Posted on November 20, 2009 - by Vic

Destination: The Philippines

Ever fantasize about putting your life on hold to travel around the country? That’s what I decided to do. But it took serious planning.

The island journey I undertook was to see the Philippines from a Southeast Asian person’s point of view (100% pure Filipino and unadulterated Ilocano!). I was always faced with reading all these articles and books written by former colonialists as well as travel writers from the west! My goal was to give the readers a new perspective from someone hailing from the region!

I have spent a good couple of years -12 to be exact to see the region – starting from Jakarta, where I was based for the last eleven years straight out of New York. I’ve penciled in an itinerary, which from time to time was changed due to some interesting destination discoveries around the country. There were no blueprints for the trips I undertook. Some where extended trips borne out of official or business trips – what was originally a three day trip was extended to one to two days personal leaves to have a “feel” of the city or town where I was having a meeting or function. The planned trip brought me from the farthest town of the country, Basco, Batanes and its neighboring islands of Sabtang and Itbayat to the cosmopolitan city of Baguio to culturally preserved Cebu and Negros to Zamboanga, Basilan and Davao gateway to our Asian neighbors Sandakan Malaysia and Menado Indonesia were chances that I’d end up somewhere I’ve never considered, like Fuga, Caramoan, Badian and Tawi-Tawi in Mindanao.

If I sound a bit aimless, it’s because there was no grand purpose or point to my journey. The heaviest part of my trip was my luggage and hand carries. I was not out to find myself, or even to loose myself. I was merely seeking a pause in my daily routine.

I was willing to take the risk, professionally – leaving a lucrative and cushy career in public relations consulting. Actually, I didn’t want to get to “65 to do things” I wanted to do. I may not live that long, and I may not want to do them then anyway. I just want a break! I’m single and mobile – this makes it less risky than it would for many other people.

In this blog, I have written an usually wide range of local travel destinations, the expanded gateways of getting to these places – including historical and cultural attractions, and dining information and advice – reflecting the tremendous variety of experiences that the Philippines has to offer.

So therein lies my continuing challenge: keeping you apprised of what’s at the very forefront of Philippine travel while always searching out places in the country where dynamic old world dovetails into the steadily shifting directions of an interesting country.

Good travels!