My Philippines’ Top Travel Blogs for 2013

Five years ago when I moved from Bicol to Manila because of work, I was a shy provenciana then who only knew three places from where I rent a space: my office, the  church and the nearest mall I can hangout on my rest days. That’s how small I thought the world is. But everything changed when I met a number of foreign travelers who visited the country recently. Their travel stories made such a great impact that I got bitten by the travel bug quickly.  Meeting them through a traveler’s website, opened a door for me to join a local travel community and to meet the local travelers.  I got very curious big time on how they made it possible to go places that I discovered most of them have blogs where they share their travel experiences. I did started my own  travel blog too but my accomplishments since I have work on holidays are just a dot to what they have. This is how I got hooked up on travel blogs.

Note: This is in response to Melo Villareal's  Out of Town Blog Top Travel Blog of the Philippines Survey

Tips On How To Make An Effective Business Pitch

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“To date I have seven startups founded: three is doing fine, three failed and one is so – so. ” says Peter Cauton, the blogger behind “Juan Great Leap who encourages Filipinos to build their own startup  or in other words – a startup company.

Ever since I have fallen in love with the words “entrepreneurship” and “location – independent lifestyle” few years ago because of some recent life –changing events I have never stopped roaming around the metro joining activities learning on how these matters work.
  

How to make a pitch is something that I am really looking forward to learn because as an aspiring entrepreneur – I literally need financial backup for my business to last for a long time and connections to give me opportunities.

I just don’t want to settle in selling tour packages alone, rest on blogging paid reviews, wait for the advertisements from my blog to pay me or aspire to be one of the country’s famous travel blogger. I want to create a sustainable business that is a product of innovation – meaning it solves a problem or provide an effective alternative to the majority and generates enough profit to cover my basic everyday expenses or even more.

Win a Trip for 2 to Hong Kong by SMParisian PH

Are you a hip, sassy, fashionista lady? Well this is for you! Get a chance to win a trip for 2 to Hong Kong with the Enciso sisters and watch Avicii!

Mechanics:

1. Like the Facebook Fan page of SM Parisian Shoes and Bags, go to the app and register your information!

Deadline is until May 31, 2013. So go girl!

Win a 5D4N trip for 2 to Sydney, Australia by McCafé Meet Up App

McCafé Meet Up app, courtesy of Mc Donalds is a fun tool for planning a coffee date with any of your Facebook friends that you wish to treat for a McCafé catch-up over coffee. To those who want to try and catch up with friends now is the time it because there is an ongoing promo for a chance to win a Samsung Galaxy S4 in the weekly raffle draws or a 5-day-4-night all-expense paid trip for two to Sydney, Australia in the grand draw.

It is very simple to join please read below;

1. Like the McDonald’s official Facebook page and click on the special McCafé Meet Up tab. Follow the instructions, provide the information needed and invite any of your Facebook friends you want to meet up with. If that Facebook friend of yours accepts your McCafé Meet Up request, you will receive a buy-one-take-one coupon via email.  You need this coupon to buy any of McCafé’s fresh and delicious brews – a 12 oz. McCafé Premium Roast Coffee, Regular McCafé Iced Coffee or the McCafé Coffee Float – for the price of one.

Tips on Getting Your Travel Story Published for First Time Writers

“[Ironically] we don’t have a Filipino contributor yet in Lonely Planet Philippines book. We’d love to have one.” says Greg Bloom, author and country guide of the book I just mentioned. The Lonely Planet book is the world’s leading resource, guide and authority in the travel industry for 40 years now. A lot of local and foreign travelers I meet in so many occasions have a Lonely Planet book kept inside their backpack bags and suitcases. Most of the time I see the cover and edge of the pages are crimpled, a proof that this book is used to the fullest of its purpose. Pretty much it reflects how the founders of Lonely Planet, couple Tony and Maureen Wheeler how they started according to their website “a beat-up old car, a few dollars in the pocket, and a sense of adventure.”

I was lucky enough to learn travel writing with Greg and the ladies behind the Writers Block of the Philippines in collaboration with Fully Booked bookstore from bringing your own electric adaptor when going abroad as the outlets are not the same as the one we have here, bringing some extra toiletries, medicines, even bringing a nail cutter and a shawl et cetera. Always SHOW not TELL is probably the best that I can remember when travel writing. Allow me to elaborate this topic more below:

FREE: iBlog9, The 9Th Philippine Blogging Summit

It seems that it is just like yesterday that the iBlog8 happened and now the iBlog9 is coming in a few weeks. Blogging gave me so many opportunities (meeting incredible people and non-stop learning) that it literally changed my world.  Being able to create a blog-based business is the most important thing I am very thankful for because it paved the way for me to have extra income. Starting a blog overnight or after a length of time is not a guarantee that a monetization surely happens next instead it is a rigorous dedication of time and immeasurable patience. I cannot count how many blog-related events I joined for me to learn everything from getting to know who are the influencers related to my interest I have to follow, meetups I look forward to attend, fellow bloggers and blogs I have to keep checking for inspiration etc.  This is one of the events I super recommend to any bloggers either starting or already established because this event alone can give you a thousand more reasons to keep blogging.

Win A Trip to Sagada and Baguio

Do you want to go to Sagada and Baguio for free including round-trip bus tickets, meals, tour and accommodation? All you need to do is express why you want to go to Sagada in a creative way through an essay, photo/poster, a 30-sec music video or a slideshow etc. Just make sure it is original meaning no part of it was copied elsewhere. You can submit up to three entries if you have overloading reasons to go to Sagada.  

This travel promo runs until May. For more information please check Surviving Sagada's Facebook  Fan Page here.

First Prize: 2 roundtrip Victory Liner tickets Pasay-Baguio-Pasay (regular aircon bus) 2 roundtrip Baguio-Sagada-Baguio tickets Quick tour of Municipal Hall of Sagada 3D2N Accommodation at Masferre Inn for 2 w/ breakfast P1,500 worth of food voucher at Misty Lodge & Cafe Sagada Day tour with Saggas Guides 2 Surviving Sagada shirts

Things You Should Know About Puerto Princesa Underground River

The Puerto Princesa Underground River in Palawan is declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. To be recognized and be given this title under this specialized branch of UN, an entity should  have spectacular beauty and universal value.This underground river is also included in the New Seven Wonders of Nature voted worldwide so when I went to Palawan last February, I said I have to see this no matter what. The river that serves as the portal to go inside the cave is so clean that its color is greenish. It is only knee – deep but there are a lot of small fishes swimming unmindful of the tourists getting in and out of the boats… a testament that this place is still very preserved. Inside the cave there are two parts: the Cathedral and the Supermarket which made me think, is there a divine intervention or some unexplained phenomenon that is accountable for the creation of so many images in the rock formation that resemble to so many things in this world and even beyond?