Tara, Biyahe Tayo!: Top 5 Tourist Destinations in the Philippines.

The Philippines is a wonderful place. It has a lot of beautiful places you could go to. Some people say that the Philippines is a very nice place to spend your vacation. It has this unique characteristic compared to other countries. If you are one of those people who are adventurous, you can go to Palawan’s Underground River or Scuba dive at the Tubattaha Reef. If you want to have time with your family, you could spend time and have a picnic at Luneta. If you want to see famous artists, you could stop by the National Museum to see Juan Luna’s Spolarium. If you want to find a place where you could relax peacefully, Boracay is your one-stop travel galore. The Philippines is truly one of a kind!

5^th: Pundaquit Beach Resort, San Antonio, Zambales

One of the famous beach resorts is located in San Antonio, Zambales. They call it the “Boracay of Zambales”. You’ll have a lot of fun in there. You could go swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, and camping. There is also watercraft rides. Waves in this beach resort are very suitable for surfing. You could visit sights where a lot of sea creatures are in. Also, there is one thing I’m sure you’ll like, ISLAND HOPPING. This is the very highlight of this beach resort. You could go to 3 different islands in one day like, the Capones Island, Camara Island and Anawangin Cove. From the shore, you could really see those three amazing islands. Pundaquit is a beautiful and peaceful place. It is one of the places you should spend your summer into. I have experienced the Island Hopping and it was amazing. From the beginning of the boat ride, you’ll be entertained how the water changes its color from blue to dark blue then blue again. Each island has its own story; it also has its own unique structure. Island hopping is really a must have experience!

Capones Island

In this tourist destination, there are a lot of hotels and inns you could check in to. There is this one hotel there where it is very nice, Sir Williams Lodge & Beach Resort. It’s very affordable. They have friendly staffs, delicious meals, spacious rooms and balcony more than enough for 10. If you’ll just stay here for a day, you can rent a nipa hut, there are different sizes, it depends on how many you are. The employees are very accommodating. They’re very nice and friendly to their valued guests. What I really like about Pundaquit is its fresh air, the breeze coming from the sea, is very refreshing.

Talking about fresh, you can buy fresh seafood and let them cook it for you the way you want it. I remember the time we went there, it was late summer, then we asked them to cook fresh lapu-lapu and sinigang na bangus for us. It might be a little pricey but upon tasting the delicacies, you definitely got your moneys worth.

Pundaquit is a really nice place to have fun and relax.

4^th: Intramuros, Manila

               Intramuros, they say, is the heart of the city. Government offices, businesses, and schools were here during the time of Spaniards. But then when the WWII started, Intramuros was one of the places that was most damaged. In time, Intramuros picked up its pieces and started to go back to business. From Then on, Intramuros became an important piece of Philippine History.

             When I was in grade school, I always learn about Intramuros and ask myself, “What is it like there?” It was last summer, when I experienced the Intramuros Tour by Carlos Celdran. He was very energetic, straight forward and full of humor. I was surprised when a lot of foreigners were there to join the tour. One question popped out my mind, “Is Intramuros that famous?” During the tour, I learned a lot about this place. Like what is it like before, how did it start. And as I learn, I got to enjoy and appreciate the place. In the middle of the tour, you’ll get to decide if you want to ride a carriage or walk to the next location, I chose to walk. I experienced walking on its walls. It’s a little bit tiring but it was worth it. At the end of the tour, you’ll be directed to a famous restaurant there, Barbara’s Restaurant, where you’ll be able to taste their special halo-halo. It was really delicious, aside from the fact that I was tired and thirsty at that time.

                After the tour, I asked my mother if we could have coffee in Starbucks Intramuros. So we went there, and I was amazed on how it looks like. It’s made up of stone walls, formed like a cave. It’s really unique.

              Intramuros is really one of a kind. It is a must have experience. It’s fun and exciting. After this awesome experience, I got to appreciate Intramuros more.

3^rd: Topps, Cebu City

              Topps, is a very popular observation deck that offers romantic views of the city of Cebu. This place is one of the best places there in Cebu. It is about 20 – 30 minute drive from the city. You could rent a taxi or just use your own car in going up there. When your there, you could see the spectacular lights of Cebu and Mactan. You would enjoy the raging wind up there. It will blow up your hair, so I suggest not to wear dresses.

             The look of this place is very nice. It looks really nice. Its main ground is decorated by concrete hexagon form with Bermuda grasses. This place is literally just flat. A very flat surface on top of a mountain. It has snack bars and souvenir shops. For snacks I prefer you bring your own food, because up here the prices were doubled. They sell key chains, wallets, decorations, etc. for souvenir. You could have a family picnic, there are tables and chairs in the covered area, which was designed like rings, tunnel-like structure.

            There is a bell on the side, which where you can wish for something before banging it. A lot of people love to bang it. This place is very suitable for a photo shoot, or if you just want to relax and think. And I remember this is one of the places, “Must Be Love” movie, was taken.

               I can still remember the first time, I went there. I’m with my older sister that time. We rent a cab as transportation and luckily, the cab driver has his discount tickets for this place. So the price went 50% off. It was a really great timing! As we enter, we could feel the raging wind. We really had a great time there. We stayed there until city lights was opened, we watched the sun sets, then one by one, lights started to shine. It was a beautiful moment, wonderful.

             Tops is one of the places, you never want to miss when you’re in Cebu!

2^nd: Fort San Pedro, Cebu

             This one is somewhat alike with Fort Santiago, but a smaller one. This is one of the nicest places you must visit here in Cebu. It was one of their fortresses of the Spaniards here in the Philippines. This is located near the pier. So you could feel the cooling breeze of the air. You’ll never miss this place because it is near other tourist spots, like Sto. Niño Basilica.

              It was last summer when I went to this place with my older sister. It was an unexpected visit. We just want to roam around the city, then we found this place. There’s this spacious park in front of it, as usual, we took some photos. It was really refreshing there, very clean and quiet. After that, we went inside the Fort San Pedro. A lot of people were there, like Koreans and some photographers.

      

                  From the beginning till the end, what we did was take a lot of pictures. As we enter, we saw a lot of posts wherein some facts and its history was written there. Beside the entrance, there’s this blind guy who was playing his guitar and singing. A small park is located inside, a lot of people were taking pictures, that’s why we’ve decided to take pictures before we leave. We went inside a room full of artifacts from the Spanish era, such as paintings, flags, and money. We went higher, I mean we started going up on the 2^nd floor. I was surprised when I saw canons and wooden tables and chairs. As usual, took photos again.  The view up there was very nice. You could view the park outside. It’s just a short walk, what’s keeping that walk long is when you take some pictures and stay in that place for a while.

           I enjoyed my adventure in Fort San Pedro. I really had a great time. And what really made me happy, is that every time I see enjoyment on everybody’s faces, I always thought that, with this kind of place, they feel and bring happiness to others.

 1^st: Kagitingan Cross, Bataan

           Bataan rises tall and proud, with the monuments built to honor the gallantry of the Filipinos who fought during World War II. The Shrine of Valor in Mount Samat also known as the “Dambana ng Kagitingan”.

             Yes, this cross is number one on my list! Aside from its beauty, the thing that I really enjoyed was the road trip. You’ll have to drive up Mt. Samat just to get there, you need an amazing driver for this. Kidding aside, this place is really historical and at the same time, relaxing. It is nice place for family outings and vacations. 

             My family and I went here for vacation, it was after Christmas. And one of the places we visited was the Kagitingan Cross in Mount Samat. It was a challenge for us since we’re new to the place it is hard for us to get directions, that’s why we brought our friend, Google Maps. At first we got lost, but later on, we found the way to get there. It was a really long road trip but it was fun since I’m with my family. And one of the challenges to get to there was the steepness and curviness of the road. It was really fun! In this place, you have to walk to reach the top and see the cross. It is really a huge cross. There are souvenir shops and snack bars up there. The most exciting experience I had is when we got the chance to go up the cross. We used an elevator, they’ll bring us to the top of the cross where in there are windows and chairs. It was windy up there. When you look down you’ll see the whole place, it’s like a miniature from up there. We took some pictures and went down. We went to the museum there, full of artifacts about this shrine and also Bataan. This is a really nice place.

           Kagitingan Cross is the place you must visit here in the Philippines! It’s historical, refreshing, relaxing, and most of all exciting.