Welcome, traveler
New here? Glad to see you. Wandering Emerald is travel that goes one layer deeper than sights and checklists. I'm Merald. I travel slowly, mostly while working remotely in tech, and I write two kinds of things.
History, people, and the wild side of a place, told slowly so it stays with you.
Emerald StoriesItineraries, visas, realistic budgets, and first-trip nerves, written from your starting line.
Travel GuidesOpen the atlas and go country by country, starting from home ground in the Philippines.
The atlasThree stories to start with
Siargao’s name came from a mangrove. Its first tourists were fishermen, traders, and Spanish monks. A deep look at what the island was before the wave put it on the map.
After weeks of crossing borders and rivers, a quiet morning brought a simple thought: the more I travel, the more I realize I am not moving through nature. I am made of it.
Myanmar is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. It is also one of the hardest. This is what I found when I went in late 2025.
Three guides to start with
Flying domestically in the Philippines for the first time? This step-by-step guide covers everything: documents, check-in, baggage rules, security, and what to expect at the gate.
Your complete step-by-step guide to flying internationally from the Philippines: documents and travel tax to immigration, baggage rules, and managing money abroad.
PAL just joined Oneworld. Here’s what that actually means for your miles, your layovers, and your next international trip.
Wander deeper,
Merald