Known as a pass-through to get to the Nile and to the Pyramids, the city of Cairo is rarely a place travellers would want to spend time in. The traffic is horrible and the atmosphere is not that inviting especially if 2011’s Arab Spring is still fresh in your mind. However, some say that if you haven’t seen Cairo, you’ve never seen the world.

Those who hate the sun and sand may not like the place though but the Egyptian capital has more to offer aside from the rather unrelenting assault to one’s senses.

Cairo has a unique appeal and as a tourist destination it has always inspired travellers of imagining the Sphinx and the Pyramids of Giza. These two tourist spots are already fixtures in every traveller’s psyche. There are other places to see in Cairo though because there mosques, churches, and museums in the place.

For those planning to stay in Cairo, the best hotels to go to include Mena House Oberoi Hotel  – a former hunting lodge located on Pyramids Road, Cairo Marriott – a 19^th century palace near the river Nile,  Le Riad Hotel de Charme on Muiz Li Din Allah Street, and JW Marriott Hotel Cairo on Ring Road.

by Sigrid Salucop

Travel is a very important part of a person’s life. Whether you’ve been out of your comfort zone dozens of times or have stayed there ever since you can remember, one thing is for sure, we still travel one way or the other from point A to point B –be it a short bus ride from school to a long flight to the other side of the globe.

Some people look for sunny places where they can enjoy the water and the sand while the more adventurous take that infamous unbeaten path; like going to Africa not on a safari but to experience rain weeks on end or to see the sun suddenly disappearing in the horizon –without warning- when nighttime comes. Yet others travel to places that remind them of their recent past –the school they went to, the places where they dined with people they used to know or people they still know. These places somehow remind some of us the Beatles crooning, “There are places I remember all my life” or for the more modern, “Photographs” by Nickelback.

To prepare myself for the traveling I would have to do for work in the very near future, I have to look back and write about the place where I grew up and where my mother and her mother before her grew up –a place I know inside and out the way a Parisian would every café in the city of lights.

Holidays in Ilocos Norte, Philippines are quite an attraction but it’s not the food or the sidewalks made out of cobblestones that makes me feel alive when I am home, it is that feeling of security –that I am in my own turf-where almost everyone who are dear to me live.

As I walk that road going to Batac’s Hilario Valdez Memorial Elementary School with an old friend, I suddenly remembered how wonderful the weather is in Ilocos Norte during this time of year –it would remind you of a warm Spring day in the western hemisphere. It was almost dusk and there were children riding old bicycles, possibly on their way home to enjoy a dinner of either a Batac Empanada with a few sticks of the local sausage or a meal of traditionalpinakbet.

The grade school I went to is already old –I never thought of it as old really since I can still remember the first day of first grade. But that was 18 years ago and the school now looks older than its picture in my mind. There is still that old flagpole standing proudly right in front of the oldest building in the compound. The hallways are still quite polished though and still great for those weekend rollerblading escapades. Just a few minutes from the school is the supermarket where my dad gets the freshest produce for his rather delectable creations.

At around 6 in the evening, the town center would be quite alive –no there aren’t any decent bars where you can get a cocktail but there’s lots of restaurants at the riverside. Food, after all is a great part of our culture as with any other culture. It is a little too quiet in Batac though and if you sit in the small park in front of the cultural center, you would see a lot of folks –a few familiar faces maybe if you are from there or just a bunch of strangers if you aren’t.

On the other side of the small park is a river fronting the Marcos Mansion –where the deposed President Ferdinand Marcos and his family used to live. His rather controversial wife, their children and grandchildren still go to the mansion whenever they are home. Today, it stands beside its own museum and the mausoleum of the President himself.

Right beside the park is a bridge that would lead you to the Mariano Marcos State University –a sizeable gated campus with beautiful buildings and lots of trees. Going to high school there is quite an experience but what I really remember are the late summer rains and how the pavement smelled so nice as it got rid of all the dust it has accumulated the day before, and how raindrops fall on the pines and the green galvanized roofs of the building and how my classmates then reveled on the sight of rain.

Going to Batac, Ilocos Norte is truly an experience not only to those who want to see sand dunes or old buildings but to those who want to remember the good things about this town –family, friends and all the people one once knew.

by Sigrid Salucop

Finding the best (or the cheapest) flights is close to impossible since there is definitely no shortcut to getting cheap airfare. Much like buying other stuff, you would have to shop around.

Buying Early. During peak season, buying early is a good idea but how early is early? Experts say that 30 days before your travel period will land you on fairly affordable airfare. Planning ahead is always a good thing when it comes to traveling during the peak period.

Last Minute. Buying your ticket at the last minute may mean you can get the best travel deals but this is not always the case since it all depends on the month or season. If I decide to go home for Christmas for example, chances are, last minute tickets would be double the regular price. However, many airlines offer best last minute deals in their weekly newsletters. So if you can stand the suspend and your travel date is quite flexible, waiting for the best deals is a good idea. Websites like LastMinuteTravel.com usually offer great airfare deals.

Shop Around. It’s like buying a shirt or a dress for that matter, we often shop around to get the one that we like at the price we like. Finding a plane ticket is no exemption. Remember that no matter how good the deal seems to be, do not book the first fare you see online. Checking out major travel providers is a good idea. Websites to go to include TripAdvisor Flights, Airfarewatchdog, CheapTickets.com and the website of your favorite airline –if you play favorites that is.  Most airlines guarantee the lowest fares possible on their own website but this is not always the case –this is where comparing prices come in. There are also low-cost carriers around so be sure to include them in your list when shopping for cheap airfare.

Know When To Buy. Before, you would have to talk to insiders regarding airfare prices but now we have Bing Travel. Bing Travel can help you project changes in airfare prices and if you know how to use the data it provides you, you are likely to find the best deals.

Chinese immigrants from long ago who have decided to stay in the Philippines for the purposes of trade and a better business environment have retained their traditions even when miles away from mainland China.

The Filipino people whose bloodline is of 10% Chinese descent also celebrate the Chinese New Year but usually welcome it with a simpler celebration than the January 1st merrymaking.

The Chinese New Year in the Philippines is an important celebration for the Filipino-Chinese community though. It is celebrated with fireworks at midnight and a sumptuous meal of seafood dishes along with traditional dragon dances and other Chinese customs.

From Laoag City to the southern part of the country, Nian Gao more popularly known as Tikoy is now being sold in preparation for the year of the water dragon.

If you would like to celebrate the Chinese New Year with us, Manny O. Wines and the Manila Hotel will be welcoming the Chinese New Year with a grand festivity at the hotel’s lobby lounge on January 22, 2012. Regular tickets are priced at Php 2, 188.00, premium tickets are priced at Php 3, 188.00. For inquiries, you may contact 527 0011 local 1108.

There are so many places to go to in the Philippines and if you are a Filipino, exploring your own country before visiting other tourist spots in Asia or in other parts of the world is a must. The three main islands in the Philippines include Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Luzon is where the capital is located. Metropolitan Manila may be one of the biggest attractions because the megacity hosts the biggest malls and best bazaars but if you really want to enjoy being in the tropics, going to its beaches is always a great idea. There are many beaches to explore and lots of mountainous regions too. In fact, when a Filipino thinks about the beautiful places in the Philippines, he will not be able to enumerate all of them because for each region or province –there is always a tourist spot –either because of its idyllic beaches, its countryside or its social, cultural and political relevance.

Up north just a 12-hour bus ride away from the capital is Ilocos Norte –one of the most beautiful places in the country. You can go to RCJ situated on España and board the 8 pm or 9 pm bus. You will arrive in Batac or Laoag City at around 8 in the morning (traffic in the Metro upon leaving is included). Well it’s not really a 12-hour bus ride, it could be more because they’d be dropping people off at Paoay and in other places too. The great thing about boarding RCJ is that you would get to get a great view of the countryside early in the morning. You will also have a view of the sea and maybe even a glimpse of the infamous 300-year-old church in Paoay. Alright, you will see the back of it but this should work as an appetizer for you because Ilocos Norte is rich when it comes to tourist spots. White beaches are of course available further north and if you feel like travelling to Cagayan Valley and explore the most verdant of fields and visit Callao Caves, that should also be a great idea.

Another great stop before your Ilocos Norte trip is Baguio City and Sagada. During the summertime, lots of Filipinos go to Baguio City to cool off because this is one of the coolest parts of the country and the most urban of the coolest spots too. Baguio City has malls as well but it still has its share of beautiful spots. There are a lot of pine trees in this region but they are not the same as the pines we see in the Western hemisphere. Ilocos Norte also has its share of pines –very much the same as that of Baguio.

From Cagayan Valley, you can travel either to Isabella or Abra. Abra has a lot to offer when it comes to Northern traditions. They have caves and mummies. In fact, if you live amongst the locals, you will still be able to see the process of mummification. These are of course in the more remote areas of Abra and not in the major towns. It’s worth a look though because the place is a hub for many Philippine anthropologists. Another wonderful choice is to go to Batanes and experience Ivatan living. Batanes is a beautiful place and it looks like one of the sets of LOTR (Lord of the Rings, for the non-geek).

These are only a few of the places you can go to while in the Philippines. Just a few hours from Metro Manila is Alaminos, Pangasinan -a wonderful place to visit especially if you fancy some island hopping –this place has 100 islands 3 of which are tourist ready and the others you can rent for a night, if you wish to have some privacy. While you are in the northern part of the country, you might as well visit La Union’s beaches and spend some time surfing. The locals can teach you how to surf. Most of the time they won’t let you pay since they surf for fun and are not instructors per se but it’s always advised that you ask how much they charge per hour in case you may be talking to a professional.

Subic is also a nice place to visit especially if you want to see the American Air Base and how different the area is from the rest of the country. The Philippines does not have very nice roads thanks to rampant corruption in the government but traversing these roads sure is worth it.

Other places to see include the beaches of Batangas, the island destination Puerto Galera just a 45-minute boat ride away from the Batangas Pier, Coron, Palawan, the Bicol Region where the Mayon Volcano is and lots of other place such as Taal Volcano, Tagaytay and the historic town of Angono. You would be dizzy with your map if you follow these as I have enumerated them but I will write other hubs as a guide to these places.

In the Visayas Region, you will find a lot of beautiful beaches as well. Going to Cebu is a must because this historic city has a lot to offer i.e. beautiful historical sites. Cebu is the oldest city in the Philippines and it used to have a bid to be the capital of country –it is still however a very strong commercial and financial hub. Its growing population is likened to the growth of Metro Manila. Bohol is also a great place to visit especially if you want to see a tarsier and enjoy the beauty of the limestone formation called Chocolate Hills.

In Mindanao, one can go to Zamboanga City or Davao City. For mountain climbers, Mt. Apo is the place to go –this is the highest peak in the country and definitely worth a visit or a climb rather. You may board a plane from Metro Manila going to Davao City for this experience. It would be best however to do your research and look for reputable travel agencies that can guide you on where to go. This will also prevent you from getting ripped off. This is just a precaution and does not necessarily happen to all tourists but as with going to a land you have never been to and where you do not speak the language, it would be best to make sure that you are safe.

A country known for being disorganized, the Philippines’ Department of Tourism has organized a rather interesting campaign to encourage foreigners to visit the Philippines. Although there are a lot of photos that show the large cities in the Philippines, I would suggest that a foreigner go to the countryside instead of staying in places in the Metro Manila area.

I love Metro Manila but I do not like the street children who beg for money, I am not proud of the garbage on the side of the streets and I do not like the traffic. It’s true though, it’s more fun in the Philippines if you go to the countryside or to the beaches around the country.

About 4000 years ago, Austronesians migrated to the northern part of the Philippines. Identified for its rich culture and its houses made out of corals, the place now known as Batanes Islands is one of the most visited places in the country.

The small province composed of ten islands is located about 160 kilometers from mainland Luzon. It sits in the high seas near Taiwan with the Bashi Channel in between the two.

Although this part of the Cagayan Valley region was rarely visited by Filipinos before, the number of tourists to Batanes has grown over the years because of its unique culture worlds apart from that of the mainland. Tourists also love its pristine waters and its greenery. In fact, if you visit Batanes, you would feel like you are in the set of the Lord of the Rings –just greener.

What is mesmerizing about Batanes is not just the place itself but its culture. The Ivatan have linguistic commonalities with the Tao of Orchid Island located in the southeastern coast of Taiwan and prehistoric cultural commonalities with the people of the Babuyan Island in the Philippines. Its rich history goes back to the Dutch and Spanish Formosas. The language on its own –Austronesian in origin is something that makes the Ivatan different from the rest of the people in the Philippines.

While in the province, you may want to visit Basco –the capital and then go straight to Mahatao, Itbayat, Sabtang, Ivana and Uyugan.

The climate in this part of the Philippines is more like to that of Okinawa and Taiwan although it is located in a tropical country. Sometimes, the province experiences below normal temperatures.

A lot of people do not want to go to Batanes Islands because it is said to be constantly battered by strong typhoons. This however is a misconception because the place holds the last weather station in the northern part of the country. Unlike other parts of the Philippines, Batanes has no wet or dry season. It enjoys four seasons with temperatures dipping as low as 7 degrees Celsius during winter.

If you are planning to visit the islands, you may want to go in Mid-March to June so that you will not experience rain while in the area. The place can still be visited during other parts of the year of course but it would be best to be there when the weather is pleasant.

From Metro Manila, visitors going to Batanes may fly to Ilocos Norte’s capital Laoag and then board either a ship or a small plane to get to Batanes Islands.

Travel in general has inspired a lot of stories and adventure. Those who like it old school say however that planes have taken the travel out of travelling making some of the younger generation think whether it is better to just fly to somewhere or board a ship to somewhere or maybe even walk to somewhere if it is possible. Our ancestors often walked to places then later on rode donkeys and horses. They never called it travel though because they either were doing it to trade with other places or were migrating to greener pastures. Whatever your choice of transportation, it’s what you make out of the experience –the fun things you have done, the cool places you’ve seen and taken photos of, the people you met and the new things you learned.

Whether you are planning to go to the Alps or just going to visit friends and family in another state –that is still called travel. The encyclopedias would agree with this because travel is defined as the movement of individual to relatively distant places. In most cases, we travel because we want to go to a new place and experience their culture, their food and their weather or whatever else there is to experience in the said destination but going to the outskirts of Turkey or flying to Transylvania to research about something is also called travelling. Pilgrimages, fleeing war or going to a certain destination for business are all filed under travel which means it does not entail that you should be on vacation. It’s not just relaxation that motivates us to travel –there are other things that motivate people to travel. In fact, sometimes travel is necessary because commuting to work is also defined as a form of travel. With these said, it means that wherever you go, you are travelling.

For those who want to go all around the globe but do not have the budget to do so, you can start small. You can appreciate all the great things about the place where you live in and when you’re done, you should go out of the country and do the same thing.

Monsignor Della Casa is a beautiful country resort situated in Florence. Just 16 miles away from the town, it is a major resort destination both for locals and foreigners. The resort facility is also known for its brand of service and many a satisfied traveler return to the casa every year.

An extraordinary place, the resort boasts the beauty of the countryside and beautiful Tuscan architecture. Whether you are in town to enjoy the Italian sun or just need some time off from the rigors of city life, staying at Monsignor Della Casa is really something that one should look forward to.

Alright, the first few words that might pop in your head is “Dream On” but as Rudyard Kipling said, you should dream –well he didn’t say that, he actually said “If you can dream –and not make dreams your master;” and he went on and on about life lessons and such. But it was directed to men wasn’t it? So brace yourselves ladies and get those plane tickets ready. 

Now that Prince William is about to get married, girls can now set their sights on his younger brother Harry. What’s hotter than a bad boy is actually meeting him but first you have to go to England and visit the sites while hatching a plan on how to get this uber cute prince.

Although Prince Harry does not stay at their primary residence, it would be great if you can stay near the place to increase your chances of meeting the infamous Harry.

Hotels near the palace include Sofitel London St. James close to Her Majesty’s Theatre, The Trafalgar Hilton near Admiralty Arch, Le Meridien Piccadilly, The Cavendish London and the Hostel at Piccadilly Guest House. There are other choices of course but this list should do just fine.

So you don’t like Prince Harry eh?

Take a look at the Swedish prince, Prince Carl Philip. He is a 30-something prince oozing with sex appeal. If you aren’t in Sweden just yet, please take a look at these photos. These are the places where His Royal Highness loves to hangout at.

If you want a younger blue-blood however, Andrea Casiraghi of Monaco is definitely the best choice.

The prince speaks impeccable English, French, Italian and German. Travelers can hop on a plane from Paris going to Nice, France and then travel from Nice to Monaco.

There are also regular buses connecting Monte Carlo to Nice Cote-D’Azur airport making it possible for you to get to the prince as soon as possible. For those who have money to spend, Heli Air Monaco offers helicopter services between the airport in Nice and Monte Carlo.

Apart from hatching a plan on how to snag the prince, you can also enjoy the sights and just walk around Monaco-Ville or visit the Palais Princier (Prince’s Palace) located in Monaco-Ville.

For those who fell in love with the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding, you can still dream to have your very own big fat Greek wedding and marry a prince along the way.

Prince Philippos of Greece and Denmark is a Georgetown University graduate and is definitely one of the most eligible bachelors in the world. Visiting Greece sounds like a great idea now doesn’t it? This prince doesn’t like the limelight much so be prepared to live a quiet life.

For those who want a young, good looking prince who’s got a fortune of $4 billion, Prince Felix of Luxembourg is your bet.

Visiting the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is always a great adventure especially if you want to tour the rest of Europe along the way. This small country is landlocked by Belgium, Germany and France. Its continental climate is also one of the main reasons why many travelers opt to go to Luxembourg. If you are traveling from Paris, you can get on a train to arrive in Luxembourg.  It is also important to note that you speak either French or German and would also be great if you learn Luxembourgish.

English is also understood but shopkeepers will not respond unless you speak in French or German so you better start saying Je parle très peu français now before they start conversing with you.

Just a 3-hour train ride away from Luxembourg is Belgium where the intelligent and very appealing royal Prince Amadeo is from. It is rumored however that he is currently living in New York City and works in Wall Street. Belgium is a wonderful place though so it would be best to visit Prince Amadeo’s country before you head to New York to steal his heart.

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