Blog Posts on rants and raves

Boutique on a budget: Islands Stay Hotels, Cebu by Nikka's Notes on Apr 22, 2012The budget hotel is fittingly the center of the whole budget travel universe. It is, at least, in mine. Compared with food, a place to stay the night is a lot less flexible and is therefore a bigger concern for me than the day’s next meal. And...

Bag of Beans Blueberry Pancakes = Love! by Shine the Light on Apr 18, 2012It's 9AM. I woke up so early today. 6 AM to be exact. I know, for some, that's not early. Everyone else must have already ticked off a dozen in their to-do list, while I was still battling with my other self if I should already get up from bed or not...

A different kind of Bora at Mandala by Nikka's Notes on Apr 11, 2012Looking back at my first time in Boracay, the Philippines’ dame of all beaches and catwalk of people with impossibly toned abs, I consider myself lucky to not have arrived along with everyone else. And when I mean everyone, I mean the annual Ho...

sana mamatay na lahat ng malalandi sa mundo by all that charms on Mar 4, 2012lalo na yung mga babaeng pumapatol sa may asawa. either makati lang talaga sila o sadyang tanga.

Featured: We Are Sole Sisters’ 20 Photos to Inspire Location Independence by Nikka's Notes on Feb 15, 2012Location independence is one thing every aspiring traveler wants, and more importantly for me, works for. Thank you to Lois of We Are Sole Sisters, whose Location Independence post reminded me once again of why I am where I am today, having made the...

Ode to 2011: The Year in Pictures by Nikka's Notes on Dec 30, 2011Earlier, I had written about my word for 2011–DISCOVER. [See: My word for 2011: What's yours?] To fully give justice to this fantastic year, I’m putting together photos that speak exactly about how this year has been for me: We headed to...

Ode to 2011: The Year in Pictures by Nikka's Notes on Dec 30, 2011Earlier, I had written about my word for 2011–DISCOVER. [See: My word for 2011: What's yours?] To fully give justice to this fantastic year, I’m putting together photos that speak exactly about how this year has been for me: We headed to...

The Twelve DaysPounds of Christmas by Shine the Light on Dec 25, 2011It's the day after Christmas. Whew. The holiday rush has gotten to me real bad, I almost thought I'd end up as replacement to The Christmas Grouch. A long list of must-buys, almost-daily parties, and the slow crawl of traffic everywhere can make one'...

My word for 2011: What’s yours? by Nikka's Notes on Dec 19, 2011New York’s word is ‘ACHIEVE’, while Rome’s is ‘SEX’—or at least that’s according to Elizabeth Gilbert’s novel, ‘Eat, Pray, Love,’ which recounts her experiences in Rome, India, and Bali af...

My word for 2011: What’s yours? by Nikka's Notes on Dec 19, 2011New York’s word is ‘ACHIEVE’, while Rome’s is ‘SEX’—or at least that’s according to Elizabeth Gilbert’s novel, ‘Eat, Pray, Love,’ which recounts her experiences in Rome, India, and Bali af...