Palau, Micronesia

This time 3 years ago, I was in Palau visiting Jason for almost a month while he was there for the Peace Corps. Basically, Palau is paradise (like really- pristine beaches, no natural disasters happen there, not really a lot of poisonous or dangerous animals...) and it's definitely one of my favorite places I've ever been. We eventually want to go back some day.

I dug through my archives on my old blog to find this post I did on my trip there. This was written 3 years ago, but I thought it was a pretty well-detailed account of my trip to Palau. Hope you enjoy & that it makes you want to visit there, too!
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Palau: The Details
(from Sept. 5, 2010)
Palau /pəˈlaʊ/, officially the Republic of Palau (Palauan: Beluu er a Belau), is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, some 500 miles (800 km) east of the Philippines and 2,000 miles (3,200 km) south of Tokyo.

This time last year, I never thought I would get to travel to the South Pacific, let alone a place called Palau. I mean, what's Palau? Jason became a volunteer in the Peace Corps around this time last year. When he told me where he was going, I had to look it up. When I saw the pictures, I was amazed by how beautiful it looked. And I thought to myself "Wow, it'd be so awesome to go there." But not one ounce of me really thought about it further than that. I was just happy for Jason and knew he'd have an awesome time.

We kept in touch through letters, e-mail and the rare phone call. The more he told me about Palau, the more I wanted to go. But still, I never took those desires seriously. Mostly because I had already checked out airplane tickets (just out of curiosity!) and they were WAY out of my price range at the time.

Finally, some time in April when I was trying to figure out my travel plans for the summer, Jason and I discussed that it would be a good idea to go to Palau (after some discussions, arguments, etc.). And so I booked my flight.

My flight was to leave Tuesday July 20th around 6pm from LAX. And I was to get to Palau on Thursday July 22nd around 10 pm. In total, it would be about a 35.5 hour flight (with layovers). I was not stoked about that part, to say the least.

When I boarded the plane in LAX, it hadn't hit me that I was actually doing this. I was just mostly anxious to get the whole process over with & be in Palau already and see Jason. When I land in Honolulu, I have a 9 hour layover there. Yes, 9 hours. I didn't want to pay for a hotel room for just a couple of hours, so I decide to just sleep in the airport. I must say, it was the most uncomfortable sleep I ever had. And the airport is open, so it's hot & humid. And there were some mosquitoes around, so I have to cover myself, which made me even hotter & more uncomfortable. ( I couldn't sleep inside because they kicked me out). But on a more positive note, my flight was at 7am. I had never wanted 7am to come sooner ever in my life.

From Honolulu we flew to Guam. But on the way there, we had 5 stopovers. We stopped at 5 different little islands. And when I mean little, I mean little. Some were Marshall Islands, some were other Micronesian Islands. Here is a video of us landing on one of the islands:

It looked like we were going to land on the water & the landing strip looked really short (on every one of the islands). But the aerial views were just breathtaking:

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur, or KL as it's commonly referred to, is the capital of the country of Malaysia. On our way back to the States from the Philippines a few weeks ago, J and I did a 4-day trip here. After being there for only a few hours, we instantly fell in love with this city!

KL, or even Malaysia in general, is comprised of three main groups: the native Malay, Chinese and Indian. And you can see these influences, whether individually or mixed, all throughout the city-- from the food, to the architecture, to the people. It's a pretty clean city for being so big. There is a lot to do and it's a backpacker's heaven-- good eats for cheap and loads of affordable hostels (we stayed at Birdnest Guest House, located just a few yards from Chinatown. Great backpacker hostel, good vibes, friendly people, and the cheapest we saw in KL!). For those who aren't the backpacker type, it's still a great place to go as there are a wide-range of accommodations and restaurants to fit what you're looking for. One thing I really found awesome about KL is their transportation system. It's one of the most efficient I've seen. There are train systems and buses that can take you just about anywhere all for a very good price (an average train ride for one person is about $1USD or sometimes even less!).

Malaysia is full of history and culture. KL is a perfect place to explore it all. Here are just a few (of many!) places/sites we visited that are worth checking out:

• Kampung Baru- this was our favorite place to go. We went here every night-- whether it was for food, or just hookah and a drink. Travel guides we saw say to visit this place on Saturdays, but even on other days it was great. You can find what seems like an endless amount of places to eat some amazing (and cheap!) Malay cuisine. It's easy to get to. We noticed how we were the only foreigners around-- so we knew it was a good place because it was mostly locals! Read more about Kampung Baru here.

Our first meal in Malaysia- nasi lemak from Kampung Baru

Hookah time at Kampung Baru-- with a view of the Petronas Towers in the background

• Islamic Arts Museum- a beautiful place, both inside and out. I actually learned a lot about the Islamic world and it really opened my eyes & mind. It's definitely worth the few bucks to check this place out (and the nice air-con is an added bonus-- especially after walking around in the hot Malaysian sun!)

• Batu Caves- This place was really awesome. It's a Hindu shrine made of caves and cave temples. You walk up 272 steps and there's monkeys everywhere! The temples/architecture/shrine are really beautiful. But for us, the main attraction were the monkeys. Batu Caves are a must-do when in KL, especially since there's a train (only 2Rm, which is less than $1USD one way!) that goes directly to it. And once you get there, going up the steps and walking around the caves is free.

• FRIM (Forest Research Institute Malaysia) - If you're a nature lover and want to get away from the city hustle and bustle, FRIM is the perfect place to go. It's about 13km away from KL, but you can easily get there by train and then taxi. It's a very well-kept, beautiful area where you can go hiking, have a picnic and walk on the canopy walkway for some amazing views. We really enjoyed FRIM. (Click here for more info)

Yes- I am indeed wearing a fanny pack. I'm bringing fanny packs back with class! =)

A traditional Malay house that uses no nails.

KL was one of my most favorite cities I've been to. It's clean, safe, affordable, there's a lot to do, food is amazing, and people are friendly. We hope to go back to Malaysia again and stay longer and explore more cities!

And if you haven't seen our Hungry Backpacker episode for KL, check it out here:

Favorite Places: Legazpi, Philippines

Legazpi, Philippines

Legazpi (sometimes spelled Legaspi) is located in the province of Albay and is the largest city in the Bicol region in the Philippines. 

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There is a lot to do, eat and see in Legazpi. It holds a special place in my heart because my mom is from Bicol and I have family in Legazpi. I've also spent some time there and I really enjoyed it. It's definitely one of my favorite places. Here are my tips and some suggestions if you ever plan on visiting:

Favorite Places: San Pedro, Costa Rica

When Jason and I were planning our trip to Costa Rica the first time we went, we were reading about the different parts of San Jose. We came across some information about the neighborhood of San Pedro. This is where Universidad de Costa Rica is, so we thought there would be a lot of younger people there with lots of inexpensive restaurants and cool nightlife- and we were definitely right!

Enjoying a giant slice of pizza in San Pedro.

San Pedro is the most popular neighborhood of San Jose. It lies east of the city and is located 10 minutes away from downtown. The University of Costa Rica, the largest public university of the country, is here. This attracts many young people, so there is a different vibe here compared to San Jose. You'll find a lot of cheap eats, bars, and affordable hostels in this area. San Pedro is considered to have better nightlife compared to San Jose. You can freely mingle with local Ticos and there are many other foreigners as well. While walking around the streets near the university, you will find the street covered in street art. One of the better malls of San Jose is also located here- Mall San Pedro. There's also a movie theater and a bowling alley. So needless to say- there's plenty here to keep you busy!

Favorite Places: Baños, Ecuador

Baños, Ecuador

Happy 1st of March! Three months into 2013-- can you believe it?! Crazy.

It's a new month, so I decided to start a new segment called "Favorite Places" where I talk and give information about some of the places I've been that I've really enjoyed.

Waterfalls in Baños

I've been wanting to write the first post for a few days now. I've been trying to decide what place should be the first... which one do I choose??!




And this morning as I woke up, I was thinking about something that had happened while we were living in Ecuador-- and then the light bulb went off in my head-- Baños!!

Baños, Ecuador

Baños is a small town in Ecuador located in the Andean Highlands and is known as the adventure capital of Ecuador. It's really popular with tourists- both foreigners and Ecuadorians alike. It may be a small town, but it is packed with things to do, places to eat, and budget accommodations.