Katrina Lat

Many of my friends who have embarked on Asian backpacking adventures have told me that The Philippines was their favourite destination along their journey. While I have no way of confirming whether they're just saying this to make me happy, I can confirm that it does indeed make me very, very happy. However, many of the adventures and sights they've engaged with are ones that I myself have yet to experience. I'm fortunate that I've had many experiences to visit the Philippine

My earliest memory is that of a Philippine sunrise. I'm perched on a balcony, black wrought iron grasped between my small hands as I gaze out at the widest, most colourful canvas I've ever seen: the sun peeking out from beneath a blanket of ocean waves. Sunrise and sunset are treasured moments amongst photographers. However, this memory has made it such that Philippine sunsets are especially magical to me. Nothing will ever compare to the colourful sky that replays in my memo

The Lats love to scuba dive. Many a Whatsapp thread has been dedicated to it. Many a Thanksgiving discussion has revolved around sea turtles, and close calls with sharks. Many a reunion has been centred around it. The last time I came to the Philippines, I sat on the boat reading my book while my cousins explored the aquatic depths. The weather was beautiful, the view spectacular, the novel in my hand engrossing (although, I can't for the life of me remember what it was). It

"It's raining outside. Please have your rain gear ready for when you leave the station." #Asia2017

Hiked a mountain with my cousin, Mark. I don't get to see him very often, but I treasure every time that do! Xiangshan, aka Elephant Mountain, was given its name due to its elephant-like shape. While you can't quite discern its elephantish form while on the mountain (nor from these photos), this was the reasoning provided me from the excellent, highly academic resource that is Wikipedia. #Asia2017