While it was the infamous Burgos red light district that put it on the map, Poblacion Makati has definitely come a long way from its seedy beginnings. Those who frequent the area have nicknamed it “Williamsburgos,” after Brooklyn’s hipster capital. A fitting name, considering the outcropping of establishments that cater to all manner of hipster proclivities: latte art, jukebox music, multicultural cuisine, locally brewed craft beer, and everything in-between.

Make sure the forgetting is thorough. Do it carelessly and you will find yourself paralyzed and panicking from halfway up this tourist attraction of a tree, which will be about a hundred feet up, but will look more like a thousand feet in your terrified eyes.

When you're trying to sleep to the sound of squeaking bed springs and heavy breathing that eventually turns into moaning from the bunk next to yours, you will wish you booked a private room. When you're trying to shit in a bathroom with ten other people puttering about, you will wonder why you hadn't.

Wear a sari with the understanding that it is more than a piece of cloth, but a piece of history.

How could one go to India and not see the white marble monument that’s sprawled on all their tourist ads, figuring so greatly in their heritage that it’s become almost a byword for the country itself?

As I boiled the water and milk, threw in cinnamon bark and crushed cardamom pods, strained the liquid and waited for the black tea to steep, I felt strangely nervous. What if my mother didn’t like the Chai that I had loved so much?

No need to go to Croatia, Morocco, or Northern Ireland where the show was actually filmed – you can play out your Thrones fantasies right here in the Philippines. Fair warning: if you STILL haven’t seen season five yet and (magically) have no idea what’s going to happen, then congratulations, you’ve managed to dodge all spoilers thus far – but not if you read any further!

For the people of Masbate, the Philippines' version of cattle country with a cattle population numbering over 54,000 scattered in 20 to 30 ranches, it’s not unusual for locals to grow up learning to ride horses and herd cattle. And, naturally, the biggest event of the year for Masbateños is the Rodeo festival.

So much went on at Escolta during its heyday, little wonder it was once called the Queen of Streets. But as the commercial districts of Makati and Taguig began to blossom, many of the businesses on Escolta packed up and moved or closed down. Derelict though the buildings have become, the beauty of their architecture shines through the disrepair.

Meant to honor the image of the child Jesus, Sinulog is one of Cebu's biggest celebrations. But the event also includes festivities that last `til the wee hours, in a collision of devotion and carousal.

A small budget doesn’t have to come in the way of enjoying Boracay.