Guest post by Jennifer Ng, a Manila-based journalist and freelance blogger.
So you’ve finally decided on going to Southeast Asia after reading numerous brochures. If you don’t know where to start, you might want to kick off your Southeast Asian tour in the Philippines.
The Philippines is a country made up of 7,101 islands. This alone makes it interesting particularly if you’re a beach bum. The most famous among the beaches is Boracay in the Visayas. But Boracay is just one of the interesting spots in the Philippines.
Those who are into water sports can check out the ves of Pura-ran in Catanduanes, a province near the Pacific Ocean. Pura-ran is well-known among surfing aficionados for its “majestic” waves. The best time to visit the surfing area is during the months of August and September.
If you love to dive, behold the beauty of the underwater world in Palawan. Some of the best diving sites in Palawan include Coron Bay, Busuanga, and Apo Reef. Whitewater rafting enthusiasts can try the rivers in Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental.
Drive north and see the Banaue Rice Terraces in Mountain Province. It is a tourist spot that has been regarded as the “Eighth Wonder of the World.” The rice terraces were carved by the Ifugaos from the hillside 2,000 years ago. the site is regarded as an engineering marvel since the Ifugaos used their bare hands and simple implements to build the terraces where they could grow rice.
As it is a tropical country, the Philippines can grow a variety of fruits practically all year round. Aside from being delicious, local fruits are relatively cheap. Fresh mangoes and bananas are popular among tourists. For the adventurous, there is durian–a fruit that is famous (or infamous) for its foul smell.
Communicating with the locals will not be a problem since most Filipinos can speak English. Filipinos are famous for their hospitality so you can be sure that your visit will be comfortable and stress-free.
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About the author: Jenny is a journalist and freelance business blogger who writes on education and learning for Ahead Interactive – provider of live, real-time, video-powered online tutorials. AI is a division Ahead Learning Systems, one of Asia’s leading chains of tutorial and review centers.
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often skipped by travellers, the Philippines is a gem waiting to be discovered…
nice feature Carrie…
Hi Flip,
The Philippines is definitely one of my favorite destinations in Asia. We’ll have to meet up the next time I visit!
Thanks for this post – I’m hoping to go to the Philippines early next year!
My pleasure, Angela. My husband and I go to the Philippines fairly often. I’m sure you will love it as much as we do. Do you know where you’re heading to? We spent most of our time in Manila and Palawan. We’ve yet to visit Boracay. We’re hoping to make it there for Chinese New Year in February 2012.
I’ve heard so many great things about the Philippines! Would love to visit eventually.
YES! I so look forward to going to the Philippines…one day! =) I have a number of Filipino friends who have taught me about the food and culture, describing all the incredible places I can travel to. Even though I live in Hong Kong now, and it’s just a short flight over to Manila, I’m still putting it off in hopes that I can travel there with one of my best friends and experiences his version of the Philippines. We may be there for CNY 2012 so perhaps we’ll run into each other, Carrie!
my friend from Italy is going to spend his vacation in the Philippines and he’s so excited about it!
Before leaving East Asia, I’ll certainly go to the Philippines, the only fact that it’s a 7000+ island country makes it so captivating to me!
Hi Angela,
Me, too. So much to explore!
If you will ever go to the Philippines, you should try Palawan or Camiguin. The beaches and islands are wonderful and great.
I visited the phillipines last summer and it was a great experience nice post
Hi, I read a lot of blogs on a daily basis and for the most part, people lack substance but, I just wanted to make a quick comment to say GREAT blog!…..I’ll be checking in on a regularly now….Keep up the good work!