Pandemic gives birth to Filipino travel book

What better time to write a travel book than during a period when most people are on pause from making international trips so they could take time to reflect and contribute?

Australia-based Filipino world traveler Donalito Bales Jr. releases his first book, Galà: Adventures of the Most Well-traveled Filipinos, after 16 months of writing it — chiefly during the uncertain days of the lockdown.

The 399-page book follows the journeys of 20 Filipino travelers who have already visited more than 100 countries and territories. More than their colourful stories, the book also gives a peek into the travelers’ bucket lists and shares expert advice for aspiring globetrotters.

The book takes you on their journey around the world, sharing their colourful stories as well as their best travel tips and recommendations in a well-curated manner. Bales intends to use the book as a vehicle to plant a seed for reviving a post-pandemic travel industry once it’s safe to travel the world once again.

Staying true to his motivation, Bales is donating the book’s initial sales to the Philippine Global Explorers, a community of Filipino world travelers that aims to positively impact travel thought leadership, education, culture, and tourism and international relations. The community is co-founded by Bales, together with some people also featured in the book. It is being incorporated as a not-for-profit organization in the Philippines this September

If you’re looking for inspiration to re-ignite your love for travel during these unprecedented times, then this book is perfect for you. You may order the book directly from Amazon, and you can get a free excerpt from the explorenextlevel.com/gala-book website.

Rila Monastery in Bulgaria	Kjeragbolten, the boulder on Kjerag Mountain in Rogaland, Norway	In Mount Teide in Tenerife in the Canary Islands / Antarctica (bottom)