#ijustwander

#CelebrateWithTrip Charming Vigan It took us a long drive of about 9 hours from Manila to Vigan due to Friday night traffic, but I might say it’s still worth it. Vigan is such a beautiful city with an old-world charm. The historic city is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site as it has one of the best preserved planned Spanish colonial town in Asia. Head over to Calle Crisologo for an old world feel with its cobblestone streets, rustic structures and horse drawn carriages or the kalesa. Plaza Salcedo also offers a fountain show and there were many attractions around especially if you want to immerse yourself in history 😊🍂 #wanderingme #ijustwander #itsmorefuninthephilippines

#celebratewithtrip Baguio’s botanical garden As one of the most popular tourist attractions in the City of Pines, the Baguio’s botanical garden is said to be a must-visit place. Since the last tine I visited Baguio was when I was 6 years old, its the first place my husband brought me fo. And it didnt really disappoint. With the cool Baguio breeze and beautiful, serene surroundings, I did enjoy walking around here enjoying the towering pine trees, themed ponds and colorful, pretty flowers. The botanical garden features themed gardens, art gallery and even stalls inside selling plants and native handicrafts. Upon arriving the place you will also be welcomed by elderly igorots dressed in traditional clothes who are willing to take a photo with you for just a minimal fee. 😊💙 #wanderingme #ijustwander

#celebratewithtrip One of Tagaytay’s favorite restaurant Balay Dako which means old house is a very popular restaurant in Tagaytay. From the same owners of Antonio’s, Balay Dako serves traditional Filipino-Spanish dishes. The restaurant is pretty big and roomy and has a Filipino-Spanish ambiance to it. The dining rooms’ have huge windows offering a beautiful view of the Taal volcano and lake, adding to its appeal aside from the sumptuous dishes. They also have a pasalubong shop for those who want to take home some native delicacies. Since the restaurant does not accept reservations, we opted to go at around 2pm for a late lunch as its quite popular for visiting families and is normally full during usual dining hours. Love that i get my fix of my usual favorite filipino dishes like bulalo. 😋💙 #wanderingme #ijustwander #itsmorefuninthephilippines

#celebratewithtrip Forbestown BGC Located in the bustling area of Bonifacio Global City, the place is home to several condominiums, buildings, restaurants, and establishments. One of the notable landmarks in the area is the Burgos Circle, a traffic circle in BGC, where the center island forms a small park. At the park’s center is a bronze and brass sculpture, called the Trees - a familiar piece among the residents and workers within the area. For visitors staying in BGC, you may opt to rent a place in the Forbestown area with a unit offering a view of the Manila golf and country club. Aside from the scenic views of fhe golf course, one can also enjoy the Makati skyline. Its such a beauty especially during sunsets. 😊💙 #wanderingme #ijustwander

#celebratewithtrip Fine dining at Antonio’s Antonio’s is often hailed as one of the Philippine’s best and finest restaurants. Tucked in the cool and breezy city of Tagaytay - a little more than an hour’s drive from Metro Manila, this fine dining restaurant with a Spanish-colonial feature in an idyllic rural setting is a beautiful place to celebrate milestones and special occassions. Antonio’s remains as one of our favorite places to celebrate and is such a special place for me and my husband. Although quite pricey, they provide outstanding dining experience and sumptuous meals. We love its signature dish - the 45 days dry aged charcoal grilled angus prime rib eye steak, served with 6 different condiments. The main entrees are served too with a choice of salad, soup and dessert, making up a four course meal. 😋💙 #wanderingme #ijustwander

#celebratewithtrip Marcia Adams” Retaurant Marcia Adams, although a hidden gem, is a classic favorite and remains as one of the recommendable restaurants when visiting Tagaytay. This garden restaurant boasts of a beautiful and romantic ambiance, said to be inspired by Italian farmhouses and Mediterranean themed dining areas. Its such a sweet surprise that my husband brought me here for a quick Tagaytay getaway a few years back to celebrate my birthday. Marcia Adams can get busy especially on weekends with the influx of visitors so its best to reserve a table in advance for a taste of its home-cooked Mediterranean dishes. 😋💙 #wanderingme #ijustwander

#celebratewithtrip The Igorot Stone Kingdom The Igorot stone kingdom, is a man-made park and one of Baguio’s (the City of Pines) newest attractions. The park, made of stacked stones to create a fort like structure is said to feature the Igorot’s skills in rock-layering, as well as their creativity, cultures and traditions. The place is just a few minutes away from another attraction- Tam-awan Village which my husband and I also visited. For a minimal fee of PhP 100 (about $2) one can enter and explore this theme park. Although the climb is not so steep in my opinion, Its a good thing I was wearing sneakers during our visit as it involves a lot of walking and climbing the stairs. As an additional experience, one can also rent a traditional igorot attire being offered around the area, to try on for a photo opportunity. 😊💙 #wanderingme #ijustwander

#fallingforfall Cruising Vtava River It was our first time in Prague so my husband and I would like to see as much as we can. The weather was quite gloomy that October when we visited and we got our shares of rain showers every now and then. We opted to take a Vtava River boat cruise for a short break from our strolls, and at the same time still do some sightseeing while relaxing 😊. We were welcomed with a drink of Prosecco and treated to a lunch buffet featuring Czech’s dishes and desserts. My husband and I were lucky to have found good seats by the glass window to enjoy an unobstructed view of Prague’s cityscape as we cruise along the river. 😊🍂 #wanderingme #ijustwander

#fallingforfall I’ve been visiting my father’s hometown in Nueva Ecija since I was a child every year but it was only a few years ago that I discovered this hidden gem, which is just a few minutes drive in a nearby town. The Minalungao National Park offers unique towering rock formations. green pristine river as well as a serene atmosphere. It under the government’s protection as it is considered to be one of the few remaining natural environments in the north region. High limestones are on both sides of the river adding to its charm and there are caves around the area. One can go swimming, hiking, fishing, raft riding, cliff diving or even just have a picnic for a more enjoyable visit in Minalungao. 😊🍂 #wanderingme #ijustwander #itsmorefuninthephilippines

#fallingforfall Exploring Mirador Heritage and Eco Park The last time I visited Baguio was when I was 6 years old, so it was such a welcome treat to visit the city of Pines last September, when crowds are less and with the emergence of new attractions. One of which is the Mirador Heritage and Eco Park in Mirador hill. It is situated in the same area as one of the most visited grotto in Benguet, the Lourdes Grotto. The multi-terrace heritage and eco park offers tranquil spaces and beautiful attractions including a bamboo grove, rock garden and peace memorial, as well as a lovely view of Baguio city, among others. It was raining during our visit but it didn’t dampen the beauty of this serene place 😊🍂. #wanderingme #ijustwander #itsmorefuninthephilippines

#fallingforfall Austria’s Second Largest City Graz is the second largest city of Australia and the capital of federal state Styria. I remember that our tour guide mentioned too that Graz is the is the birthplace of Arnold Schwarzenegger. We went up to the 473-metre high Graz Schlossberg for the best vantage point to enjoy the view of the city. Aside from the picturesque views of the old and new Graz, the park features a 28 meter clock tower, which is the traditional and most beloved symbol of city. Going down the park, one can take a leisure climb down via stairs to enjoy more of the view (which my husband and I chose) or take the Slide Graz going down for a very exciting 30-40secs. It is said to be the highest underground slide in the world 😊🍂. #wanderingme #ijustwander

#fallingforfall Romantic Ljubljana Ljubljana, Slovenia’s capital, is such a romantic and beautiful place. It boasts of its unique heritage and was even named one of the greenest and safest capitals of the world. I find myself more relaxed and laid back as I stroll around the place and sample it’s cozy cafes with my husband and new found friends while enjoying the cool autumn air and the lovely scenery. During our visit, we were also lucky to have encountered an ongoing food fair so it was nice to sample some local dishes as well as other familiar European dishes. We had such a lovely break here from our quite hectic schedule 😊🍂. #wanderingme #ijustwander

#fallingforfall A Short stop to Oberammergau On our way to visit some famous castles in Germany, my husband and I enjoyed our short visit to the beautiful and quaint town of Oberammergau. This place, which is surrounded by the mountains of Bavarian Alps that sets a charming foliage, is said to be best known for its wood carvings as well as its elaborately painted buildings. But more than that, Oberammergau is famous for its centuries old tradition of staging Passion plays - its 5 hr production stages the life, crucifixion and death of Jesus - every 10 years.  We hope to be back and catch on of these performances someday 😊🍂🍁. #wanderingme #ijustwander

#fallingforfall #wanderingme #ijustwander Mesmerizing Lake Bled On our way back from the city of Ljubljana, we stopped by the very picturesque Lake Bled early in the morning. We were lucky as our group were the only ones in the popular tourist spot, allowing us to enjoy more of the beautiful natural scenery before more tourists arrive in the area. After taking a thousand photos around the wonderful crystal clear lake, we sampled the bled cream cake and some hot chocolate (perfect for this autumn weather) from a cozy restaurant fronting the lake —- allowing us to relax and enjoy our delicious fare while admiring such a magnificent view 😊🍂

#fallingforfall #wanderingme #ijustwander Munich’s famous square A visit in Munich usually starts with exploring the famous square of Marienplatz in the old town. I like that our tour guide made our group take a train going to Marienplatz and as we exited the stairs we are greeted with the views of the old town hall. The square is home to beautiful architectures, monuments, and historic buildings; as well as a center for many shops, restaurants and events. I love strolling the streets with the old and new town halls and wouldn’t mind spending a day or two here with its rich offerings. As we visited in October, a festive month for Munich as it celebrates the Oktoberfest, we saw many locals too in dirndl attire. We capped the night with a dinner and beer in one of the famous beer halls. Prost! 😊🍻🍂

#fallingforfall #wanderingme #ijustwander An afternoon in Hellabrunn Zoo My husband love fishes and animals. Whenever we travel to a new destination and if the time permits, we make sure to visit the zoo or an aquarium park/attraction in the area. With our afternoon free upon our arrival in Munich, we decided to check out the Hellabrunn zoo. It was very nice that many of the enclosures are cageless and with the cool autumn air and not so crowded time of the season, we truly enjoyed walking around the park observing beautiful animals from different parts of the world. I remember it was such a welcome and relaxing treat after a day’s flight travel and before we begin our (‘hectic’) tour of Munich 😊🍂

#fallingforfall #wanderingme #ijustwander Lovely Linderhof Palace Though much smaller than the other palaces we were able to visit (I thought it doesn’t have an impressive facade at first), I must say the Linderhof palace is one of my favorites. Inspired by the Versailles palace in France, the gardens are truly beautiful, and inside the palace were opulent and breathtaking features (too bad taking of photos were not allowed). Perhaps because the rooms are quite smaller, the details of the decorations seems to be more pronounced. Hoping to be able to visit again with more time to explore the grounds someday 😊🍂.

#fallingforfall #wanderingme #ijustwander A Fairy Tale Castle 🏰 King Ludwig’s II’s Neuschwanstein castle is a sight to behold in the autumn. The dreamy castle is surrounded by rich colors of crimson red, bright orange and golden yellows, offering a picturesque autumn foliage 🍂. I was quite excited to visit this place as Neuschwanstein castle is said to be the inspiration to Disney’s Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella castles 🏰. The interior and the exterior of Neuschwanstein are truly beautiful and makes you want (among other things) to be a real princess 👸. It truly is a must see when visiting Germany. One of the best ways to appreciate and capture some beautiful photos of the castle is from the Mary’s bridge - it offers a lovely view Neuschwanstein castle and it’s lush surrounding areas 😊🍂.