Happy New Year 2012 to all!!!

Merry Christmas Everybody!

3rd Anniversary!!!

it's our 3rd ANNIVERSARY!!!

Time indeed flies so fast,

I am now stepping into a new year of blogging.  

Thank you for your frequent travel visit with me!            

Be Inspired!

Also, thanks to PEBA for this blog site's Official Nomination to this year's 4th International

PEBA Award 2011!!!

(Travel Blog Category Official Nominee)

http://www.pinoyblogawards.com/

MABUHAY!



8 THINGS YOU MUST DO BEFORE YOU GO ON HOLIDAY...

The Snowy Alps of Switzerland

• For most of us, the thought of jetting away to some exotic destination is so exciting that it’s easy to forget the simplest things; whether it’s checking your passport’s in date or simply locking the front door. Follow our simple checklist for a worry-free holiday…

1. Do your homework
Buy a good guide book. Read up about the country or city you’re heading to, and if possible, learn a few words of the language. Try and find out some information about local customs.

2. Pack it in
Make a checklist of things you’ll need, and start packing well in advance. You might think you’re the most organized person on earth, but forgetting to pack your toothbrush, pants or sunglasses really is easier that it sounds. Pack toiletries in sealable bags and place shoes in bags to avoid marking clothes. To avoid creases, roll up your favorite items, and fill nooks and crannies with smaller items. If possible, weigh your luggage to avoid excess baggage charges. All airlines will display their allowances on their websites.

3. Insure you’re insured
Purchase insurance that covers you in all situations. If you’re going diving or taking part in other extreme sports, you’ll need a plan that covers these activities. Print out the details – keep a copy for yourself and leave a copy with a friend or family member. Consider whether you want to opt for extras such as lost baggage – it might sound like an unnecessary luxury at the time but the cost is minimal. If your luggage goes missing and you end up spending the whole holiday in the same pair of pants, you can at least rest assured you’ll be compensated for your suffering at some point in the near future.

4. Get vaccinated
Make an appointment with your doctor at least six weeks before you leave to arrange to get any vaccinations needed for your destination. Make sure you carry any medication in your hand luggage, and if you wear glasses, write down the prescription for them on a piece of paper in case they’re lost or damaged. Make sure any pills are properly packed – that unlabelled bag of loose malaria pills might just land you in a whole world of trouble if customs decide to search your bag.

5. Money matters
Work out how much foreign currency you’ll need and where possible, purchase it over the internet and then pick it up in person – this can save a significant amount of money. Check your debit card and credit card expiry dates, and notify your credit card company of your travel dates. Sudden usage of a credit card in foreign countries can often cause banks to put a stop on a credit card – especially if you’ve been a victim of credit card fraud before. If your credit card statement is due while you’re away, pay it off before you go to avoid the risk of your card being stopped.

6. Don’t forget your passport!
Check the dates on your passport. More importantly, check it’s actually YOUR passport – turning up to the airport and discovering you’ve actually packed your mum’s/dad’s/dog’s passport really doesn’t bode well for a stress-free holiday. You need to make sure that it is valid for six months, and many countries now insist that a passport has at least one empty page. So while you may relish filling your passport up with stamps from far away countries, it’s probably not the best idea in the long run! Finally, check if you need visas for the country you’re going to. Often you will be able to apply for e-visas over the internet. Print and photocopy all visa details – make two copies if possible.

7. Everybody needs good neighbors
Let one or two close neighbors know your travel dates and leave them a spare key – but be subtle. The fact that your house is going to be empty for the next few weeks isn’t something you want to shout from the rooftops. Before you leave, unplug any electrical equipment, and if possible, leave lights on timers. Otherwise, consider leaving one or two lights on, such as the hallway or kitchen, for security. Place any perishables in the bin. That raw chicken won’t look so appealing after two weeks.

8. Plan your journey to the airport
Think about how you’re going to get to the airport, and plan your route. If you’re getting a taxi, book well in advance. The same goes for airport parking – you can save a considerable amount by booking online.

- Source:  MSN Bing Travel

 

Swedish: har en säker resa!

(Have a safe trip!)

Craving for Caves!

Cave tour is indeed an exhilarating experience, who could not be fascinated when you see a place that has been molded by nature that took million of years to make and still going. Philippines is very blessed with its new recognition to be called one of the world’s new 7 wonder, the Puerto Prinsesa Underground River. Though, it is still fighting for its official placement, the spot is now experiencing an even more influx of tourists from all over the world just after the announcement. Eco-tourism is beneficial to country’s economy, I just hope that the local government could keep its ecological balance to keep its environment as healthy as it is right now!

http://www.new7wonders.com/

Please take a tour in some of Puerto Prinsesa’s photos, courtesy of: http://freewallpapersource.blogspot.com/2011/11/puerto-princesa-underground-river.html

And if you just can’t get enough of the craving for caves, see below some of my photos taken from Jenolan Cave, Blue Mountain, Australia.
http://www.jenolancaves.org.au/cave_tours.php

Statue Pétrifié 2: Victoria Memorial, LONDON, UK

I wonder why I have this thing for statues; I just love taking photos beside them or literally on them!  Maybe, because each statue has its own interesting historical and geographical significance from the past and it tells about the place where it stands.  Once in a while I publish some of those significant monument or statue from places where I went, in a portion I called in French, “Statue Pétrifié” or Petrified Statue in English.   Please see some photos further below.   

 The Victoria Memorial is a statue in front of Buckingham Palace in London, placed at the centre of The Queen's Gardens.

The golden statue on top is of Queen Victoria facing north-eastward.

Happy Halloween!

It’s time of the year again for HALLOWEEN!

Every country as we all know is having fun during this time of the year. Adults and kids alike are bumping each other literally in parties and even while walking on streets rushing here and there for an event wearing some funny, children’s book characters, super heroes and movie characters, scary and not scary at all costumes.

Well, here are some of great and ridiculous costumes I collected from MSN Wonder Walls.

(My particular favorite photo I have taken in Scotland.  I remember of halloween when I see this one!)

"Halloween (or Hallowe'en) is an annual holiday observed on October 31, which commonly includes activities such as trick-or-treating, attending costume parties, carving jack-o'-lanterns, bonfires, apple bobbing, visiting haunted attractions, playing pranks, telling scary stories, and watching horror films."


"Historian Nicholas Rogers, exploring the origins of Halloween, notes that while "some folklorists have detected its origins in the Roman feast of Pomona, the goddess of fruits and seeds, or in the festival of the dead called Parentalia, it is more typically linked to the Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-an or sow-in)", derived from the Old Irish Samuin meaning "summer's end".[1] Samhain was the first and by far the most important of the four quarter days in the medieval Irish calendar[2][3] and, falling on the last day of Autumn, it was a time for stock-taking and preparation for the cold winter months ahead."  - Wikipedia

Travel Quote of the Day #3

Travel Quote of the Day #3:  Puerto Princesa, Philippines

To see a world in a grain of sand,

And a heaven in a wild flower,

Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,

And eternity in an hour.

- William Blake (1757-1827)

The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is located about 50 km north of the city of Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines. It features a limestone karst mountain landscape with an 8.2 km. navigable underground river. A distinguishing feature of the river is that it winds through a cave before flowing directly into the South China Sea. It includes major formations of stalactites and stalagmites, and several large chambers. The lower portion of the river is subject to tidal influences. The underground river is reputed to be the world's longest. At the mouth of the cave, a clear lagoon is framed by ancient trees growing right to the water's edge. Monkeys, large monitor lizards, and squirrels find their niche on the beach near the cave.

Please support and vote this wonder at the New Seven Wonders of Nature by clicking this link below:

http://www.new7wonders.com/archives/wonder/puerto-princesa-underground-river

Sun, Sand and the Sea in Turkey! (The Black Sea Adventure)

A blast from the past! I can never forgive myself if I won’t be able to share you this beach trip of mine with some good old friends years way back. It’s in Kilya Beach Club at the Black Sea just by the boundary of Turkey and Bulgaria accross Russia!

"In August, the water is cool

and the weather is just nice

but the sand is scorching hot

at noon in this summer month".

- Roland R.



Travel Quote of the Day #2

"Savvy traveler always knows there's a cheaper way to get there, and saving on travel means you can travel more often."

BORACAY, Philippines

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boracay

Harry Potter - The Finale

POTTERMANIA

As the Harry Potter last film nearly ending, the eight and final, part 2, the Deathly Hallows, I would like to share with you some of my personal encounter to the famous films’ backstage stories. I am not really a Potter fan per se but a movie fanatic in general. I am just so fascinated with those iconic film landmarks I usually discover along the way elsewhere in the world.

Seeing the eight installment’s part 1, gave me so much delight when I personally visited its location in one of its scenes, remember that Sanyo neon light in Piccadilly Circus in London I mentioned in one of my early article? That was just accidental that I passed by to that area and knowing it is really famous, so there was my camera taking photos; and that Sanyo LED as my back draft.

This time around, my visit to Scotland recently never short of surprises! Never thought there was this humble restaurant in one corner of the city of Edinburgh boasting the words “Birthplace of Harry Potter”, ‘The Elephant House’ gourmet tea & coffee house and restaurant, made famous as the place of inspiration to writers such as J.K. Rowlings (by the way, is it true that she has amassed more money than the Queen of England?), who sat writing much of her early novels in the backroom overlooking Edinburgh Castle. Other authors of best selling novels and series of novels also frequented the Elephant House throughout the years according to its website.

So, for the films worldwide popularity that new generation of today grew alongside Harry as he aged called themselves “The Harry Potter Generation” should be delighted as well as this almost untold behind the curtain tidbits of a story gets into their collective psyche.

The Elephant House and the Castle overlooking from below and the inside of the historic coffee shop.

Captured clip from the films' part 1:  A scene with London's famous double decker red bus.

Captured clip from the films' part 1:

A scene with London's famous "Ripley's Believe it or Not" museum and shop.

... at the Ripley's

Captured clips from the films' part 1:

A scene with London's famous Sanyo neon sign board opposite the Ripley's Believe it or Not building
at the Picadilly Circus.

...with the famous red busses.

ODEON THEATRE  the venue of the red carpet world film premier at Leicester Square.

 Goodbye Harry!