My Trip to the Philippines

On June 11th I returned from a three week trip to the Philippines and it was amazing. This was my very first international trip and I know it won’t be my last. Starting with week one, my sister, my mom, and I started our adventure in Manila. It is a very busy city with so much do! There are a ton of hotels, clubs, shopping areas, movie theaters, and other activities as well. We checked into the Renaissance Hotel in Makati, and then headed towards the newly built Greenbelt Mall. There we met up with a family friend and explored the very stylish mall. We grabbed lunch at a Japanese restaurant called John and Yoko, and the food was pretty good and had a great 60’s theme. After lunch we showered and got ready for a night on the town! We ate at a Thai restaurant called Thai Silk and the food there was delicious. It was literally the best pad thai I have ever tasted in my life! After dinner we went to a see a live show at place called Club Mwah. The performers were wonderful and really knew how to put on a show! The next day we took a trip up to Tagaytay and saw the Taal Volcano. We also went to this really cool restaurant called Sonya’s Garden. The setting of this restaurant is absolutely breathtaking and the food is just crazy good. The owner, Sonya, makes fresh salads, breads, pasta, and desert. By the end of the meal I was completely stuffed!

After three days in Manila we checked out of our hotel and headed towards the provinces! Our first stop was Pangasinan, just about five hours north of Manila. There we visited with family, went to the beach, and just enjoyed ourselves. After about two days in Pangasinan, we took a six hour bus ride back down to Manila and stayed there for just one day. We bought local plane tickets and then headed to the next province which was Baybay, Leyte. We stayed with family and had the time of our lives. Some of the activities we did were going down to the beach, tricycle rides, visited with family, and ate like crazy! One downer to my trip was I caught a slight cold while I was there. That was not all that fun, but I dealt with it and enjoyed myself even though I was fighting a cold! My family made some really amazing Filipino food and even though they didn’t have much, they we very giving and always tried to give us the best while we stayed with them.

After about a week in half, we left Baybay, Leyte and headed back to Manila. We took a 24 hour bus ride which was a little rough, but we got through it. For the last part of our trip it rained but it wasn’t too bad. The humidity was killer! Unlike here in Arizona, the humidity there can be a little hard to handle. On our last few days in the Philippines we just relaxed and hung out family. We stayed in Manila for about 5 days then it was time to head back home to Arizona.

Being in the Philippines was a fantastic experience for me. I had an awesome time on that island. The Filipino people are so hospitable and friendly. It was so great getting to meet and visit my family and I cannot wait to go back! I will soon be posting a few photos of my trip for everyone to see! Till then, Have an Incredible Day!


Lonni Summers