Ideas For Casino Vacations

[By Brian Jensen]

The development of online casinos has led to casino games becoming more popular than ever – and reaching a wider customer base. However if you enjoy playing these games then you may want to use a vacation abroad as an opportunity to visit some of the great casinos that are available around the world, and when most people think of casino vacation destinations, the first place that will spring to mind will be Las Vegas.


The resort in Nevada was built with this purpose in mind and time has done nothing to diminish its status as the number one port of call for casino vacations. In particular the Strip, which is the entertainment centre of Las Vegas, has an abundance of casinos – and throughout the resort you will find the likes of the Caesars Palace and Bellagio casinos – which are the last word in opulence and luxury. However, although Las Vegas has a reputation as the number one gambling holiday destination in the world, it is certainly not the only option available.

Indeed just within America itself, Reno offers almost as many opportunities for casino as Vegas does, but there are also plenty of options outside of the States. Of course another perennially popular destination for those looking to play casino games while on holiday is Monte Carlo in Monaco, which arguably offers a kind of high rent glamour that even Vegas cannot compete with.

Granted you may find that some of the casinos in Monte Carlo cater more to the high roller gambler, than the holidaymaker with a part-time passion for casino games, but the sheer number of casinos available in the resort means you should find somewhere within your budget.

Mambukal Resort, Murcia, Negros Occidental: Two Months And Seven Falls On The Way

Mother's Day, and it feels good to be unexpectedly "home".

While we celebrate the family's rare togetherness over a more-than-the-ordinary lunch, I am reminded of my early expectant months three years ago and the adventures my hubby and I purposely got into — to take my mind of our unplanned pregnancy.

Back then we were light years away from being prepared, financially and emotionally.
 
Definitely not a walk in the park for a preggy hiker. First waterfalls.  

As if in protest against the universe's scheme, instead of spending our savings renting an apartment during my first trimester, we voyaged to the Visayas region of the Philippines for our last backpacking hurrah of the year (And in case you're wondering, we camped at my granma's house when we got back). The eleven-day trip witnessed us catching up with friends, weaving through urban jungles, marveling on historical structures, riding a motorcycle on rough roads, strolling along blinding white sands, and hiking semi-unforgiving trails. Morning sickness and heaps of hissy fits in between.

Hubby was ecstatic to see all these bats at the beginning of our trek.  

Out of all the intense activities we got caught in, our Mambukal Resort hike takes the Most Awesome Award. Or the Most Maniacal, depending on your outlook in life. Why so? Two words: Seven Waterfalls. You're probably shaking your head and/or rolling your eyes (I know my mom will if I tell her about this.) thinking, "You can't possibly have done that". Or, "Meh!". Again, depending on your outlook on life.

I did trek all the way to the seventh. Proudly, without falling like a log.

 Towards the sixth.

The jeep-plus-bus ride from Bacolod City to the resort didn't cause much pain in the preggy backpacker's arse. Okay, just a little discomfort in the bladder. But you see, that's the easy-breezy part. The anguish only began soon as we set off for the actual hike.

"Are we there yet?", a question asked every minute.

Parts of the trail were, hopefully still are, sheltered by trees. I called for respite a little too much every so often in the shadows, which our guide granted without protest even if it meant possibly missing out on more guiding gigs later in the afternoon. He knew I was two months on the way.

None of the falls in Mambukal are as mighty as Negros Oriental's Casaroro Falls, which we visited days prior, but they're still worth the half day. Seven Waterfalls may sound and look intimidating, but they actually aren't. The trek to each one doesn't require special climbing skills. Just patience. And that, I have a lot of even when I was pregnant.

He just couldn't resist.  

But even with all these words of assurance and encouragement, I know that not a lot of pregnant women will take such risk (Which is a wise move.). You know, I wasn't just feeling rebellious that time, but I'd like to see how far I can go as an expectant mother. Because what I did, using "ordinary" public transport and trekking relatively long distances, are nothing out of the ordinary for so many expectant moms in both big cities and quaint towns. I thought, if I conditioned myself not to be too picky/lazy/whiny in the early stage of my pregnancy, the following months will be much easier. 

And you know what? It worked. 

Happy Mother's Day, my fellow mums! It may be a man's world, but it would be nothing without a woman.

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Bagan Bound: A New Dimension Of Crazy

How I managed to keep my jaded brain somehow alert those twenty-nine hours is beyond me... What challenged my mortal body and wit: a couple of sleepless flights (wee hours layover in between), a quickie Yangon city tour, and a looong van ride to Bagan with a two year old sans the hubby. Sure I was in the company of Luna-loving, travel bloggers-turned-friends, but there's nothing like having your partner around to demand help from.

Luna asked "Bubba?" only once during our trip. In between the lines of her plea for milk.  

March this year, after a bit of prodding from fellow Filipino travel bloggers, I decided to join them in a seven-day Myanmar backpacking trip. Because internet in the country's notoriously known for being hair-pulling slow, I had to leave to the world wide web-dependent hubby in the Philippines. And because I can be quite annoying when I'm distant from my daughter (I have the tendency/skill to insert "I miss Luna" in every sentence I deliver!), I brought her with me.

It's our longest and craziest journey without her bubba, thus far.

  Dong of EscapeIslands.com babysitting Luna, who spread her flash cards in front of the boarding gate counter at NAIA Terminal 2.

As foretold, Luna began serving as a human gym equipment (what Ron of  FlipTravels.com calls her) for Dong who chased her around NAIA Terminal 2 even before our motley crew checked in. Dong also babysat her at the boarding gate. Aboard the Kuala Lumpur bound flight though, when he was able to sit peacefully with the others away from us, Luna started bugging "Monster Marky" of NomadicExperiences.com who was seated by the aisle beside me.

Window seat is Luna's seat.   

Luna dozed off halfway into the flight after watching cartoons on her laptop. May seem awesome since I had some down time the rest of the plane ride, but you see, she slept through the whole hoopla of our arrival at Kuala Lumpur's Low Cost Carrier Terminal. Which meant me walking through the valley of the shadow of the brain-dead (that is the lengthy covered walkway to the terminal building where sleep-deprived travelers trudge on) with a sixteen-kilo baby doll in my arms. Thanks to Monster Marky's help, I didn't have to pull Luna's Hello Kitty carry-on stroller while doing so.

Marky's pretty cute with a Hello Kitty bag, he should travel more often with it.

Luna sleeping on a bench in Kuala Lumpur's LCCT's Taste Of Asia branch.  

We exited the arrivals hall around midnight and met up with Ron who flew from Singapore and Robbie of TheTravelingDork.com who was then on a month-long backpacking trip. Our group grew to a whopping number of nine. At Taste Of Asia, we saw passengers slumbering on chairs. The restaurant staff, who were probably too sluggish themselves, did not make any effort to shoo them away so that's where we camped until our early morn check in for the Yangon-bound flight.

It's fortunate that I found a spot where Luna could lay on. It's unfortunate however, that I had to stay awake to make sure she doesn't roll off it.

"Lost in the Temple of Dum", Ron captioned this photo he took. Luna calls Dong, Dum.  

Apart from seeing Luna's saddest face (ever) under the care of Marky and helping Robbie come up with cash to buy a pristine US$100 note (cause old ones are not accepted in Myanmar), everything else that transpired after checking in our second flight until our landing in Yangon is a blur to me. I believe I switched on autopilot mode the minute we stepped in the surprisingly modern Yangon International Airport. 

Kaba Aye Pagoda, the first of many unplanned destinations. Photo by one of our travel mates Jerome of Balintataw.org

Hiring a van to take us all the way to Bagan was a unanimous decision — after some intense budget estimating. The "package" not only included a ride to the ancient city but also a short day trip around Yangon, plotted by a knowledgeable dictator guide we fondly called (behind his back) Moe Hitler. I was ecstatic that everyone agreed to this, because at that point, I knew I could easily pass out any second.

Luna loves walking barefoot. At the time Ron took this photo at Kaba Aye Pagoda however, our guide was carrying Luna around.  

Pushy he may be but our guide Moe voluntarily acted as Luna's nanny during our Kaba Aye Pagoda visit, during lunch, and during shopping . Ain't that a kind gesture? Or maybe he just didn't want her to slow down the pace of our military march tour? Whatever. At least I was given a few occasions to catch my breath, and to fully enjoy the company of my pals.

 Out of the countless dishes served, she chose to have saluyot (jute) soup for lunch.

The whole gang with Moe. From left: Dong, Monette, Ron, Moe, Me, Melo (Luna behind him), Jerome, Marky and Robbie.

Day one, I must say, went quite well even if it left me majorly bushed. Our plan of sleeping aboard the van (though I napped a bit on the van's floor for Luna took over my seat) to save on accommodation didn't happen because we reached New Bagan at one in the morning. Moe arranged the booking for us and we were more than thrilled to bunk in an airconditioned room.

Bagan Central Hotel marked the end of my twenty-nine-hour agony.

As early as the first day, I already learned my lesson: Backpacking with a two year-old at such pace without hubby is a kind of crazy I won't dive into again.


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Puebla City, Puebla, Mexico: All Things Beautiful

Puebla had me at hello. Oh how I cursed countless times the first hour of our meeting. And the next... And the next.

Have you felt the same way with some place depressingly beautiful?

Been a long time coming. But it seems today is the day that I speak of a ciudad that I hold dear in my heart. Today because it's Cinco De Mayo (fifth of May). A patriotic holiday that commemorates the implausible victory of the badass Mexican army over French troops at the Batalla de Puebla (Battle Of Puebla) on May 5, 1862. In the United States, it's a shindig wherein Mexicans celebrate their ancestry and culture.

Templo de San Francisco. Puebla's rich with stunning churches.  

It was day 183 of our 2011-2012 round-the-world trip that I fell hard for the city. I remember stepping out of the deserted Hostal Santo Domingo and into boots-clad foot traffic. The Christmas buzz was heady, and its rush resembled that of the Philippines'. It left a slight pang of homesickness.

My longing, however, dissipated faster than you can say Cuetlaxcoapan (area where the city was founded in the 16th century) the more we inched through the tiled streets. Truth is, we didn't want to be anywhere else. The hubby and I soaked in the merry atmosphere. I know our toddler Luna did too.

Cafes and restos surround the Zócalo.  

Everywhere I laid my eyes on, there was some kind of visual treat. A flower-printed poncho. A ruby red poinsettia. A huge bunch of character balloons. A stranger's infectious smile. Multicolored walls. Oh those buildings I ran out of adjectives for!

So I resulted to cursing.

The historic center of Puebla is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And that says a whole darn lot about its colonial mansions, old monasteries and churches. When I think of the city, I remember how all things are beautiful. Let me count some of the ways.


Museo Amparo

As with most sightseeing itineraries I constructed, our start line in Puebla was a museum. Museo Amparo is housed in two linked colonial-era buildings, which were formerly called Hospitalario for the obvious reason that they once served as a hospital.

Banderitas at Museo Amparo's courtyard.   It has an impressive collection of pre-Hispanic and colonial Mexico artifacts. Could be underwhelming though if one has already visited Mexico City's National Museum Of Anthropology. My fave exhibit's a timeline of civilizations from different continents.

Free admission on Mondays.

Now that's an awesome timeline!  

Puebla Cathedral

This Roman Catholic cathedral's black limestone surface is in stark contrast to that of the nearby buildings' brightly painted facades. The cathedral's construction began in 1575, completed in 1690, and is currently looking well-preserved.

Puebla Cathedral dedicated to Immaculate Concepcion.   No words, people. No words.   Lackluster it may appear on the outside, but its interiors can surely cause even the hardest to please jaw drop.

Teatro Principal de Puebla 

One of the oldest theaters in Mexico, and is the oldest still in use as a theater.
Avenida Cinco De Mayo

Boutique shops got way more character than stalls in a colossal department store.  

Holy Mole! 

In a restaurant named Fonda De Sta. Clara, we had a dish of chicken mole poblano that made us weak in the knees. And let me tell you, we gobbled quite a lot of different moles (sauces).

Chili and chocolate, a match made in heaven.  

 Las Ranas.

Also in Puebla, the hubby found his fave restaurant in Mexico. Budget-friendly Las Ranas, whose divine al pastor's to die for, is considered a local institution. I wanna cry just thinking about their tacos and the whole shebang on the resto's menu.

Oh those buildings I ran out of adjectives for!

I know, I already mentioned that.

The city is also famous for its colonial buildings embellished with azulejos (ceramic tiles).

So after all that's been said and shown, I reckon you could easily fathom why Puebla is one of my favorite cities in the world. Because seriously, I got nothing more to utter but profanity.


Round-The-World Trip 2011-2012, Ola Mexico:

Teotihuacan, Mexico: Where Gods Were Born... And Where We Lost Our Pram
Morisco Kiosk And Museo Del Instituto De Geologia De La UNAM
Photo Essay: National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City
Metropolitan Cathedral Of The Assumption of Mary, Ciudad De Mexico
Jade Guesthouse, Mexico City
Prospero Ano Nuevo
Feliz Navidad
Ola Mexico

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Filipinos On Long-Term Backpacking: The Great Depression (Part 2)

"Maybe you had to leave in order to really miss a place; maybe you had to travel to figure out how beloved your starting point was." - Jodi Picoult

In case you missed the traveler memorandum, this is to remind you that the journey ain't all party buckets and postcard-worthy photos.

Homesickness, being broke, and excruciating land transfers. Inflictions all too familiar to us long-term backpackers. Four Filipino travel bloggers will let you in past heartaches today just like Paul, Bino and Flip did in Part 1 of this post.

Here are their stories.

The lowdown (edited photo from BackpackMojo.com).

Aleah Taboclaon of Solitary Wanderer
 
Diagnosis: "I usually travel alone, anytime from a week to 3 months at a time. One thing I noticed about my extended solo travels is that there will be times when I will feel lonely and homesick, when I crave for something dear and familiar that would remind me of home. I experienced this a few times when I did my longest trip—my solo backpacking trip to Europe for almost 3 months."

"Whenever I felt like that, I did what I usually do: I connect with others."

Treatment: "Whenever I felt like that, I did what I usually do: I connect with others. I find people to meet up with, or I go to places where I’m sure I will see some Filipinos. I don’t even have to talk to them; just hearing them talk in our language is already enough to assuage my loneliness."

Lois Yasay of Sole Sisters

Diagnosis: "India was my trial by fire as a starting point for a 6 month backpacking trip across Asia. My partner and I had decided to go around India from North in New Delhi to South in Tiruchirappalli- by overland travel in 30 days! Halfway through the trip, we had to cross from Jodhpur to Goa in an excruciating 3 day nonstop overland journey by bus and trains. I was not prepared for the fatigue and over exertion that followed. Imagine traveling for 3 days straight without stopping for a hotel or a decent shower. We had to take naps on the floors of bus stations or inside cramped sleeper trains. And I don't need to discuss personal hygiene at this point."
 

 "I can hack through this. I've been through India after all."

Treatment: Seawater. "After that, I was never happier to reach the beaches of Goa to take a dip. Whenever I encounter challenges while traveling, I always tell myself: 'I can hack through this. I've been through India after all.'..."

Edcel Suyo of Solo Flight Ed

Diagnosis: Lowest point was "... When I wondered where I was going to get money in the next couple of months. In my long-term travel adventure, I relied on freelance work online to fund my expenses. But I went short on budget."

" Everything just came to place..."

Treatment: "When I found short-term work as a waiter in a resort in Terengganu, Malaysia (blog article here: http://soloflighted.com/how-i-lived-in-a-five-star-resort-for-two-months/). Everything just came to place since I didn't have any itinerary during my stay in that country and I also wanted physical work in exchange for food and accommodation to sustain the travelling lifestyle. I realized that I didn't have to focus solely on online gigs as I had other avenues to earn extra income and extend the backpacking."

Doi Damasian of The Travelling Feet

Diagnosis: "When I decided to go backpacking last February 2012, I was confident that I could do it because I was travelling with friends. I travel on a budget you see. Having a travel buddy whom I can split most of my travel expenses with gave me the reassurance that I could afford to travel away from home on a shoestring budget for a longer period of time. However, unforeseen events almost ruined my backpacking plans.

My travel buddy and I decided to move up north to Laos after living in Siem Reap for almost 2 months. But because of some personal issues, my companion had to fly to Singapore leaving me behind. I did not know what I was supposed to do nor where I'm supposed to go. I was running out of funds and having no one to share the travel expenses with spelled disaster to my depleting money. Homesickness crept in. I got depressed but I knew I had to snap out of it."

"I know I should not rely on other people forever in chasing my dream to see the world."

Treatment: "I know I should not rely on other people forever in chasing my dream to see the world. So instead of packing by bags and booking a flight back home, I decided to book a bus ticket to Chiang Mai. I found it more practical and economical than heading up to Laos. That decision opened my eyes to meaningful realizations. It dawned on me that my passion for travelling is strong enough to stop anyone or anything from interfering with my dream to travel. Even though I ended up travelling solo, which I was never prepared for, I will never regret making that rewarding decision."


Wrapping this series with a moving story of healing. Stay tuned for Part 3.

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