When you travel, you don't just catch a glimpse at the place, take pictures and then go to your next destination. Traveling is immersing yourself not just to the place but also to the locals, to the food, to their culture, to the history of the place and to the products and services that they are offering. City Hopping is one of the best way of traveling for you to fully saturate yourself with the beautifully diverse places in this world. You will get to realize that there is no 'MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACE IN THE WORLD', but you will understand that every places in this world has its own beauty. You just have to genuinely engage yourself and always look for the silver lining in every places that you travel to.
Philippines is a must visit country. We have an amazing diverse culture, unbelievable history and breathtaking islands, as we have a total of 7,641 islands. But aside from the beautiful islands, you might want to try city tour, wherein you will be able to expose yourself to the different lifestyle of every local here in this country. As a local citizen, I have to try it myself, I have to see what kind of engagement and pleasure that my country has to offer to the travelers.
So in just 5 days we have visited six provinces of Luzon, Philippines.
We started in Lupao, province of Nueva Ecija. It is known as the rice granary of the Philippines as it produces the largest rice yield in the country. In visiting Nueva Ecija, you must try drinking 'Tuba' - it is a lightly alcoholic beverage obtained from the sap of palm trees. Also, you must try the famous 'Tupig' - it is made from glutinous rice mixed with coconut milk, muscovado sugar, and young coconut strips.
Next stop is Solano, province of Nueva Vizcaya. It is the major producer of citrus crops. It is a three hour drive from Lupao Nueva Ecija.
Next stop is the Isabela, known for the 'Magat Dam', one of the largest dams in the Philippines. Also, it is known as the rice and corn granary of Luzon. Some of there delicacies that must try when visiting the province is the 'Pancit Cabagan' - it features miki noodles garnished with pork lechon carajay, pork or chicken liver, vegetables and quail eggs.
Next stop is in Bauko, Mountain Province. It's a three hour drive from La Union. Rugged mountainous terrain and farming is the main livelihood of Bauko. It is also known as the 'Weaver's Paradise' because of the different weaving centers that create unique designs which signifies the province's cultural heritage.
Next is the province of La Union. It is known for its ancient churches and pilgrimage sites. We have visited the town of San Juan and the capital city, San Fernando which is known for its surfing destination as it has plenty of surfing spots. If you're planning to visit for vacation and relaxation, the summer months during March to May are perfect. However, if you want to go surfing, September to November are ideal months to visit.
Lastly is the Baguio City, hailed as the summer capital of the Philippines. It is also one of the top tourist destination in the Philippines. The weather is relatively cold and is famous for its green park spaces and hillside teeming with gigantic pine trees. There are also a lot of activities that locals can offer.
For some people it might be an exhausting adventure traveling for five consecutive days in six different provinces. Well for me, I got the relaxation that I needed. It was a fun a experience, I got to meet different people, tried different foods, joined various activities and more.
My upcoming next city tour excites me!