If I get the chance to visit Japan again, I would definitely include Kyoto in our itinerary once more. Many visitors label this place their favorite in the country, and I truly understand why. The vibe is so much different from the busy and bustling Tokyo as Kyoto has a more relaxed, traditional, and easy atmosphere.

Our visit to Kyoto was only a day trip from Osaka, but we have covered most of the popular tourist destinations to tick off. If you're planning to squeeze in a short Kyoto tour (which I HIGHLY recommend), then I suggest taking note of this list I am about to share!

1. Visit the Fushimi Inari Shrine

2. Walk through the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest

Another popular place to head to is the natural bamboo forest in Arashiyama. Just like Fushimi, it gets super jampacked in here, but still worth a visit despite the crowds.

3. Explore the grounds of the Golden Pavilion

The most serene temple we have visited is the Kinkaku-ji, or otherwise known as the Golden Pavilion, an iconic gold-colored temple that sits in the middle of the temple grounds. We were a little bit early for the autumn season, but if you are able to pay a visit during the peak of fall, then you'll get to witness the golden temple being surrounded by majestic autumn trees in red, orange, and yellow leaves. That would truly be an amazing sight!

Entrance fee: 400 yen (around PHP 200)

4. Walk around the Gion District while wearing a Kimono

To experience an old Japan vibe, you must explore the Gion District of Kyoto, known as the old entertainment hub in Kyoto. This is the best place to rent and wear kimonos while exploring, to fully expose and immerse yourself to the Japanese culture. I tell you, this experience will be high up on your list of favorite moments in Japan.

5. Eat and eat. Because duh.

Matcha ice cream and Matcha Soba

And the best way to end your Kyoto tour is to devour the best meat you will ever taste in your whole life (I kid you not!), Wagyu beef!!! We had Kobe beef for dinner and it was seriously the best meal I had in Kyoto. The meat just bursts in amazing flavors and melts in your mouth literally!



There are obviously more places to explore and things you can try in Kyoto, but this list would definitely help you plan out your tour, especially if you're only exploring it for a day just like us.

I also created this very short 1-minute video of Kyoto. Enjoy!

So I finally ticked off Singapore from ze bucket list (thanks to Air Asia's airfare promos lol). I didn't think Singapore would be this vibrant and colorful, at first. When we stepped in to these places, I was wowed by how creative Singaporeans are. So much color everywhere!!!

If you're paying a quick visit to the land of the crazy rich as they say, then here are 5 colorful photo-worthy spots worth checking out in Singapore.

Apparently, it is not just a street but a whole neighborhood in the Kampong Glam district. Arab Street is the muslim quarter of Singapore, surrounded by indie boutiques, restored shop-houses, stores selling brightly colored fabrics and textiles, restaurants, and so much more. It's prominent landmark is the Masjid Sultan Mosque, an important focal point for Muslims in Singapore. With its pretty golden domes and rich history, the Mosque has been worth witnessing by tourists.

Nearest Station: Bugis MRT


Beside the Mosque is this pretty pink wall. Couldn't resist not taking a photo; it is obviously made for Instragram!

Just beside Arab Street is Haji Lane, also known as the hippie strip in the Kampong Glam district. It is popular on its own for having colorful boutiques, quaint little coffee shops, and hippie clothing stores. Fashion enthusiasts come here just to shop! But if you don't want to spend alot, I suggest you try the famous Selfie Coffee, a little coffee shop here in Haji Lane that can have your selfie photos printed on your coffee of choice. So cool!
The former house of Tan Teng Niah is said to be the last surviving Chinese villa that sits at the center of Little India. They've renovated the house and painted it with rainbow colors and has recently become a popular backdrop for tourists! It's the most colorful building in the area, but Little India itself is also composed of colorful quaint shops and indian restaurants - so this place is worth checking out! And, if you love indian curry as much as I do, then I suggest you include this place in your itinerary!

Nearest Station: Little India MRT



4. Gardens By the Bay - Supertree Grove
No tourist should ever come to Singapore without exploring the Supertree Groves of Gardens by the Bay. Only Singapore has the incredible minds of creating these beautiful tree-like towers that powers themselves using solar energy. Gardens by the Bay is one of the strategies of their government to transform Singapore from a "Garden City" to a "City in a Garden". I love how they aim to raise the quality of life by preserving and enhancing greenery in their city!


One of the things you can also explore in Gardens by the Bay is the Flower Dome, a huge indoor flower garden enclosed in a glass dome.  It is definitely picture-worthy with the hundreds of flowers and plants from all over the world!
I highly suggest you book your tickets ahead online at Klook. We got to skip the insanely long lines at the ticketing booth and went straight to the entrance gates just by using our mobile vouchers! So perfect and hassle-free! The single ticket is used for both entrances to the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest already.

Nearest Station: Bayfront MRT




That's it from me! I hope you get to visit/revisit Singapore soon! I will surely be back to explore more!

Thank you for reading!

I know it can be quite annoying to see people taking photos of their food, especially in public places. Pero aminin, we all take snaps of our pretty-looking orders once in a while. I know it shouldn't be done EVERY TIME you have food in front of you, but taking snaps of our good-looking dishes won't hurt. There's a thing called food photography anyway. :) And let's face it, we all want to share photos of our well-deserved treat or newly discovered recipe or our little cafe latte.

In every barkada, there is always that annoying friend who takes photos of the food and lets everybody wait. In our group, that would proudly be me. Lol sorry not sorry! I love taking photos of just about anything, and food is no exception. I know some of you do, too.

To save us time (and to save our friends from pasmo), I'm posting a few tips for us to remember. Hopefully, these tips can help you decide which angle is best to use when taking photos of your instagrammable dish.





During brunch dates, avoid eye-rolls, judgement, and boring your friends while you take a few shots by letting them contribute. Ask them to pour milk on your cereal, drizzle syrup on your pancake, slice the steak, or let them slowly pick up/hold the food as if they are about to eat.


Show layers with the straight-on angle.


When capturing a stack of pancakes, a burger, a slice of cake, it is best to position your camera beside the subject to show its layers and height. Using the flat lay angle will only make your food flat, and will not correctly showcase what it is. You don't want people to think you're eating a bun instead of a burger.


When there is both depth/height in your food and some details on top, then the good ol' 45 degree angle shot works best. In these photos, I used this angle to show the puffiness of the egg in my pasta, the layers of the nigiri and maki, and the depth of my katsudon bowl, while still showing the details of their surfaces which is also essential.

Hold your cute little treat up against a good background.

How lucky are we to be living in this smartphone era where we can just easily take our phones out, snap, and share to the world? Without the need to use digital or film cameras, capturing moments have become very ordinary and effortless.

I've always loved taking photos, and since I cannot afford to purchase a decent camera, I make use of what I have which is just my phone. Thankfully, these days, smartphones now have amazing camera features that make our photographer dreams come true. Hashtag #iphoneography! In this post, I am going to share the tricks and guidelines I follow in order to produce good pictures by only using the essential gadget that we sorta cannot live without - our smartphones.