a friend of mine whose been to boracay, told me that bantayan island is as beautiful as boracay but without the over commercialized thing.

ive been to bantayan island and its really beautiful. i cant compare it to boracay though. havent tried it yet.

if you want the metropolitan setting of makati but with the beach of boracay and the beauty of palawan. go to CEBU

CEBU has a little bit of everything…

I am glad that you decided to go ahead with it. Seriously, we have encountered journalists (especially from Europe who literally look for and they said so themselves to us that they only want to feature terrorism and poverty in the Philippines). Tourism helps communities and it also builds community pride. Of course, like I always say to every traveler not only for people going to the Philippines but to everywhere else – a good dose of street smart is always healthy wherever you go. Always trust your guts and your common sense wherever you go, be an informed traveler for better experience. If I could be of any help for your trip, just post it here. Also take a look at other destinations in the country on our destinations pages. Remember, the Philippines has 7,107 islands to choose from! Always have fun, safe and memorable travels to this country.

Cheers and welcome back to your country!

Ryan

thanks so much for clarifying things. I read your response to my husband, and we’re both thrilled about our upcoming visit to the Philippines in the next 5 weeks….minus the hang-ups we had due to the negative press.

It has put my mind at ease, and I’m sure once we experience all that the Philippines has to offer, we’ll be able to make future visits after this one.

Best,

Aina

Let me answer some of your questions.

1. Palawan is very safe. The last attack on tourists there was in Dos Palmas in 2001 and that was over eight years ago. If you still have qualms about this, bear in mind that multiple terrorist attacks happened inside the United States as well as UK, Spain, Israel and many other countries which has resulted to thousands of lives lost. That did not stop people from traveling there. Boracay is safe too. The no-go areas are some of the provinces in the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao like Basilan, Sulu, Lanao del Sur and some parts of Zamboanga (although I know a lot of people would contest this observation though). We have been to Palawan and we will be going back there again this December.

2. Luzon (Northern Luzon and some of the coastal towns along the Laguna de Bay) was only the most affected by the recent killer storms. Metro Manila bounced back quickly from the typhoons. Only parts of Pasig, Quezon City and Malabon is still affected and the nearby towns of Rizal Province. Visayas, Mindanao and parts of Bicol escaped virtually unscathed. Palawan and Boracay was largely spared. No worries about those places.

3. Diving wise, there are a lot of stunning dive sites in the Philippines. The Philippines is in the top 3 of the best dive destinations in the world – along with Palau and Maldives. Also in a travel expo in Europe, France named the Philippines as the Dive Destination of the year. Apo Reef, Tubbataha Reef, Verde Island, Puerto Galera, Boracay, Coron, Subic, Malapascua, Bohol. Apo Island, Sarangani, Davao Oriental, Camiguin – these are just some of the many dive sites in the country.

The Philippines is a very beautiful place, and maybe it’s also time for you to get to know your country better more than the biased headlines you see on the news. If you are up for it, it is ready to be discovered.

Ryan

read your article, and it has put my mind slightly at ease. I was born in the Philippines, but left for Vancouver, BC at the age of 2, and have not been back to visit. My husband and I just got married. He’s an American, but we both now live in Toronto, Canada. I’ve read a few articles about terrorist groups targeting tourist destinations such as Palawan, since they are more secluded. Is there any truth to this? It does kind of make sense, since tourists would be easy prey for a hostage taking.

I know I probably sound ridiculous, but can’t help but read what the media has written. Unfortunately, there have been quite a few articles written up. We have a scheduled trip to the Philippines this year from Dec. 1-17th. Ideally, we’d like to visit Boracay for about a week, then visit Palawan. My husband is a huge diver, so I would like this trip to be as memorable as possible.

Also, with the recent typhoons, have either Boracay or Palawan been affected? If not, has Manila been affected dramatically?

Look forward to hearing from you.

Aina

The Philippines is indeed a very beautiful country and I’m not saying this because I am a Filipino. I am also planning and hoping to travel and experience our 7,107 islands, the culture, the dialects, the food. It is really a blesssing to be able to see all of these wonderful creation! God bless you po.. ^_^

Thanks for choosing our country and for having you here. Philippines is really a great place to live in. People here are very friendly and hospitable. You will surely enjoy every trip you’re having. I am very thankful and happy that people like you, in the other country love our place. Thanks for making an article to show how beautiful Philippines is. It is really a good place for tourism. A lot of spot your surely enjoy most of your time staying here. God bless and welcome to the Philippines. Thanks a lot.

Amira