Destinations
Must-take side trips from top study abroad destinations
To help those studying far from home pack more travel into their adventure, the experts at Cheapflights.com have pulled together their picks for getaways that are a short flight or train ride away from top spots for overseas studies.
Ah, the student life. Is there anything better than combining work and play by studying abroad? How about adding to the experience with more travel. Many of the top study abroad destinations are also good jumping off spots for exploring other fun, student-friendly locales.
To help those studying far from home pack more travel into their adventure, the experts at Cheapflights.com have pulled together their picks for getaways that are a short flight or train ride away from top spots for overseas studies.
Study abroad programs offer the chance of a lifetime to get to know a city over a stretch of weeks or even months. And, when it comes time to take a break from your home away, more destinations await. Check out some of the suggestions for where to go for more adventure:
- Studying in Rome, Italy; get away to Dubrovnik, Croatia – Want to eat your fill of delicious pasta and be surrounded by awe-inspiring art and history? Then studying in Rome, Italy is probably a great idea for a semester abroad. There are 24 Italian and international colleges and universities in Rome, including Università la Sapienza, the largest in Europe. When you want to step away from the carbs, consider a getaway to Dubrovnik, Croatia, about an hour flight from Rome. Trade perfectly cooked plates of pasta for beautiful beaches set against the vibrant blue Adriatic Sea and the endlessly charming pedestrian-only Old Town. Dubrovnik also happens to be the main filming location for a little show called “Game of Thrones.“
- Studying in Edinburgh, Scotland; get away to Brussels, Belgium – Edinburgh might not come close to London in terms of size, but there are still many top-rated universities in the Scottish capital, making it a good option for studying abroad. The easily walkable city is rich with history and culture and offers a unique blend of ancient sites with modern amenities and attractions. It’s also an easy 90-minute flight away from Brussels, another European capital with its own line-up of treats. If a love of history attracted you to Scotland in the first place, there’s more where that came from in Brussels. However, there’s plenty that sets the city apart from Edinburgh too. Cutting-edge museums, exciting nightlife, plenty of green space, outdoor markets and amazing shopping are just a few reasons to visit. Oh, and of course, there’s the chocolate. Remember to stock up on the chocolate.
- Studying in Montreal, Quebec, Canada; get away to Toronto, Ontario, Canada – Montreal is home to several international universities including McGill, Concordia and the University of Montreal and is popular with undergraduate and graduate students alike. The second largest French-speaking city in the world after Paris, it offers a European feel and plenty of arts and culture without heading overseas. And it provides the perfect opportunity for weekend getaways to Toronto. Reached via affordable, one-hour round-trip flights, Toronto makes for a quick, easy and relatively cheap excursion. With tons to do that won’t set your budget back, including museums, art galleries, a lively comedy and theater scene, hip restaurants and bars and breathtaking views from atop the CN Tower, there is no shortage of ways to spend your time.
- Studying in Tokyo, Japan; get away to Taipei, Taiwan – Tokyo offers international students a fascinating mash-up of old and new, ancient history and ultra-modern, all in one place. Japan’s capital is an ideal study abroad option for anyone who wants to experience a high-energy destination with cutting-edge fashion, art, design and food. In addition to the University of Tokyo, there are over 100 other universities and colleges in and around the city. When you want to do more traveling, think about a visit to Taipei, Taiwan, for some equally good food, fun and shopping, as well as the chance to soak in nearby hot springs, browse and snack your way through many a night market, get back to nature with some scenic day hikes and temple hop through the city.
- Studying in Melbourne, Australia; get away to Auckland, New Zealand – Several universities in Melbourne make this culturally rich city a popular study abroad destination. Any time not spent hitting the books may well go to exploring the city’s many laneways, which are filled with a plethora of funky street art, cool cafés, bars and boutiques. And that’s just scratching Melbourne’s surface. But if you want to hop on a plane and do some more traveling, why not add Auckland, New Zealand, to your list? A three-and-a-half-hour flight puts a new country stamp in your passport and lands you in close proximity to wineries, scenic hiking spots, beautiful beaches, volcanoes and loads of opportunities for getting your adrenaline pumping with activities like bungee jumping, skydiving and canyoning.
More study-travel combinations include: Studying in Dublin, Ireland; get away to Cardiff, Wales; studying in Beijing, China; get away to Seoul, Korea; studying in Paris, France, get away to Prague, Czech Republic; studying in Barcelona, Spain; get away to Lyon, France; studying in London, England, get away to Amsterdam, Netherlands.
To get the full list of recommended study abroad destinations, check out Cheapflights.com at www.cheapflights.com/news/youre-studying-abroad-take-quick-weekend-trip. To see the full line-up of ways to stretch your student travel dollar, visit www.cheapflights.ca/news/10-ways-stretch-student-travel-dollar.
Destinations
Eating out in Cebu in one place via Pusô Village
Checking out #Cebu’s all-in-one dining location, the Pusô Village that may simplify eating out but seems to forget our desire to see diverse #foodie hubs.
In the past, if you wanted to grab some of the food associated with Cebu, you headed to – among others – Larsian, this place not too far from Fuente Osmeña Circle. It wasn’t necessarily popular with the locals who saw (and still see) it as unhygienic, but it’s this easy-to-access BBQ place that’s open 24/7.
Starting 2025, however, a new place was opened to serve as the one-stop culinary and cultural hub of Cebu City: the Pusô Village.
@outragemag Checking out #Cebu's all-in-one dining location, the Pusô Village (#pusovillage) that may simplify eating out but seems to forget our desire to see diverse #foodie ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine
Una, developed by Cebu2World/Megawide as part of the Carbon Market modernization, this place’s name drew inspiration from the pusô rice cake that’s served when you have meals in Cebu. There are, therefore, design elements that’d remind you of the pusô – e.g. those octahedral shapes on the entrance. Inside, there are attempts to beautify by borrowing elements from Bahay na bato Philippine architectural style; most are fake, though, such as those painted-on verandahs you’d see when you look up.
Ikalawa, there are over 100 food stalls and retail outlets here… though more of the former than the latter. They’ve been “properly” structured, so that the lechon vendors are on one side, seafood sellers on another side, and so on.
Ikatlo, we tried some of the offerings to ascertain how good they are.
The unlimited lechon is popular, providing an opportunity particularly for non-locals to cheaply enjoy this Cebuano treat. Taste-wise, the lechons vary little, some saltier than the others. The “approach” in serving is similar, though. You get an okay portion when first served, and the portion gets smaller the more you return. Noticeably, by the third refill, the vendors become grumpier when serving you, some even ignoring you, or stuffing fatty parts on your plate. Business greed in action.
Though cooked the same way (i.e. buttered), the seafood platters are inconsistent. You could get some shrimps or crabs now and then, though most times, you’d just get mussels.
Then there’s the tuslob-buwa, pig’s brain cooked under maximum heat to then become dip for pusô. We’d say this is acquired taste… but there’s not much to taste. So this is a costly to-try food.
Only open until 10.00PM, Pusô Village offers those in Cebu a venue to try as many of the local goods as possible. For that, alone, this is a must-check. You are sure to find a few stuffs you’d like.
But the city still has a lot of venues offering local culinary and cultural goods, and they deserve to be also checked. And so off we go for more LGBTQIA+ rampa…
Pusô Village is located at M.L Quezon Blvd., Sto. Nino, Cebu City.
Destinations
Going Chinese in Pulilan, Bulacan
Craving for #chinesefood in #Bulacan? We tried the offerings of Lee Foo Panciteria #Pulilan, and we’re on the fence here (yes if no choice, no if you can go elsewhere).
We happened to be in Pulilan in Bulacan, and I had pancit craving. As if on cue, we passed by Lee Foo Panciteria Pulilan, which – after we Google-checked – is supposedly one of the more frequently-visited Chinese restos in these parts of the province, so… of course we checked.
@outragemag Craving for #chinesefood in #Bulacan? We tried the offerings of Lee Foo Panciteria #Pulilan ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine
Una, this place is really, REALLY easy to find. Located along the Pulilan Regional Road in Barangay Cut-cot in Pulilan, this is right in the middle of the municipality.
Ikalawa, the resto is actually divided into three parts: one side is for those with reservations, another part is for walk-in diners, and another part is for events. If/when the resto isn’t full, only the main part (middle one) is kept open.
No, this isn’t some fancy resto. More like an airconditioned karinderya, complete with wooden tables and plastic chairs. Look-wise, it wasn’t dirty naman when we were there, so that’s a plus.
Ikatlo, the workers were friendly naman… and they moved fast – e.g. while waiting for our orders, we were given must-check peanuts, and since we finished what we got fast, our waitress was more than happy to accommodate us.
Ika-apat, now… how was the food?
The house specialty, the Lee Foo Chicken (₱265 for half, ₱495 for whole), looked like fried chicken with ketchup. Okay… the breading was okay since it didn’t overpower the meat. The chicken, too, was properly cooked, and it wasn’t dry. But it was tasteless overall; so the ketchup taste is what stays with you.
The Pancit Canton Bihon (₱255) had thin pancit noodles, almost as thin as the bihon. It didn’t have lots of sahog; instead, you’d notice the extenders (like kikiam, and so on). I like good pancit, I swear… but this isn’t one of them, sorry.
The weirdly-wrapped Hakaw (₱155) was small, so it was bitin.
And then there’s the Siomai Steam (₱155), which was, in a word, weird. The size was good, similar to those ₱10 siomais. But the way this was prepared was weird for us – e.g. like the meat was overwatered, and having a hard time staying solid, so that it was smudgy, and disintegrated in the mouth even without chewing. I suppose that, at least, it wasn’t disgusting taste-wise.
Lee Foo Panciteria Pulilan is, we believe, popular. Like President in Chinatown, or a branch of David’s in some mall. To each his or her own nga naman. But for us, we’re off to look for other Chinese restos na muna as we head out in search of more lafangan venues.
Lee Foo Panciteria Pulilan is located at 159 Barangay Cut-cot, Pulilan, 3005 Bulacan Province. For more information, contact 0925 800 0168, or email leefoopanciteria@yahoo.com.
Travel
Treacherous beauty: Hiking at South Stack Lighthouse in Wales
#Lighthouse fever in #Holyhead, #anglesey via the #SouthStackLighthouse, as checked during this #LGBT trip to #Wales.
Yes, tech has made many lighthouses redundant. Not that they’re no longer relevant. But navigation-wise, we know we have more advanced solutions. Which, perhaps not surprisingly, led to the reconfiguration of many of them.
In Holyhead, Anglesey in Wales, introducing the South Stack Lighthouse.
@outragemag #Lighthouse fever in #Holyhead, #anglesey via the #SouthStackLighthouse, as checked during this #LGBT trip to #Wales ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine
Una, you’d need a ride to be there. Some use private cars, as we did; others join tours; and others cycle to the place.
Ikalawa, what’s there?
The lighthouse itself is located on a small, rocky island off Holyhead. From afar, it looks like someone’s grand home; mansion-like. Accessible siya after you descend down 400 steep steps.
What will you see while there?
- the former lighthouse engine room
- the top of the lighthouse
- South Stack is also home to breeding seabirds including guillemots, razorbills and puffins
Here’s an FYI: seasonal lang siya bukas.
This is a must-check for lighthouse lovers, of course. Historic, it was built in 1809 by Trinity House from the design of Daniel Alexander. 91-foot tall, it used to allow safe passage for ships on the Dublin–Holyhead–Liverpool sea route.
Another FYI: It is allegedly haunted, and has been visited by a team from “Most Haunted”.
The area housing the lighthouse is, itself, worth checking. There are trails for hikers or joggers or cyclists; though the same could be enjoyed by those who are there only to look for good shots.
Check when you’re in the area… even if you just pass by. Nice siya, promise.
But off we go for more LGBTQIA+ rampa…
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