It’s not easy to get around the country, sure, but when you do…
By Marky Ramone Go, Manila Bulletin
The film The Beach invigorated the backpacking culture, but very few people knew that the inspiration for Alex Garland’s novel The Beach was really El Nido, Palawan, where he lived for several months. Since the novel was set in Thailand, the immediate pop culture result was the sudden recognition of Khao San Road in Bangkok as the starting point of the “Banana Pancake Trail”—a term given to expanding routes around Southeast Asia frequented by travelers. These backpackers, mostly young people on gap years, start their journey in this festive street lined up with bars and hostels before crisscrossing mainland Thailand and unto bordering countries such as Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore with most of them skipping the Philippines.
This comes with a huge upside because it marks our beautiful nation in the off-the-beaten-path category that showcases still-pristine beaches and nature setting with less touristy crowd. This also gives us enough time to set up proper infrastructures and responsible tourism guidelines in place before we see an uptick in traveler arrivals. As we promote our country we must also make sure we practice being responsible voyagers.
As a traveler who has visited my own share of domestic and international destinations, I can say that wandering around our country still gives me the most thrills as I slowly discover my own land with the same probing eye and wonder as I do so when engrossed in foreign cultures. Ours is diverse in its own myriad of ways—gifting us with a visual feast that shifts from every beautiful conceivable form to another. From mountains to islands to quaint little towns highlighted by a colorful set of regional traditions and tasteful delicacies, it makes traveling in the Philippines more interesting because of the varied offerings to our senses as we trudge along each of our 81 provinces.
So why should one go backpacking in the Philippines?
I remember one Canadian traveler asked me this question. She quizzed me if we have the ancient temple ruins of Cambodia, Myanmar, Indonesia, and Thailand. While I answered in the negative,I followed it up with a series of positive characteristics of the Philippines that appeal to travelers of all kinds. I can’t remember how the rest of our talk went but looking at her Facebook images a year later, I could see that she enjoyed her time here in the Philippines much so that she extended her stay for a couple of months.
Let me show you just a few of the many photographic reasons why one should definitely go.
Stunning rock formation, created by the unforgiving waves of the mad seas that surround the Philippines for thousands of years, litters most shorelines and this one from Biri Island is just one of the five gigantic nature-carved rock hills on the island that delight visitors to no end. Natural pools filled with crystal clear waters and hilly greens perfect for camping circles each of these rock formations.
Off-the-grid islands such as this one called Calaguas are too many too visit all in a lifetime. Walk over blinding white and ultra-pure sands.
And another one example is the White Island sandbar off the coast of another island called Camiguin. Even better news is the fact that when you hop from one boat to the next from Luzon to Visayas and to Mindanao you will realize how these stunning islands become typical sightings.
The island province of Palawan boasts of a magnificent shoreline stretching to about 1,931 kilometers and is dotted with more than 1,780 islands and islets, limestone coves, hot springs, majestic lakes, and fine-white sand beaches. It also possesses a vast land of virgin forests that encapsulate its chain of mountain ranges. A full range of activities from mountain climbing, scuba diving, snorkeling, kayaking, and beach bumming to anything related to island living awaits visitors in this pristine island province regarded by many travel publications as among the best in the world.
When you’ve had enough beaches and are tired of the island life, you can cool off in the highlands, where snaking mountain ranges offer marvels of the lush forest and natural attractions, such as waterfalls, lakes, and rolling hills as far as the eye can see.
And a natural environment serving home to a lush set of flora and fauna for you to fully enjoy what Mother Nature has to offer, including hundreds of waterfalls and lakes scattered all over the archipelago.
Not to mention mountain peaks, volcanoes, and lakes.
Big cities all over the country such as Manila may present you with a sensory overload, causing at first, a fit of annoyance because of the large population and the unforgiving street activities, but once you scratch off the surface one will discover hidden gems in every nook and cranny. Classic architecture visible on Spanish colonial churches and post-colonial homes produces a throwback vibe downtown in many provinces.
Along the way while shuttling from one spectacular nature location to another you will pass by charming little towns offering a glimpse of the simple life in the countryside that best typifies the hospitality of the Filipino people. Indulge in the many colorful traditions and cultures by immersing with the locals sampling home cooked delicacies and merrymaking at the numerous festivals celebrated throughout the country all year long.The list of reasons go and on and on. So, next time you meet fellow travelers on the road abroad,why not initiate a conversation by suggesting them to visit the Philippines and if they asked you why, be prepared to engage in a long tête-à-tête because there’s a lot of wonderful things to say about our country.
