THIS being the month of love, I thought I would make a list of the places I have come to love both locally and overseas and the trips that have defined my transition from tourist to traveler.
The top 5 local destinations
- Lake Sebu and the T’boli region in South Cotabato. Perhaps the first time I became truly Filipino was when I traveled to South Cotabato and immersed myself with the T’boli’s. Together with the community, we championed the promotions of the T’nalak, which is now known as the Hermès of Philippine fabrics. From the devastatingly beautiful seven falls to its deep sense of environmentalism, South Cotabato will always be the crown jewel of Mindanao.
- The Caves of Biri Northern Samar and Basey in Samar Province. The Rock formations of Samar is to Water what the Grand Canyon is to Land. Walking through the rock formations of Biri reminds me of the Wadis of Petra, and the almost alien landscape makes you imagine what it might be in outer space.
- Makati City. It’s a city that does sleep, but it is home—and work—to me. During weekends, it’s most serene. When you get to experience the real humans of Makati, it doesn’t hurt that two of the best markets in Manila are here—the Salcedo and Legaspi Markets. Hence, when we were tapped by Ayala Land to create a city-branding campaign for the country’s financial district, the Make it Happen Make it Makati flowed effortlessly.
- Iloilo City. I would never pass up any opportunity to travel to Iloilo. Perhaps the most elegant City in the Philippines with the most number of extant art deco buildings in the country, Iloilo’s food culture is unparalleled. From the Chicharrón trimmings from panaderia de molo, to the bountiful seafood, you just want to take a bite of Iloilo every single time.
- Siquijor. I believe that superstitious lore developed about the place was intended to prevent people from visiting—and marring—this remarkably beautiful place. Her beauty is in her endemicity for flora, thus making it the favored haunt of healers all over the Philippines. I still believe that the secret to cancer lies in the trees and plants that lie undiscovered.
The top 5 international destinations
- Pamukalle, Aprodite and Dydyma in Turkey, following my trip to Italy, I was prompted to hunt for some of the most well-preserved Roman ruins in the world, and this quest brought me to Turkey. While, indeed, I have seen perfectly preserved cities of marble in Aphrodite, with sewer and road systems in marble, the greatest takeaway for me was my introduction to Islam—perhaps one of the kindest religions I have ever encountered.
- Delhi, India, and Lourdes, France, in terms of spirituality. The energy of the rivers of India (yes, I have drank from its spiritual waters and survived!) and the caves of Lourdes is unparalleled. I have been to both multiple times and, in the latter, every prayer and favor answered. I have experienced streaming tears in the presence of grace that will be with me forever.
- Bukhara in Uzbekistan. Everyone who knows me knows my fascination for public baths, from onsens to jimjilbangs and even Russian Turkish baths in New York. The oldest public bath, or hammam, is in Bukhara, a city that has remained unchanged from the time of the Silk Road. They speak about Tamerlane like it was just yesterday.
- Palestine region. While travel to Jerusalem has been primarily about the search for Christianity for most, oddly enough, the Christian tradition actually represents a minor footnote compared to its other great cousins, Hebrew and the Islamic tradition. My trip to Jerusalem was primarily to search for a better understanding of Palestine, often misunderstood and misrepresented. Between the Bullet marks also lie great art by the likes of Banksy showing us that it’s more than meets the eye.
- Trinidad, Cuba. My search for the romantic inspiration of my life, and for many others, Che Guevarra, the inspiration for the revolutionary in me led me to a newfound love for his soul brother Fidel and what I have come to discover is the alternate-reality twin of Manila—Havana.
At the end of the day, travel is a matter of perspective, and keeping a childlike awe about you is crucial. Perpetually curious and hungry, the street you grew up in can hold wonders that can only reveal itself with time and experience. Who would have thought that the street I was born in housed the creator of the famed “empanada de kaliskis,” which can hold its own against the mighty croissant in terms of flakiness and more savorily satisfying than any pie I have had. The pieces only fell into place after close to 20 years of being uprooted and traveling.
Hungry can be both literal and figurative. Food is the best harbinger of culture. I have travel to Pasig in Greater Manila and have discovered artisanal bakery that’s still wood-fired. Did you know that the Tipas hopia is made just in the same zip code as Bonifacio Global City?
Travel not only is the greatest reminder of why we are alive and life’s greatest teacher but also, as an advocate, it creates the greatest multiplier for social good, as every peso spent on travel creates a x 45 ripple effect in the value chain.