Page 34 - Explore Spring Summer 2019

THE VERY MANY CHARMS

OF THE PHILIPPINES

When I set off for the Philippines, I didn’t really have a clear idea of what it restaurants and the shopping mall are located, but it is also very busy. My
was going to be like. I knew there were nice beaches and great diving, but recommendation is to stay in Station 1 which is less crowded and quieter,
little else. What an amazing experience it turned out to be! and walk or take a tricycle (motorised rickshaw) to Station 2. We had a great
Philippine Airlines flies direct from Auckland to Manila three times a week. snorkelling day trip on Boracay and saw right around the island.
I was pleasantly surprised with the amazing in-flight service and the trip Next was the city of Cebu, 442km to the south-west in the central
was certainly comfortable. The flights leave late in the evening New Philippines. Cebu is the second city of the nation and was the first Spanish
Zealand time and arrive first thing in the morning Philippines time, which settlement and long-time capital until President Marcos transferred the
sets people up well to transit through Manila and go straight on to their seat of government to Manila in 1976. Cebu has a nice feel to it and we did a
chosen destination. You have to overnight in Manila on the return journey craft and food tour which culminated in a stop at the home of Rachel Choa,
as the flight departs very early, so don’t worry that you will miss out on the "Chocolate Queen". The Philippines is an important regional producer
seeing this vibrant city. of cacao beans and chocolate products and this is an amazing stop that I
The Greater Manila area has seven different cities within its boundary and highly recommend to anyone visiting Cebu. Another tip: there is a lovely
is home to 24 million people. The main tourist areas are Makati, which is beach area near Cebu Airport on Mactan Island.
the financial district, and Manila City itself, which is on Manila Bay. There
is a great boardwalk along the bay which is being cleaned up by President Our final stop was Bohol Island, 75km south of Cebu. To me, this was the
Duterte and it's the perfect place to watch the most beautiful sunsets. highlight of the trip. The sand is not as fine as Boracay's but the island is a
Another thing to be said about Manila is that it's a shopper’s paradise. The lot quieter with beautiful beaches and clear water. There is a lot to see on
Mall of Asia – the fourth largest in the world – is located here and stretches Bohol Island including the famous Chocolate Hills which are a great place to
for more 1 km with over 1,000 shops. view the surrounding areas, and a visit to the Tarsiers Sanctuary. These cute,
insect-eating nocturnal animals with huge eyes do not thrive in captivity, so
Our next stop was Boracay, 315 km south of Manila in the western Visayas the sanctuary is the only way to see them.
region. The President shut this island down for six months in 2018 to clean it
up, and it is looking amazing. The beach sand is the finest sand I have seen As you can imagine, I left the Philippines as a convert to its many
– it feels like talcum powder, and it is always cool to walk on. White Beach, attractions. In addition to its natural beauty and friendly people, this
the largest and most popular tourism district, is divided into three areas or country of over 7000 islands has a rich and amazing history that includes
stations, the name originating from the times when boats brought tourists former eras of Spanish and American rule. It is also a great alternative Asian
directly to the beach from the mainland. Station 2 is where most of the bars, beach destination!

Tracey Bluck, Senior Travel Professional at helloworld Travel Mount Maunganui
is a convert to the very many attractions of the Philippines.

32 HELLOWORLD TRAVEL : EXPLORE : SPRING/SUMMER EDITION