TRAVEL GUIDES

I’m a meticulous and obsessive-compulsive travel planner. I write comprehensive travel guides that will help first-time travelers plan trips to different destinations around the world like Tokyo, Bangkok, Bali, Athens, and more.

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

DESTINATIONS / MALAYSIA / TRAVEL GUIDES Last Updated: Jun 20, 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)

DESTINATIONS / TRAVEL GUIDES / VIETNAM Last Updated: May 19, 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)

DESTINATIONS / SRI LANKA / TRAVEL GUIDES Last Updated: Jun 20, 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)

DESTINATIONS / INDIA / TRAVEL GUIDES Last Updated: Jun 22, 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)

DESTINATIONS / INDIA / TRAVEL GUIDES Last Updated: Jun 20, 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)

DESTINATIONS / HONG KONG / TRAVEL GUIDES Last Updated: Jun 20, 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)

DESTINATIONS / THAILAND / TRAVEL GUIDES Last Updated: May 19, 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)

DESTINATIONS / GREECE / TRAVEL GUIDES Last Updated: Jun 30, 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)

DESTINATIONS / GREECE / TRAVEL GUIDES Last Updated: May 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)

DESTINATIONS / INDONESIA / TRAVEL GUIDES Last Updated: May 20, 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)

DESTINATIONS / INDONESIA / TRAVEL GUIDES Last Updated: May 20, 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.

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

DESTINATIONS / INDONESIA / TRAVEL GUIDES Last Updated: May 20, 2020 JB & Renée Macatulad

Bandung is the capital of West Java Province in Indonesia. Lying on a river basin surrounded by volcanic mountains, the area is known for its cool mountain climate and hectares of tea plantations.

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

DESTINATIONS / INDONESIA / TRAVEL GUIDES Last Updated: May 19, 2020 JB & Renée Macatulad

As big as Jakarta is, it isn't a major destination for international travelers. Like similarly large megacities in Southeast Asia, it functions more as a stopover to other destinations in the region like Bandung, Yogyakarta, Bali, and Lombok.

Spain Road Trip: Rent a Car and Drive from San Sebastian to Santiago de Compostela

DESTINATIONS / SPAIN / TRAVEL GUIDES Last Updated: Jun 24, 2020 JB & Renée Macatulad

Driving from San Sebastian to Santiago de Compostela is better than taking the bus or train for one obvious reason – freedom. With a car, you'll have the freedom to go at your own pace and stop wherever and whenever you want.

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

DESTINATIONS / SRI LANKA / TRAVEL GUIDES Last Updated: May 19, 2020 JB & Renée Macatulad

A popular pilgrimage site, Kandy is regarded as a holy city and is home to The Temple of the Tooth Relic (the sacred tooth of the Buddha), one of the most sacred places of worship in Buddhism. It’s a key religious site not just in Sri Lanka, but in the entire Buddhist world.

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

DESTINATIONS / INDIA / TRAVEL GUIDES Last Updated: Jun 20, 2020 JB & Renée Macatulad

Mumbai is home to some of the world’s grandest Victorian Gothic architecture and an equally impressive Art Deco heritage. I never expected this, but Mumbai has the second largest collection of Art Deco buildings in the world, behind only Miami.

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

DESTINATIONS / INDONESIA / TRAVEL GUIDES Last Updated: Jun 20, 2020 JB & Renée Macatulad

If Jakarta is Java's political and financial capital, then Yogyakarta is its cultural soul. It's home to Indonesia's most important archaeological sites – Borobudur and Prambanan – and is the only province in the country still ruled by a sultan.

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

DESTINATIONS / SINGAPORE / TRAVEL GUIDES Last Updated: Jun 20, 2020 JB & Renée Macatulad

In spite of its facade of steel and glass, Singapore retains much of the ethnic and cultural diversity that earned it its nickname – “the melting pot of Asia”. Iconic structures like Marina Bay Sands and Supertree Grove are impressive but equally of note are the ethnic pockets within the city that preserve each culture’s unique heritage and traditions.