A 10-minute boat ride from Samal Ferry Terminal at Davao City side is an island known for its long white sand shoreline, pristine beach and numerous resorts – the Island Garden City of Samal. ...
Golden Pavilion 7:00 am | Day 5 | Kyoto It was our last day in Kyoto and we supposedly wanted to just rest and pack our things in the morning before we head to Osaka later in the afternoon. But because the weather that morning was perfect, we quickly decided to visit one last place in Kyoto - a popular place called Kinkaku-ji...
Arashiyama Bamboo Groove 5:30 am | Day 4 | Kyoto When we started planning our Kyoto trip, Arashiyama District was on top of our list. Mainly because, it is where the famous Bamboo Groove can be found. Probably you have seen its pictures on screensavers or wall decorations somewhere – yes, that popular! And for us, we could not miss the opportunity to...
Kiyomizu-dera Temple 3:00 pm | Day 3 | Kyoto After a long nap in the afternoon, we headed to Kiyomizu-dera Temple. From our guesthouse, it was about 22 minutes away by foot. Since we haven’t explored the neighbourhood yet, we decided to walk. Along the way we saw plenty of small restaurants and traditional tea shops. ...
Daigoji Temple 9:00 am | Day 3 | Kyoto From Fushimi Inari Shrine we headed to our next stop, Daigoji Temple. It is a large complex by Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism located south of Kyoto and designated as world heritage site. Daigoji Temple is famous for its grand temples, five-storey pagoda and its alluring gardens. ...
Fushimi Inari Shrine 6:00 am | Day 3 | Kyoto Day 3 in Kyoto and we woke up very early. The weather was better than the day before - though a bit cloudy. It was nonetheless, a perfect day to cope up with our missed itinerary. Our plan was to visit 3 places - 2 in the morning and 1 in the afternoon....
Gion District 8 am | Day 2 | Kyoto When travelling, one should be flexible with his schedule since weather can be unpredictable at times. That happened on our second day in Kyoto. We were awakened by a heavy rainfall that day. We were supposed to see more of Kyoto’s historical places but because of that we had to change our plans. ...
Yasaka Shrine "Yasaka Shrine, also known as Gion Shrine, is one of the most famous shrines in Kyoto. Founded over 1350 years ago, the shrine is located between the popular Gion District and Higashiyama District, and is often visited by tourists walking between the two districts.." [ref: japan-guide.com] 4:30 pm | Day 1 | Kyoto | <R> Yasaka Shrine during blue hour. After we had a short rest in...
Nanzenji Temple "Nanzenji Temple, whose spacious grounds are located at the base of Kyoto's forested Higashiyama mountains, is one of the most important Zen temples in all of Japan. It is the head temple of one of the schools within the Rinzai sect of Japanese Zen Buddhism and includes multiple subtemples, that make the already large complex of temple buildings even larger." [ref: japan-guide.com] 2:30 pm | Day 1...
Eikando Temple "Eikando, formally known as Zenrinji Temple, belongs to the Jodo sect of Japanese Buddhism. Located just north of the large temple complex of Nanzenji, Eikando is very famous for its autumn colors and the evening illuminations that take place in fall. The temple has a long history, and there are a variety of buildings and a pond garden that visitors can explore." [ref: japan-guide.com] 1:00...
Ginkakuji "Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion) is a Zen temple along Kyoto's eastern mountains (Higashiyama). In 1482, shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa built his retirement villa on the grounds of today's temple, modeling it after Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion), his grandfather's retirement villa at the base of Kyoto's northern mountains (Kitayama). The villa was converted into a Zen temple after Yoshimasa's death in 1490." [ref: japan-guide.com] 9:30 am | Day 1 | Kyoto |...
After a long day of travel, we woke up energized to start our day. Since Kyoto has too many places to visit, we sorted it by area. Day 1 is on the east side. Full of enthusiasm, we headed on our first stop. Heian Shrine <R> The entrance of the shrine with it's captivating colors. "The shrine was built on the occasion of...
Japan has always been in our list of places to go but we were always hesitant to apply for a visa because of the requirements. We have tried many times going to travel agencies to inquire and when the long list comes, we get discouraged because we lack some of the requirements. It just so happens that we read a blog on how...
Singapore Central Business District Nikon D90 | f/8 | 8 sec. | ISO 100 I used to wonder how photographers shoot images of well-lit buildings at night showing the sky as blue. When I first owned a Nikon D3000, I tried taking night shots yet I could not achieve what I really wanted. It was disappointing and I was then convinced that those...
When I think of a great escape from a bustling city or just a stressful week of work, I think of a place with pristine white sand beach, relaxing view, cozy room and most importantly, delicious food. Sounds perfect right? Well, I have something to share. My wife and I had a busy week last August and I planned of going out somewhere...
