by Jerome Espinosa Baladad

Created on: August 16, 2009   Last Updated: July 05, 2011

Having lived mostly in the Philippines until his late 30s, this author desires to share his first-hand know-how 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 always hearing about the country mostly in a negative light.

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 (as chances are, you will arrive by plane as it is the easiest, fastest mode of transport to reach the Philippines) after learning that the Philippines is not directly linked by land or by any bridge to mainland Asia?

1) It has in its over 7,000 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"). 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").  Within the said lake can be found the world's most smallest active volcano. There 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,' which is only found in this lake.

c) Amanpulo ("Garboesque Isolation on a Private Isle"). Imagine yourself basking under the sun and enjoying tropical fruits in 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' very numerous islands. The biggest of the island is Luzon, the world's 17th largest island, where Metro Manila, the national capital region that hosts Manila and among the world's densely populated cities. Mindanao, the second biggest Philippine island, hosts Davao city where you can visit a world renown research center on the 'Monkey Eating Eagle,' one of the world's most elegant and largest eagles. Cebu, considered among the Philippines' major cities, is found in the island bearing the same name, which has strong reputation for entrepreneurship. Foreigners have even mistaken it as a separate country and not being

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