5 Reasons Why You Should Include the Philippines in Your Travel Bucket List

Pearl of the Orient Seas – The Philippines. Not a lot of people include this country on their travel bucket list. The Wi-Fi is not the fastest, traffic is everywhere especially if you plan on going to the urban areas, and being a country that is near the equator, the Philippines gets hot particularly during the summer period.

Despite those few factors that may negatively affect your stay here in the Philippines, there is still a lot more good than there are bad qualities. The Philippines is an archipelago that consists of 7,641 islands, there are a lot of beautiful beaches that you could visit with your family and friends to enjoy and appreciate what nature has to offer you.

One of the most commonly visited beaches here is the El Nido in Palawan, known for its white-sand beaches this is the perfect place for you to get your camera out and start taking pictures because the view is just stunning! Perhaps this can be the place where you could escape to reconnect with yourself.

This post is not just about the beautiful beaches you could visit here in the Philippines, I am going to try and convince you that my country is more than just that. Here are 5 reasons why you should include the Philippines in your travel bucket list.

1. Exotic Street Foods

If you are a foodie, a food vlogger or a blogger who is looking for some exotic foods to try, the Philippines has a lot to offer you in that aspect of your trip here. First, we have the balut. Balut is a developing bird embryo that is boiled and eaten from its shell. I personally haven’t tried this exotic food yet along with isaw, a barbecued pig, or chicken intestines. The people seem to love it and it is a popular go-to street food of many Filipino’s.

Balut may not sound so appealing now that you know what it’s made of, however, surprisingly, according to research it is high in protein and calcium. A serving of balut contains 188 calories, including 14 grams each of protein and fat, 2 milligrams of iron, and 116 milligrams of calcium (“What Is a Balut Egg”, n.d.). Balut may be a disgusting food that you could ever encounter here in the Philippines but at least it is nutritious.

Another exotic food you could try is the Betute Tugak (stuffed frog). I have never seen one of these exotic food yet in my entire life because it is a Kapampangan exotic dish but apparently, they taste like chicken and it’s really good.

Are you up for some Filipino exotic foods? 

2. Beautiful Sceneries 

As you already know the Philippines has 7,641 islands. It is guaranteed that there are going to be a lot of sceneries that could potentially be an amazing background for your Instagram photos or for your photography portfolio.

Top 10 destinations with stunning sceneries:

• Bohol for its Chocolate Hills and Tarsiers
• Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park
• Vigan for its preserved Spanish colonial and Asian Architecture
• Bacolod for the Ruins of an early 20th-century mansion
• Manila for some Spanish colonial landmarks and museums
• Cebu for the Kawasan Falls
• Coron, Palawan for the Calauit Safari Park
• Laguna for the Sundang Island (You can rent this island!)
• Negros Occidental for the famous Codcod Rice Terraces
• Cebu for the Kandungaw Peaks

These are just some of the exquisite places in the Philippines that you will ever have the pleasure of visiting. Your Instagram followers will surely have a blast with the stunning photos you would be able to produce!

3. Easy Communication 

The Philippines has a long relationship with the English language that began at the turn of the 20^th century with the American occupation of the country (Carpenter, 2016). Most of the people here in the Philippines are literate in English so you don’t have to worry about any language barrier. This makes befriending a Filipino very easy! You will be able to share interesting stories or ask for directions from locals easily. Conversing with a foreigner has never been this easy.

The Philippines is a bilingual country where the English language is taught from the very beginning of your childhood. Usually, English is used for communication and instructions especially at school and at work which means a lot of the books that you would find here are all written in English. Basically, the language has long been established into our daily lives and it became a norm for us that most Filipino’s are literate in English.

4. The Prices are Low

I talk about affordable products like the Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay on Halo Halo that you can afford for as low as 10USD. But with that 10USD you could also order 6 Crispy Chicken Fillet with Rice and Drink at McDonald’s or one large size pizza at Yellow Cab depending on your toppings! 10USD is enough for you to buy your bathroom necessities if you ever forget about them at home and it’s also enough for you to go around the city to explore./span>

Activities under $50

• Ride-All-You-Can at Star City in Manila (PHP490 9USD)
• Museum hopping in Manila (PHP200+ 4USD)
• Visit the Manila Ocean Park (depends on the package)
• The Enchanted Kingdom in Laguna (PHP800 15USD)
• Visit Bato Springs Resort in Laguna (PHP700 13USD)
• Zoobic Safari (PHP486 Adult, PHP416)
• Horse Back Riding in Tagaytay (PHP200+ 4USD)
• Visit the Skyranch in Tagaytay (PHP100 Entrance fee 2USD)

5. People

It may sound cliché, but this list wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t include the people in it. When you come to the Philippines the first thing that you will notice about this country is the people. Filipino’s are widely known for being friendly and accommodating to people of all races. They are respectful towards your culture and ethnicity, provide warm hospitality, and have strong ties with family and religion. Filipino’s will treat you like an old friend once they warm up to you and will even happily tour you around the city for free!

These are just some of the reasons why it’s more fun in the Philippines. The development of my country might be a little bit behind everyone else’s, but we are rich in natural resources, with great white-sand beaches and one heck of a spirit living a positive life no matter the circumstances. I hope I was able to convince you to include my beautiful country on your travel bucket list.

Mabuhay Philippines!

Is the Philippines on your travel bucket list? If yes, what and where do you want to go? If not, why? 

About the author:

Daniella is a Philippine-based beauty and lifestyle blogger of Halo Halo that strives to help others with her knowledge in skincare, organization, and software-related topics such as HTML and CSS.

*All pictures used in this post were provided by the author and used with permission.

Want more posts on the Philippines?
10 Things To Do in Bohol in One Day
Ultimate Travel Guide To The Greece-inspired ‘Fortune Island’ in the Philippines
Photo Trick Shots at Cagsawa Ruins, Albay, Philippines
Why Expats Choose To Retire In The Philippines

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