Philippines: the world's best-kept secret

There it was. I’d said it. Like a true tourist I’d quoted the country’s popular tourism tagline. It seemed to put my sister’s mind at rest though. “Yes it is,” she laughed. “But I can’t believe you’re not visiting us.”

I was about to embark on a five-day trip, taking in three very different islands across the Philippines. But I wasn’t a tourist. I was born and raised in the Philippines, shuttling between my hometown of Guiuan and the big city of Manila, where my sister and other family members are. Now living in Dubai, my last visit was in January and I return at least twice a year to spend time with my loved ones.

Made up of 7,107 islands, each with its own unique draw: mountains, volcanoes, beaches, forests, wetlands, skyscrapers and even deserts, and each just minutes away from each other by boat or plane, the Philippines has a lot to offer.

I planned a city escapade in Manila before island-hopping adventures in Cebu and Palawan. Armed with my camera and comfortable shoes, I was ready to explore.

Now, with budget airlines operating direct flights from the UAE, you certainly don’t need to be on a Hollywood pay package to visit. In fact, budget flights from Dubai to Manila with Cebu Pacific (around Dh1,600 return) have helped tourist numbers from the GCC jump by 15 per cent to 80,000 visitors last year, according to the Philippine Department of Tourism.

I hopped on to a minibus towards the five-star Sofitel Philippine Plaza Hotel, breezing along the South Luzon Expressway as cars, jeepneys and public buses buzzed and beeped in lanes alongside our vehicle. Most tourists find Manila frenetic, but I’m used to this pace and actually quite like it. I’m a city girl at heart.

Manila is the capital and second-largest city of the Philippines after neighbouring Quezon city. It is one of the 16 cities that, along with the municipality of Pateros, make up Metro Manila, the National Capital Region, with a population of around 12 million.

The hotel lobby was buzzing with, mainly, locals checking in. I loved the classy modern interiors with touches of Philippine design such as the capiz shell lampshades, and views of Manila Bay from my room.

Back downstairs after a quick freshen-up I stood facing the hotel buffet. Food is a big part of the Filipino culture, and I honed in on one dish – freshly fried danggit (deboned dried fish) – a delicacy normally served in Manila restaurants for 800 pesos (Dh67) per small serving, which is pretty pricey by local standards.

I heaped danggit on to my plate and savoured every delicious, crispy bite. And I wasn’t alone. A woman at the next table went back for second and third helpings. And as I left to join an afternoon city tour, she was on her fourth. It’s really that good!

The walking tour began in Intramuros district or ‘The Walled City’ as it is called by locals due to the 5km-or-so moss-covered stone wall surrounding it.

The architecture and design of the district maintains a heavy Spanish influence in its paved paths and sandy yellow houses with quaint balconies.

The walk finished at Barbara’s Restaurant, still within the Intramuros walls. It’s famous for its fusion of traditional Filipino and Spanish dishes. We dined on beef caldereta (similar to a beef stew with potatoes, carrots, tomato sauce and liver paste, it’s a popular Flilipino dish served on special occasions). Licking my lips I bid farewell to the group.

The next day island life was calling me. Cebu, famed for its crystal-clear waters, powdery white sands, indigenous handicraft and production of fine guitars was my next destination. And after an hour-long flight to the north of the island I headed straight to the Avatar guitar factory in Lapu-Lapu City. After seeing a man string a classical guitar I decided to buy myself a ukulele for 900 pesos as a souvenir (I couldn’t justify buying a full-blown guitar).

The next day I woke up and smiled as I looked out at my beachside view. A salty ocean breeze cooled my room through the open window as waves softly crashed on the velvety white shore just metres away.

There was no time to loll around in bed though. The resort offers quick access by boat to neighbouring islets off Cebu’s Mactan Island.

My island-hopping adventure was to begin at Caohagan Island, which is inhabited by just 600 people. I headed straight to the market. “Three-fifty [pesos] each,” said one fisherman, pointing towards a basin full of the exotic kamuntaha (sea mantis). They look like a cross between a shrimp and a lobster and it’s a rarity to see them on sale as they’re usually exported to countries such as Japan to be transformed into sushi. I snapped up two to be grilled at a nearby restaurant for lunch before an afternoon dipping in the crystal-clear waters from a pump boat just off Hilotongan Island.

By sunset I was heading to Chateau de Busay for dinner, passing the Basilica Minore Del Santo Niño, which is considered the oldest church in the Philippines and is still under repair after last year’s major earthquake. With an incredible view of the city from the mountaintop restaurant I chose to stay out on the terrace to watch the sun dip behind the horizon while enjoying a delicious steak. The perfect end of my Cebu stay and a welcome break from all that seafood.

The underground river is all about the adrenaline rush. I headed to Sabang terminal where a pump boat took me to a dock where I boarded a canoe. As the boatman slowly paddled our canoe into the 8km-long subterranean waters, a sense of adventure surged through me; with the sound of bats overhead and dark, slippery rock formations adding to the thrill.

We didn’t stay for long (thankfully), heading to Iwahig, a penal facility where prisoners serving sentences for everything from murder to theft live in cells with open doors. It’s a first-of-its-kind correctional institute in the Philippines. There are no walls around the facility, save for a guarded entrance, but strangely enough, no escapees either. This could be due to the fact many of the inmates’ families choose to live at the prison too; giving up jobs and houses and moving the entire family to be near their loved one.

Inmates are encouraged to learn a trade while there, from farming to fishing and forestry and they work hard. Wearing blue prison uniforms, the inmates welcomed us by doing a dance (reminiscent of the well-known 2010 Michael Jackson tribute by prisoners in Cebu City) and later peddled the handicrafts they make and sell to raise funds the government then recoups to pay for their keep. Any money left over goes to the inmates and their families.

I still had so much to tick off my tourist check list. I managed to make a pit stop at a local pearl store to buy a set of mother-of-pearl earrings for myself. Pearl farming is common throughout the Philippines (the country is called the Pearl of the Orient Seas, after all), and in Palawan, enterprising locals sell them for export, but retain some for visitors to buy as souvenirs.

I was particularly excited about a night raft cruise I’d booked along the Iwahig River. It was so dark when we set out, I couldn’t see a thing. “Be as quiet as possible,” Lawrence whispered, rowing our little boat gently through mangroves. He stopped and suddenly hundreds of tiny, glowing dots exploded into the darkness. Fireflies! We watched in awed silence as they sparkled around us like a cloud of glitter dust.

I felt a light tap on my arm. “Look here,” Lawrence said, dipping his hand to stir the brackish waters. Plankton glowed, like in that scene from Life of Pi. I gingerly dipped in my hand to stir the water, which instantly turned a luminous blue.

Next, Lawrence directed my eyes upwards. “There, can you see Jupiter? And there’s Mars…” he said, pointing a laser beam pen at what looked like giant stars in the sky. I grinned at the reference to my nickname. My college friends called me Mars because they thought Ma (short for Maria) Felicidad was a mouthful. The name has stuck ever since.