Before coming to Europe, I already knew about the Church of the Bones in Czech Republic. I didn’t know it is in Kutná Hora until our tour guide Katerina told us that they offer a day tour to that site. I got excited upon knowing it & immediately booked a tour for the following day.
After spending the day walking around Prague Old Town & Prague Castle, knowing about the city’s history & culture, I decided to take a day trip to Kutná Hora. Let me share with you the interesting photos I took during this trip outside Prague.
The main altar of Sedlec Ossuary – The Church of the Bones – in Kutna Hora, Czech Republic. 🇨🇿
Kutná Hora is a small medieval town located 70 kilometres east of Prague. This town rose to economic power being the center of silver mining during the 13th century. The town produced a big part of Europe’s silver market at the end of that century.
One of the many quiet streets of Kutna Hora. The town is almost deserted – not much people out.
The town almost completed with Prague in terms of political & economic power for centuries until it succumbed to natural (floods), health (plague) & man-made (wars, invasions) factors. These eventually led to the downfall of the silver mining industry. The town was also affected during the world wars.
In 1996, UNESCO recognized the town as a World Heritage Site. Since then, the town attracts thousands of tourists every year. It has become one of the famous day trips from Prague.
Kutná Hora is not that easy place to go from Prague. SANDEMANs New Europe offered the day trip for €38 per person. The day tour rate includes transportation in a comfortable coach, entrance fees to all sites & an English-speaking tour guide. Lunch is at the guest’s expense. The tour company has already reserved seats in a local restaurant & took lunch orders (menu provided) in the bus on the way to Kutná Hora. Sandeman’s rate is affordable compared to the €50 half day tours I saw online & in tour agencies around Prague. I forgot to mention this tour is offered in English & Spanish languages.
Our tour guide, Nicolo, met us in front of Cartier shop in Old Town Square at 9:45 & walked us to the coach. We left Prague a few minutes after 10:00 & took close to an hour trip to Kutná Hora. We first went to Cathedral of Assumption of Our Lady & St John the Baptist then to Sedlec Ossuary (the Church of the Bones). After spending a few minutes in the church, we all went to St. Barbara’s Church in town & walked down to the town center. We had our lunch at Restaurace Dačický (I ordered the wild boar goulash with gingerbread dumplings & the Kutna Hora dark beer) & continued the tour around the old town. We went to the Italian Court & St. James Church before walking back to the bus. We left Kutná Hora at 16:30 in the afternoon & arrived back in Prague at 17:30.
Let me share with you the photos I took during this day trip.
This is outside the Cathedral of Assumption of Our Lady & St John the Baptist in Kutna Hora CZ 🇨🇿One of the main pieces in Sedlec Ossuary – made from bones of people. Interesting place to visit. 🇨🇿St. Barbara’s Church in Kutna Hora – a Gothic-style church that took hundreds of years to finish.
I ordered wild boar goulash with gingerbread dumplings & Kutna Hora dark beer for 258 CZK. 😋
It was an interesting day trip to Kutná Hora! I am happy I finally saw the Church of the Bones in person. It felt weird at first going inside the church but it eventually became interesting when Nico told us why there’s a church like this. The other sites in Kutná Hora were extraordinary. Taking this tour with SANDEMANs New Europe was a big relief. Our tour guide was informative & very engaging.
One last photo of the Sedlec Ossuary – The Church of the Bones in Kutna Hora in Czech Republic 🇨🇿
Would you have the guts to go to Kutná Hora & visit the Church of the Bones? Are you planning to include this in your future plans in Czech Republic? You should! Do you have any questions about the town or the tour? Feel free post them in the comment section below. You may also send them via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com & I’ll get to them soon.
Thank you for joining me in Kutná Hora today. Next up is a fairy tale town in South Czechia called Český Krumlov! Watch out for that post.
After exploring different cities around Netherlands & Belgium for a week, I took a 65-minute Brussels Airlines flight to Czech Republic. My time in the Dutch & Belgian territories are over; it’s time to move to the next country, time to explore the famous & most beautiful city in Europe – Prague. People I met during the trip often asked me why I chose this city over the usual Paris or the near ones Cologne or Luxembourg. Well, I’ve always wanted to see this city & I promised myself I will include this in my first ever trip to Europe. Let me share with you in this post what this amazing city has to offer.
This is a random street in Prague. The city is so beautiful. Each side or area can be a photo subject!
Prague is the capital & the biggest city in Czech Republic. The city is dubbed as the political, economic & cultural center of Central Europe. Located by the Vltava River, the city flourished during the medieval period being the seat of the Kingdom of Bohemia as well as the base of Holy Roman Emperors. Its most notable ruler, Charles IV (whom the Charles Bridge & a lot of things in Prague are named after), built the city into an important city in Europe. The city survived wars, invasions & natural calamities over the years & rose into a famous tourist destination in central Europe. It was the capital of Czechoslovakia until the state was dissolved in 1993. Prague’s old town & historic center was included in UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites in 1992.
Czech Republic is one of the Schengen states & is a member of the European Union. The country doesn’t use Euro (€) as official currency. It still uses Czech Korunas (CZK) with a conversion rate of around 24-27 CZK for every €1. Prague or Czech Republic in general is relatively cheaper to travel compared to other Schengen countries. Prague is one of the famous holiday destinations in Europe & it attracts millions of visitors every year. Majority of its citizens know how to speak English but their local language (Czech) is still the main language all over the city. In my opinion, Prague has more beautiful buildings & heritage structures compared to the other cities I’ve been to.
Brussels & Prague are about 900 kilometers away from each other with Germany being in between. The fastest & cheapest way to reach Prague from Brussels is by plane. I checked the train & bus options but it’ll take me a little over day. I took the 65-minute afternoon Brussels Airlines flight & paid €67,40 one-way including baggage allowance. Know more about this flight by checking my flight report on SN 2811.
Going Around Prague
Going around Prague is easy. The best way to explore the city, especially the Old Town area, is by foot. Every corner of the city is so beautiful, so picturesque. You can walk around all day, stop at every corner, admire the beauty of each side & take lovely photos. You won’t mind getting lost in the city, its beauty is mind-blowing.
The 90-minute ticket I bought in the airport station; I used this to go to the city via bus & subway.
Aside from just walking around all day, you can also go from one place to the other using the subway, trams & buses. The city’s transportation system runs on a uniform time-based ticketing service. Tickets can be used on any mode of public transport as many times & with as many transfers as you like during its validity period. A short-term ticket that’s valid for 30 minutes costs 24 CZK (Czech Korunas). The 90-minute ticket costs 32 CZK, 24-hour ticket costs 110 CZK & the 3-day ticket costs 310 CZK. You can take the bus, tram & subway within 30 minutes for only 24 CZK. Tickets are purchased in ticket vending machines inside the stations or inside the trams.
Václav Havel Airport Prague, or commonly known as Prague Airport (PRG), is located a few miles away from the city. The cheapest way to reach the city is by taking Bus 119 to Nadrazi Veleslavin Station on the Green Line, transferring to the metro & getting off in Můstek of Muzeum Station. Trip takes about 30 to 45 minutes depending on traffic. It is recommended to take the 90-minute ticket which costs 32 CZK.
Prague Walking Tours
If you’ve read my previous posts about Amsterdam, Brussels, Ghent & Bruges, you know that I am a fan of walking tours. I believe these walking tours are the best way to know the city from tour professionals at a small cost. I joined 2 tours in Prague – both organized & ran by SANDEMANs New Europe, the same tour group I joined in Amsterdam & Brussels.
That is our friendly tour guide, Katerina. walking us around Josefov – Prague’s old Jewish quarter.
I joined the 3-hour Prague Walking Tour led by Katerina. She walked us through the old town, told us the history of Prague (from the early centuries, the Bohemian times, Nazi invasion up to the post-war times), showed us some unique sightings (Astronomical Clock, Jewish Cemetery, Charles Bridge) & gave us tips on where else to go & what else to do in this fascinating city. This English & Spanish tip-based walking tour happens every day at 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 14:00 & 16:00, starts in front of the Cartier in the Old Town Square (look for the red umbrella with the SANDEMANs logo in it) & ends at Jan Palach Square.
This is our Prague Castle tour group with our guide Brandon who walked us around the complex.
On that same day, after the walking tour, I joined the Prague Castle Tour led by Brandon. This €12 x 3-hour tour took us up to the Prague Castle, around the Castle district & in various churches in the area. Brandon shared to us the history of the Prague Castle & the nearby buildings, the stories of the Kings, Dukes & Emperors who lived there & even showed to us the changing ceremony of the castle guards. This tour happens at 14:30 every day plus 10:00 schedules every Saturday & Sunday. Tickets are available online or during the free walking tour break. Tour goers need a 30-minute ticket worth (24 CZK) for the tram ride up to the castle grounds; tram tickets can also be purchased during the walking tour break. This tour starts at Jan Palach Square in front of Rudolfinum (look for the red umbrella with the SANDEMANs logo in it) & ends right outside the castle grounds.
I strongly recommend taking these walking tours with SANDEMANs New Europe in Prague. The guides are professional, informative & accommodating. I can’t thank Katerina & Brandon for these 2 fun tours. I learned a lot in 6 hours of walking around Prague Old Town & Prague Castle.
Places To See Around Prague
Prague has a long list on interesting places to see. Check out the sites I’ve been to during my visit.
Old Town Square
Old Town Square, Staroměstské Náměstí in local language, is the historic square of Old Town Prague. It is between the Wenceslas Square & Charles Bridge. This is one of the most famous places to visit in Prague; it is also the meeting point of all walking tours in the city. the Prague Old Town Hall, St. Nicholas Church & Church of our Lady before Tyn surround this big town square.
This is the other side of the Old Town Square, this time during night time… It’s still busy at night!
Charles Bridge
Charles Bridge, Karlův Most in Czech language, is the most famous historic bridge in Prague that crosses the Vltava River & connects the old town to the Prague Castle. This bridge was built during the reign of Charles IV. The bridge is decorated by around 30 statutes on both sides – most of them are saints & images from the Roman Catholic faith. Charles Bridge is one of the most famous & crowded landmarks in Prague.
Tip: Visit the Charles Bridge at least 3 times during your Prague visit – one in the morning during sunrise, one during sunset & one in the evening. It appeals differently at each time of the day. Also, beware of pickpockets in this area.
Prague Astronomical Clock
Prague Astronomical Clock, Pražský Orloj in Czech language, is a medieval astronomical clock found in the walls of the Old Town Hall. It is one of the oldest astronomical clocks in the world & the oldest that is still working.
Tip: The astronomical clock features an hourly ‘Walk of the Apostles’ show. Make sure to get a good place at least 10-15 minutes before every start of the hour to see the show from the best angle.
Old Town Hall
Prague’s Old Town Hall, Staroměstská Radnice in local language, is one of the oldest & the most visited buildings in the old town. The building served as the council’s seat in the old times & was converted into a tourism office, a museum & an exhibition space. It also has a tower which gives a nice view of the Prague Old Town. Access to the Old Town Hall Tower comes with a fee.
Church of our Lady before Týn
The Church of our Lady before Týn, locally known as Kostel Matky Boží Před Týnem, is a Gothic-style church found in the Prague Old Town Square. This church can easily be noticed because of its 2 tall towers. The church entrance is found at the back of the restaurants & commercial spaces in the Old Town Square.
Old Town Bridge Tower
The Old Town Bridge Tower, also known as Staroměstská Mostecká Věž, is the tower that connects Prague Old Town with Charles Bridge.
Republic Square
Republic Square, locally known as Náměstí Republiky, is the city square between the Old Town & the New Town. This public square has commercial spaces, shopping malls & restaurants around it. This is the square near the Powder Tower.
Powder Tower
The Prašná Brána or Powder Tower is a Gothic-style tower that separates the old town from the new town. This tower is one of the old gates of the City of Prague.
St. Francis of Assisi Church
View from the outside
Inside the church
St. Frances of Assisi Church, locally Kostel Sv. Františka z Assisi, is a Baroque-style church in Prague. It is near the Old Town Tower Bridge & functions as a concert hall.
Prague Castle
Prague Castle, locally known as Pražský Hrad, is the office of the President of Czech Republic. This castle complex was built in the 9th century has become the seat of power of the kings, emperors & presidents that served Czech Republic. This UNESCO World Heritage site has different buildings & structures which have different architectural styles.
Tip: Take the Prague Castle Tour with SANDEMANs New Europe to know more about the Prague Castle.
St. Vitus Cathedral
View from outside the cathedral
Inside St. Vitus Cathedral
St. Vitus Cathedral, locally known as Metropolitní Katedrála Svatého Víta, is a metropolitan Catholic cathedral found inside the Prague Castle grounds. This cathedral is the biggest & the most important church in Prague. It is also the seat of the Archdiocese of Prague. This Gothic-style church is the place where royal events happen. It is also known for its beautiful stained-glass images.
This is one of the many stained glasses of St. Vitus Cathedral – the depicted images are beautiful!!!
St George’s Basilica
St. Georges Basilica, Bazilika Sv. Jiří in local language, is the oldest church building found in the Prague Castle complex. This church dedicated to St George functions as an exhibition space, a concert hall & an art gallery.
Wenceslas Square
Wenceslas Square, Václavské Náměstí in Czech language, is one of the famous squares in Prague New Town. The square has many commercial establishments including shops, restaurants & bars. It is also a cultural square where past mass gatherings & celebrations happened. The square was named after Wenceslas I, the Duke of Bohemia.
The night view of Narodni Museum, or Czech Republic’s National Museum, from Wenceslas Square.
Narodni Museum
Narodni Museum or Národní muzeum in local language is the National Museum of Czech Republic. It has everything about Czech Republic – its history, arts, culture & government. This building is found at the end of Wenceslas Square. The nearest subway station to the museum is Muzeum Station.
Josefov
Josefov is an Old Town quarter occupied by the Jews since the 10th century. Notable structures such as the Old New Synagogue (Staronová Synagoga – Europe’s oldest functioning synagogue) & the Old Jewish Cemetery (Starý židovský Hřbitov) are found here.
Rudolfinum
Rudolfinum is a 19th century concert & exhibition hall in Jan Palach Square.
New Town Hall
Prague’s New Town Hall, locally known as Novoměstská Radnice, was built after King Charles IV created the New Town. This historical building has witnessed cultural & social activities & still continues to host exhibitions & social events in the city.
Dancing House
Dancing House, Tančící Dům in Czech language, is an office building located by Vltava River. This building became famous because of its unique architecture. Commonly known as Fred & Ginger, this building is dedicated to a famous American dance duo.
Havelský Market
Havelský Market, locally known as Havelské Tržiště, is a local urban market in Havelská Street. It is the only preserved & functioning market place in the Old Town. Market stalls sell fresh fruits & vegetables for locals & souvenir items mainly for visitors.
Statue of Kafka
The Statue of Kafka, locally called Hlava Franze Kafky, is an outdoor rotating sculpture of famous Bohemian writer Franz Kafka found outside Quadrio Shopping Center in Prague. The sculpture was made by David Černý & was installed in 2014.
Prague is Prague. It is a must visit city in Czech Republic & in Europe in general. There’s no city in Europe like Prague – historical, beautiful, unique & affordable. I’m happy I went out of my way to visit this wonderful city. I may have seen a lot but I still dream of going back to this magnificent city. It is easily my favorite city in Europe so far!
Have you been to Prague in the past? What do you think of the city? What was your favorite spot around the city? Are you planning to go to Prague in the future? If yes, please include this city in your first trip. You won’t have regrets visiting the beautiful city – I promise. Share your experiences or plans in the comments section below. Do you have questions about the city or place mentioned above? You may also send them to me via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com & I’ll answer as soon as I can.
One of my favorite sights in Prague – St. Vitus Cathedral’s main facade during sunset. Beautiful!!!
Thank you for joining me in Prague today! Next up is a small town east of Prague called Kutna Hora. Stay tuned for that post. Don’t forget to check out my other Europe posts under the Going Solo in Europe category. Please don’t forget to follow my social media platforms – Facebook & Instagram.
Today, I will share with you details about my first ever flight with a European airline. After spending 5 days around The Netherlands & 4 full days around Belgium, I hopped on a 65-minute flight from Brussels Airport (of course in Brussels) to Václav Havel Airport in Prague, Czech Republic. I flew with Belgium’s flag carrier, Brussels Airlines. I will give you details about the airlines & how this 65-minute international flight went.
Brussels Airlines
Brussels Airlines is Belgium’s national airline & the country’s largest airline. It is part of the Lufthansa Group, which also owns airlines such as Lufthansa, Swiss International Airlines, Eurowings & Austrian Airlines. The airline flies to over 100 destinations across Europe, North America, Africa & Middle East. Its (all) Airbus fleet consists of 10 Airbus A330s, 17 Airbus A320s & 22 Airbus A319s.
Brussels Airlines’ base airport is Brussels Airport, about 20 minutes from the Brussels city center. The airline adopts Lufthansa’s frequent flyer program – Miles & More & is also a member of Star Alliance group.
Airfare
Brussels Airlines offers their inter-Europe fares in 4 classes. Its European flights follow the low-cost carrier model where the cheapest fare only includes the a randomly assigned seat in the flight & a carry-on baggage. All other add-ons come with a free. Fares go higher as soon as you avail more services. Check out the image below for Brussels Airlines’ fare types. Please take note that their medium & long-haul flights use the Economy (with 3 variants) & Business class format.
Took this screenshot from Brussels Airline’s website – here are the 4 fare types for European flights
I availed the Light&Relax fare option & paid €67,40 for this one-way flight. The non-refundable fare includes a regular seat, 23 kilograms check in baggage allowance & 12 kilograms carry-on allowance. It also includes a free change to an earlier flight as long as it’s on the same fare class. Food & drinks are for sale during the flight. I booked my tickets 4 months before the flight & I think it’s still cheap in European aviation standards.
Flight & Aircraft Information
Brussels Airlines operated this flight from Brussels (BRU) to Prague (PRG) with an 18-year old Airbus A320-214 aircraft. This aircraft, with registration OO-SNB, has been with the airline since May 2011. The plane is named Rackham & sports such black livery – patterned after the shark submarine from the famous Belgian comic series, The Adventures of Tintin. The plane has 180 seats in on a 3-3 configuration over 30 rows. Bizz&Class passengers occupy the front row seats.
The flight to Prague took 1 hour & 16 minutes with the first few & the last minutes used for taxiing. The flight itself (from take-off to touch down) took only 1 hour & 5 minutes (65 minutes). We left the gate in Brussels on time & arrived Prague a few minutes early. The flight went smooth – no turbulence happened given the rainy weather in both cities.
Check In, Baggage & Boarding
Check in process for this Brussels Airlines flight was fast & efficient. I scanned my passport & got my boarding pass from the self-check in kiosk. I went to the automatic bag drop counters to check in my luggage. I placed my bag in the counter, scanned my passport, got my bag tag & placed it around my luggage handle. The machine got my luggage & I got it back when I arrived in Prague. This process took me less than 5 minutes; that includes the short queue in the bag-drop counters. Security check also didn’t take long – it was quick & easy.
Baggage allowance for Brussels Airlines’s European flights based on the fare types. The Light&Relax fare I bought included a 23-kilogram check in baggage allowance for this flight. This is on top of the 12-kilogram carry-on baggage allocated for every passenger. The airline’s carry-on baggage allowance is very generous compared to the 7-kilogram allowance I’m used to here in the Philippines.
The airline boards the passengers based on fare types. The Bizz&Class & Flex&Fast passengers boarded the plane first & the Light&Relax & Check&Go passengers followed. The boarding process didn’t take long; it only took us 20 minutes to board the plane. One thing I noted in this flight (probably an airport thing) was that the boarding gate was announced an hour before the flight. It was the first time I had that case but not really an issue.
Seat, In-flight Meals & Entertainment
There isn’t much to talk about in terms of seats, in-flight meals & entertainment. The aircraft has standard leather seats. The leg room was okay (for me) but can be too tight for taller people. Each seat has a small storage space by the knees. In-flight magazines & safety cards were placed in a small pocket in front of the passenger. The seats had no USB ports & power outlets. Its layout is almost similar to the seats of Asian low-cost carriers.
The crew offered in-flight snacks & beverages for a fee. Passengers can buy snacks after the pilot switches off the seat belt sign. The in-flight menu is available in the seat pocket in front of the passenger. Brussels Airlines do not offer in-flight entertainment for its inter-Europe flights – no person entertainment screens or mobile entertainment options. It has pretty basic flight features.
Lavatory
I didn’t have the chance to visit the lavatory on this 18-year old aircraft. I got a window seat (seat 9F) & I didn’t feel the need to visit the lavatory on this short flight. I reckon its features are basic; I just hope they maintained it well over the years.
Cabin Crew Service
The Brussels Airlines cabin crew service were alright. They helped the passengers that need help in putting bags in the overhead cabin. They entertained questions from the passengers. They were in all smiles selling food & drinks to the passengers. They also took care of the minor who flew by himself to Prague – the crew assisted the kid from check in, to boarding up until inside the plane. They even gave him a snack & assisted him in Prague until he got reunited with his parents. Cabin crew service was not outstanding but not bad either. They deserve more praise for the way they took care of the minor passenger.
Verdict
Overall, this Brussels Airlines flight from Brussels, Belgium to Prague, Czech Republic was alright. It was my first European airline & it didn’t disappoint. I did some research & watch trip reports on Brussels Airlines & European airlines prior to the flight so I know what to expect in the flight. I cannot compare this flag carrier with the likes of Singapore Airlines or Philippine Airlines. Brussels Airlines’ European flights are somewhat the same with low-cost airline flights here in Asia.
This flight was cheap considering its cost & the European living standards. Every add-on has a price tag & of course, you get what you pay for. The Light&Relax fare’s 23 kilograms baggage allowance is already a win for me. I’d like to highlight the generous 12-kilogram carry-on baggage allowance. Thank you, Brussels Airlines!
My ground experience in Brussels Airport was excellent. All processes were fast & efficient. I finished check in & security check in minutes. The hard product was alright – seats were okay & the leg room was standard. The aircraft was 18-years old & somewhat didn’t smell well during boarding. The bad smell eventually disappeared when the pilot turned the engines on. The soft product was standard & simple – on time boarding & flight departure, earlier flight arrival, normal cabin crew service & services for additional fees. Flight announcements were made in English, French & Flemish languages.
Will I fly Brussels Airline again? Maybe yes, maybe no depending on the fare. If I get the same low fare value for an hour flight, then yes. If there’s another airline who flies the same route & offers better hard & soft product for a few extra euros, I might opt for that airline. Will I recommend Brussels Airlines to you guys? Of course, especially when its cheaper & more valuable than European low-cost carriers. Trust me, I had a good flight in an old aircraft – very basic on-board service but excellent ground experience. I’d also like to try their medium & long-haul flights in the future.
In case you want to know the specific details of this flight, check out the list below:
Airline: Brussels Airlines Flight Date: 1 November 2019 Flight Number: SN 2811 Route: Brussesls (BRU) to Prague (PRG) Duration: 1:16 hours Seat Number: 9F Aircraft: Airbus A320-214 Aircraft Registration: OO-SNB Aircraft Engine: 2 x CFM International Jet Engines Age: 18 years old Year Delivered: 2001 (Delivered to Brussels Airlines 2011)
Have you ever flown Brussels Airlines in the past? How was your in-flight experience with them? Will you fly them again? What’s your favorite European airline & why? Share your thoughts & experiences in the comments below. Do you have any questions about this flight? Feel free to send those questions via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com. By the way, please help me promote my social media platforms – Facebook & Instagram.
Allow me to share with you details of my 2019 in terms of trips taken. I will also give insights of the interesting content developments here in my website.
trips recap ✈️
SORSOGON 🇵🇭
I started off the year with a day trip to the beaches of Matnog, Sorsogon. I didn’t post about this day trip in this website but I believe it’s worth sharing here. My cousins from Australia welcomed the new year in our hometown. Days after the new year, we took them to the islands of Subic, Matnog in Sorsogon. We first went fish feeding in a sanctuary then continued to Subic Beach. It was a fun day spent with cousins in the beach.
JAPAN 🇯🇵
Back in February, I flew to my favorite Japan for 9 days. My supposed-to-be trip to Nagano, Kanazawa & Toyama turned into a family trip around Tokyo & Kansai Region (Osaka, Nara & Kyoto). I flew with them to Tokyo then took a side trip to Nagano then met my sisters in Osaka afterwards. It was a delight seeing the snow monkeys in Nagano & spending some alone time in a very cold & snowy place in Japan. I then flew to Fukuoka to spend a day around the city before catching my flight back to Manila. I may not have been to Kanazawa & Toyama in this trip but I’ll make sure to go next time.
I didn’t post much about this but I went to Japan again a few months ago. My friend & I decided to surprise another friend in her flight to Fukuoka & to ruin her first ever solo trip. We spent 48 hours around Fukuoka, Japan, went to pretty interesting places, savored every Japanese meal & drowned ourselves with the Lipton milk tea drink.
Office friends & I went on a spontaneous Bacolod weekend trip last February. We flew to the city & went to the famous Ruins then had chicken inasal for dinner in Manukan Country. We then went to the town of Don Salvador Benedicto to check out Negros’ Little Baguio. After a few hours around the mountains, we went back to the city & decided to just eat out until we flew back to Manila.
I flew to Melbourne, Australia with Leng & Shane (from Sydney 2018 trip) during the Holy Week break last April. I spent 8 days around the city & the nearby suburbs. We also went to the Brighton Bathing Boxes, Great Ocean Road, Phillip Island & Yarra Valley Wine Country. My friend Lord, who I was with on It’s The Ship 2018, joined us on our first few days in Melbourne.
We didn’t make out Melbourne itinerary that busy compared to our Sydney one. We just enjoyed our time there, strolling around the beautiful city, trying out different cuisines & hoarding every single interesting item in the supermarkets.
It’s been years since our last family trip to Singapore. My parents decided to bring the family to Taiwan for the Fathers’ Day weekend. We went to the city of Taichung on our first day as per my sister’s request. She wanted to see the flower farms in Taichung plus take nice photos with the family. We then went around the city on Fathers’ Day – went to church, strolled around Daan Park, ate at Din Tai Fung, hiked the Elephant Hill & walked around Raohe Night Market.
On our third day, we took the Klook guided tour to Yehliu Geopark, Jiufen Old Street & Shifen then finished the day around Ximending. We spent our fourth day in Chiang Kai Shek Memorial, Liberty Square & in the airport for our flight back to Manila. I met with my good friend Richard, whom I knew in Komodo, Indonesia in 2018, for a few nights in Taipei. He was also in the city waiting for his flight back to Europe. It was fun catching up with this man over food & drinks!
One spontaneous trip I took this year was that to Yogyakarta. I saw a piso-fare ticket to Jakarta last June for an August trip & decided to buy that ticket. I contacted Yudi, a friend I met on Its the Ship 2018 who is now based somewhere in Indonesia. We then agreed to meet in Yogyakarta & volunteered to take me around.
Lord of LordAroundTheWorld, who joined me in Melbourne last April, decided to join me a week before the trip. We then met with Yudi & his friend Dallin in Yogyakarta & we went around the city. We went to different temples (Borobudur, Prambanan, Taman Sari) & also took the lava trail tour in Mount Merapi. We ate in different local restaurants & tried several local dishes. We spent most of our time in Yogyakarta in the road, in restaurants & in our hotel. It was a relaxing trip; not the usual busy one. It’s nice to step back for a while & just enjoy chilling.
My buddy Rick & I flew to Boracay last September to surprise our high school friends having their holiday in the island. They didn’t know that we were coming so we decided to show up on the afternoon of their 2nd day, right after arriving in the island. We ate in nice restaurants, walked along the shore, swam on the beach & spent some quality time with the group.
Rick & I stayed for 2 more days in the island & just spent most of the time relaxing, eating, walking & drinking. I didn’t expect this September trip to have its 2nd part after the Bohol weekend in 2018 but I hope there will be a 3rd installment in 2020, 4th installment in 2021 until this becomes a regular trip with them. By the way, I didn’t join my family in Hong Kong to join these people plus I also don’t have my passport during this time.
E-U-R-O-P-E!!! 🇳🇱 🇧🇪 🇨🇿 🇩🇰
Finally made it to Europe this year!! It’s me in Grand-Place de Bruxelles -the center of Brussels. 🇧🇪
Finally, A TRIP TO EUROPE! This is the highlight of my 2019. It was a dream come true. I haven’t posted anything about this trip in the website but I’m happy to share that this long-time plan of going to Europe happened last October to November 2019.
One of my Europe trip highlights – a trip to Český Krumlov. This town is picturesque & peaceful. 🇨🇿
It all started with an affordable ticket I got from the Singapore Airlines & BPI promotion last January 2019. I got tickets flying from Manila to Amsterdam, Netherlands & leaving from Copenhagen, Denmark, both via Singapore. I saved up the whole year, planned my itinerary, booked my hostels & booked the inter-country flights ahead of time. I applied for a tourist visa on my own – no help from any agency & got it after a week.
Nyhavn – my favorite place in Copenhagen… It’s where the Danish Christmas market is found! 🇩🇰
And the trip happened. Due to busy work schedule, I didn’t have time to do more research & make my final itinerary. I arrived in Amsterdam with no plans, not even a single idea how to go to my hostel. I got scared at first but I ended up having the best days of my life around Europe. I went to 4 countries (Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic & Denmark), explored cities & small towns, reunited with friends I met from previous trips, met cool new friends along the way, took walking tours in every city / town, drank more beers than waters in a day, walked thousands of steps & tens of kilometers a day & ate all local food I can in every place. I did all of these alone! Yes, I FLEW TO EUROPE ALONE & I SURVIVED. It was probably the bravest thing I did this year.
Obligatory photo with the canals of Amsterdam in The Netherlands.. Can’t wait to go back here! 🇳🇱
I have so much to share about this trip but I am reserving that for the individual posts. I hope you’ll watch out for those write-ups.
Blogs: TO FOLLOW.
blog highlights ✨
Aside from the usual blog contents I post, there were 2 significant developments in this blog. First is the continued posts for the Tuesday Tips & Hostel of the Day features. I had 3 Tuesday Tip posts & 7 hostel of the day features published in my website solely for 2019. I still have a long list of Tuesday tips to share & hostels (especially the ones from Europe) to publish so watch out for those. My main goal of posting these Tuesday tips & hostel features is to show the world that there are nice things out there that don’t need hefty amounts of money. You can have the same fun & memorable experiences by paying small amounts.
This year, I introduced a section in my website called Flight Reports. You guys know I love flying & my interest in aviation is something else. I thought of sharing my flight experiences with different airlines – how the service is from check in to boarding to in-flight services & cabin crew service. Since I started the section in June, I already published 8 flight reports about 5 local & international airlines. I didn’t expect this section to get hits but I’m happy that I get regular website visits for these specific posts. I still have about 5 or 6 flight reports to share with you, most of them from my European trip. I hope you’re excited for these flight reports as I am!
By the way, this just came in. This website has finally hit 90,000 site views! This is another milestone hit before the end of the 2019. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for the endless support – from sharing my articles & posts, to commenting & liking the posts that appear on your timelines to your comments & questions. I appreciate all of these.
Thank you for giving me the reason to continue sharing more content in this website. I can tell you this is not the end, it is just the start of more tips, flight reports, itineraries & blog posts. I have a long list of topics to share & upcoming trips & flights to take. You’ll definitely see more in this website next year.
Here’s to an adventure-filled 2020. Happy New Year, dear readers!
PS. Some photos were taken using my HTC U11. Shout out to my friends Junelle, Mark & Richard for allowing me to use your photos in this post.
