I was Sitting in a small cafe within Metro Manila, brewing on a micro-revelation I had just experienced. I was there with a family friend who I usually spend a lot of time with when I’m in Manila.We were out having breakfast to kill some time while my brother and his wife took care of some errands.
The conversation started out fairly typical just catching up on events in each of our lives. The conversation eventually moved towards schooling. She was telling me about her college workload, mentioning that it was becoming increasingly time-consuming for her. So after a few further questions, she explained to me that if she wants to avoid spending the majority of her waking hours sitting in the back of a jeepney stuck in traffic she has to wake up at 4 am in order to attend her college classes which begin shortly after 8 am.
I think she could read the shocked expression on my face, so she reasoned with me why leaving that early was necessary. She went into stories of missing entire classes in her early college days because of traffic. Also being stuck having to squeeze into jeepneys and buses filled way beyond their capacity.
The plague of city traffic engulfing Metro Manila
It turns out that everyday Filipinos within Metro Manila are dealing with the prospect of having to experience daily commute times of several hours in order to get to their workplace each day.
People like my acquaintance are choosing to leave home extremely early hours in order to beat the morning rush. Although this means arriving at your destinations hours ahead of time. The early arrival is a more appealing outcome when you consider the alternative of spending hours in the back of a jeepney.
People do feel compelled to raise the argument alluding to the fact that traffic can be used by Filipinos as an excuse in place of their lack of organisation in their day. Though people having to endure these extreme commute times is a problem which has gone beyond the individual.
I think it’s a safe assumption to say that a large majority of people are not enthusiastic about their work. When you add these commute times into the equation you end up with the result being a very dissatisfied population.
This issue needs to be addressed. Having your day consumed by work and excessive time sitting in traffic is not the recipe for a positive nation.
Unless you’re an avid tourist, particularly fond of visiting Asia, you may not be familiar with Baguio. But those who are familiar with the Philippines will know of the iconic city which is quickly growing in its popularity as a holiday destination.
Located in northern Luzon in the mountain province of Benguet. Baguio City is famous for having a wide variety of tourist locations in a relatively small area. For many people, a trip to Baguio provides a lot to do without the need for those long, exhausting road trips.
The public transport system within the city is cheap and easy to use. This is what makes Baguio is one of the easiest and trouble-free cities to explore in The Philippines.
Because of its elevated position in the mountains, Baguio typically features temperate a few degrees lower than the lowland areas. You’re unlikely to encounter unusually humid weather, which is great if you’re the type of person that doesn’t acclimatise well to the typical conditions found in The Philippines.
That said, you should be prepared for temperatures between 15 to 23C. According to the locals, temperatures can shift quickly from cool to extremely chilly, so you may want to pack some extra clothing.
Rainfall can vary significantly depending on which time of the year you visit. During its dry seasons, between Dec-Apr, you’ll be seeing little to no rainfall. However, between May and November, the city features near constant rainfall. This can significantly affect your exploration efforts, so it’s essential to plan carefully and well in advance.
How can I get to Baguio?
The best way to get to Baguio would ultimately be by private vehicle. Baguio is only ~250km from Manila, if you’re able to travel at night in a private vehicle, the trip can be as short as 3 hours as there is much less traffic on the roads.
There is also a constant stream of buses travelling between Manila and Baguio. I personally took the Victory Liner Express Bus which generally takes 4 – 5 hours to get there. On the way back from Baguio I missed the express bus, so rather than waiting 2 hours for the next one to leave, I just took the standard bus back.
Due to bad traffic conditions and frequent stopping for passengers, this took 10 hours to return to Manila. The express bus is only about ~P200 more expensive than the standard bus, so I recommend prioritising the express bus over the standard. The time saving and extra comfort is well worth the extra money you pay.
For more information on bus departure times, fares and terminal locations directly visit the websites of the Genesis and Victory Liner bus companies.
Baguio – What are the attractions and points of interest?
Baguio Cathedral is lovingly referred to as Our Lady of Atonement Cathedral by the locals. It is a monument with gorgeous architecture and eye-catching design located on top of Mount Mary Hill. The cathedral provides a brilliant view of the entire city from where it stands. Getting to the top does require climbing around a hundred steps. If you’d rather not climb, then there are escalators which will take you right to the top with minimal effort.
Burnham Park termed the mother of all parks’ in Baguio is another popular location set right at the heart of the city. The park’s beauty has transformed its surroundings into a prime piece of real estate, hotly contested on a regular basis. Designed and named after a genius Americas urban planner, Daniel Burnham. Burnham Park is valued by many for providing a peaceful environment isolated from the hustle and bustle of the city. But it also features an amusement park for those looking to enjoy themselves.
My visit to Mines View Park caught me by surprise. I had seen photos of the site before visiting but I still wasn’t really excited about going. I think the problem is a lot of the pictures of Mines View Park rarely do the site justice. The view really is breathtaking, you have a completely unobstructed panoramic view of the rolling mountains of Benguet as well as views of the gold and copper mines – which I was unable to spot.
The Mines View Park viewing deck offers a breathtaking view across the mountainous region of Benguet, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
For those wanting to venture out of the city, you can also go strawberry picking in La Trinidad, Benguet. The strawberry farm is found less than an hour from Baguio City and is surrounded by other attractions such as the Valley of Colours and Mt. Yangbew.
It was surprisingly enjoyable wondering around the plantation with your little basket hunting down strawberries from the farms’ countless plants. Once you are finished the employees will weigh your basket, you then pay based on a certain price per kilo. The farm also had a variety of other strawberry based products including different varieties of strawberry wine
These are not the only popular locations. The Session Road, Camp John Hay and the Baguio Botanical Garden are just some of the stunning sites that you can see in Baguio. The City really is packed full of different points of interest all within a short commute of each other, this is what makes Baguio City one of my favourite holiday destinations.
Best hotels in Baguio
Venus Parkview Hotel
During my visit, I stayed at the Venus Parkview Hotel. I booked the hotel because location looked ideal, right in the heart of Baguio, the rooms also looked modern and extremely comfortable.
The hotel really delivered – the rooms were as nice as I had expected and the staff were extremely helpful and pleasant to deal with. The next time I visit Baguio, I will be returning to Venus Parkview Hotel
The Manor at Camp John Hay
Although I didn’t stay at The Manor at Camp John Hay I did spend some time around the hotel during my visit. The hotel is situated slightly outside of the City, surrounded by the regions signature pine trees as well as having meticulously maintained gardens.
The location of The Manor at Camp John Hay makes it one of the best hotels in Baguio. If you truly want to relax and enjoy the mountain air, this is the place to be.
Hotel Veniz Burnham
For those wishing to travel on a budget, I would strongly recommend Hotel Veniz. The hotel is situated right in the heart of Baguio City meaning you are within walking distance to everything you will need during your stay.
Although the hotel is at a budget price, it is still available to offer all the services you would expect such as wifi, free breakfast, and room service.
If you are after convenience at a low price, I recommend you book a room at Hotel Veniz.
Decent weather, ease of transportation and an absolutely endless list of places to visit make Baguio a must-see for those planning a vacation to the Philippines. Just make sure you time the trip just right to avoid being trapped in a never ending downpour of rain which can turn your vacation into a disaster.
All across South East Asia, you will find a thriving street food culture. Within each country, you will find many unique styles of street food which pay homage to the rich history of the countries in the region.
The Philippines is no exception – street food is deeply embedded in the countries culture and is still loved by many Filipinos to this day.
Like many other countries in the region, Filipinos can be quite creative and experimental in their methods of preparing and serving their street food.
If you’re a tourist in The Philippines, then you should add street food to your list of things to do! First, you have to visit one of the busiest streets in the three main archipelagos in the country. For example, Quiapo in Luzon, Colon street in the Visayas, and San Pedro St in Davao City Mindanao.
Let’s have a look at some famous street food found only in the streets of the Philippines.
Have a quick bite of Kwek-Kwek. It’s one of the most popular delicacies available. It primarily comprises a fried quail egg or chicken egg coated with flour. The flour used in the mixtures has orange or yellow colouring added. When fried, Kwek-Kwek is best eaten with vinegar, sliced cucumber, and sometimes with fresh seaweeds.
Get your chopsticks ready then have a bite of Shumai or Siomai. This is an original Chinese recipe which is embraced as one of the favourite Filipino street foods in The Philippines. This midget dumpling contains meat fillings (shrimps, pork, etc.), and wrapped in a small siomai wrapper. It is best eaten with lemon extract, and some personalised sweet and sour sauce.
The business end of Filipino street food
Ever heard of Adidas? Well, it’s not the referring to the popular sports brand. In Filipino street food culture, despite Adidas or “chicken foot” sounding weird Filipinos still eat this regularly, almost to the level of it becoming an addiction.
The feet are thoroughly cleaned and boiled before being coated in breadcrumbs and fried until its appearance turns golden brown. Its crispy texture and taste make it favourable for the Filipinos to purchase this low-cost dish. When coated with hot and spicy vinegar, Adidas becomes the best way to satisfy your appetite.
Still, unsatisfied with those craving of yours? Well, have a taste of “Bituka ng manok” or chicken intestines. Yes, chicken intestines are definitely edible in the Philippines.
Other countries generally throw away this part of the chicken while in the Philippines it’s a much-loved delicacy.
It is cleaned carefully in boiling water, and marinate with soy sauce, and some salt before frying. While others make grilled intestine along the streets in the country. Its enticing smell while being cooked attracts those passing by. And the taste? It’s slimy, yet satisfying.
Who amongst you would not recognise Fish and squid balls?
This is an internationally known delicacy. In Asia, Europe and other Western countries. In the Philippines, fish or squid balls are more personalised wherein the vendors make their own blend of the dish. Some of the Vendors use fresh grained fish, salt, pepper, and chopped spring onions or scallion before deep frying. How about a taste of this “on-the-spot” fish ball cooking?
Next, let’s try some Buko juice. After indulging in different street food cuisines, a fresh buko juice completes it all. It is made up of fresh coconut water filled with a bit of white sugar, milk and ice cubes to freshen up and satisfies ones thirsts after nibbling some of these common delicacies.
It is amazing how Filipinos enjoyed the simple way of living and embracing their culture with enthusiasm. People around the globe have their unique way of continuing their customs and practices which have been left to them across generations. Retaining something relevant, even as simple as the Filipino street food culture is an excellent method to maintain the broader culture of this nation.
So as you can see Filipinos love to eat. The best thing about it is that their cravings for food and drinks are simple and cheap, but despite this Filipino street food remains extraordinary.
As I’m sure most of you are aware, The Philippines is host to a wide variety of festivals. These festivals are usually in place as an expression of thanksgiving and honour to a patron saint.
Then there is Cebu, which is home to the internationally renowned festival – Sinulog.
Now, for a quick recap:
In the era before Spanish colonisation, the island of Cebu was once known as Zubu. It was primarily inhabited by pagans and Islamic tribes. These tribes established a history of trade with other Asian countries long before the Spanish colonial era.
Sinulog Festival history: Origins of the Santo Niño
Historical records suggest the wooden statue of the baby Jesus was a gift from Ferdinand Magellan to the wife of Rajah Humabon. This was Cebu’s chieftain at the time of Magellan’s arrival to Cebu. The wooden statue, known as the Santo Niño, is still found on the island of Cebu to this day.
It’s kept in a secure location inside the Santo Niño and San Nicholas De Tolentino church. The Santo Niño became the symbol of friendship and the natives’ conversion to Christianity. The Sinulog festival of the Cebuano’s symbolises their unending devotion to the baby Jesus.
In Cebu, it is during Sinulog that the Cebuano’s honour the feast of Child Jesus, Santo Niño. It is believed the Child Jesus protects the whole province from natural calamities and other disasters. The Cebuano’s show their gratitude to Santo Niño through their faith and devotion, especially during its feast day.
The Sinulog experience: Cebu comes to life
While there are about a hundred major festivals in the country, Cebu’s Sinulog is one of the biggest. Filipinos from across the country look forward to this event. Locals work hard to prepare for the much awaited Sinulog Festival and the multitude of tourists that come with it. These tourists travel to Cebu to witness the grand annual celebration set for the 3rd Sunday in January.
The festivity on this premier island in the Central Visayas is divided into two parts – the religious practice and the celebrations.
A nine-day novena kicks off the Sinulog celebration. Millions of Santo Niño devotees from across the country attend the religious activities of the event. In fact, the authorities make it a point that all pilgrims who are struggling financially are accommodated in the Devotee City. It should be noted that most city hotels at this time are fully occupied. Thus, tourists planning to join the Sinulog fun must make their bookings early.
On the first Saturday of the celebrations, devotees wake up early for the Fluvial Procession. Then later in the afternoon the Solemn Procession is held. It is good to know both activities are always well attended despite their early start.
Children celebrating Sinulog festival on the island of Cebu in The Philippines
Cebu immersed in celebration
The streets are crowded with parties all over the city. Celebrities and politicians visit Cebu to be a part of the parade and further celebrations. The event runs for a month with the Grand Parade featuring the street dancing as the highlight.
You may be asking – What makes the Sinulog Festival so Successful?
A significant factor is the faith of the Cebuanos. While, yes, Cebuanos are in the mood to party during Sinulog. But still, the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño is full during the celebration. This means Cebuanos do not forget the real essence of celebrating the feast in the birth of Christ.
Credit should be given to the Sinulog organisers for their efforts in lining up all activities. They take care of security and crowd control – a crucial part of the entire event. The contingents too deserve appreciation for continually improving on their dances, especially considering this is the main feature of the grand aprade.
But really any time of the year, the vibrant culture and scenery of the Philippines is always available for tourists and other visitors. For tourists, to be in the Philippines means to experience a vacation in a land which many call paradise. The country will surely entertain everyone. Especially those who have a love for excitement and adventure.
The country is culturally diverse, with many residents having Spanish, American, Chines4e, and Malay blood. The Philippine seas and beaches are indeed havens of white sands and charming beach houses or villas. The underwater landscapes are enough to captivate every fan of diving and snorkelling. The Philippines is a must-visit tourist destin ation for any keen traveller.
I recently had the pleasure of attending the Sinulog festival for the first time, read the summary of my experience here.
Now, before talking about Manila, I feel it’s necessary to add some context to this story. I’m an Australian citizen who before travelling to the Philippines had never ventured outside of the country.
I had travelled extensively within Australia but I had sadly never made the leap towards international travel.
This is the story of my stupor which overcame me upon setting foot in one of the most fun countries in the world – The Philippines.
Singapore delivers: Singapore lives up to its reputation
I woke up early on the morning of the flight to make the 8 a.m. boarding time. The first leg of our trip would arrive in Singapore by roughly 2 pm that afternoon.
We would then have 12 – 14 hours in which we could explore the city. We would then return to Changi to complete the final leg of the journey.
Upon arriving at Singapore’s Changi airport, everything I had imagined about foreign airports – built off of what I had seen in movies – had instantly come to life. I was now in a hub where the paths of travellers from across the globe merged.
I was surrounded by high-end fashion boutiques, restaurants, money changers, cafes; everything you would want inside an airport.
Changi blew me away with what they had available at the airport. It even has a spa, cinema, and an indoor garden.
We eventually found the exit through customs after spending a bit of time walking through the airport. We finally walked outside, which made it official.
I was now on foreign soil for the first time.
This set the scene for me because Singapore had a standard of living on par with Australia, so there wasn’t any sort of culture shock when entering the country.
It felt like I was still within an Australian city just with some slight cultural differences and a slightly higher level of humidity. Staying in Singapore for me was just business as usual.
We walked the city for a few hours, visited some malls then had some drinks at a bar filled with young businesspeople. We noticed the bar sold beer with alcohol percentages reaching 15 – 20%.
Being two naive young men, we immediately jumped on the opportunity to try it. Upon the first sip, I realised that was a mistake. It was almost undrinkable; the bitterness was a whole different level to anything else I had tried.
After our night of exploring Singapore CBD, we arrived at the hotel around midnight. We were ready our 3 am wake up call to begin the journey to Manila the following morning.
The final leg of the journey: entering the Phillippines
Shortly after closing my eyes I was jerked awake by the sound of an alarm from my phone. It was still complete darkness outside as it was 3 a.m. Unfortunately, it was already time for us to leave.
I shook my heavily sleeping brother awake then got ready as the taxi was waiting for us outside. Once arriving at the airport, we bought coffee and then sat in a sleepless daze outside the departure gate. This was our state for the following 3 hours.
There we were after an hour of laying across the seating inside the airport we finally made it onto the plane. We were then flying thousands of feet in the sky moving towards our final destination, The Philippines.
I found this section of the flight a lot more enjoyable as you see several deserted islands in the middle of the ocean on the way there. The flight between Australia and Singapore consisted of 5 hours of looking out across the open ocean.
The flight was also a lot shorter than the first leg to Singapore, this made it a lot more bearable.
After roughly 3 hours of flying, we began to approach the mainland of The Philippines. My first thought on approach was how mountainous the country looked compared to everything else I had flown over, rolling mountains come into site topped with thick, lush vegetation, and small sections of farmland dotted the mountainsides. The flight finally began to approach Manila.
My Filipino family had now left me alone for the first time. I was now sitting alone in my hotel in Manila, right in the heart of the infamous Pasay.
I naively booked the hotel based off a suggestion before actually knowing the reputation of this area of Metro Manila.
Despite its convenient location in the heart of Manila; it quickly became apparent to me that I was right in the centre of the chaos. The hotel, framed by two train lines, major roadways, jeepney stops and a sea of fast food stores, bars and clubs running all night.
It is 24/7 chaos on the streets of Pasay.
I arrived at the hotel late in the evening. Before leaving the condo I was staying in with my family, I had to take care of a mirror I broke the previous week. I was putting on a shirt; I managed to swing my arm right into the mirror somehow splitting it in half.
After taking care of business at the condo l still had some other errands to run before I was able to check-in at the hotel. But after a long day, I was finally there relaxing in my room.
Venturing into the heart of Pasay
It was not long after my check-in that I started to experience intense food cravings.
After taking my bags to my room, my mind instantaneously turned to wanting to search for good food. From what I had briefly seen as I arrived at the hotel, I knew I was in proximity to what seemed like every popular fast-food chain operating in The Philippines.
To give you an idea of the level of fast food available in this area lets think of Chow King, as it’s no secret that this is a popular chain within the country.
In this area of Pasay, Chow King is so prevalent; I had the choice of no less than four different stores to choose from; all within minutes of the hotel lobby.
I could stand out the front of one of the Chow King stores and see another further down the road. This is just one fast food chain of many in the area.
So I took the plunge and ventured out late at night into the streets beneath the MRT.
Who knew going for a walk to get fast food could make you feel so vulnerable. This particular area of Pasay had a particularly seedy feel to it. The combination of SOGO styled hotels, the cities poor sleeping outside of the bus terminals, and the numerous late night bars in Pasay did a lot to add to this impression.
The City of Pasay has something to offer
I was repeatedly told not to walk around late at night by my family. I had been told stories of muggings, pickpockets and murders frequently occurring in the area. The situation instilled fear in my mind, making me feel anxious about being out at night.
After spending my life in a quiet, sheltered city, I grew to love the feeling of being somewhere like Pasay; soaking in that sense of being surrounded by a mild anarchy.
It created a kind of yin and yang experience for me. My safe, ordered life was finally balanced by being in an entirely alien situation; faced with the uncertainty of how the events will play out.
This is a manifestation of novelty in my life. Some people prefer the same old thing, day after day. Others love, even crave new situations, events and experiences. It’s just how our biological self reacts to novelty.
