Located in Hernani, Eastern Samar, Canhugas Nature Park is a new treat to all beach lovers. This is not your typical white sand beach. Instead, what you'll find here are big beach waves crushing into large rock formations creating an extraordinary sight to all its visitors.


It's a long 3-hour drive from Tacloban City but once you arrive, you'll never regret the trip you've made. Be ready with your cameras and be ready to click away! Also, it's advisable to wear slippers or aqua shoes as the rocks are sharp.

Unfortunately, it was low tide when we got there.

Resident Php10.00

Non-resident Php20.00

Foreign Nat'l Php50.00

Rental:

Cottage Php400.00/each (not available)

Umbrella Php75.00/each

Table Php50.00/each

Chair Php10.00/each

Sea creatures visible to the naked eye.

Low tide =(

My friends enjoying the naturally occurring pool.

The gang!

Among all areas in Japan, Kyoto is the most visited. Why? Basically, for much of its history, Kyoto was Japan. It is here where you’ll find all the things that are Japanese—temples, shrines, gardens, storehouses. And for tourists, this is the Japan that they want to see and experience

A FREE simple point-to-point Navi bus guide

For budget travelers: Check your brochures and you may just have discount coupons! More savings!

Take note that you need to be on the right stand. This map proved to be very helpful.

Honestly, I had a long list of places to visit during my 3-day stay at Tokyo. Day 2 was supposed to be dedicated to exploring the most crowded and most visited areas in all of Tokyo; meaning, a lot of walking. However, I was not in the mood to go sightseeing so I decided to do less walking and just relax.



First stop is Tokyo National Museum (TNM). I always make it a point to visit the country's national museum. There are so many things that I get to learn and understand when I visit museums. I just think though that a visit to TNM would probably be more effective if you join an English tour. Though I'm not really sure if there are free guided tours.

Ueno Park is quite large and getting to your destination might be tricky. Good thing there's a lot of guide maps located in various areas. Look for the English ones though!

Tokyo National Museum Main Building--looks big from the outside, even bigger in the inside.

Tokyo National Museum holds the largest collection of Japanese arts and articrafts. So if you're planning to visit only one museum in Japan, make this the one.

Intricately made kimonos which were used by royalties back then.

Next stop is Korea town. It was not on my itinerary but I really wanted to have a taste of the Korean culture. So, Shin-okubo Koreantown is the place to go. If you're a big fan of K-Pop groups then, this place is a must-visit. A lot of stores selling K-Pop albums, fan merchandise, korean cosmetics and beauty products sprawl along the streets. Honestly, I was expecting something more Korean but all I saw were several stores selling same items. However, there were a lot of restaurants offering authentic Korean dishes. This was enough for me.

Harajuku is very near Shin-okubo Koreantown; and this became my next stop. I did a lot of window shopping and a bit of actual shopping. I also visited the famous Meiji-jingu. As you approach Meiji-jingu, you'll pass by a regal boulevard lined up with high-end boutiques. This is Omote-sando, one of the best places in Tokyo to see contemporary architecture.




Meiji-jingu is Tokyo's grandest Shinto shrine dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. Be ready to do a lot of walking. It may take 15-20 minutes walk from the Harajuku JR station to the shrine. Just enjoy the cool breeze and serenity of the place and you wouldn't feel tired. Not at all. A towering 12m wooden torii gate marks the entrance to the shrine.

It's customary to bow upon passing through a torii--the boundary between the ordinary and the sacred.

Before entering the shrine, purify yourself by pouring water over your hands at the temizuya.

Buy yourself an ema (wooden plaques), write your wish, pray hard. It might just come true.

Another popular spot in Harajuku is Takeshita-dori. This is Tokyo's famous teen-fashion bazaar where a lot of trendy shops--big and small--sell a lot of kawaii stuff. This street is very popular among the younger generations; thus, can easily be packed.

Takeshita-dori at night.

With the numerous stores lined up along Takeshita-dori, you'll definitely anything and everything you're looking for.

My last stop for the day is Akihabara Electric Town. Being an anime-lover, this is the one place that I cannot miss. I went in to a lot of manga stores, shopped for plastic models of my favorite One Piece characters, and hoarded a lot of gatcha-gatcha!

Manga haven! Unfortunately, they sell a very limited number of English-translated manga.

How to get to Tokyo National Museum: Take JR Yamanote Line to Ueno. Exit at Ueno-koen. TNM is open is open from 9:30am-5:00pm from Tuesday to Thursday. Entrance fee for adults is 620yen while for kids it's 410yen.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
How to get to Shin-okubo Koreantown: Take JR Line to Shin-okubo. Facing the street, turn right and continue walking until you see the first K-Pop store.  

How to get to Meiji-jingu: Take JR Yamanote Line to Harajuku. Take Omote-sando exit. Meiji-jingu is open is open from dusk til dawn, year-round. FREE.                                                                         

How to get to Akihabara Electric Town: Take JR Yamanote Line to Akihabara. Exit at Electric Town exit. Note that most manga stores closes at 8:00pm.                                                                                                                                                                                               

It was so unfortunate that we had a rushed trip to Macau. Blame those travel companions without travel plans! (peace!) Anyways, I just had to make the most of my one-day-only stay at this amazingly bright and colorful city.

We took a fast boat, Turbojet, from HK to Macau. It's similar to the fast crafts that we have in the Philippines. The boat trip was short and comfortable---thanks to the cushion seats and fun companions. After getting through the immigration, we rushed out to look for maps and money changer. HK dollar is accepted in Macau though.

I always plan my trips and study bus or train routes of the place I'm going to. We took the right bus but, we failed to alight at our stop. No choice but to take another bus and alight at Senado Square. We didn't book any accommodation, so we just walked around (with our luggages!) and looked for the most convenient, clean, and cheap guesthouse.  We ended up at Vila Universal which is very near Macau's tourist spots. After a short nap, we started discovering the charm of Macau.

Me, the tourist.

We started our tour with a walk around Senado Square which is the most touristy place in Macau. Frankly, I was surprised that the old buildings were occupied by commercial establishments. I was expecting them to be filled with museums and history stuff.

Mc Mc Mcdo!

Green Tea Sundae. Didn't like it.

You'll never get lost in the square; it's not that big. And also, there are very helpful signs around.



The street going up to the Ruins of St. Paul will not only lead you to the picturesque site but will also fill your stomach. We went out without having our lunch yet. And it was a very warm welcome seeing all those free, sample food. Of course, we won't let this opportunity pass. We basically entered every store and tasted everything until we got sick of it!

free taste of beef jerky

The street leading to the ruins was full of tourists making it hard for us make our way to the landmark. Along the way, I saw a food cart selling egg tarts. I heard that egg tarts in Macau are the best. They really are. It was, by far, the best egg tart I ever tasted.




The highlight of our Macau trip was actually visiting the famous casinos and hotel. Where else to go first but The Venetian. At first glance of the building I was immediately at awe. With all its bright lights, huge size, and incredible architecture, the tour was definitely captivating.



The most mind-boggling experience was the Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian. Those super bright lights and daylight-similar environment. Totally mind-f*ck. Haha! That canal too. Super awesome!





We also went inside the casino and met a lot of Filipino workers there. They were very friendly. They help us find our way out of the enormous Venetian Hotel and Casino.

We then took a shuttle bus from the Venetian to Senado Square. This is free so expect a queue. And this is how the square looks like at night...



Below is a summary of our actual itinerary and expenses. You may use this as a guide on your trip to Macau:
         

11:00am	HK to Macau via Turbojet	Ticket: 150HKD
12:00nn	Arrival in Macau Take Bus to Senado Square	Fare: 3.2HKD
1:00pm	Check in at Vila Universal	300HKD
2:00pm	Tour: Senado Square, The Ruins, Fortress, Macau Tower, The Venetian
8:00pm	REST
THE NEXT DAY
10:30am	Hostel to Ferry	Fare: 3.2HKD
12:00nn	Macau to HK via Turbojet	Ticket: 149HKD