- By : Mr. Himmant Anand
- Date: 29-06-2018
- Views : 1805
- [Manila, Philippines]
If you’re looking for a great place to go on vacation, then consider a trip to the Philippines.
How do you ensure that you have the best vacation there? Get a passport, apply for a visa, and get your travel shots. Depending on where you’re coming from, you may also want to make sure that someone back home can send you money in an emergency via money transfer. So, if you’re traveling to the Philippines from the UK, use a service like Ria Money Transfer UK for a quick, easy solution if you need money sent to you.
Why travel to the Philippines?
Many visitors describe it as a fun-loving place with friendly people and perfect beaches. Nature flourishes here, and this is one of the largest island clusters in the world, with more than 7, 000 islands.
What gorgeous sights might you see in the Philippines?
Some wonderful places to visit are Malapascua Island, the Chocolate Hills, and El Nido, a little town on Palawan Island.
1. Malapascua Island
This is a beautiful island surrounded by many other beautiful South East Asia islands. What makes this island special is a combination of things: gorgeous beaches, perfect diving spots, and warm people. The island has some of the warmest, friendliest local people anywhere. You will find yourself chatting with playful children and joining in songs when invited into homes.
2. The Chocolate Hills
What makes the chocolate hills unusual—apart from its name—is that this is a landscape dotted with small, round hills. Although lush and green during the rainy season, the hills turn chocolate brown during the dry season. From the air, the hills look like a box of assorted chocolates.
3. El Nido
Located on Palawan, an island, El Nido is a small town about 6 hours from Puerto Princessa, the island’s capital city. The people are warm and friendly (like everywhere in the Philippines) and highly eco-conscious. In fact, no straws come with any drinks you order at the restaurants to limit the amount of plastic that ends up in the ocean.
Besides being a warm and welcoming place, the coastal town is beautiful because it’s surrounded by limestone mountains on one side and many islands on the other side. It’s the perfect location for diving, island hopping, or swimming in the warm tropical waters. If you snorkel, you’ll be thrilled at the stunning marine life.
What cultural events should take in the Philippines?
Convivial by nature, the people of the Philippines will celebrate almost anything without a quibble. So, there is no shortage of popular cultural events.
But two, in particular, you might be interested in catching are Fete de la Musique and the Pagoda festival.
1. Fete de la Musique
The name means, “a celebration of music.” This annual event attracts musicians from more than 100 nations. The idea of a democratic music fest originated in France. In 1982, the Director of Music and Dance at the Ministry of Culture at the time, Maurice Fleuret, created an event to celebrate music based on the notion that music is everywhere, but concerts nowhere. Consequently, music became celebrated as a free street performance open to everyone—musicians from various genres and music lovers. The idea spread well beyond the borders of France and one of the places the idea flourished was in the Philippines.
2. The Pagoda Festival
This festival is based on a story that ostensibly happened 200 years ago. A woman was drowning in the river that ran across Bocaue when a wooden cross miraculously appeared before her. She embraced the cross and was saved. The founding fathers of Bocaue later recovered the cross from the river. To commemorate this story of the miraculous cross that saved the woman and blessed Bocaue, a pagoda carries the Holy Cross of Wawa, which is considered a replica of the cross that Jesus Christ was crucified on. Originally the festival was cherished only by the local people but it became a huge tourist attraction because of the regally bedecked pagodas.
There is much to see, do, appreciate, and enjoy when it comes to the Philippines. For some people what stands out most is the stunning beauty of the sea sun, and sand, for others, it’s the sheer love of life and graciousness that the people naturally exude.
