A Taste of the Philippines: Planning a Culture-Packed 3-Day Itinerary | LOH #259

Hello, lovely Ladies of Hive! 💖 Hope you're having a wonderful week! ✨

For this week’s question, it’s my pleasure to help our dear sister Hive account@kerrislravenhill plan her travel itinerary ✈️

1️⃣ According to my post retirement financial model, I could almost afford an overseas trip every other year. I'd like my Hive sisters or brothers to plan my 3-day visit to your home town or city. What would we do and where would we go for me to experience your culture?

First of all, congratulations on having a retirement plan that will allow you to travel every other year sis! 🎉 That's a great reward for all your hard work 🙌 Traveling is really fun and teaches us about different cultures 💖

However, the Philippines has so many beautiful places and different cultures in each province, so three days might not be enough 😅 Our country is divided into three major islands: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, which consists of 82 provinces.

Let’s say you’re going to stick with your 3-day trip, let's focus your itinerary on Luzon specifically Northern and Central Luzon and Metro Manila. That way, you can make the most of the trip and not be too tired between flights. I'm excited to tour you! 😊

On the first day, we'll head straight to Baguio City. It has a cool climate because it's located in the mountains. We will go to Mines View Park to witness the beautiful scenery that the nature offer us. To experience the culture even more, we will go horseback riding there and try on the traditional Igorot attire. We can also visit the Igorot Stone Kingdom where we will see fantastic landscapes and the traditional dance of the native Igorots.

If there is still time, we will visit the Baguio Botanical Garden and The Mansion. Of course, Baguio is not complete if without visiting the La Trinidad Strawberry Farm, where we can pick fresh strawberries! ✨ The peak harvest season is February to April. Here in Baguio, you can also buy special foods and souvenirs.

On the second day, we will descend to Southern Luzon and head straight to Tagaytay. The climate here is also cool, although not as cold as Baguio. This province is closer to Manila, so the return trip is easy. Here, you will see the amazing view of Taal Volcano from afar. We can also have a boat ride to the Taal Lake to explore the Taal craters and see the beauty of Taal Volcano up close.

And of course, we will taste the most delicious Bulalo (Filipino Beef Marrow Stew) which is very suitable for the cool climate here.

On the third day, so that you don't miss any time on your flight, the closest attraction from the airport is Rizal Park (Luneta Park). Here you will see the historic Monument of Jose Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines. I also heard that there will be a traditional attire rental shop opening soon here in Luneta Park where tourists can experience wearing Filipiniana (for women) and Barong Tagalog (for men), the national costumes of the Philippines. I'll let you know when it becomes available 😊

Within Manila, you will also see historical places like Intramuros. It's like we are traveling back in time when you see the old Spanish era buildings there. And of course, the National Museum is also nearby so you can have a glimpse of the various arts and cultures that exist in the Philippines. If you want to go on a food trip, Binondo Chinatown is nearby. Here we will eat classic Chinese-Filipino dishes! 🍜 And of course, your trip is not complete if you don't taste authentic Filipino dishes like Adobo, Sinigang, Tinola, and many more! 👀

I hope you’ll enjoy your trip to the Philippines if ever you’ll visit sis! 💖 I'm sure you'll have great memories during these three days. And I hope you'll travel again so you can visit other parts of the Philippines. We're excited to welcome you and for you to experience Filipino culture! 💕