My Top 5 Dream Travel Destinations in the Philippines

One of my lifetime goals is to be able to travel from one place to another, get to know their culture and traditions, meet amazing people, and taste local foods.

I am an aspiring traveler, and I'm hoping that one day, I'll get to travel all over the Philippines and to foreign countries.

Of course, to make this dream come true, I have to work hard, save up, and hustle more because it will cost so much money to get to travel to some places in the Philippines and overseas. However, I know for sure that the money spent on these travels will be worth it as I will not just be able to tick some of the places I've listed on my travel goals, but I'll get to explore and learn more of what the world has to offer.

In an article that I published a month ago titled, "#Project81: Philippine Province Bucketlist", I have shared that it is my ultimate dream to visit all the 81 provinces in the Philippines, or at least half of it before I turn 30 years old. As of today, I have only visited 11 provinces (including our province) in the country.

While I dream to travel all over the Philippines, I also have my Top 5 dream travel destinations inside the country that I wish to visit first before exploring other places. Here they are.

1. Palawan

Palawan is an archipelagic province of the Philippines that is located in the region of Mimaropa. It is the largest province in the country in terms of the total area of jurisdiction.

• Palawan is labeled as the best place to visit in the Philippines because it is always listed as one of the best islands in the world, and I want to witness its enchanting beauty right before my eyes.

• This comes first on my bucket list because I love white sand beaches and islands, and clear blue waters and Palawan has a lot of it. This province has a stunning diversity of marine life and shipwreck sites, and magnificent limestone cliffs that are a must-visit especially if you love adventures as I do.

• Puerto Princesa, the capital of the province, is known because of the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park or the Underground River, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was part of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. El Nido is tagged as a tropical paradise due to its fascinating beaches and islands. And Coron is famous because of its shipwreck and crystal clear lagoons.

• Around January last year, I planned to visit Palawan, particularly in Coron, by May or June, just right for my Summer break. I remember I was already inquiring to travel agencies before for the tour and island hopping, but then Covid came.

2. Siargao Island, Surigao Del Norte

Siargao is a tear-drop-shaped island in the Philippine Sea situated 196km. southeast of Tacloban. It has a land area of approximately 437 km². The east coast is relatively straight with one deep inlet, Port Pilar.

• Siargao is known as the Surfing Capital of the Philippines. I got to love this place because of Andi Eigenmann's vlogs on her Happy Islanders channel where she shares their usual life on the island. It's not that I want to visit it to do surfing, (but I'm also looking forward to learning surfing tho), but I want to know how it feels to live on that island even just for a couple of days.

• The Siargao Island has become one of the most sought-after destinations in the world because of its world-class waves, white sand islands, palm tree-laden lagoons, and also a haven for other adventures like cave explorations and rock climbing.

3. Batanes

Batanes is an archipelagic province in the Philippines, administratively part of the Cagayan Valley region. It is the northernmost province in the country, and also the smallest, both in population and land area. Its capital is Basco located on the island of Batan.

• Batanes is called the Home of the Winds, and it has a little bit of everything, from the mountains, the seas, the rolling hills, the food, and it is a haven of harmony and peace, and it gives the taste of a back-to-basics lifestyle.

• Batanes will give a refreshing chill and relaxed vibe all thanks to its rock formations, quaint lighthouses, and wild horses that will roam you around freely in an enormous field.

• I fell in love with the beauty of Batanes because of the movie You're My Boss starring Coco Martin and Toni Gonzaga where they showcased the unspoiled beauty of the place and the peaceful life of the people residing in it.

4. Cebu

Cebu is a province of the Philippines, in the country’s Central Visayas region, comprising Cebu Island and more than 150 smaller surrounding islands and islets.

• Cebu is called the Queen City of the South and it offers a unique travel experience because it is a place where city and paradise meet. Cebu City retains landmarks from its 16th-century Spanish colonial past, including the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño church and triangular Fort San Pedro. Tops, an observation deck on Mt. Busay, has sweeping views over the city.

• Cebu has a lot of wonderful tourist destinations to visit and exciting adventures to try, including Oslob where you can swim with whale sharks, Bantayan and Malapascua Island, the Kawasan Falls (take me here! 🥺), Pescador Island where you can swim with millions of sardines, and a lot more.

• I am a little bit envious of @Jiroshin every time he posts photos of his adventure in Cebu but I'm also looking forward to visiting the place if God permits and Covid is no longer existing.

5. Bohol

Bohol is a province of the Philippines, in the country’s Central Visayas region. It comprises Bohol Island and numerous smaller surrounding islands.

• Bohol is the home of the famous Chocolate Hills that we've read about in our Geography books in Elementary. The same reason why I wanted to see The Rice Terraces of Banaue, I also want to see these hills right before my eyes if they are chocolate-like.

• Not only the Chocolate Hills, but I also want to encounter and meet the smallest primate in the world, the Philippine Tarsier.

• Bohol also offers marine adventures like playing with the dolphins, exploring the coral gardens, or take a refreshing dip at their beaches.

Next on this list are Boracay, Albay, Batangas, La Union, and Pangasinan. The last 2 provinces are just in Region 1 but I haven't explored these places yet even if they are just some hours away from our province.

Anyway, I hope when everything is back to normal or when it's already safe to travel, I get to travel to these wonderful locations here in the Philippines. 🤞