Chronicles Of A Chic Traveler: The Philippines



A few months after I went to Dubai  I was ready for The Philippines. My parents had visited the country and only had high praises so I decided to visit it myself.
 Manila And Surrounding Cities
I stayed 5-star The Peninsula Manila and was definitely awed by their amazing service and the fantastic fountains. Not sure what my parents had so raved about Manila but the traffic jams kinda made the trip unimpressive. I was stuck in traffic for an hour or so trying to reach the Mall of Asia from my hotel. But once in the mall, I forgot about my frustrations as I got lost in the many boutiques and shops that I almost hit the limit on my credit card that very day.
I didn't really have a fixed itinerary so I was thankful that there was a travel agency in the mall. The guy recommended tours to Boracay and Palawan so I took them but I also got a last tour to Ifugao because I like the poster of the rice terraces they had.
 Boracay
The island was amazing. The sand was the whitest I have ever seen though I am no expert to sand and beaches. The beach was soft and felt nice on your feet. The sunsets were also amazing that now I do wish I was with a handsome millionaire who just swept me off my feet. What I liked most about Boracay were the sand sculptures that were really quite wonderful. I watched the people create the masterpieces from scratch. Amazing!
 Palawan
The beaches were as beautiful as the ones in Boracay but I like Palawan better because it was less crowded. I also love the tours to the many islands in the immediate vicinity though I wish I could have seen close up the disputed islands called the Spratlys. What we did visit were a series of underground rivers that offered amazing ceilings that make cathedrals look less stunning.
 Ifugao
The heat of Palawan and Boracay were tolerable but when we reached Ifugao, I was ready to kiss my guide. The cool temperature was so familiar to my skin that for a moment I thought I was already back home. The region was also beautiful though primitive by most standards. The people were short but wore colorful clothing. I especially love the tour of the Banaue rice terraces. More impressive it became when the guide told us that the terraces were actually painstakingly made and maintained by hand!
 I was in the Philippines for less than 2 weeks but I definitely will place this in my list of places to visit again in the future.

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