This is my entry to @mrnightmare89’s contest which can be read here.
It is undeniable that Philippines is a breathtaking place for nature lovers. This country is blessed with natural wonders that we can call it a paradise.
When I was young, I always dream of traveling to different places. I am fascinated whenever I saw different provinces of the Philippines that were featured in television, magazine, and books. So, growing up, being in those wonderful places are always part of my imagination.
I was 15 when I first traveled outside Cebu. I was living with my aunt before and they brought me with them when they decided to visit Manila. Stepping inside the airport and riding an airplane was a dream come true!
When we were in Manila, we visited a few tourist spots and the experience was truly memorable for me.
After that, I was not able to travel for years because I just focused on working while studying. But I kept a promise to myself – that I will be able to travel around the beautiful parts of the Philippines someday. It is undeniable how amazing our country is in terms of natural wonders such as beaches, caves, mountains, volcanos, etc. No wonder why our tourism sector has boomed for years.
It was after I got a stable job when I started to travel around Cebu and other parts of the Philippines. In this blog, I will share the wonderful places in the country that I have been to.
I am a Pure Cebuano. I was born and raised in Cebu. Ever since I got a stable job, I have been wandering to different parts of Cebu. But I know that I only traveled more or less 30% of the tourist destinations and I’m sure that there are destinations that are yet to be discovered in this province.
I’ve got more travel stories to tell, so I’m keeping those on my next blogs. Anyway, let me share a glimpse of my travel experiences outside Cebu.
Other Visayas Province That I Have Travelled
BOHOL
I visited Bohol twice already. In my second visit, I was with my whole family and family friends. We went to famous tourist spots and enjoyed our family bonding in every destination. We only spent 2 days in Bohol but the fun was all worth it. My boyfriend and I planned to return to Bohol and travel to those other destinations that we were not able to visit.
PARASAN ISLAND, DARAM, SAMAR
This is where my mother was born. After 30 years of being away from her hometown, she was able to return together with us. She felt unexplainable happiness that day.
The island was isolated, and it took us around 1 hour riding a motor banca to get there from Catbalogan City. The life there is quite difficult because they do not have access to clean water. The people need to get to the other side of the island through a small banca and have to climb a hill to get water from a stream. It is the same water that they use to drink, cook, shower, wash clothes and dishes, etc. But although life is difficult, you can see that the locals are happy and smiling – well, that is what Filipinos are – we still smile amidst life’s challenges.
NEGROS OCCIDENTAL (Around Famous Tourist Spots in the Province)
I’ve got the chance to visit Negros Occidental before attending our professional organization’s mid-year convention last year. It was my first time traveling solo! I was so excited about traveling alone wherein I’ve got the chance to trust myself more. LOL!
We went to the famous tourist spots in the province in which we enjoyed it. Although we have noticed that transportations are a little bit pricy especially if the drivers noticed that you are a tourist. I don’t know if this is their policy or we’re just unfortunate being taken advantage of. Anyways, we enjoyed our 2-day vacation there by traveling and eating their delicious delicacies.
ILOILO
I went to Iloilo last year to attend 69th IECEP Mid-Year Convention – a 2-day convention and a half-day plan tour. It was my first time attending such a professional convention. My professional license was already expired, hence, I need to earn 45 CPD points for me to renew my license. So, I decided to attend the convention to earn CPD points, learn from discussions, and to gain more knowledge about our profession.
I stayed in Iloilo City for 4 days and during those days, I was all alone. Being alone didn’t bother me at all because I find peace when I’m all by myself.
What I love Iloilo City is that I always felt secure roaming around the streets. People are friendly and are willing to help you whenever you ask them destinations that you want to go to. Streets are also very clean which I find amazing. My boyfriend mentioned that Ilonggos are well-disciplined. He used to visit Iloilo when he was still working on a ship.
I will be writing a separate blog regarding my travel to Iloilo because I don’t want to keep this entry very long.
One and Only Mindanao Province that I’ve Travelled: Camiguin Island!
We went to Camiguin Island with my ex-workmates last September 2017. One of our colleagues lives in Camiguin Island so she invited us to visit their place. She was our tour guide and she brought us to the different famous spots on the island.
I remembered how drained I was when we were traveling. I was sleeping in most of our road travels and will just wake up whenever we reach every destination. Well, it’s not new to them because I’m always sleepless whenever we are traveling. It’s just that I won’t sleep the night before the travel because I am afraid that I’ll wake up late if I sleep. So that’s my routine every travel with colleagues.
We enjoyed every destination and made a strong bonding in those places. It was like a team-building for us.
I wish I could visit more amazing places in the Philippines. I want to travel at least half the country before I travel abroad – that’s one of my goals.
Traveling to different places makes me love this country more! It made me see how marvelous our country is. By wandering in those places, I’ve seen different traditions, heard different dialects, tasted different delicacies, yet felt the same joy of being able to cherish those experiences! After this ECQ, when travel is possible again, I’ll surely continue to wander and explore this beloved country. As they’ve said, it’s truly MORE FUN IN THE PHILIPPINES!
Thank you for our awesome badges, bearone. :)