Travel Destinations
Check out all the wonderful places you can visit in the Philippines! Photo of Iligan copyright © Irene Brion (my aunt). All other photos on this page copyright © Cleo Brion (my mom). Please do not take them without permission.
Bohol
About the Picture: You’re looking at Bohol Tropics, one of the top resorts in Bohol. It has several swimming pools, a variety of restaurants and bars, and it’s right by the beach. The accommodations are wonderful and close to nature.
What to See: Bohol is famous for the Chocolate Hills. They’re a group of hills that look like clumps of chocolate, hence the name. But the best part of my Bohol vacation was when we went to this teeny-tiny island a few miles off the mainland and saw some real live dolphins along the way! We were in this small motor boat and they were swimming just a few feet away from us. They were even jumping out of the water and flipping in the air!
Palawan
About the Picture: That’s an 11-year-old me walking along one of the many pristine beaches in Palawan. Don’t ask why I wore black jeans to the beach, because I don’t know what came over me either. I probably didn’t pack enough shorts.
What to See: There are a lot of great, really clean and unspoiled beaches that you can go to in Palawan. But the highlight of every Palawan trip is the Underground River. It’s actually a river going into a huge cave and you get to ride a boat inside and see all the awesome rock formations.
Guimaras
About the Picture: That’s me sitting at the very edge of a huge rock formation with the ocean right below me. Mom took this picture while standing on top of a taller rock formation several yards away from the one I’m on.
What to See: Guimaras is another small remote island in the Philippines. You could go there just to take a break from city life. You could stay in one of the resorts there where it’s really quiet — just you and Mother Nature. There’s also a monastery and a mountain with a chapel on its peak. Guimaras is famous for their mangoes, too, so you don’t forget to try some while you’re there.
Camiguin
About the Picture: That’s my dad standing in front of a beautiful waterfall. It’s hidden within a mountain so you have to hike 2 kilometers to reach it. But the waterfall’s so amazing (clean, cool, and sooo refreshing) that it’s definitely worth it.
What to See: Out of all the provinces I’ve vacationed in, Camiguin is one of my favorites. It’s a tiny, remote island yet to be discovered by many tourists. Aside from the beautiful waterfalls all over the island, there is also a mountain resort where you can bathe in a hot spring that’s really soothing for all those aching muscles.
Boracay
About the Picture: That’s me at Laurel Island, one of the smaller islands you can visit from Boracay. Laurel’s a great place to visit if you’re in Boracay. There are these little coves you could swim in to hide from the blazing sun.
What to See: Boracay is a long strip of white sand beaches. It’s great for just plain lazing around, you know, lying in the sand, swimming in the ocean, that kind of stuff. If you’re feeling a little more active, you could go island hopping, wakeboarding, and scuba diving. Boracay is one of the most popular tourist spots in the Philippines, so it can get quite crowded, especially during the summer months.
Iligan
About the Picture: That’s my mom and and she’s swimming in Tinago Falls. ‘Tinago’ is the Filipino word for ‘hidden’. It was named that because you have to walk down about 500 (uneven!) steps to reach it.
What to See: We only stayed in Iligan for a day so we really didn’t get to go anywhere other than Tinago Falls. The visit was only a stop-over from Camiguin before going to another province. But it was great visiting Tinago Falls anyway.
Ilocos
About the Picture: That’s one of the gardens in Fort Ilocandia, a resort and casino in Ilocos Norte. It’s a beautiful place with five-star accommodations and a lot of amenities. It’s also right by the beach.
What to See: Also in the Ilocos Region are Vigan and Pagudpud. Vigan is known for its cobblestone streets and old ruins from the Spanish colonial period. A lot of these ruins have been restored and converted to inns, museums, and other establishments. (Read more about Vigan at my journal.) Pagudpud, on the other hand, has great beaches with caramel colored sand.
