TRAVEL GUIDES

I’m not an expert, but I’ve learned a few things from our trips that I wish I had known beforehand. I write comprehensive travel guides that I hope can benefit first-time travelers to these destinations.

The First-Timer’s Travel Guide to Porto, Portugal (2020)

PORTUGAL / TRAVEL GUIDES / WHEN WE WANDER Last Updated: Apr 2, 2020 JB & Renée Macatulad

Located along the Douro River, Porto's historical center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city is characterized by hilly cobblestone streets, centuries-old churches, and beautiful azulejo tiles.

The First-Timer’s Travel Guide to Chiang Mai, Thailand (2020)

THAILAND / TRAVEL GUIDES / WHEN WE WANDER Last Updated: Mar 31, 2020 JB & Renée Macatulad

Chiang Mai is one of the most popular destinations in Thailand, perhaps second only to Bangkok in its appeal. It's a cool mountain town known for its hill tribes, lush rainforests, elephant sanctuaries, and interesting cuisine.

The First-Timer’s Travel Guide to Bangkok, Thailand (2020)

THAILAND / TRAVEL GUIDES / WHEN WE WANDER Last Updated: Mar 30, 2020 JB & Renée Macatulad

Bangkok is one of those cities that never gets old. No matter how many times you've been, you'll always discover something new and exciting to see, do, and eat. It's got a near perfect mix of food, culture, nightlife, shopping, affordability, and grittiness that's unmatched anywhere in Southeast Asia.

The Shirakawago Winter Travel Guide

JAPAN / TRAVEL GUIDES / WHEN WE WANDER Last Updated: Mar 28, 2020 JB & Renée Macatulad

Shirakawago is a UNESCO World Heritage Site famous for its traditional gassho-zukuri farmhouses. It’s located in the remote Shogawa River Valley in Gifu prefecture, close to the border with Toyama.

The First-Timer’s Winter Travel Guide to Sapporo in Hokkaido, Japan (2020)

JAPAN / TRAVEL GUIDES / WHEN WE WANDER Last Updated: Mar 28, 2020 JB & Renée Macatulad

Sapporo is one of Japan's most popular tourist destinations – famous for its miso ramen, Sapporo beer, and playing host to the Sapporo Snow Festival which draws in over 2 million tourists annually.

The First-Timer’s Travel Guide to Bagan, Myanmar (Burma, 2020)

MYANMAR / TRAVEL GUIDES / WHEN WE WANDER Last Updated: Mar 28, 2020 JB & Renée Macatulad

Over 10,000 Buddhist temples, pagodas, and monasteries were constructed in Bagan, of which an estimated 3,822 still stand today in varying states of preservation. This cluster of religious monuments built in an area of about 104 square kilometres (40 square miles) is what makes Bagan one of Myanmar's most popular and intriguing tourist destinations.

The First-Timer’s Travel Guide to Yangon, Myanmar (Burma, 2020)

MYANMAR / TRAVEL GUIDES / WHEN WE WANDER Last Updated: Mar 28, 2020 JB & Renée Macatulad

Yangon, formerly known as Rangoon, is Myanmar's former capital and its center of commerce. It's one of the most visited destinations in Myanmar and where you'll find the country's most sacred Buddhist temple – Shwedagon Pagoda.

The First-Timer’s Travel Guide to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (2020)

MALAYSIA / TRAVEL GUIDES / WHEN WE WANDER Last Updated: Mar 28, 2020 JB & Renée Macatulad

To be honest, Kuala Lumpur was never one of my favorite cities. It reminded me too much of Manila. It's big, it's hot, it's crowded, and it can often be overwhelming. For us, it was always a point of entry and quick stopover on our way to more interesting destinations in Malaysia.

The First-Timer’s Travel Guide to Hanoi, Vietnam (2020)

TRAVEL GUIDES / VIETNAM / WHEN WE WANDER Last Updated: Mar 28, 2020 JB & Renée Macatulad

Among the Vietnamese cities we've visited, we found Hoi An to be the most charming and Saigon to have the best food, but Hanoi is the most liveable. It's a big city, much bigger than Hoi An so there's more to do, but it doesn't swallow you up like Saigon.

The First-Timer’s Travel Guide to Ella, Sri Lanka (2020)

SRI LANKA / TRAVEL GUIDES / WHEN WE WANDER Last Updated: Mar 28, 2020 JB & Renée Macatulad

Located about 200 km east of Colombo, Ella is a small mountain town in the central highlands of Sri Lanka. Due to its higher elevation, it's known for its cooler climate and landscape characterized by cloud-covered hills, waterfalls, and tea plantations.

The First-Timer’s Travel Guide to Delhi, India (2020)

INDIA / TRAVEL GUIDES / WHEN WE WANDER Last Updated: Mar 28, 2020 JB & Renée Macatulad

Delhi is one of the most important cities in India, having served as a vital political, commercial, and cultural hub throughout its long history. It's one of the oldest cities in the world and is believed to have been continuously inhabited since the 6th century BCE.

The First-Timer’s Travel Guide to Kolkata (Calcutta), India (2020)

INDIA / TRAVEL GUIDES / WHEN WE WANDER Last Updated: Mar 28, 2020 JB & Renée Macatulad

Kolkata is a city of revolutionaries and intellectuals. It's regarded as the cultural capital of India, having spawned generations of artists, poets, writers, film producers, and Nobel Prize winners.

The First-Timer’s Travel Guide to Hong Kong (2020)

HONG KONG / TRAVEL GUIDES / WHEN WE WANDER Last Updated: Mar 28, 2020 JB & Renée Macatulad

Whether you're into shopping, food, fashion, or nightlife, I hope our Hong Kong travel guide can help you plan your trip. As you'll quickly learn when you step foot in this city, Hong Kong has it all.

The First-Timer’s Travel Guide to Phuket, Thailand (2020)

THAILAND / TRAVEL GUIDES / WHEN WE WANDER Last Updated: Mar 28, 2020 JB & Renée Macatulad

Phuket refers to both the province and the island in southern Thailand. It's the country's second smallest province but it's biggest island, home to beautiful white sand beaches along its southern and western coast and a spattering of smaller islands just off the mainland.

The First-Timer’s Travel Guide to Athens, Greece (2020)

GREECE / TRAVEL GUIDES / WHEN WE WANDER Last Updated: Mar 28, 2020 JB & Renée Macatulad

Athens is the capital of Greece and its largest city. It's one of the world's oldest cities with a recorded history spanning over 3,400 years. Home to Plato's Academy and Aristotle's Lyceum, it was a center for philosophy and the arts, and was a powerful city-state whose rise to prominence was tied to the development of the Port of Piraeus.

The First-Timer’s Travel Guide to Santorini, Greece (2020)

GREECE / TRAVEL GUIDES / WHEN WE WANDER Last Updated: Mar 28, 2020 JB & Renée Macatulad

It's no secret. Santorini is stunning. It's considered by many to be one of (if not) the most beautiful islands in the world, which is why it receives an estimated two million visitors annually.

The First-Timer’s Travel Guide to Bali, Indonesia (2020)

INDONESIA / TRAVEL GUIDES / WHEN WE WANDER Last Updated: Mar 28, 2020 JB & Renée Macatulad

Bali is characterized by its striking coastal areas and verdant interior. Hindu temples abound throughout the island, as do expressions of its highly developed arts in the fields of painting, sculpture, woodcarving, metalwork, and dance.

The First-Timer’s Travel Guide to Ubud, Indonesia (2020)

INDONESIA / TRAVEL GUIDES / WHEN WE WANDER Last Updated: Mar 28, 2020 JB & Renée Macatulad

Ubud is a town in the central foothills of Bali island in Indonesia. Located inland about an hour and a half north of the airport, it's known as a quieter and more cultural destination compared to the fun but often raucous atmosphere of Seminyak and Kuta in southern Bali.