“It’s more fun in the Philippines”; yes, that’s exactly what the tourism department of the Philippines has to say to the world. With an amalgamation of over 7000 startling islands, covered with plush green tropical rainforest and gigantic volcanoes, there are more than enough reasons to justify the tag line. Considering a country as majestic as the Philippines, it's not hard to find engaging activities and interesting places to visit in this country.
I had the opportunity to visit this Southeast Asian gem last summer on a volunteering trip. I have a slightly different style of traveling places - I like to take up volunteer work at the destination I am traveling to. It provides me with the opportunity to get close with the natives and understand their lifestyle better.
While on my trip (I was in Tacloban for 3 weeks) I managed to exploit my weekends (weekdays were volunteering work days) to visit some of the best places and indulge in some extraordinary activities. If you're planning to visit Philippines and only have 48 hours to explore (or even if more), here's how you can make the best of your time:
Face the Fiery Volcanoes and Gigantic Mountains
Although there isn't an exact official count to the number of volcanoes in the country, it's said that there are around 37 volcanoes across the Filipino islands, out of which 18 are still considered to be active.
The Mayon Volcano, located on the Luzon island, is considered to be the most active stratovolcano present in the Philippines. It is fondly known as the ‘Perfect One’, because of its perfect conical shape. The Taal volcano, Mt. Apo, Mt. Bulusan and Mt. Pinatubo are several other famous volcanoes; most of them located in Luzon itself.
Get Set to Splash at Endless Number of Beaches
This is a ‘goes without saying’ factor of the Philippines. I mean, you simply can’t be on an island nation and expect just a handful of beaches! With Pacific waters surrounding all sides, every island in the Philippines has a number of scintillating beaches.
Go to Palawan Island and you have the secret beach and the El Nido beach to mesmerize your wits. At Aklan you have the Boracay beach with crystal clear water and the white sandy shore.
Admire the Natural Landscapes and Architectural Masterpieces
The Banaue Rice Terraces and The Chocolate Hills are amongst the many marvelously maintained landscapes in the Philippines. While the terraces are almost 2000 years old and are fondly called the “Eighth Wonder of the World” by the Filipinos, the Chocolate Hills is a vast landscape of almost 1500 hills, all in symmetrical size. The San Juanico Bridge, located in Tacloban city, is the longest and one of the most admirable piece of architecture in the history of the Philippines.
Take a Typical Filipino Palate Trip
When in the Philippines you not only need to have a strong appetite, but also stringent taste buds to handle the level of tang created from a heavy use of ingredients for preparing the dishes.
With soy sauce, vinegar, pork, rice, and fish sauce being common ingredients in most of the signature cuisines, the kitchens of the Philippines are known to serve some extraordinary and innovative platters. Adobo, Sisig, Pork Barbecue, and the very famous street food Balut (talk about extraordinary) are some of the mouth watering delicacies.
Wildlife
The land of the Philippines has some of the world's most endemic species of animals in its womb. The Philippine mouse-deer, Philippine Tarsier, Crocodylus mindorensis and the Philippine Eagle are just a handful of the names amongst a long list of endangered and near extinct species. To my advantage, there were a number of places close to my accommodation (4-5kms distance) to witness the wildlife of Philippines.
Since, I was there to volunteer in Philippines, most of the things were sorted out for me as I had a local coordinator, appointed by the placement firm I was traveling through. But, as that may not be the case for you (though i’d certainly recommend it), so i hope these tips would help you design an itinerary to experience the best of Philippines. Keep Traveling!
