I now have the chance to go for a proper long holiday on my own, again. Unfortunately, due to a small budget, I can only plight around South East Asia. The ideal destination will be somewhere exotic, less-traveled by Malaysians and non-metropolitan. Shopping is not part of the deal. I want to experience nature, culture, village life and good food. The more interactions with locals and fresh air, the better.
I thought of Sulawesi - of Toraja, the land of the living dead in particular. The nearest airport is in Makassar, where I can spend a few days. I googled and found a few highly recommended tour guides. However, one corresponded with me back and forth, but still didn't share his rates, where else the other tried to cheat me by quoting 5 times the average fee on Lonely Planet. My mother also stressed that I should not expect ,much as it is a poor country.
I continued my research and alas, it rekindled my memory of a trip during my varsity days. This Tagalog song, 'Manila' by Hotdog, kept coming to me. I attended a student conference there. Our host, a local student took us around and let us stay in the attic of his father's 3-storey bungalow in an elite area. So, now it looks like I'll be returning to the Philippines after 16 years! To the outskirts and historical sites, this time:D
