Travel Dust

A friend asked me this question over brunch last week and all I could say was,

It depends on what you want to see. Beach? Mountains? Fields? hahaha. What do you want to do?

But I honestly don’t know what to say to such a vague question about a country with 7,107 islands. So I guess here’s my list of places that would be nice to visit, though I haven’t been to all of them and would love to go there. In no particular order from North to South:

1. Batanes - They have FOUR seasons - yes, there’s winter in some areas of the Philippines. They are a UNESCO heritage site or should I say heritage group of islands. They’re culturally and ecologically rich. And it’s one of my dream destinations! photos (clockwise) via scubadivephilippines, travelmonologue, wandering angel, and bong bajo
2. Ilocos Region - UNESCO heritage houses from the Spanish colonial times are in Vigan. Their food is amazing. They have sand dunes, white sand beaches in Pagudpud, wind farm along the beach, and an ancient light house to go with the centuries old churches and ruins. 
3. Cordillera Mountains - Home of the Banaue Rice Terraces and the Hanging Coffins in Sagada. Waterfalls, caves, cool misty mornings, hikes on mountain peaks, limestone cliffs, and the smell of pine with indigenous/tribal food like the pinikpikang manok (hammered chicken) and their mountain coffee cannot be missed. They also have white water rafting.
4. Baler, Aurora - One of the top surfing spots in the Philippines. It’s also the town where the Siege of Baler took place - Spanish soldiers sieged a fortified church during the Philippine Revolution and continued to do so for a year despite the loss of Spain in the war d/t lack of communication with their government and military. If you’re not into surfing they also have trekking at Calauan Falls.     photo via lokalsoul
5. Zambales Province & Mount Pinatubo - Another beach destination with camping, surfing - for beginners - trekking at coves, and tree top climbing and zip lining. Adventure tourism is clearly on the rise. But, it’s one place where you can say “I’ve swam inside an active volcano’s crater.” BAM! Plus, the province is only 2 hours outside of Metro Manila.
6. Bicol Region - It’s a region of sleepy towns where locals surf - yes, again - wake board, eat spicy food, have a volcano with a perfect cone as their backdrop, keep to themselves an amazing national park, camp at a pristine beach, let Survivor France film on one of the limestone islands, relax in hot springs, swim with whale sharks, and hosts one of the biggest festivals in the country - the Peñafrancia Festival. It’s a lovely region, just don’t go there during typhoon season. They get hit the most often in the country. Did I also mention it’s one of the cheapest regions to visit in the Philippines? :D  

To be continued…

A friend was contemplating on “what ifs” if she stayed back home instead of trying out living in another country. It also made me think of “what if” I stayed back home in 2009. I would definitely be more stable in my career, finances, and life in general, but I would’ve missed out on a lot of travels, self-discoveries, experiences, and people. I also think that I would still have gone out of the country anyways to do my Master’s. No regrets despite my current instability. This too will pass. Je ne regrette rien.