The Backpack Adventures

June 2016 seems to be one of the highlights of the Backpack Adventures. This month several of my articles and photos were published in different magazines. TravelPlus Magazine - Vol 8 No 2 Two of my articles and several of my photos were published and featured in the June 2016 issue of TravelPlus Magazine .  I feel special being first on the list... The Raw Beauty of Palaui Island my favorite article One of these articles talks about the raw beauty of  Palaui Island  in the province of Cagayan. It also talks about my one day stay on the said island. You should probably try this itinerary The other article is all about the best way to spend your week in Kansai Region in Japan . You'd probably discover more about Osaka, Nara, Kyoto, Wakayama, and Hyogo in this article. They gave me three copies of the June 2016 issue.  You might find these articles helpful for your next adventure. So please do grab your copies of the June 2016 issue of TravelP...

The month of May is the best month to visit the province of Quezon. Not only are its seas calm and its farms green but because some of its towns are also celebrating their annual festivals.  Araña't Baluarte Festival 2016 Araña't Baluarte Festival details One such festival is the  Araña't  Baluarte Festival  of Gumaca. It is a harvest festival held in honor of San Isidro Labrador who is the patron saint of farmers. Arana't Baluarte Festival - Gumaca, Quezon The festival is held every 15th of May which coincides with the Pahiyas Festival of Lucban and the Mayohan Festival of Tayabas, both of which are also harvest festivals. Those hanging veggies and fruits are the aranas   ...and the arches are the  baluate So what do   Araña and   Baluarte mean? The word a raña  is a Spanish word for chandelier while baluarte  on the other hand is the Spanish word for a stronghold or a strongly fortified defensive structure. In case you...

June 2016 seems to be one of the highlights of The Backpack Adventures. This month, several of my articles and photos were published in different magazines. One of these works was published in the June 2016 issue of the Good Housekeeping Magazine .  Good Housekeeping Magazine - June 2016 issue. You might be wondering if my published work for the magazine was travel related. Well yes, and it is also house related! It is about Rizal Shrine in Calamba City, Laguna . Most of us know it as the home of our National Hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal. Got my own copy! Can you spot my name? There it is! You will find my photo of the Rizal Shrine in the Leisure section of the magazine. It is part of the article that talks about great places to visit with your family. It is actually in this section Kindly look for this picture There you are! Please do grab a copy of the June 2016 issue of Good Housekeeping Magazine .  Thanks, guys!

Located in Lopez Jaena Street in Tayabas City in the province of Quezon, Tayabas Basilica is the largest church in the province. It also boasts the 338-foot aisle which is the longest nave among all the Spanish colonial-era churches in the Philippines .  Tayabas Basilica  -  Minor Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel Tayabas Basilica History Built sometime in 1580, Tayabas Basilica started out as a small open-air hut made of bamboo, cogon, and nipa. It could probably fit only thirty to forty individuals then. The church was then repaired in 1590 and was rebuilt using bricks in 1600.  Tayabas Basilica - Tayabas, Quezon Sadly, the church was destroyed by the 1743 earthquake but like most churches then, it was quickly rebuilt and expanded by the faithful locals of Tayabas. Further expansion to the church was made between 1856 and 1866 under the supervision of Father Benito de la Pila .  Tayabas Basilica facade Tayabas Basilica 's seal The town pla...