The ginkgo trees on Jingu Gaien’s famous avenue are forecast to turn gold around 26 November this year, a little later than most Filipinos expect. That one date changes your whole trip. Book for the second week of November and you get green leaves at yellow-leaf prices. Book for the last week and you walk […]
A Week in Autumn 2026 Read More »
Sydney had been on our travel list for a LONG time, but somehow, despite travelling the world full-time since 2008, we had never made it to Australia until recently. We finally fixed that and spent 5 days in Sydney at the start of April. And, I have to say, it lived up to the hype!
5 Days in Sydney: The Perfect Itinerary for First-Time Visitors Read More »
Charles and I started traveling together back in 2003, when it was just the two of us with backpacks, a loose itinerary, and a whole lot of enthusiasm for seeing the world. Since then, we’ve explored more than 40 countries together, built a travel business, and spent nearly 18 years traveling with our two kids.
After Years of Family Travel, We’re Dreaming of a Cruise for Two Read More »
If you have a foreign partner, a client abroad or an expat friend, you have probably been asked this already. They read that the Philippines now has a digital nomad visa, they picture a month in Siargao with a laptop, and they want to know where to apply. The honest answer, as of 11 October
Philippines Digital Nomad Visa 2026: Rules and Real Status Read More »
We’ve tested a few larger BLUETTI power stations over the years, and they’ve been useful when we wanted serious backup power. The tradeoff is pretty obvious, though. Bigger batteries take up more room, weigh more, and aren’t necessarily something you casually grab on the way out the door. That’s what made the BLUETTI Elite 100
Small Enough for Travel, Strong Enough for Home Backup Read More »
Photo: Paulo O / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) At 6:22am on 23 December 2019, a traveler from Halifax, Canada, stepped out of NAIA and took the photo above: paper lanterns overhead, carts piled with bags, and a crowd so thick the security guard could barely see the road. That is the part of coming
Coming Home for Christmas 2026 Read More »
New York City is one of those places that can feel slightly overwhelming before you arrive. There are five boroughs, dozens of neighborhoods, thousands of hotels, and an endless list of things to see and do. So, where should you actually stay in New York City? Having visited New York a few times ourselves, our
Where to Stay in New York City: The 3 Best Boroughs for First-Time Visitors Read More »
After years of travel, we’ve learned one thing for sure: something unexpected will happen eventually. We’ve dealt with cancelled flights, lost luggage, buses that were supposedly air conditioned but very definitely were not, and even accidentally overstaying a visa. Some travel problems are annoying. Others can get expensive or stressful pretty quickly. You can’t plan
How to Prepare for the Unexpected While Traveling Read More »
A jumbo balikbayan box from California to Metro Manila costs about USD 88 to ship. That is roughly PHP 110 a kilo if you pack it to 50 kg. Put the same 50 kg on an Emirates flight as airport excess baggage and you could pay USD 1,250, or more than PHP 78,000. Same pasalubong,
Real Cost Per Kilo 2026 Read More »
This post is sponsored by Preply. We were given access to the platform to try it for ourselves, but all opinions and experiences here are our own. I’ve been trying to learn Spanish, on and off, for years. And when I say trying, I mean I’ve done a little bit of everything. I’ve used language
Can a Real Tutor Finally Get Me Speaking Spanish? Read More »
