Editorial Standards

Wandering Emerald makes one promise: honest travel information, grounded in real experience. This page explains what that means in practice, so you can decide for yourself how much to trust what you read here.

Have I been to the places I write about?

Yes. Every destination story and destination guide on this site is about a place I have personally visited. You can follow the route so far on my About page.

Some guides are about a topic rather than a place, such as how an airline alliance works or what a cheap fare really costs. Those are researched, and they may not come from any single trip.

When I say I tested or paid for something, I did. What I did not test myself is credited to its source.

How are travel costs researched?

What I actually paid comes first. Where a guide gives my own spending, the figures come from my own trip and my own receipts.

Anything I did not pay myself comes from official or operator sources, such as a government agency, an airline, or a tour company. If no official figure is available, I name the source I used instead. Either way, it is linked where the figure appears.

Costs are shown with the month or year they were accurate, because prices move. Destination guides give the local currency with an approximate US dollar figure. Some guides use worked examples to show a method, and those say plainly that the numbers are illustrative.

How often is visa information reviewed?

I review the visa and entry information in my guides at least every six months, and sooner when I learn that a rule has changed. I check it against official sources, such as embassies and immigration agencies.

Each review moves the guide's "Last updated" date forward, so you can see how recent it is.

Rules can still change between reviews, and they differ by passport. Many of my guides are written from the point of view of a Philippine passport holder. Always confirm the current requirements with the embassy or immigration authority before you book.

How do affiliate relationships work?

Some links on this site are affiliate links. If you book or buy through one, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. You are never obliged to use them, and you can always search for the same thing directly.

Any post with an affiliate link shows a disclosure above the content. The partners I use are gathered on my travel resources page.

Commissions do not decide what I write about or how I describe it. I only link to services I would actually recommend, and only where they answer something you were already about to look for.

I also co-founded Alaya Tours, a small-group travel company. It is my own business, so when I write about it, please read that as a recommendation from someone with a stake in it.

The site does not run display advertising at the moment. If that changes, the disclosure page will say so.

How is sponsored content handled?

A brand or tourism board may occasionally pay me, in money or in kind, to create content. When that happens, the piece is clearly labeled "Sponsored," "Paid Partnership," or similar at the top.

The same goes for complimentary stays, tours, transport, or meals: they are disclosed in the piece they relate to. Neither guarantees coverage, and neither guarantees a favorable review. If something fell short, I will say so.

As of November 2026, no story or guide on this site has been sponsored or hosted.

How can you submit a correction?

If you spot something wrong or out of date, I want to know. Use the contact form and choose "A correction to a story or guide," or email hello@wanderingemerald.com.

It helps to include the page, what needs changing, and a source if you have one. I check what you send against a reliable source, fix the page if it needs fixing, and move its "Last updated" date forward.

If you ever find this site falling short of anything on this page, please tell me that too.