Jiufen, Taiwan ~ I truly enjoyed the ambiance of this little mountain town. Now I completely understand why people always say that Jiufen gives off Studio Ghibli vibes—because it genuinely does! Wandering through its narrow, winding alleys felt like stepping into a whimsical, animated world. The red lanterns swaying in the breeze, the old tea houses perched on the hillside, and the mist rolling in from the mountains all create a dreamy, almost otherworldly atmosphere. Continue reading
One of the highlights of our visit to Taiwan was spending time at the Taipei Public Library in Beitou District. It was another surreal moment for me, as I used to only see it in photos—and now I can say that I’ve seen it in person and can attest to its beautiful architecture. Nestled in the heart of Beitou Park, this stunning eco-friendly library is often praised as one of the greenest buildings in Taiwan—and stepping inside, it’s easy to see why it’s so beloved by locals and travelers alike.
We arrived in Taipei just an hour before lunchtime, so we decided to dedicate the rest of the day to roaming around Ximending. We visited Don Don Donki, Jinart, Pop Mart, and other stores. We also had dinner at one of the local noodle and dumpling places called Xiao Xiao Hong Dumplings & Soup Dumplings (小小虹水餃小湯包). 🥟
Siquijor is known as the Mystic Island of the Philippines due to the infamous urban legend about black magic and witchcraft. But did you know it is also called the Healing Island of the Philippines? Long before the legend began, Siquijor was known for its herbal medicines and traditional healers. Locals say that the legends of kulam and barang are misconceptions—stemming from the older generation’s belief that herbal healers used black magic to cure their patients. Since the urban legend gained popularity, the island became even more renowned for its mystical appeal. As a result, voodoo dolls and potions were introduced as souvenirs—a unique and cute idea, if you ask me! ♡ Continue reading
For our second trip in 2024, we spent five days in Bali! It’s a place we’ve been meaning to visit for a while and had originally booked a trip to in 2020, but the pandemic forced the airline to cancel our flight. It feels so fulfilling to finally tick this off our list after four years.
For our second anniversary, we opted for a 7-day trip to Coron, Palawan. It’s one of the best diving destinations in the Philippines and we are so excited to experience Coron as freedivers! After taking our freediving lessons back in April 2022, we just couldn’t get enough of the ocean. It’s one thing to be in its presence and another to be one with the ocean. It’s so refreshing, calming, and peaceful to be able to do freediving and explore the underwater world.
Hello, everyone. This is such an overdue post and I want to catch this blog up in terms of documenting my travels, so here’s the details of our 5-day Palawan trip back in June 2023. I got writer’s block due to working as a writer during the past year and a half, that’s why I wasn’t able to share this experience here, but I’m back so here goes! I will also be posting my 2024 travels in the next few weeks.
Anyway, my husband and I make it a point to travel to one local destination and one interantional destination per year and on our anniversary in February 2023, we went to Thailand, so in June we decided to go to Palawan.
Lenn of Spades ♠ 