March 1, 2006
Dear Awesome Planet,
Hello, I found your blogs on awesome planet. Wonderful pictures and info for tourists and Pilipinos who want to see what PI is all about. I’ve taken down the info you posted on Tagaytay restaurants. My husband and I will be traveling to PI in April, what activities/restaurants/places to see would you recommend in the following places?
El Nido, Palawan
Manila/Makati
Cebu
Boracay
Cavite
Thank you! I enjoyed your site!
=) Bea
Dear Bea,
Thanks for the compliment and I’m glad you enjoyed the site. I don’t intend to be an authority on Philippine travel and I would invite my other readers to contribute to this response. I was overwhelmed and excited with your question, that I was inspired to create a Dear Awesome Planet series, so that I can also share the information to a broader audience, and I hope you don’t mind 🙂 This list is based on my personal experience and some are still on my things to blog about. If you would only have 30 days in PI in April, make sure to check out these awesome activities/ restaurants/ places:
Manila/Makati
A Special Dinner @ La Cocina de Tita Moning
Dampa Dining experience @ Seaside Macapagal Blvd.
Carlos Celdran’s Intramuros Tours or Escolta/ Quiapo Tour
Quaint basement store –> I Love You Store along Makati Avenue
Filipino-Inspired Spa — Sanctuario Spa in Malate
Best Therapeutic Reflexology Massage — 4 hours for $10/ P500
Allegedly the best sisig in the Philippines — Aling Lucing Sisig, Makati
Balut @ Elvie’s turo turo
Lazy Boy Theater @ Gateway Mall, Araneta Center
Shopping Mall Tour: Greenhills- Best Bargain Place, Glorietta/Greenbelt – Branded Stuff, and
Tiendesitas — One stop shop of Philippines’ best
Tagaytay
A Hike/ Horse Ride to the one of the World’s Smallest Volcano in Taal
Still the reigning Best Restaurant in Tagaytay — Antonio’s, Restaurant, Tagaytay
Most exotic and expensive coffee — Coffee Alamid, proudly Philippine made 🙂
Tagaytay pioneer — Sonya’s Secret Garden Bed & Breakfast
View of Taal Volcano @ Cliffhouse, Tagaytay or Taal Vista Lodge
Cebu
CNT Lechon — Best Lechon in Cebu if not the Philippines!
Malapascua Beach, (What to do in Malapascua) – Thinking Man’s Boracay according to the Lonely Planet
Semana Santa @ Bantayan Beach, (What to do in Bantayan) — only place where you can eat meat
Sutukil (STK) — Fresh Seafood Grilled Restaurant
Visit Sto. Nino de Cebu Cathedral and Magellan’s Cross
Boracay
Jonas Milk Shakes
The famous Banana Boat Ride
Mandala Spa — World Class Spa in Boracay
Daylife/ Nightlife: What to do in Boracay?
Outdoor Jacuzzi @ the Nami Villas
Laguna/Quezon (Instead of Cavite)
Tina Decal’s Culinary Tour of Quezon
Viaje del Sol: San Pablo, Laguna and Tiaong, Quezon
Around Laguna Lake Tour
El nido, Palawan — about to go here in April (Maybe we’ll see each other :), Savor this place for 4 days/ 3 nights 🙂
I do hope this helps, and I invite my readers to contribute to this list or create your own lists and I’ll link it up 🙂 Also, maybe some of you would also have some questions that I can answer in the Dear Awesome Planet series 🙂
Enjoy Awesome Pilipinas!
Great list ! Althrough I live in the Philippins I realize I still need to see/do a lot of what is on your list. I might add some rougher places like Quiapo, Recto, Binondo or the Divisoria to see the other side of the coin. Everything should not be postcard perfect, isn’t it?
Any small town in the provinces to witness some rural lifestyle could also be an eye opener.
Hi Anton,
Stumbled upon your blog site recently while searching for Viaje del Sol. Now I’m addicted! So did you go to El Nido? Been there many times over, want me to email you tips for fantastic island visits around Bacuit Bay?
By the way, in Tagaytay the Verbena restaurant is excellent, too, sometimes better than Antonio’s.
Dear Awesome Planet,
I too think your blog is awesome and informative. Great pictures! Infact you have inspired me to take my sons to the PI for the first time. Now, let me pose my question. With a limited time of maybe a month (including the obligatory visits to relatives)where can I take my sons (ages 17, 19, and 21)who have never been to the PI, to show them their heritage and the beauty of my motherland?
Great site. where is Elvie’s turo turo?
Great site. where is Elvie’s turo turo?
Hi anton,
CNT lechon is the best. Yes thats what others say. Lechoncebu.com also serves the best lechon. The crispy and tasty lechon in cebu. try it.