Don't Sleep On Halifax! - Halifax, NS, Canada.

For all you gamers out there, Halifax’s boardwalk kind of reminds me of Final Fantasy 8’s Balamb Town, and is loaded with many great spots to eat, with some of my top recommendations being: The Bicycle Thief and Dave’s Lobsters (home to easily the best Lobster Roll in Halifax—trust me, I tried a bunch!). Though, if you’re in for a bit of a drive, my other top two recommendations in Halifax would be The Canteen and The Knot Pub.

canadaUrvil James VillaruelOctober 16, 2024halifax, travel, travel photography

Petroglyphs Provincial Park - Woodview, ON, Canada.

Located roughly two-hours away from Toronto next to Peterborough in Woodview, Ontario, contains the largest collection of Petroglyphs in North America with carvings dating as far back as 6,000 years ago with newer carvings etched in as early as 600 years ago.

canadaUrvil James VillaruelJuly 15, 2024petroglyphs, travel, travel photography, traveller

Capturing Adonis - Vancouver, BC, Canada.

To think that those little made-up adventures were just over 10 years ago (that’s when I picked up my first camera, though Brentley has been shooting ever since early high school and has already been on international shoots without me—that’s why he’ll always be my senpai; aka “upperclassman”), it’s wild to imagine that what was once fantasy has now become reality.

Pearls are in - Boracay, Philippines.

Interestingly enough, it turns out that pearls actually hold a strong cultural significance in the Philippines (the South Sea pearl even adorning the Philippines’ 1000-peso bill), with many women (and, more recently, men) sporting them as luxury items in place of other materials like gold and silver.

Definitely worth the wait, Boracay 2.0 - Boracay, Philippines.

Voted as one of the top islands to visit in the world by Condé Nast Traveler magazine and the Best Island in the World by Travel + Leisure magazine, Boracay has come a long way since I first visited in 2008.

From ‘Pond-to-Table’ - Aklan, Philippines.

A recent craze in the West has become the notion of ‘Farm-to-Table’, but what about ‘Pond-to-Table’?

I know I said it in my last Story/Photo Series, but you honestly cannot get any fresher than harvesting fish that same day to be cooked later and put right on to your plate.

Direct to the Supplier - Ochando, Philippines.

Easily one of the coolest parts about spending time in a fishing village is waking up early as the catch comes in to not only witness the day’s harvest, but also pick up some fresh fish. When we talk about food being fresh and organic here in the West, nothing truly compares to meat, fish and produce being collected and prepared right in your own backyard!

‘F’ is for Family - Ochando, Philippines.

Every Filipino and Filipina knows that a core foundational component to the culture of the Philippines is family. Despite distance, time, circumstance or previous history, family will always be family. The best part is when friends become family and family become friends. ♡

Discovering "awe" in the Canadian Rocky Mountains.

It’s often been said that spiritually is prodded forth by the revelation of our own mortality, and I have yet to discover another place that makes me feel my own mortality as strongly compared to the Rockies.

"America's Playground," Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

I have to admit, I’ve been to a lot of places that people have spoken highly about, but there are very few that actually live up to the expectation and hype—Las Vegas is certainly one that lives up to both!