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Having lived mostly in the Philippines until his late 30s, this author desires to share his first-hand know-how, with a smile and certain trepidation, to meet your needs in drawing up your travel plans to Asia. Your travel will certainly become more memorable if the Philippines is included in the list, despite the admittedly typical negative media fed regularly to most readers and researchers.

Why include the Philippines in your next travel itinerary to Asia, or to your list of travel destinations in the future? And why bother to shell out additional fare (chances are, by plane, as it is the easiest, fastest mode of transport to reach the Philippines), as the Philippines is not directly linked by land or by any bridge to mainland Asia? A variety of reasons comes easily into mind, and they include (not necessarily rank according to importance):

1) It has in its over a thousand islands the world's best natural attractions. A perusal of Patricia Schultz' book "1,000 Places To See Before You Die (A Traveler's Life List)" lists down at least three (3) must-see travel destinations:

a) the Banaue Rice Terraces ("Earth Art, Millennia Old") - yes, they have been around even before historical records were written down, and they are still in active use in cultivating rice up to now.

b) the Taal Volcano ("A Lake Within a Volcano Within a Lake Within an Island"), - imagine that within the said lake can be found the world's most smallest active volcano. There even used to be man-eating crocodiles until the turn of 20th century. You will also enjoy, if you have the chance, to enjoy a meal made up of the world's smallest freshwater fish, the "sinarapan," that is only found in this lake.

c) Amanpulo ("Garboesque Isolation on a Private Isle") - imagine basking under the sun, enjoying tropical fruits, in the one of the world's most exclusive beach resorts facing China Sea, in a location that reminds you of the Philippines before the arrival of Westerners to its shores.

2) Come to visit and linger on in any of the Philippines' 7,100 islands. The biggest of the island is Luzon, the world's 17th largest island, where Metro Manila, the national capital region that hosts Manila, the national capital and among the world's densely populated cities. Mindanao, the second biggest Philippine island, hosts Davao city, where you will visit, among other places, a world renown research center on the "Monkey Eating Eagle," one of the world's most elegant and largest

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