WITH school almost over in a month, parents are probably wracking their brains on where to bring their kids and other family members this long summer break. Also, the peso’s value versus the US greenback seemingly stable these past two months, and with many airlines giving ticket-sales promos, exploring other countries is now even more affordable.
We consulted with pioneering flag carrier Philippine Airlines to narrow down your choices for the top new foreign destinations to visit this year. Not all are serviced directly by PAL, according to Vice President for Corporate Communications Jose Enrique Perez de Tagle, but the carrier has partners and code-share arrangements with other foreign airlines, which fly these routes.
1. Queenstown, New Zealand
It’s a combination of spectacular natural beauty (of the rugged and majestic kind—mountains, lakes, glorious valleys) and sheer Kiwi charm. You can close your eyes, breathe in the fresh air, and reopen them to soak in the wonders of a truly timeless place that fully justifies New Zealand’s proud slogan: 100-percent Pure.
Off the usual tourist trail in the southern island is one of the most remote places on Earth. For every season in Queenstown, there are a great number of activities to choose from.
For spring and summer, one can explore the countryside on bikes and tour wineries, while adrenaline junkies can go skydiving or whitewater rafting. The cooler season ushers in skiing and snowboarding, as Queenstown becomes a world-class winter resort.
2. Kyoto, Japan
This is still a place where you can lose yourself in time, walk the byways of ancient Japan (complete with drooping willows and cherry blossoms—if you time your trip right for Sakura season—and dramatic vermilion gates stretching up and down hillsides), while not straying far from a buzzing urban scene.
One of the most unforgettable scenes in Kyoto is of the famous Kinkakuji Temple (Golden Pavilion) surrounded by lush greenery, shimmering in its reflection in the lake below. Just three minutes away by car brings you to possibly the most peaceful place on earth, the Zen rock garden at the Ryoanji Temple, designated as a Unesco World Heritage site. Then visit the Gion district to get a glimpse of geishas in training. Kyoto is just 15 minutes away from Osaka via the Shinkansen (bullet) train.
3. Phnom Penh, Cambodia
The seat of today’s modern Kingdom of Cambodia, and thus the home of the Royal Palace with its quietly powerful ensemble of pagodas and royal pavilions (e.g., The Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda). Phnom Penh was once a languid oversized town on the banks of the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers during the painful Khmer Rouge era, and its museums still depict the horrors of that time (i.e., the “killing fields”). A must-visit is Ankor Wat, a Unesco World Heritage site in Siem Reap, and just a 45-minute flight from the capital, or 5.5 hours by bus/minivan/taxi.
No longer quiet, the 21st-century capital is now a busy and bustling economic hub that loudly proclaims the arrival of Cambodia on the economic frontlines of the region. Its streets teem with life, its boutique hotels pamper guests with style and hospitality. It is soon to be linked for the first time by nonstop PAL flights from Manila, starting April 2019.
4. Budapest, Hungary
Like ultra-compatible twins, the cities of Buda and Pest hug the blue Danube River with a graceful embrace, enchanting visitors who want a picture-perfect vacation spot that is also a true “happening place” with quaint hotels, a vibrant night scene, monuments and museums, the whole buffet of city attractions. Buda is perched dramatically on Castle Hill, offering a medieval vibe and great vistas of the flat cityscape of Pest, which is the urban heart of the Hungarian capital.
This lovely city used to be a grimmer place in the Communist years when Hungary was part of the Warsaw Pact bloc of Soviet satellite countries, but “grim” simply doesn’t apply to the exuberant Budapest of today. A quick way to see some of Budapest’s unique sites is to cruise down the Danube river in a waterbus. Trinity Square, where its former town hall is done up in the baroque style, is ground zero for one of the best Christmas markets in Europe. For wellness fans, check out the therapeutic steaming waters of the Szechenyl Thermal Bath. (See, “The grand Budapest adventure,” in the BusinessMirror, December 18, 2017.)
5. Jaipur, India
If Toulouse in France is Europe’s “Pink City,” then Asia’s rose-hued counterpart is a thriving city of 3 million people in the heart of India’s Rajasthan state. Shades of pink predominate in the architecture of Jaipur thanks to a 19th- century Maharajah’s decision to paint the city pink to welcome a British royal, but a multitude of colors and architectural styles will charm guest explorers.
The sights include two Unesco World Heritage sites: the Amer Fort with its forbidding ramparts, which is just one of six “Hill Forts” that populate Rajasthan; and the Jantar Mantar, the world’s largest sundial. There is a water palace (indeed, a whole palace quarter), ancient gates, shimmering lakes, monuments and parks, arts and crafts shops. PAL will be relaunching its nonstop flight from Manila to New Delhi by the second quarter of 2019; you can then take a half-day drive (or short flight) to Jaipur.
6. Seattle (Washington) and Portland (Oregon)
Each city is a destination in its own right, but you can take them as a twinned pair, just three hours’ drive apart in the romantic Pacific Northwest: Washington’s hi-tech hub on the beautiful Puget Sound, along with Oregon’s quiet and graceful city on the banks of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers. Both cities are coffee lovers’ dream towns, and both are framed against the beauty of snow-capped mountains (Mount Rainier for Seattle, Mount Hood for Portland).
Portland has its extremely walkable downtown area with a parkland riverfront, while Seattle has its hills and lakes, the popular Space Needle (a fixture of Grey’s Anatomy’s opening sequences), and Pike’s Place Market, a haven of good eats and treats. Go on a tech-rich visit to Boeing’s aircraft plant in Everett or Museum of Flight in suburban Seattle (Microsoft and Amazon are also headquartered in the Seattle area, not to mention Starbucks) or bask in a sea of roses at Portland’s Rose Garden.
7. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Really far away but more accessible than you think—Brazil does not require a visa for Filipinos to visit. Rio is tops for visual drama, of the proverbial “take-your-breath-away” kind: a stunning landscape of lumpy hills and mountains ringing a sprawling natural harbor with lots of coves and inlets and a luscious curving shoreline. Throw in a populous city that clings to that shoreline and climbs up the multiple slopes, and you have one of the world’s most recognizable cityscapes, delighting visitors who can choose from several mountaintop perches to view it from many angles: including the Corcovado lookout under the Christ the Redeemer statue (listed as one of the seven modern wonders of the world in 2007) and the Sugarloaf Mountain summit.
The Copacabana and Ipanema beaches retain their timeless allure, the downtown district throbs with life amid European style architecture during the day, a modern subway system allows tourists to move around the city smoothly enough, and the favelas (slums) are worth a look for the adventurous among you.
8. Sapporo, Japan
Japan’s home of the Snow Festival, that winter treat featuring incredible ice sculptures, is perhaps one of the true remaining winter wonderlands in a world beset by climate change.
But residents will tell you that the island of Hokkaido, of which Sapporo is the capital city, is a year-round feast for the senses, where lavender fields and summertime canal cruises combine with beer gardens, farm-fresh Hokkaido dairy products, exquisite cuisine and welcoming locals to produce distinctive vacation memories.
So file for those vacation leaves ASAP, and pack your bags. It’s time for some family bonding to any of these exciting destinations.
Visit the PAL web site for flight inquiries, or call 855-8888 to check available connections with flight partners.
Image credits: Photo from Wikimedia Commons