All posts filed under: Travel & Lifestyle

My Portuguese Inscriptions: Sintra’s Royalty Retreat

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Royal summer places, fairytale castles, and gardens made for romance. This is Sintra, Portugal. Mostly unheard of by travelers. During our stay in Lisbon, we decided to take a day trip to the compelling town of Sintra. In the majesty of this Shakespearean-like town, we were surrounded with romantic Portuguese architecture while making our way through ruins quilted in moss. The air of history and mystery echoed around us. Moreover, what makes it’s history fascinating is that it was purely a retreat for Portuguese royalty in the past! Nestled on top of Sintra Hills is the extravagant Palacio De Pena (Pena Palace). We had our fair share of ascending Portugal’s steep hills, so this time we decided to board a bus to take us to the hill on which one of Sintra’s dreamlike castles is perched. I have sort of an obsession with castles. Maybe it has to do with being a symbol of the Middle Ages, a period of history for which I have a deep fascination. Perhaps it’s the romantic and fairy-tale aspect and …

The Untouched Island Life in Palawan, The Philippines🗺

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I hadn’t realized how huge of a country Philippines really is until I observed it from the sky. It’s an island with a thousand other islands within other islands. Palawan Island, for example, is an archipelagic province which itself is composed of roughly 1,780 islands and islets. One of these is our destination, Coron Island. A natural beauty of tropical paradise. It’s where island life doesn’t get anymore authentic than this. In fact, Palawan has been named “Best Island in the World” year after year by top travel publications, from Travel + Leisure to Destinations of the World magazines. The island is in an awe-striking state of calm, deeming it the ideal place to truly unwind amidst nature. Its nothing but pure bliss. Actually, I believe that today’s world is so inundated with tourists and human activity, it is becoming more rare to bear witness to a place that is still so serene, raw and pristine. This is an escape from civilization to a certain degree, as Coron is a self-sustaining island. 

Perched right on the Island’s tip was our bungalow, that we would be calling home for the next few days. And it was truly magical!

A Port of Roses in the Adriatic Sea-Portorož

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Nestled between the Italian and Croatian borders is the coastal town of Slovenia called Portorož, a resort where I’d enjoy lounging on beaches and savoring succulent sea foods, snacking on ice cream as I stroll down the palm-lined promenade. Followed by that, hang out at Alaya bar- a fancy Bali-style beach bar serving all kinds of drinks and snacks in beach cabanas. It’s the glitzy life of the sea! Another small coastal town that is in walking distance from Portorož, is an ancient town called Piran that used to serve as a fishing harbour back in the day. It would take a nice 2 km walk from Portorož along the seaside to get there.  Piran is in many ways influenced by the Venetian republic because it was once part of the Venetian empire. After being in Venice numerous times I could definitely see the similarities between both with its narrow streets and medieval architecture. If you were to snap a photo of yourself in the streets of Piran, anyone would assume you are in Venice. The small coastal town …