Flores -- 1 Day Snorkeling

I think apart from seeing the komodo dragons, my other favorite was the 1-Day snorkeling trip.

NorthWest Bali: West Bali National Park and Menjangan Island

A quick day trip anyone can do is go up North-West Bali and explore the little but beautiful towns on the coast like Banyuwedang, Pemuteran, and all the way to Lovina and Singaraja.

Flores -- Cunca Wulang

Do you like trekking? 

Then, check out the waterfalls near Labuan Bajo and go have a trek adventure: Cunca Wulang and Cunca Rami are the more accessible waterfalls in the area. Cunca Rami is known to have an easier path and often visited by people who don't like trekking or prefer a less challenging trip.

But if you like a bit of a hiking challenge and a wilderness enthusiast then Cunca Wulang is for you.

Flores -- Batu Cermin Cave + Waicicu Beach

looks like a profile of a bird

A quick trip you can do that's near the town is Batu Cermin and Waicicu Beach.

From the town center of Labuan Bajo, both are only about 20 minutes away. If you're coming from the airport, then about 10-15 minutes on the motorbike.

If you prefer to walk, it's also doable. Best done in early morning so it won't be too hot.

Flores -- Rinca + Kanawa Day Tour

There are two island you can visit to see the famous Komodo Dragons. One is Komodo Island and the other, RInca. 

People will have various opinions on which island is better. After researching and asking around extensively, I realized, it all depends on you and your schedule. 

How to RENEW the Social Budaya in BALI: Cost and Process

After you receive your Sosyal Budaya Telex (Visa Sticker) from the Consulate, you will have 3 months until the Visa expires so you need to enter Indonesia within that time.

Once you enter Indonesia / Bali, the visa’s allowable 60 days starts running.

Then, 7-10 days before the 60^th day, you need to RENEW your SosBud.

Note of WARNING: 

Renewing the Sos Bud is a time-consuming and tedious process as one is expected to go to the Immigration a total of 3-4 times! This is why most expats use an agent in sorting this out. But if you don't mind the hassle or would like to learn how this is done, read on..

Here’s HOW: 

How to APPLY for the Social Budaya Visa Yourself

An option to stay for a certain amount of time legally in Indonesia is using the Izin Kunjungan aka the famous (Social) Sosyal Budaya.

I say famous because most bules or foreigners that "live" in Indo, especially Bali, use this kind of visa. 

And it is POSSIBLE to do it on your own without having to pay unnecessary agent fees. 

Java: Yogjakarta, Borobudur, Mendut, & Prambanan

the majestic borobudur temple

This 9th century temple stands regally in the heart of Central Java. Built by the monks in the Sailendra Dynasty, the infrastructure is an impressive fusion of buddhism and hindu architecture and design. Hence, within, one can witness both Buddhas and Hindu Gods.

Bali: Karangasem -- White Water Rafting at Telaga Waja River

Just months before, I and some friends went to Telaga Waja River in Karangasem, and had such a great time. So when friends from San Diego came to visit, I took them here as well.  

Flores Island -- Tips on Booking Your Tours / Adventures

And now…. the more important topic regarding your tour activities and trips: 

How to book for your Flores adventure tours (Komodo dragons, snorkeling, diving) without breaking the bank and which agencies are good and trustworthy??

Indonesia: Labuan Bajo, Flores Island

view of Labuan Bajo town

For our 3^rd year anniversary and Christmas holiday, Michael arranged a trip to the Flores Islands. Seeing the Komodo dragons has always been a dream for us, not only because they are part of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World (according to the UNESCO Heritage Site) but we were interested to see these giant lizards in action as well as experience the beauty of the island. 

What’s also highly fascinating is that the Komodo Dragon is one of the very, very few surviving representatives of the Pleistocene era, where creatures and fauna were of gigantic proportions. And now these beautiful lizards are endangered – currently there are only more or less 4,200 dragons left! Their endangerment is highly due to the diminishing fauna and food available to them on the islands they inhabit plus the changes their environments are going through.

Fishing on Rainbow Lake, Arizona

Normally, Mike and I would just hang around California whenever we're in the US. On this August trip however, we revisited Rainbow Lake at the White Mountains and spent some good quiet and relaxing time with nature and doing Mike's other favorite hobby: fishing.

The White Mountains is about a 9 hour drive from San Diego. The trip is long but very scenic. Some good car games, stories, tunes, and a camera will be handy for road trips like this. A couple of years ago, we had a white Christmas here so it was nice to experience the lake at summer time.

Here are some photos of what got up to this summer:

Singapore: Hawker Food Review

                   Lao Pa Sat  vs  Gluttons Bay  vs  Newton Food Center

Apart from the night life, shopping, amusement centers, and lifestyle, Singapore is actually more known for Good Food. The eating culture in the country is huge that most everything is centered on eating and who has the best dish or dessert.

I admit, I do make trips to Singapore just to eat (well, okay apart from my regular visa runs). In fact, I hardly shop unless there is a huge sale on an item I want, but I don't hesitate getting out of the airport even on a few-hour lay-over just to get some delicious and very affordable Sg food. Hawker food to be exact.

So, Mike and I decided to eat at Singapore's top 3 popular hawker food centers and compared them:

Singapore -- Exploring Little India

Singapore -- BUGIS JUNCTION

Since Michael was confined at Raffles Hospital, I took the chance in exploring the area of Bugis, and man, did I love it!

What used to be a notorious night spot for sailors has been reinvented to a massive urban shopping district and has quickly become very popular with the locals and tourists.  More so, it isn’t only for shopping, beauty salons and restaurants can also be found here. In fact, massages and beauty services are more affordable here than other parts of the country.

Anyway, here are the reasons why you shouldn’t miss visiting this stop on the MRT especially if you’re craving for some cheap retail therapy:

Philippines -- Baler

Beautiful BALER



Mike was busy working in Australia so I went home again to the Philippines to see family. A friend was going to Baler for the weekend and I decided to tag-along.

Philippines -- La Union

There has been so much talk about the surf in the Philippines lately, so we went to check out a popular spot up north.

sunset on the northern coast of the region

Philippines -- Chinatown

busy busy busy

Chinatown in Binondo is said to be the oldest Chinatown in the world. Established in 1594, this became the center of commerce and trade in Manila

Philippines -- Intramuros

Fort Santiago

East Bali: Tirta Gangga Water Palace

After bidding farewell to Kusumajaya, we walked down the hill and a hundred meters up the road to the Tirta Gangga watergarden. I had been looking forward to visiting this site for quite a long time and hadn't told Kristin about it at all, so I was excited.