Life is here!

Naked Island in Siagrao

In the Philippines, each island has its own interesting things, but they all have one thing in common: a paradise for parties and to immerse yourself in the beautiful nature. I still remember Siagrao, a small teardrop in the middle of the Pacific Ocean among more than 7,000 islands of this country and one of more than 2,000 inhabited islands of a country with nearly 119 million people. I will never forget the mornings when I woke up in a bungalow in the middle of the sea, the waves crashing against the pillars of the house, and I could not resist the charm of the blue sea and jumped in to swim freely. Of course, the surfing lessons at one of the most beautiful surfing areas in the world, Cloud 9, are still in my mind. And I still remember the surprisingly delicious and cheap durians in Davao, only about 50 pesos/kg (about 1 USD - 25,000 VND)... So, if you come to the Philippines, you will have many things to miss about this land like me!

Many choices in island paradise

It is rare to find a place where you can see the clear blue sea to the bottom, from Cebu, Boracay, El Nido to the capital Manila with bays welcoming romantic sunsets. And, it is difficult to find any beautiful words to describe the beauty and wonder of the diverse attractions in those seas. For example, Davao - the southernmost island of the Philippines, is also one of the largest cities in the world . Although located entirely in the hot tropics, the climate here is cool all year round. In the middle of Davao is Mount Apo, 3,412m high - the highest in the Philippines, where the world's largest eagle with a wingspan of more than 2m soars next to the crocodile park. Another interesting stop in Davao is the chocolate museum for those who love cocoa. People in Davao often say "Life is here" and it is really true if you set foot here once.

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The Philippines is considered a paradise for water sports.

The Philippines has all the types of experiences that tourists want to experience. The beaches are always ranked among the most beautiful in the world with abundant sunshine, smooth white sand, green coconut forests and perfect service with the friendliness and environmental awareness of the people. This is a paradise for those who love to lie on the sand or enjoy thrilling activities such as surfing, fishing, diving. You want to trek, climb mountains, cycle, windsurf, kayak, archery... all can be done in the mountains (even dormant volcanoes), primeval forests, lakes, streams and waterfalls. Thousands of resorts and homestays with beautiful landscapes, blending with nature but at affordable prices, are the ideal place to escape the noisy world, find a quiet corner for yourself.

My diary

The Philippines has given me many experiences. I still remember the feeling of riding a jeepney around the streets of Manila, stopping by a church, or enjoying the vibrant traditional Spanish dances of the past. Sometimes, I still reminisce about the moment I immersed myself in the “teardrop in the ocean” – a lake located on the coast that people still call Magpupungko tidal pool. It is like the state of sea water being trapped at low tide, creating a natural pool that stretches hundreds of meters with cliffs and countless small holes, like a large jacuzzi, where turquoise sea water flows into it for clown fish to swim around. Magpupungko is like an infinity pool and is surprisingly clean. Visitors are not allowed to bring plastic food bottles or smoke on the island. Here, there is absolutely no trash but instead seaweed reefs that I can easily see with every step I take. Face down in the pond, I was really excited to watch the clown fish swimming around. I really understood what the “being one with nature” experience was like.

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Davao is known as one of the largest banana granaries in the world.

I spent a whole day pampering myself by catching the sunrise and practicing surfing, ending when the sunset had dyed the entire Cloud 9 area golden. The next day was an island hopping trip with my friends on unique 3-legged boats through many different islands and bays. Even the seawalker game was like a real walk on the seabed, where you just need to reach out and you can "catch" a school of colorful fish. Each coral reef is beautiful as well as the amazing view of the sunlight shining on the sea surface. We also spent time visiting Hijo - an organic farm of nearly 1,000 hectares, formerly a banana plantation exported to Japan since 1969. By 2012, Hijo became an ecological area, preserving the entire natural landscape combined with organic agricultural production. Here, they specialize in growing bananas and coconuts, and there are many tours of rivers and primeval forests. This is considered the first eco-agritourism site in the Philippines. Organic banana farms for export stretch for dozens of kilometers, stretching out to the coast and are known as the “Fruit Capital of Asia”.

In the small homestay under the coconut trees, the warm candlelight with a light scent emanating from the corner of the room mixed with the scent of essential oils. Outside, a few small crickets were singing softly. I flipped through the notebook I always carried with me to quickly jot down a few lines of emotion... Cebu, Coron, El Nido, Davao, Siagrao, Palawan, Manila... with a bit of nostalgia... Philippines!

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