Need a break? Check out our list of the top 10 best destination places to go to this summer — whether beautiful beaches or cool, picturesque places — plus, more importantly, step-by-step instructions on how best to get there. Enjoy any one of these prime summer spots!
Summer's Top 10 Travel Destinations Our top 10 recommended destinations to consider this summer, complete with tips on how to get there and find the fun.
Are you tired of the city? Do you want to have some fun in the sun, but without the smog in your face?
The Philippines has 7,107 islands you can explore. There are mountains to climb, fields to tramp through, beaches to wade in, and historical landmarks to reacquaint yourself with.
Whether it's up in the mountains or down by the beach, there's always a breathtaking place you can visit in our country.
Here's a mere sampling of some of the Philippines' top destinations for beach bums and trekkers alike. Pack your jobs, run to the nearest bus station, and enjoy the summer!
Beautiful beaches
Boracay, Aklan
With powdery soft white sand, clear blue water, and gracefully leaning palm trees, Boracay is globally acknowledged as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.
White Beach of Boracay is a 3.5 km stretch of fine sand littered with cool restaurants and bars that serve food from around the world. Boracay is both serene and wild. It's a calm beach during the day and a happening scene at night.
Getting there
There are three ways to get to Boracay:
If you're on a tight budget, the most affordable way to go to Boracay is through the MBRS Virgin Mary from the Port Area. The boat leaves at 5 pm on Wednesdays and Fridays. These are the approximate costs:
Cabin: P1,000
Deluxe class: P600-700
Economy: P500
Be prepared to go overnight for 12 hours with a stopover at Roxas City. The boat stops in the middle of the sea, near Boracay beach. Then, a ferry picks you up and takes you to the island.
On the other hand, the most expensive way to get to Boracay is by plane:
You can take a PAL flight from Manila to Kalibo. The ride from Kalibo to Caticlan is 2 hours. (If you take a packaged tour, this transfer should be taken care of for you.) Take a ferry from the Caticlan boat station to Boracay.
You can also take one of the light propeller-driven planes of Asian Spirit . These planes fly directly to Caticlan from the Manila Domestic Airport. The fare is about P3,000-5,000 roundtrip. The flight lasts for an hour.
Accommodations
The stretch of White Beach is divided into Stations 1, 2, and 3. The high-end beach resorts are on Station 1, while the more reasonable ones are on Stations 2 and 3. Resorts range from five-star hotels to humble cottages. Many of the midrange resorts regularly offer promotional discounts during the non-peak seasons, which are during the months of June to September. Check out the dailies for these discounts. With these promos, you can get to Boracay for around P7,000 including plane fare, transfers, accommodations with amenities, and breakfast for 3 days/2 nights.
Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro
Spanish for Port of Galleons, Puerto Galera is the most popular vacation spot for urbanites next to Boracay. It is the most accessible, relatively relaxing beach from Metro Manila.
The main beach is White Beach, but there are several other beaches like Sabang, Small Lalaguna, and Big Lalaguna. All these beaches are open for a range of activities like swimming, snorkeling, and diving. The best place to go snorkeling is Coral Beach.
Puerto Galera is more than just a beach. One can also trek up to the Tamaraw Waterfalls or climb up Mt. Malisimbo.
The nightlife at Puerto Galera may not be as active as that of Boracay, but the restaurants and bars are fine places for dining and drinking with friends.
Getting there
Take a 2-hour air-con bus ride from Manila to Batangas Pier using the BLTB Bus from Pasay City. The ride costs a little over P110. If you decide to take your car, you can also park it on the Batangas Pier for a daily fee. From the Batangas Pier, it is a 1-2 hour ferry ride straight to White Beach on the MB Brian for P120. There are other bancas that will take you to Sabang where you can take a jeep to White Beach.
Accommodations
Accommodations range from simple bamboo huts to comfortable fully furnished airconditioned bungalows which are reasonable at P800 per room per night. For a 3-day/2-night stay, P4,000 will go a long way for food, transportation, accommodations, and personal use. (Anyone who goes to Puerto Galera should get a relaxing massage by the beach from one of the manangs and come home with a colorful woven friendship bracelet.)
Palawan
Palawan is referred to as the Philippines' last frontier. You can find some of the country's most extensive virgin forest reserves, richest seas, and beautiful landscapes here. Puerto Princesa, the capital, is the center of trade, commerce, and industry, and is the jump-off point for treks. Besides trekking, you can also go diving and mountainbiking. Since Palawan is endowed with rich natural resources, ecotourism is the island's major attraction.
Most of the resorts in Palawan are high-end such as Club Paradise, El Nido, and Dos Palmas, which are wonderful places for honeymooners.
Getting there
Puerto Princesa is Palawan's main point of entry. There are 1-hour-and-10-minute flights twice a day to and from Manila by PAL and Air Philippines.
Shipping lines ply the route to Puerto Princesa from Manila, Iloilo and Bacolod cities. Commercial lines regularly sail between Manila and Puerto Princesa. Inter-island boats sail between Manila a
