Indulge your clients in some post-pandemic fun with a trip to the second-largest archipelago in the world.
If you know your destination slogans, and let’s face it – if you work in the travel industry you likely know them TOO well, you’d be familiar with the line ‘It’s more fun in the Philippines’.
“What’s more fun?” you might ask? Well, everyone has their own unique take on fun, but with 7,641 tropical islands worth of unique experiences, dreamy scenery, and friendly faces, we reckon you’d be hard-pressed to disagree with the sentiment.
If your clients’ sense of ‘fun’ involves sun-soaked ocean adventures or a relaxing reprieve under the shade of a beach umbrella, they can head to Boracay, Palawan and Cebu, home to some of the best beaches in the world, according to the likes of Condé Nast, Harper’s Bazaar, Travel + Leisure, and The Guardian, just to name a few.
They can live out their childhood fantasies at Boracay’s Mermaid Academy, visit the only place in the world where you can swim with thresher sharks in Cebu, and luxuriate in the aquamarine and Egyptian blue shades of Palawan’s Big Lagoon.
Or do your clients prefer the luscious green tones of tropical rainforests, contrasted with adrenaline-pumping adventure?
They’ll want to check out Bohol, where you can see 20,000 hectares of manmade forest and the iconic Chocolate Hills that change colours with every season, topped off with a visit to a tarsier sanctuary to see the world’s smallest primate up close.
Your clients can journey to the east to see Palawan’s Kayangan Lake, which is so clear that you can see all the way down through 10 metres of freshwater, best experienced snorkelling, diving or hiking if they want to take in the whole scene.
While in Palawan, travellers can climb the jagged spikes of the Taraw Cliffs of El Nido, where they will find one of the best panoramic views of tropical scenery in the world.
If history and culture are more your clients’ thing, Cebu’s Sinulog Festival is thought to be the oldest and more well-known cultural and religious festival in the Philippines, featuring colourful street parties with a mardi-gras vibe.
Up north, they can immerse themselves in the rich cultural heritage of Boracay at its Motag Living Museum to see ancient weaving and farming practices and hear folk songs that tell stories of traditional life.
Architecture enthusiasts can travel back in time on a walking tour through the cobble-stoned streets of Intramuros, the “Walled City” in Manila’s historic core to take in the only complete architectural remnants of the Spanish Era in the Philippine capital.
Speaking of Manila, the city’s unique blend of bustling sophistication and quirky cultural fusion makes it a haven for urbanites and foodie travellers alike.
Your clients can take in the sights of the vibrant city in one of its ironically kitsch jeepneys before heading to one of its many museums, which cover everything from optical illusions to desserts.
Which brings us to the capital’s thriving street food scene, featuring Binondo, the world’s oldest Chinatown, at its heart.
Made famous by Anthony Bourdain in his renowned Parts Unknown series, the area is filled with street food vendors and hole-in-the-wall restaurants where you can find delicious Chinese dishes with a Filipino twist like hopia (a local take on Fujianese moon cakes), siopao (Manila’s answer to Cantonese pork buns), lumpia (Filipino egg rolls) and Dong Bei’s famous dumplings.
For traditional Filipino cuisine, Barangay Kapitolyo’s food strip is fast becoming the go-to place for foodies to sample pork barbecue, Laing (a crunchy dish made of shredded taro leaves and meat cooked in spiced coconut milk) and Halo-Halo (the legendary Filipino dessert that consists of a glass filled with a mix of crushed ice, tapioca, ice cream, jelly, sweet taro and sweet beans).
When the time is right to travel again, the welcoming Filipino people and the variety of fun activities this stunning destination has to offer are sure to spark intrigue and wonder in even the most discerning traveller.
To find your clients’ fun in the Philippines, click HERE.
Featured image source: iStock/swissmediavision
