During
my movements abroad on pit stops at various hostels, I see other travelers
lingering at the common area looking at the map of the country we’re in – and
scanning collectively, the map of South East Asia. These are the times when
everyone’s conversation touches no other topic but travel. Once the discussion
turns into “where are you from?” and
I tell them I am from the Philippines, most would give me a look as if ours
isn’t part of the Far East. A very few brightens up their faces and would swear
at the splendor of Boracay, Bohol and mention a couple of places in Palawan
that stood out in their mind.
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| Grab a beer & chill at the many beaches such as Nacpan Beach / El Nido, Palawan |
While I rejoice hearing all their recollections of previous trips to our country, I usually add more and entice them to visit again because they missed out on a lot of other must-see places. One main reason why I think backpackers often skip the Philippines is because of our location being separated from the Asian mainland where one can easily hop into trains and cross borders.
The
other reason mostly falls on us being unable to serve as tourism ambassadors of
our country. But those days are about to end as I see a growing influx of local
travelers attaining foothold in influencing foreigners to visit our country
through travel blogs and social media. Gone are the days when we can only give
the usual places; Boracay, Palawan, Bohol whenever someone asked us where to go
in the Philippines?
The
Beach that reinvigorated a Backpacking Culture
Very
few people knew that the inspiration for Alex Garland’s novel “The Beach” was really in El Nido,
Palawan where he lived for several months. Since the novel was set in Thailand,
the immediate pop culture result was the sudden recognition of Khao San Road in
Bangkok as the starting point of the “Banana
Pancake Trail” – a term given to expanding routes around Southeast Asia
frequented by travelers. These backpackers, mostly young people on gap years
start their journey in this festive street lined up with bars and hostels before
crisscrossing mainland Thailand and unto bordering countries such as Cambodia,
Laos to Myanmar, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore with most of them skipping
the Philippines.
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| Young men performing a traditional dance in Banaue. |
This
fact though, comes with a huge upside because it marks our beautiful nation in
the off-the-beaten-path category that showcases still-pristine beaches and
nature setting with less touristy crowd. This also gives us enough time to set
up proper infrastructures and responsible tourism guidelines in place before we
see an uptick in traveler arrivals. As we promote our country we must also make
sure we practice being responsible voyagers.
As
a traveler who has visited my own share of domestic and international
destinations, I can say that wandering around our country still gives me the
most thrills as I slowly discover my own land with the same probing eye and
wonder as I do so when engrossed in foreign cultures. Ours is diverse in its
own myriad of ways - gifting us with a visual feast that shifts from every
beautiful conceivable form to another. From mountains, to islands to quaint
little towns highlighted by a colorful set of regional traditions and tasteful
delicacies, it makes traveling in the Philippines more interesting because of
the varied offerings to our senses as we trudge along each of our 81 provinces.
So why should one go
backpacking in the Philippines?
I remember one Canadian traveler asked me this question. She quizzed me if we
have the ancient temple ruins of Cambodia, Myanmar, Indonesia and Thailand,
while I answered in the negative I followed it up with a series of positive
characteristics of the Philippines that appeal to travelers of all kinds. I
can’t remember how the rest of our talk went but looking at her Facebook images
a year later, I could see that she enjoyed her time here in the Philippines
much so that she extended her stay for a couple of months.
Let
me show you just a few of the many photographic reasons why one should definitely
go.
Stunning Natural Landscape
Stunning
rock formation created by the unforgiving waves of the mad oceans that
surrounds the Philippines for thousands of years, litters most shorelines and
this one from Biri Island is just one of the five gigantic nature-carved rock
hills situated in the island that delight visitors to no end. Natural pools
filled with crystal clear waters and hilly greens perfect for camping circles
each of these rock formations.
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| One of the rock formations at Biri Island |
The Islands
Off-the-grid
Islands such as this one called ‘Calaguas’
are too many too visit all in a lifetime. Walk over blinding white and
ultra-pure sands and hear the hisses of the waves of the enticing blue waters
makes one compare it to an ideal outdoor setting.
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| Calaguas Island |
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| White Island off Camiguin |
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| Nagsasa Cove is just one of the hundreds of white sand beaches where you can camp |
The
island province of Palawan boasts of magnificent shoreline stretching to about
1,200 miles and is dotted with more than 1,780 islands and islets, limestone
coves, hot springs, majestic lakes and fine-white sand beaches. It also
possesses a vast land of virgin forests that encapsulate its chain of mountain
ranges. A full-range of activities from mountain climbing, scuba diving,
snorkeling, kayaking, beach bumming and anything related to island living
awaits visitors in this pristine island province regarded by many travel
publications as among the best in the world.
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| This View! from the trail leading to Kayangan Lake (Coron, Palawan) |
The Highlands
When
you had enough beaches and got tired of the island life, you can cool off at
the highlands wherein snaking mountain ranges offers marvels of the lush forest
and natural attractions such as rolling hills as far as the eyes can see.
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| The rolling hills of Batanes presents a never-ending sweeping landscape |
And
a natural environment serving home to a lush set of flora and fauna for you to
fully enjoy what mother nature has to offer including hundreds of waterfalls
and lakes scattered all over the archipelago.
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| Tinuy-an Waterfalls in Bislig, Surigao del Sur |
And
not to mention mountain peaks and volcanoes.
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| Mayon Volcano |
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| Mount Pinatubo crater lake |
Big
cities all over the country such as Manila may present you with a sensory
overload, causing at first, a fit of annoyance because of the large population
and the unforgiving street activities, but once you scratched it off the
surface one will discover hidden gems in every nook and crannies. Classic
architecture visible on Spanish Colonial Churches and post-colonial homes
produces a throwback vibe in most downtowns located in many provinces.
The Charming Towns and Local Delicacies
Along
the way while transporting from one spectacular nature locations to another you
will pass by charming little towns offering a glimpse of the simple life in the
countryside that best typifies the hospitality of the Filipino people. Indulge
in the many colorful traditions and cultures by immersing with the locals
sampling home-cooked delicacies and merrymaking at the numerous festivals
celebrated throughout the country all year long.
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| The ‘Dinagyang Festival‘, is just one of the many festivals celebrated throughout the entire year. |
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| The grand 'Sinulog’ Festival is capped by its fun street parties at night |
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| Each province has their own way of serving local cuisines. This one is from Saranggani |
Most of all, The People
The
Filipino people are known to be among the most hospitable bunch in the world.
With a smile on their faces ready to greet you “Mabuhay” (long live), you will never get out of place in the many
islands all over this archipelago. Each encounter will surely make your trip
more memorable. As you trudge along the many regions in the country, you will
live out a different travel experience thanks to the many different languages,
set of cultures and traditions and local cuisines that will surely satisfy all
your senses.
The
list of reasons could go and on and on. So, next time you meet fellow travelers
on the road abroad, why not initiate a conversation by suggesting them to visit
the Philippines and if they asked you why? Be prepared to engage in a long tête-à -tête
because there’s a lot of wonderful things to say about our country.
