Philippines - more fun

Foreigners usually comment about Filipino hospitality after visiting the Philippines that it is incomparable to the rest of the world. It has been part of the Filipino culture to always treat our foreign guests warmly, whether they are foreigners or not.

Puerto Princesa Underground River, is a 8.2km navigable river, the world’s longest underground, running through a cave system before flowing into the South China Sea. A lagoon framed by ancient trees marks the mouth of the cave. It was recently named one of the seven wonders of the natural world.

Banaue’s rice terraces are majestic. Rising to nearly 3,000 metres, the Cordillera Central mountains in North Luzon provide a dramatic but tranquil alternative for hikers. Banaue is perhaps the most famous attraction in this area, earning the tiny town a place on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites with its ancient, towering rice terraces that were so impressively sculpted from mud-walls more than 2,000 years ago.

If you like riotous costumes, bizarre folklore and dancing in the streets try timing a visit to coincide with a festival like Panagbenga, in Baguio City, or alternatively try Ati-Atihan or Sinulog for religious fervour.

Immerse yourself in the underwater world at Tubbataha Reefs National Park, a Unesco World Heritage site that has a 100-metre perpendicular wall, lagoons and two coral islands, or take a boat to see black coral at the Black Forest dive site off Panglao Island.

The Philippines do not fall short when it comes to volcanoes. See Mt. Mayon in Legazpi, Albay in Bicol Region, and be stunned in her perfectly cone-shaped form, like that of Japan’s Mt. Fuji.

A few hours drive from Manila is Tagaytay City, where you can see the second most active volcano in the country. Surrounding it is the Taal Lake which gives you a captivating view from Tagaytay City. You can actually go down the lake and spend time near the volcano for a day.

Another exciting experience is a day trek in Mt. Pinatubo using 4×4 cars. You will be amazed at the beauty of the crater lake, which was a result of the volcano’s eruption in 1993. Back then, it displaced thousands of Aeta community in Zambales, Tarlac and Pampanga. However, despite its destructive eruption, Mt. Pinatubo left a beautiful reminder through the emergence of stunning coves within its area—Anawangin and Nagsasa.

Filipinos love their food and there are a lot of things worth trying! It probably describes it best to say, Filipino food is a mix of Malay, Chinese, Spanish, Japanese and American cuisine.

If you love fresh seafood, from lobster to crabs, tiger prawns, octopus, you will find it all for very low prices. And if that all doesn’t appeal to you, don’t worry, you’ll find almost any kind of food, from Thai-Food to Sushi, Indian Food, Pizza and Pasta, Burger, German Bakeries, you will find those places in Manila, Cebu and of course, in Boracay

All the fruits in Philippines are simply mouth-watering, you can have them everywhere fresh and cheap: pineapples, coconuts, mangoes, durians (smells like hell, but tastes like heaven), papayas and so much more.

Partying in the Philippines is more fun! It can be in the bars of Metro Manila or in Boracay, or just a simple get-together in a Filipino home. One thing that will not be absent from every party is the karaoke machine, which has been the center of every occasion due to the Filipino love for singing.