Philippines

The Philippines is an archipelago that consists of 7,641 islands. There are 3 regions. Luzon to the north, Mindanao to the South, and a group of smaller islands in the center, of which Palawan is the most popular, called Visayas. Major urban centers are Manila (Luzon), Cebu (Visayas), and Davao (Mindanao). Places with high tourism in Palawan are Coron, El Nido and Peurto Princesa. Boracay and Cebu make up the other popular places in Visayas.

Fact: It would take about 20 years to spend a day on every island of Philippines.

 

CORON

This is one of the islands in the province of Palawan within the Visayas region in central Philippines.

Airport is Busuanga. It’s so small that there’s no bus or air bridge, but umbrellas being handed out to walk from the plane to airport.

Reminded is of Iquitos airport in Peru, Amazon, given the small size, mountains all around and tiny air strip with only propeller airplanes landing.

Accommodation was at Club Paradise, part of Discovery Hotels, which along with Dusit Thani and Shangri-La, have some of the best resorts in Philippines. This property has a fascinating design, built around a natural ecosystem for everyone to continue coexisting in harmony.

There is a bat sanctuary right in the middle, which has thousands is of bats that don’t bother the humans living strong around, barring entertaining them with their daily morning inward migration and evening outward migration to the neighboring island. It’s quite a sight to watch them do their travel.

There are sea turtles just off the coast, a tiny bird that will store sit in your hand at the reception, monitor lizards searching for food setting near the dining area, hermit crabs at the beach, and even a tiny snake we saw slithering about.

Things to do are kayaking, paddle boarding, snorkeling, scuba-diving and generally lazing on the beach where the bartenders bring a fancy complimentary drink and snack each morning. Kayaking, paddle boarding and snorkeling are great activities to do here given how serene the waves are and clear the waters are. Neo did all of them, making him probably one of the youngest to do all this, especially catching a sea turtle, which was something even I was doing for the first time. Rare for an activity that both Geet and Neo are doing the same time as me.

Things to see are the sunrise and sunset, which on non-cloudy days are a spectacle. The sunrise looks like the one you see in the Nescafé sunrise packs. The type of sunrise we would draw as a kid, with perfect rays from a bright circular sun. Sunsets are also beautiful, fiery red and just bright enough to watch with the naked eye as they disappear off the horizon.

 

DAVAO

This is the biggest island, and possibly the only place worth visiting in the southern region of Mindanao of Philippines. Even this island was only made accessible a few years ago as it had a lot of rebel groups and considered unsafe before.

Airport is Davao airport, but there is absolutely nothing to do at the airport and even the city surrounding it. The best option is to head directly to the resort.

Accommodation we booked was Dusit Thani, where we received the luxurious treatment of any property we’ve been to. The airport staff that picked us from the hotel were kind enough to make a stop at a Dusit Thani in the city itself for a lunch stop before heading to the Dusit Thani on the island. We were happy to find that the original Bengarong Thai restaurant is part of this chain, a namesake we frequented during our Chennai days.

The resort is on a small island and therefore the last leg of the journey needs to be by boat. The welcome on the resort includes dancing girls with the hot towel and welcome drink.

Things to do are kayaking in a cordoned off section near the island where the waters are serene, and fish feeding which Neo couldn’t get enough of. Apart from this there was a basketball court and open parks, but the days were always too hot to try any of these, and therefore spent most of our time lazing by the beach or kayaking when the sun went behind the clouds.

Things to see are nothing beyond what’s on offer at the resort, with the main draw being snorkeling, as you can see abundant aquatic life just steps away from shore with clear visibility.

BORACAY

This is arguably the most famous island of Philippines. People travel to this country sometimes just to visit this one place. And it meets expectations. Just like the websites say, the beach is one of the most beautiful in the world. Powdered sand, teal colored waters, with sparsely strewn coconut trees, it's a sight you can spend hours watching. If on the west coast, the sights get even better as you get a clear view of the sunset, which you could even choose to see from a sail boat. The coastline is so wide that at times you can see the sunset on one side and a storm with lightning on the other side. It was a visual spectacle we were treated to on one of the evenings of our visit.

Airport is Caticlan airport which is one of two options and the closest to the Boracay island. It is yet again a tiny airport, and the big hotels organize free pick up and drop from here.

Accommodation is recommended on the west coast for sunsets and east coast for water sport like snorkeling and kayaking. We stayed at The Lind which is real neat with it's proximity to the beach. 

Things to do are exploring the various amazing restaurants for good food and drink, while soaking in the view. In some places you could even have the view of the most unique church we have seen, on a few rocks a few wades from the beach! Adventure sport is better off at Coron given it's natural beauty, but Boracay is the place to visit for culture, vibe and gluttony.

Things to see are simply the beach, while enjoying oysters, which by far are the best value for money anywhere on the planet. We literally got 10 oysters for the price of 1 in Europe, and tasted far better than anywhere else we've had. There are water activities here as well, but you wouldn't miss much if you've seen Coron or Davao which are far better for natural beauty than here.

Restaurants:

• Tartine
• Dos Mestisoz
• Percy Seafood
• Coco Mama

UK - Glasgow, Manchester and Liverpool

Glasgow

The name comes from the Gaelic ‘dear green city’, given its greenery. The language Gaelic and the culture of kilts and bagpipes survived to this day, despite the English invading it and banning them for many years.

Known as the 2^nd biggest commercial city in UK after London. Got its wealth from trading tobacco in the 17^th century, as American traders could reach Glasgow almost 10 days faster than other ports of UK, like London on the East, and therefore grew tobacco in Glasgow.

The merchants who grew tobacco became so famous that the old town is called Merchant city here, and all the roads leading up to it are named after the merchants as well. They had direct access to the king of England and the central square of the city is called George square, named of the English king, and not someone from Scottland.

The merchants had a very dark side though, as they employed slaves and child labour.

City also got its wealth from the shipbuilding industry, which followed the tobacco export business. At one point, 1 in 5 ships worldwide were made here.

Apart from the financial success, Glasgow is also famous for some writers. Walter Scott and Robert Burns some of them. Walter Scott was responsible for giving the city its romantic appeal, moving it away from its barbaric tones. Robert Burns has a day after him, Jan 25, when people eat Haggis and drink whiskey.

Haggis is the number 1 national dish, and the 2^nd is tikka masala. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not an Indian dish that went to London, it didn’t even originate in India or introduced first in London. It was introduced to the city of Glasgow by a Pakistani chef.

St Mungus is the patron saint of the city. He standardized metrics here as a foot until then was the size of the kings foot. Trade picked up after the standardization of these metrics like feet and yard. City rivalry remained though, and Celtics and Rangers are the 2 football clubs that continue their rivalry today.

 

Manchester

Known as the birthplace of the industrial revolution. Though the steam engine wasn’t invented here, the city gave the first passenger train and the first canals that brought about the industrial revolution.

The city is also known for giving the world the weekend as it was progressive with worker wages and gave them the Sunday to visit church.

Emily Pankers is the most famous woman here, with statues in the center of the city as she fought for womens rights. She was responsible for giving women the power to vote, though when it was first introduced, there were limitations such that only women over 30 and those married could vote.

Midland hotel is the most famous hotel here where the royal family reside when they visit Manchester. It’s also known for hosting the Beckhams and the place where Rolls and Royce first met. During the world war, Hitler said he would make this his house once Germany beat England. For this purpose, the hotel survived the bombing.

Football clubs here are responsible for introducing club football to the world, mostly the success Man United had. They own the Old Trafford stadium. Man City on the other hand, rent the stadium from the city council by paying 7m a year for it. Etihad pay another 7m just to have their name on the stadium.

Sinclair pub is one of the oldest pubs in the world, established in 1500. It’s located in the center of the city but was moved twice over the years. Molly the waitress is the one with the picture outside the pub, and she’s known to throw cold water on people who don’t leave the pub when it’s closed.

 

Liverpool 

Was once the biggest port on the West and again notorious for it’s involvement in slave trade. Also had a shipbuilding industry like Glasgow and one of the builders owned Titanic. The ship never docked in Liverpool, but over a 100 locals worked there, including the famous musicians who continued playing while the ship sank.

Today the city makes its money from tourism and the film industry. Movies like the new Batman and shows like The Crown were filmed here.

Cavern is one of the most famous pubs, known to have hosted The Beatles some 190 times. Even today, aspiring musicians play here, and the one playing when I visited was pretty good.

City gets its name from the muddy waters that flowed into the city. Liver the word for Muddy and Pool for water. The symbol of the city is a fictitious bird called the Liver bird. Was recreated from the Eagles that were used during the monarchy and was forgotten for about 50 years and therefore while recreating, people just used their imagination and came up with this bird.

 

 

Mexican wedding, Mezcal and loads of Tacos

The country that’s depicted in yellow in all movies actually is yellow in real. It’s as if the VSCO f02 filter is always on, as a friend reminded me.

Here some highlights across Food, Drink, See, Spend and Restaurants visited:

Food

Tacos vs Quesadilla vs Enchilada (needed to figure the one out first!)
Tacos = Tortilla + Filling
Quesadilla = Tortilla + Filling + Cheese
Enchilada = Tortilla + Filling + Cheese + Sauce

Huevos Rancheros (the only breakfast dish we had everywhere)
Huevos (eggs) have numerous ways of preparation, but the one unique to Mexico is Rancheros, which is Tortilla, runny eggs and sauce. Sort of the Enchilada of eggs.

Pork pilbil
The pork dish of Mexico, best had with the Mexican roti and pickled onions

Aracherra
The steak of Mexico. It’s flattened out, like the meat of a Schnitzel, which makes it much easier to eat.

Pikante
Green and Red options available. Personal favorite is Green. Closer to the Indian green chilly possibly

Sauces
Poblano is a dark sauce made with chillies, nuts and chocolate.
Pipian is a red sauce made with chillies and jalapeños.

In summary, Mexican food is all about the ensemble. The fried chicken taco tastes dry and terrible on its own, but with the guacamole and refried beans, it’s incredible. All dishes are about the combination with tortillas, protein and sauce. Tortillas are ubiquitous, pork and chicken are the most common protein forms, and sauces are up to your liking. My favorite was the green pikante or pipian sauce.
Don’t miss this old lady coming over to serve warm bread in restaurants. They’re always the most fresh.


Drink

Coffee - the standard Mexican coffee comes spiced like the kind you find in Kerala, and served in a quaint pot. But you’ll need to visit a classic Mexican joint for this as most restaurants otherwise just serve the usual cappuccinos and espressos. Coffee with milk is a whole different thing though. It’s a tall glass of milk with a little bit of coffee. So basically it’s 2 extreme versions of coffee here, super spicy and strong or super light and milky.

Chelada Michelada - the standard serving for beer or Cerveza. Chelada is lemon squeeze in a glass lined with salt. Michelada is tomato in place of lemon.

Corona - the beer made famous by Mexico and tastes outstanding in the Chelada form.

Mezcal - the original tequila of Mexico, worm and all in the bottles. A bit too strong for my age now.

See

Mexico City for food, history and the Teotihuacan pyramid.
Cancun for the Caribbean beach, parties, excellent sunrises and a day trip to Chichen Itza.
Oaxaca for day of the dead festival.
Tepozlatan for an idyllic Mexican village with graffiti walls, food market and one big church.

Spend

Cash needed - withdraw pesos at the best conversation you can find. Will need it.

Tip culture - borrowed from its neighbors to the north mostly, where cab drivers and waiters speak just about enough English to ask for tips.

Do

F1 if around the time. Circuit is in the centre of the city making it far more accessible than the ones in Europe. Perez is also one of the biggest celebrities of Mexico, making the sport and fan favorite. We saw spectators in Red Bull shirts all around the city starting from 8am on race day.

Dia de los Muertos, day of the dead, again if around the time. It’s a truly unique festival with its epicenter at Oaxaca, but interesting to see the installations in Mexico City as well.

Restaurants visited:

• Xel-Ha Bar
• Sanborns de los Azulejos
• Cafe de Tacuba
• Cafe Nin
• La Taba
• El Ciruelo

Singapore vs Netherlands

Edinburgh and its Fringe Festival

Edinburgh is a city with character. You have the signature dish Haggis that can be paired with any whiskey of your choice in any one of the umpteen fancy gothic architectural bars that are served by the friendliest waiters with accents you can listen to for hours.

Fringe festival is easily the best time to visit Edinburg as you have some of the most talented street artists you may have seen anywhere in the world, performing at every nook and cranny around the town.

You could spend the entire day hopping from one act to another, grabbing a beer or whisky or even a plate of Haggis en route. One of our favorite acts was The Bucket Boy from the US. There were loads of other musicians and comic acts that we thoroughly enjoyed.

Edinburgh castle is a top attraction for any time of the year. It has stood around for 6 centuries, serving as godowns for gunpowder, hospital for war injured, meeting point for army generals which includes the governors quarters to this day, and holding prisoners of war where some nationalities like Americans had to fake identity to escape the brutal treatment.

The castle somehow stood ground in spite of the numerous attacks, the most recent even being at WW2.

It holds some interesting weapons, like the 1’ o clock cannon that fired at that sharp time so seafarers in the region to set their clocks, and Mons Meg, that was once the most powerful weapon the world where towns simply surrendered when they saw it approaching them. It was too bulky though and very soon became obsolete and served as an exhibition canon which finally cracked during one of the celebrations to now become a historic relic.

Day trip options from Edinburgh that we did include the Sterling Castle, Kelpies of Falkirk  that are impressive horse statues you can take tons of photos around.

Places to eat:

• Gordons Trattoria
• Angels with Bagpipes
• Jakes Place
• Pipers Rest
• The Tyndrumm Inn

Spain

Malaga 

Malaga appears to be a tourist city for students and therefore accommodation, food and drinks can be incredibly cheap. The airport is unexpectedly huge though, and the tourists outside Malaga's city center is from a much older demography. 

Accommodation options can be so fancy that we stayed at the second floor of the building where Antonio Banderas owns the penthouse. He apparently bought this place so that it overlooks the Roman Theatre where he performed his first stage play. 

Food is very different from the rest of Spain. Paella is not common. Instead, sardines on bread and other forms of seafood, like prawn and octopus salads are the specialities here. But you can get the usual tapas like potato bravas, padron peppers and shrimp croquettes to satisfy the tourists here. 

Drinks are incredibly inexpensive in most places and beer and even the Cava Sangria are great options. 

Club scene is a sham where girls pretend to befriend you to get you inside and spend on expensive drinks. Avoid falling for the trap. 

Other city highlights we picked from a free walking tour that I highly recommend: 

• Malaga is the birthplace of Picasso and there is a museum at a corner building he was born but it seems in reality he was born in the neighboring building
• There is another Picasso museum of paintings, however it has the least of his popular works there since his best works are at Lourve Paris
• Baroque paintings on the church walls were discovered as recently as 7 years back when the limestone facade from the period of Black Death was removed for restoration 
• These baroque paintings were done by Muslims left behind after Christian’s reclaimed Malaga in 15th century, who also added touches of Islamic designs on the doors of all churches of Malaga 
• The crypt below the biggest obelisk of the city has the head of Malaga’s most popular general missing, and nobody seems to know how it went missing 

One activity we did was color profile for everyone: 

• Yellow: Pakach Tunu 
• Blue: Gop Hari Sush Muni 
• Red: Aakash 
• Green: Praty Upkar Munda Ash Noel Duma 
• Bala could be the only rare Blue Yellow 

Funniest joke on the trip: 

• Upkar: Hey Praty, check out the girl at 6 o’clock 
• Praty: In BST?

Places to eat:

• Namaste
• La Quinieala
• Conico Ice Cream
• Meeting Point Cafe
• Santa Coffee
• El Pimpi
• Uvedoble
• La Cala

Marbella 

Marbella is all cobble street walks in the old town by day and wild partying at the beach strip by night

Partying is definitely the biggest selling point at Marbella as there is little else to see or do beyond laying at the the beach all day. And the best place to party is a small strip just besides Harbour Club.

Beaches are split between sections that have cabanas attached to restaurants and cabanas by themselves. Find the beach section that have the cabanas with the restaurants to be served food and drink right on the cabana itself and make the most of the rent paid for it.

Drink are plenty with Sangria the most popular choice. However, across the restaurants by the beach which have cabanas, the quality is cheap. Stick to just the draft beers here and do the Sangrias a bit off the beach.

Food is absolutely delicious especially among sea food options. Sardines are the same everywhere and must have given the fantastic quality of sardines from this coast of Spain. Prawn pil pil and red sausages are other great tapas to have. And just like in drinks, the best food, especially for the main courses, are a bit away from the beach.

Places to eat:

• El Patio De Mariscal
• La Bodega del Mar
• La Ola
• Kanaloa Marbella
• Restaurante Basilio
• La Tasca de Santi
• The Harbour Bar Restaurant Marbella
• Confiteria Avila

Sevilla

Sevilla is peppered with enough beautiful architecture to spend 3 days just walking through all of them. So the big tip is to stay as close to the centre as possible, which is exactly what we did. From here, you could walk, or even take a single ride bus fare of 1.5 Euros and travel around. 

Things to see:

• Palace of Alcazar - lots of shots of GOT here and need to take tickets at least a few days in advance given they're quite in demand
• Bell Tower - was under construction when we where there, but thankfully had a great view from the terrace of our hotel itself
• Cathedral - said to be the 3rd largest in the worls, after the Vatican and one in Brazil. Definitely worth a visit.
• Plaza de Espana - we were running from one shade cover to the next given hot the day was, but a nice place to check out, especially for the free Flamenco shows that happen
• Setas de Sevilla - an ugly construction created to make you spend an unnecessary 4th day at Sevilla - avoid 

Things to do:

• Definitely a Flamenco show in the area it is said to have originated

Place to stay:

• Aquitania Home Suites - highly recommended given the absolute central location

Places to eat:

• Realcazar Restaurante
• Santa Marta
• Restaurante Biryani House
• Colette

The Big Easy City of Mardi Gras

New Orleans

Highlights:

1. Food here is all about seafood in hot spices. The top dishes are Gumbo and Jambalaya in mains, both rice based, just the Gumbo is more of a soup version. And among Desserts, there’s an Oillebollen lookalike called Beignets.
2. Music is all about Jazz and Blues, and there are numerous clubs playing these with live bands.
3. Streets to visit are Magazine street for food, Frenchman and Spanish quarters for live music, and the famous Bourbon street for partying.
4. Partying happens mostly in the clubs of Bourbon street, but you can even spot the occasional street party, and then at the right time of the year (end Feb), even Mardi Gras celebrations.
5. Activities (while not drinking or partying) include an outdoor Paintball arena, Escape rooms, and even the awesome Smoothie King basketball stadium, all things we managed to cover this time.

Restaurants visited:

Joey Ks
Cafe du Mond
Stanley