What do you get when you have a travel plan with lots of sun, sea, and good food in mind? You get 3 weeks of unbelievable action and gluttony, that’s for sure!
Holy Smithereens may have been “quiet” for the past few weeks. But worry you not, I wasn’t too far away trying to reach unexplored islands, exploring shipwrecks, and eating my way around a country that’s known for it’s unbelievable food.
My last blog post consisted of me enumerating the islands I was going to explore and my rough plan for the trip. And here I am now back with tales of adventure and indulgence. 🙂
This post is a general rundown of things I’d been up to over the last few weeks.
PART 1: THE PHILIPPINES
Though I’m fortunate to have grown up in the Philippines, I wasn’t able to explore locally as much when I lived there. I did the touristy stuff like Boracay , Puerto Galera and Cebu but they weren’t really explorations so to speak. They were more like expeditions of partying and hedonism having a good time more than anything!
On this trip, as I returned to the Philippines as a mature travel blogger, I decided to explore the seas and islands on a deeper scale.
I dove and snorkelled till I could feel scales and gills growing out of me.
Coron, Palawan just blew me away. The Zombie and I will be back to explore more of Palawan one day. The shipwreck dives were one of a kind.
Revisiting Boracay left me so frustrated  and Caramoan , though it scared the living daylights out of me getting to and out of our island- has the cleanest and most pristine waters I’d ever swam in.
I will of course, discuss in depth my experience with these places and my reviews of accommodations I’d stayed at. They are to come over the next few weeks.
Is it pure shores you are after? This video clip will show exactly why I’m addicted to the underwater world and really, getting my Scuba certification surely has to be one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself. Be sure to watch it in HD to see how clear the waters are!
PART 2: Â MALAYSIA
Ah, Malaysia. I’ve been to Malaysia a number of times before but on this specific trip, I decided to focus more on what it’s known for: FOOD!
As you may or may not know, Malaysia is home to 3 rich cultures of Malay, Indian and Chinese. And so it’s almost a given that the country seriously has the most irresistible , wonderful choice of food.
I found out that Ipoh, where Zombie’s family is from, is home to the best Cantonese food outside of HongKong. I also explored the quirky streets of Penang and it’s wonderful mansions.
Whenever I travel to Malaysia, Im always in awe of the almost magical gastronomic experience I have. First, Malaysian food is so flavourful (not necessarily spicy), that any other thing I eat after the trip seems bland! Second, my stomach seems to suddenly have an unlimited capacity when I’m there. I’m not a glutton nor that much of a foodie but there’s just something about the food.
Yeah, there’s gotta be something about the food. I mean, watch this:
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Stay tuned for more in-depth Holy Smithereens travel tales of this trip!
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This post was written in partnership with Emirates. All opinions expressed (and images) are my own and have not been influenced in any way.
Not mention I had the best birthday ever! HAHA My whole house heard it!
aand one more time…”haaaapy birthdaaaaay to youuuuuu…” hahaha! 🙂
Pretty cool videos. Glad you two had a great time.
Thanks Don! now im back in Sydney where its winter. making me want to go on a food trip all over again!
If you don’t mind me asking, how did you end up in Sydney? By that I mean, did you move there or did you just drift there like a coconut?
Hi Don, I moved to Australia 6 years ago. I first lived in Canberra then moved to Sydney after 3 years 🙂
The reason I asked is… when we were there in 2001 we inquired about moving to Australia and we were told we couldn’t because they didn’t want us taking a job from an Aussie.