places, new friends, priceless. Bali, Siem Reap, Bangkok.

*Love revisited. Friends’ special moments. Brothers. CDO. Camiguin. Family.

*Unforgettable Events…I’m one lucky host! 😉

*Travel Finds Jcaf Art Bags and Throw Pillows – 2nd Collection. My babies. My heart skips a beat every time I see a random person using the bag/pillow or when I see posts online. Indescribable!

*My artspired year!<3 I go through days when I can’t stop thinking about an idea and I feel like I just have pick my paint brushes up and paint away. That’s bliss for me… This year I was lucky enough to be asked to participate in an exhibit called Babae to remember a great Philippine artist Petrona Nakpil and showcasing female artists.

Thank you year 29… You have been the most interesting year of my life. Year 30, I’m ready for you!:)

Jcaf Art Bag OOTD: Chino in Sweden

Chino and his La Dame Rouge Jcaf Art bag off to a museum in #Sweden.

Travel Finds Shop Featured on Entrepreneur Magazine!

Two years ago, an inspiring woman asked me if I wanted to start/design/paint for a collection of art bags for her shop, Travel Finds Shop. Hand-painted bags, she said. Knowing she felt the same way about my passion, I did not hesitate and I said yes.

I am so happy to have showcased my paintings through her and I would have not done it with anyone else. Two collections after, art bags and throw pillows, and two more coming your way this year (hand-painted ones and another collection of printed art bags), here we are ever so proud and giddy over each item sold.

When we started this, our main goal was to encourage people to love what we love, traveling and the arts… And till this very day, it still feels like and is very much a passion project!

I am so proud of you Jaym and your baby, Travel Finds Shop! As we said earlier this year, 2014 will be beautiful! Looks like we were right.;)

Jcaf Art Bag OOTD: Arra in Milan

Traveler Arra out and about in Milan with her La Fille Jcaf Art Bag. ❤️

Jcaf Art Bag OOTD: Kat at The Temple of Literature (Hanoi, Vietnam)

Lovely pic from Emily! Kat at the Temple of Literature in Hanoi, Vietnam.

My Escolta Experience: Saturday Future Market @ Escolta and Chinatown

When I was told by Travel Finds Shop that they were going to join the Saturday Future Market @ Escolta, I felt so excited to know our Jcaf Art items were going to be showcased in a new venue.

I normally host events on weekends, but I finally found the time to join them two weeks ago and I am so grateful that I did!

I felt so alive walking into the market. Artists. Art pieces. Pre-loved items. Books. Philippine stamps (I got two by the way). Music. Accessories.

It was so inspiring! All I could think about was how I just wanted to paint for the rest of the weekend.

I made my first purchase barely five minutes after walking into the market. I saw a beautiful display of dreamcatchers and for those who know me well, they know how crazy I am about dreamcatchers! The ones being sold there are reasonably priced too so get yourself one if you find yourself there. I got a green dreamcatcher necklace and another for someone special’s room.

My next stop was the Travel Finds Shop and HandMadeHomePH booth where our Jcaf Art bags and throw pillows were being sold along with other DIY/handmade items.

I got myself a necklace created by Jayme of Travel Finds and earrings and another necklace from HandmadeHomePH. I for myself three Jcaf Art throw pillows too (Chaos, La Fille, and La Dame Rouge).

Below are pictures of their booth:

Two of the pictures above were taken by RealManila by the way.

Below is a picture of the newest addition to our Travel Finds x Jcaf collection, our Jcaf Art Throw Pillows:

For those of you who want to order Jcaf Art Bags or Throw Pillows, please visit http://www.travelfindsshop.com/store.

Below are other pictures from my fun-filled Saturday. I got to go to Presidente in Chinatown (my first time there by the way!;)) and I got to go to the art exhibit of Fiona Gavino. “The lottery of life, you don’t get to choose the family/life you’re born into.” This is what she said while she was showing old pictures of her family and places that mattered to her.

As mentioned earlier, I forgot about the busy metro for a day thanks to my Escolta experience. I felt so inspired to create more and just paint my days away.

I’m proud to say that this market was featured as one of the things to do over the weekend by Spot.ph.

Without being biased, I’d recommend that you check it out too! If you’re looking for a quick escape from the metro to immerse yourself in an environment full of artists and authentic and artistic items, you have to check out the Saturday Future Market @ Escolta!

Below are more pictures of my Escolta adventure!

-A tricycle ride with Mae to Chinatown, yay!-

-Of everything we ordered, the salt and pepper squid was my favorite by the way ;)-

-Fiona Gavino’s exhibit-

-I found this so adorable, I just had to buy it.-

-The streets of Chinatown-

That sums up my Escolta experience! Will I see you there next month? I sure hope so!;)