Ola!Barcelona

Of sun,sea,sand and finding a hero.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Dumaguete: Of University Town and Wondrous Food

Being a small city,the best thing about Dumaguete is that you can get a decent hotel/hostel in the downtown area and you can just walk to most of the tourist and dining spots in the city. Situated in the heart of the city are several hotels that are priced reasonably and with ample facilities. Getting a hotel/hostel near the famed Rizal boulevard can save you the multicabs fare and one thing I noticed in Dumaguete that most multicabs driver would...

Siquijor: Loco Over Coco

Tucked in the Island of Fire is a resort that promises quality service and total relaxation. Roughly fifteen minutes from the port of Siquijor is a little gem of a resort called Coco Grove. You will be greeted by a unassumming gated establishment with a small well-maintained garden. The reception area is very Filipino in architecture and interior from the nipa thatched roof to the wood decorations and rattan chairs. You will be warmly received by...

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Siquijor:Enchanted by a Visayan Island

I did not have any expectations with Siquijor, knowing that it boasts of white sand beach is enough for me just like a contented little girl with a lollipop. Until I disembarked in Siquijor’s port, my initial decision is just to stay at the resort since I am not comfortable of hiring a multicab (trike) countryside tour considering that I’m a lone female traveler. Talk about a serious case of paranoia – I just kept on remembering the incident of a...

Out On Vacation went Solo!

Note: I am temporarily suspending my Seoul posts to giveway for my posts on my first attempt on solo travel.  I am not a loner and I do enjoy the company of a group of friends but I also do appreciate spending “me” time and not thinking about anything and just soaking in everything during travel.I have read blog posts of solo female travellers and lurked around forums and websites dedicated to this particular topic.Ahh..just the thought of doing...

Seoul: Fusion Of Modernity and Antiquity

One of the remarkable thing I noticed about Seoul is the fusion of the old and new. Seoul being a bustling metropolitan is teeming with high rise buildings and remarkable architectural contructions but it still retains the richness of its heritage as several palaces are located beside these modern structures. There is no need to go out of Seoul to have a cultural experience, there are already several grandiose palaces that you can visit within the...

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Seoul: Getting In and Around Seoul

Visiting non-English speaking countries is usually done by getting package tours so as not to bother with the communication.But being a non-fan of the package tour travel type, I have opted to do a DIY for South Korea because of one key reason and that is the extensive subway system that they have. I have this personal belief that if there’s a good public transport system, one can definitely do a DIY travel.And what better way to immerse yourself...

Seoul: Almost Getting Lost In Translation

The hostel that we booked gave us a very comprehensive (when I say comprehensive it is literally a step by step guide) of transportation mode that we can take from Incheon International Airport to Seoul. We were given three options: By Subway, By Bus (Airport bus service), By Taxi. Taxi is definitely out of the option because Seoul’s taxi fare doesn’t come cheap and the airport is about an hour drive to Seoul which translates to expensive. Subway...

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Seoul: Seoul Searching

The Challenge is to do a DIY in a non English speaking East Asian country.  Three choices arose – Japan, South Korea and China.  I was finally won over by the spiciness of the kimchi and the allure of the koreanovelas – so it was off to South Korea. But before hitting all those Lonely Planet guides and internet forums, I was off to the South Korean Embassy to apply for my travel visa. I collated all the required documents and submitted...

Phuket: Sapryt anyone? And Other Tales From The Plate

Another thing that I look forward to when going to Thailand is the gastronomic wonders that await me.From the spicy goodness of the tom yam to the sweetness of the sticky rice with mango who am I to resist all these yummy delights. Of Phad Thai and SaprytOnce we have registered in the hotel, we immediately went in search for our lunch.As we walked along the main road we found a busy Thai restaurant named No.6 Restaurant which is not beside...

Phuket: The Yin and Yang Of Our Phuket Getaway

The Yang The “Yang” is characterized as fast and aggresive which is the perfect description on how we started our Day 3 at Phuket. We hit Patong beach at 9 am and amazingly there are just a trickle of early sunseekers since most of the tourist were out partying until the wee hours of the morning. With the liberty to find a good place to lounge, we decided to stay near the sun bleached Thai guys manning the Water activities booth.We were just settling...