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My main reason to head down to Palawan, an island in the Philippines, was to visit the Palawan underground river, located in the Puerto Princessa Subterranean River National Park, about 50 kilometers north of Puerto Princessa. The river was known as the world’s longest underground river until the discovery of a even longer river in Mexico. Still, the visit proved to be more than worth it! Read more

I was traveling in Asia when I met up with Christophe, a former colleague and good friend. He had taken three weeks off to join me for a trip to Thailand and Malaysia.

Christophe shares my deep passion for scuba diving. Accordingly, the question wasn’t if we would go diving, but (1) where and (2) for how long. I had heard enchanting stories about a group of islands in the Andaman Sea, just a few hours off the western coast of Thailand: The Similan Islands. Read more

Hong Kong is well known for its unlimited variety of foods. From little roadside stalls to high end restaurants and everything in between, Hong Kong has it all. Its food is heavily influenced by Cantonese cuisine as well as other regions of China, Japan, and South East Asia. Due to its past as a British colony, Hong Kong also hosts a wide variety of international restaurants as well.

Over the next two months, I will have 15 hand picked dinners.  Each one will be documented in this post. While it will be impossible to sample every available cuisine, I will do my best to get a good representation. Read more

There aren’t many options when it comes to public transportation in Shanghai, so a taxi is often the best way to get around. With around 50.000 taxis in the city, it’s easy to find one and they are very affordable. However, there are a few things that could prevent you from having an enjoyable ride. Most cab drivers speak little or no English and not all cab companies are reliable.

Here are three things you should know to ensure your taxi ride will be a smooth one! Read more

Two friendly Australian couples from Hong Kong were also staying at the resort. We all got along well from the start and decided to explore the area together. The next morning, we congregated in the hotel lobby, rented a boat, and ventured off to visit the nearby islands.

Our first stop was a small pristine island called “Dako Island.” It was inhabited by a small community who lived off of coconut plantations and canoe manufacturing. While the men were busy carving canoes out of trees, the children played on the sandy beaches with home-made wake boards.Read more

After we settled in our new environment, we decided to go on a reconnaissance mission using the islands main means of transportation: the motorbike.

Typically, I shy away from driving these vehicles as I have met too many expats and tourists with scars, mutilations, brain damage and other motorbike accident related injuries (which in Thailand they call “natural tattoos”). On this island, however, traffic was sparse so I threw caution to the wind and mounted my bike.Read more

I was traveling around Asia when I got a message from my friend Johan. He had been working tirelessly for years and finally had some time off. “I desperately need a holiday,” he told me. “I want to relax and decompress, somewhere away from all the tourists. I need a quiet, peaceful place.”

The light bulb in my head flashed. I immediately thought of Siargao Island, a remote island in the Philippines. Read more

I was having dinner with some friends in a middle-eastern type restaurant in Shanghai. It was my last night there and I was heading to the airport straight after dinner. My next destination was replete with sun, beaches, and excellent surfing conditions. I was going to the Philippines. The meal was delicious and the atmosphere was captivating. Between the tasty kebabs, the sexy belly dancers, and my vivacious friends, the evening was sublime. Nothing could ruin it. Or so I thought.Read more

I met up with my buddy at Manila airport. We share one passion: deep sea diving. Our final destination was Sabang, a little dive resort in the municipality of Puerto Galera. To get there from Manila, we first had to take a 3 hour taxi to Batangas, a village located at the southern point of the island of Luzon. From Batangas it would be another 2 hours on a Banca (typical Philippines boat) to Sabang.Read more