We all get to that point in our life when we’ve simply had enough. We need to getaway from everything and just figure things out. Or was it just me? Anyway, I was at that point in 2015. I was 25, struggling with getting over an ex, and rethinking life in general. Looking back now,…
Read more Getaway to Get Away (Banaue + Sagada + Buscalan, Philippines)
I always took pride in being able to travel by myself. Go backpacking even. This trip wasn’t one of them. For one, I couldn’t fit 11 days worth of warm clothes in my pink North Face backpack so I was stuck with this huge pink luggage, which I dragged across 6 cities in Japan: which…
In this day and age when all we hear on the news and see on social media are killings and crimes, this is exactly what we need. This is a true story based on my personal experience and it is extra special because it involves dogs and fellow dog parents. It all started when I…
Read more Genuine Kindness from a Fellow Dog Parent Halfway Around the World
It all started a little after sunrise on a Saturday. The coffee-stained boarding pass pretty much speaks for the rush and stress I had that morning. I nearly missed my flight! Nonetheless, I made it. The trip was meant to be a quick one for the long weekend. Little did I know it was going…
It was 7 in the morning when I touched down Hong Kong. The redeye flight from Japan was exhausting in spite of the comfortable seat on the plane. Coming from a company trip in the land of the rising sun, I just needed a quick solo trip before going back to the daily grind back…
I used to weigh 207 lbs. That’s 94kg. At some point, the fat became more and more unwanted. They had to go because of my newly found passion in travel. I wanted to travel better, lighter, and happier. (Read more about my weight loss journey here: https://samarellano.com/flashback-fatdays ) 3 years ago, in the midst of this journey,…
Nestled between Phuket and Krabi is a secluded island called Koh Yao Yai. Translated as “Big Long Island”, this enchanting island was my final stop for my birthday week solo trip. See Part 1 here and Part 2 here. I rode a small boat from Phuket to go to Koh Yao Yai. Save the best for…
Read more I Spent My Birthday Week With Strangers: Part III (Koh Yao Yai, Thailand)
I took the first flight out early morning of my birthday. In just an hour or so, I went from the vibrant streets of Bangkok to the laid-back white sand beaches of Phuket. Part 1 of the trip here PHUKET For the first time, I took a break from the usual backpacker’s life of staying at hostels and…
I was turning 25 and was experiencing quarter-life crisis. (Haha.) So what to do? Yeahp. Get out there again. I booked the flights, filed my leaves at work, and I was on my way. This is Part I of how I spent my 25th birthday week at Thailand. I had a 7pm flight to Bangkok…
Read more I Spent My Birthday Week With Strangers: Part I (Bangkok, Thailand)
The first photo I have from this trip is of us when we touched down Malacca (also spelled as Melaka), Malaysia. Why? Funny story. Well, it’s funny now. It was scary then. So what exactly happened? It was my first bus ride from Singapore to Malaysia. When we got to the border, we all had…
Read more One Bus Ride Away to a Quick Getaway (Malacca, Malaysia)
Siquijor. I grew up fearing this place for its reputation of housing some of the Philippines’ most feared “mythical creatures.” Legend also has it that the place is known for black magic. It was in 2014 when I finally had a different view of this place. All it took was a one-time search on Google.…
What makes a destination worth going to? As a traveler, there are just too many destinations on my list but as budget and time dictate it, I can only choose a few, at least then. In my case, these are what I look for: Food & coffee, people, sights, and activities because these make up a…
Read more Not Too Urban, Not Too Rural (Dumaguete, Philippines)
