10 Reasons To Visit The Philippines

POSTED JUNE 29, 2017

If you have not visited the Philippine Islands, what are you waiting for? The Philippines has over 7,000 islands to choose from. You will find very affordable accommodation all over the islands and the food is over the top! It is such an inviting place, ideal for relaxing in secluded beaches  or getting an adrenaline rush with the many extreme and fun activities available at very affordable rates. It is no doubt that “It’s More Fun in The Philippines!” Also, there are many places that have not been discovered by the majority of the public and is slowly been introduced in by advertising. For example, the Kawasan Falls located in Matutinao. Go check it out! You’ll be amazed as well.

 

1. The Food Is Amazing

Filipinos love their food and are passionate about sharing it. During family gatherings, Filipinos cook large amounts of food for family style serving. The Spanish, Chinese, Malaysian and other cultural influences, the abundance of seafood, and island fruits and vegetables aid in creating amazing dishes. Filipinos have created an extensive and flavorful cuisine. Our favorite dishes include lumpia, chicken adobo, empanadas, pancit, palabok, bangus, longganisa, and sinigang. The islands also offer the most exquisite desserts ever made out of tropical fruits and coconut. Halo-halo, leche flan, ube ice cream, pitsi-pitsi are among our top favorites. You will find affordable restaurants all over the islands and you will not go hungry.

 

2. Great For Exciting Adventures

If you’re an adrenaline seeker, then you have to visit these amazing little islands that have not been widely explored. Cave adventures such as Sumaging Cave in Sagada and Callao Caves in Cagayan Province are extreme and fun activities that you will forever remember. If cave diving is in your cup of tea, well, they have that too! Hannah’s Zipline in Pagudpud has a long and fun zipline that hangs over the beautiful blue lagoon. This is also the longest zipline over water in the whole world. You can also find water sports such as scuba diving, snorkeling, surfing, and water rafting in many of the islands. We highly recommend all of these adventures!

 

3. The Locals Are Warm And Friendly

Look for a Filipino that is not willing to help you out in any way and you won’t find one. That’s because caring and being family oriented is in their genes. All Filipinos are even willing to welcome you into their house with open arms. They’ll even point you in the right direction if they can’t fully understand everything you intend to say or they’ll find someone who will.

 

This actually happened to us when we were visiting Alaminos. We arrived late in the afternoon to the area looking for a hotel since we had spontaneously decided on this trip last minute. A family insisted on feeding our whole crew of about ten people and invited us to stay over at their house. We slept there, used their cookware, and took advantage of time to relax before planning the next adventure. Due to their generosity, we gratefully gave them a kind gesture in the form of cash. This was one of many similar incidents in which people were nice and genuinely caring.

 

4. There Are Beautiful Places To Explore

Planning your trip to Philippines ahead of time will save you the hassle of figuring out what to do on a daily basis, especially with limited time. As the adventure seeking couple that we are, we created a list that included pictures of the places we wanted to visit. We are so dying to go back to the Philippines to continue exploring other hidden tourist destinations that the Philippines has to offer. We explored the Luzon Island in a month and were able to find a paradise that has not been explored. Palawan, Cebu and Bohol are next on our list.

 

5. The Beaches Are Not Overcrowded

This was one of our favorite things about the Philippines. Sometimes we had the whole beach to ourselves. Puka beach near Boracay was almost empty when we visited with just a few shell vendors waiting for visitors to stop by while island hopping. Mornings and evenings were perfect to walk on the secluded beaches and enjoy the sunrise and beautiful sunsets. The beaches in Pagudpud were also very relaxing and less crowded. If you look, you can find cute little hidden beaches along the way and we hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

 

6. It Is Cheap And Affordable

We stayed in the Philippines for a month and the biggest expense we had was our airfare. Accommodation is very convenient whether you are looking to stay in luxury hotels or more affordable lodging. Either way, prices are reasonable and you can choose where to stay without breaking the bank. Places such as Sagada with low tourism offer cute hotel rooms that are fully equipped for about $5 dollars per night. Transportation is also cheap. We rented a comfortable van to tour the Northern Luzon area for about $300 for less than a week. Lastly, restaurants offer quality meals for very affordable prices. As college students traveling on a budget, we definitely appreciated this!

 

7. You Can Learn Tagalog

The people in the Philippines enjoy when you practice speaking Tagalog. They give you the chance to speak, they won’t judge you, and are happy to see you take interest in learning their language. We were both excited to communicate in Tagalog and found many opportunities to practice.

 

8. You Will Get A Great Tan

No need to pay for expensive tanning salons when you visit the Philippines. The temperature rises over 100 degrees fahrenheit and there are plenty of opportunities to get a tan without even trying.

 

9. You Can Relax

If you’re looking for a place to relax, then the Philippines is the perfect destination for you. You can find secluded and serene beaches in the Luzon island. Moreover, many of the popular beach destinations such as Boracay and Palawan offer massages at the beach for a small charge. There are also many spa service companies that offer 24 hour at-home services including nail care, foot and body massages for a few pesos.

 

10. You Have The Chance To Practice Your Singing

Karaoke is a popular hobby among Filipinos. Almost every Filipino owns or know of someone that owns a karaoke system. During birthday parties and other at-home celebrations, singing is part of the fun. Many bars and restaurants have karaoke and videoke for everyone to sing along to. What better way than to show off your skills than to combine that with alcohol? After all, some say it’s used as a confidence booster. But don’t be shy and give it a try! No one will judge you and you will have a blast!