At YPT we are all about the weird dishes, but there is at least one that we see regularly on tour that even we balk at and that is Pag Pag. This dish, which for the most part consists of food garnered from dumpster diving can be witnessed when YPT visit Smokey Mountain, the biggest slum in Manila and is not for the faint hearted. What is Pag Pag? In the national tongue of the Philippines, Tagalog the phrase “pag pag” means to brush off the dust/dirt, which has now led to a hole breed of cheap slum cuisine. The involves people getting up super early and finding the remains that people have left ..read more

Are freely associated states countries? When you travel with YPT the subject of what constitutes a country is regularly brought up. On this there tends to be a few different schools of thought, with the 193 (+2) club tending to be the purest and at time most zealous about the matter. You see it is their belief that to be a country you must be in the United Nations. Although they also add Vatican City and Taiwan to this list, both of which are not. One of the biggest problems here we feel is that by said logic the Peoples Republic of China was not a country until the 1970’s. North and South Kor ..read more

At YPT we most famously deal in Dark Tourism and taking you to places where your mother would rather you stayed away from. There are though some exceptions, with Khmer New Year Water Fights being such a thing! So, why do we indulge in Khmer New Year water fights? Well the answer is two fold. Firstly it comes right after our Dark Tourism tour, but also because it is a whole heap of fun. What the Khmer New Year? Khmer New Year is what Cambodians call their new year – in case you are wondering Cambodians refer to themeless as Khmer and their country as Kampuchea. Alas since a certain Pol Pot and ..read more

On the 12th April, 63 years ago, Yuri Gagarin left our blue planet becoming the first human to orbit the earth in outer space. The brave cosmonaut instantly became an overnight sensation and celebrity during the peak of the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union.  The milestone in aviation was celebrated throughout the Soviet Union, as it opened new avenues and challenges in space exploration. Even today, this very special day is still celebrated and those cosmonauts and animals who sacrificed their lives for science are still remembered. Click here, to learn more ..read more

The Paoay sand dunes have long been a mainstay of both my own and YPT’s trips to the Philippines. Why is this? Well despite the fact that it might not be seen as classic YPT, it does make a great break from a regular tour, as well as push the adrenaline junkies among us. What the Paoay? Paoay is a relatively small town that is surrounded by a bunch of cool stuff, as well as having its own personality. It is home to the oldest church within the Philippines, as well as being famous for its Halo Halo (a Filipino shaves ice-cream type thing). And around it there is a brunch of cool stuff too, suc ..read more

Known as one of the wonders of the world and on most “must see” lists we recently added the Banaue Rice Terraces to our Extreme Philippines Tour. Was it worth it though and are they really a wonder of the world? We can only speak for ourselves and our group on this one, but the general consensus was yes, and yes, even if the hike was little more than we were expecting. What the Banaue Rice Terraces? Rice terraces are a form of rice farming where terraces are used to make the most of irrigation and indeed land. They can be seen throughout the Philippines, even from when we travel through Sagada ..read more

Increasingly one of our most sought after tours, the Extreme Philippines Tour takes is to some truly bizarre places, chief among them being the Marcos Museum. Located in the self-styled “Home of Great Leaders” in Batac, this museum is there to showcase the greatness of former President and some might say dictator Ferdinand Marcos. An interesting place, it also once held the Mausoleum of Marcos, although that has now gone. What is Batac? Batac is a small town in Ilocos Norte that has Ferdinand Marcos its most famous son. Nowadays it also has many of his relatives, his old northern palace, as w ..read more

This year YPT attended the 2024 Cutud Lenten Rites Festival in San Fernando, Pampanga. This was our second since the end of the pandemic, as well as marking ten years since we first attended? So, was it any good, how as it different and what about 2025? All that and more in our YPT guide to the 2024 Cutud Lenten Rotes Festival. What is the Cutud Lenten Rites Festival? A great big mix between a country fete and some serious BDSM, this sees devotees whip themselves a frenzy with blood splattering everywhere, as well as there being a “play”. Said play is the reenactment of the Passion of the Chr ..read more

As part of our Cambodian Dark Tourism Tour tour this year we stayed at the Tamok Guesthouse. Now for the uninitiated Ta Mok was one of the leading figures of the Khmer Rouge, even being its last leader. Now this obviously leads to the question, why name a hotel after him? One might also ask why we would stay there too, but for us at least it was because our regular tour stop – The Heng Hotel, which is next to the grave of Pol Pot was closed that day. This meant we needed a place to stay, and the Tamok Guesthouse was that place. What the Ta Mok? A senior political leader within Angkar as well a ..read more

Siem Reap War Museum is a slightly understated, overpriced and weird museum, BUT it is still worth a visit if your tourist needs are about more than a few old temples. Officially the Cambodia War Museum it was initially built in 2001 and has had various changes and incarnations since then. The Cambodia War Museum AKA Siem Reap War Museum Built in 2001 it was initially popular before being left to waste away somewhat. This would be until 2013 when it would get a bit of renovation. This was completed by 2018 when the landmine section was added, although this is not to be confused with the Landm ..read more