My experience traveling the Philippine Islands for five weeks with personal suggestions
I recently got the amazing opportunity to travel to the Philippines with my mother for five weeks. It started out with a phone call I received from her in September. Something like, "Jasmin, I'll be gone from the end of October to the beginning of December, I'm going to the Philippines". Just days later, after thinking about how much I would enjoy accompanying her, my boyfriend Wesley suggested I go on the mother-daughter trip. Woo, way to go Wes! I called my mom, told her the idea, and bought a plane ticket. Now this place is important to my family history-- it's the place my mom grew up and spent the first twenty-five years of her life, the place my dad went to, to seek adventure in his twenties, leading to my mom and dads' union, and the place that I was born in and spent the first three months of my life.
I was very excited to journey to this beautiful part of the world! Below is how I spent my time in the P.I. and what I would suggest doing if you plan on venturing there yourself.
Our Trip Layout
The first few days of the trip were spent in Manila, exploring what the city had to offer. After Manila, we headed to Olongapo, and then to the Island of Samar, near the township of Catarman, where my mother's side of the family lives. A week later, we took a bus back to Manila to catch our flight to Busuanga/Coron Palawan. That was a place, I would love to revisit someday. We spent the remainder of our time in Samar, meeting with family and my mother's friends before we returned to Manila, to return home to Minnesota.
Coron and Busuanga, Palawan
Manila and Samar Island
Places I recommend visiting in the Philippines
Coron and Busuanga, Palawan
Busuanga is the northernmost island of the province, Palawan, located west of the P.I. Busuanga is divided into two districts, Coron and Busuanga. Palawan is one of the most touristed places along with the island of Boracay. After visiting Palawan, I understood why. I booked a resort called Cocovana on Airbnb before we arrived. They happened to have an airport pickup option. We chose to do a tour on the Coron side of the island. There were many different boat tours that visited various small islands scattered nearby. Our tour visited Malcapuya, Banana, and Bulog Dos island. We enjoyed grilled fish and crabs for lunch, snorkeled above the coral reefs, and took in all of the amenities that those three little islands offered. The next day, we hunkered down at our resort tucked away in the palms. It was the perfect place to open up a book in a hammock right above their spring water pool, and enjoy a mango shake from their amazing kitchen. Our last full day on the island, we spent on a tour of Black Island on the Busuanga side. There, we explored some small caves, and snorkeled all day. It was the perfect way to conclude our time on Busuanga/Coron.
Manila and Samar Island
When I first arrived to Manila at the start of our trip, I was immediately shocked by the chaos and density of the city. It is the capitol of the Philippines located on the Island of Luzon. It's very different from a large classic city in the U.S. There are many motorcycles and lots of public transportation, such as tricycles, taxis, and open backed buses called Jeepneys.
Manila is also home to the Philippines' largest mall, the Mall of Asia. We visited the MoA a few times whenever we were in the area. The food was exceptional and the little details put into the establishment were awesome to witness, like the huge Christmas tree near the food court and the iconic globe just outside. They even have a Ferris wheel! Another unique shopping plaza worth going to, just to see is the Venice Grand Canal mall. It is a mall that was built to mimic Italy's Venice. We rode the gondola boat around the mall and it was worth the stop.
While heading to Samar from Manila, we stopped and spent a couple of nights in a city called Barito, it was very close to Olongapo City. Upon arriving in Samar, we met a couple of family members and spent most of the time in the family home. It was an experience to remember. Getting to see their daily life and how different it is compared to mine in Minnesota, was very cool. They eat a lot of fresh seafood. They do a full pig roast for parties and they call it lechon. They sing karaoke regularly which was very fun to be around. The most touching thing was how kind and loving they were. It was really such an amazing experience.
Places I Recommend Visiting in the Philippines
From Manila to Olongapo, to Samar, to Palawan, our trip was complete! Spending five weeks in the Philippines would look a lot different for someone who is not meeting relatives there. I enjoyed my experience and would have liked to visit more places if I could have. Palawan was incredibly beautiful. Going back would be a dream, there is so much more to explore in Palawan like the island right below it. Boracay is the other heavily touristed island that I heard a lot about during my stay. Biri Island, is another beautiful island that is accessible by boat from Samar, it is home to a famous rock formation and a beautiful pink sand beach. If you do get the wonderful chance to visit the P.I. I would take it.
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