Summer 2014 Travel Guide: 16 Best Unspoiled Philippine Beach Destinations

Summer hasn't officially kicked off yet, but the blue sky and the sun beating down hard outside are nature's way of reminding me that my favorite season is just around the corner.

I love summer! It's the season we see flowers in full bloom, the skies clear and the beaches are postcard-perfect; we get lazy basking under the warm summer sky and get much longer sleep; we go out at night for firefly-watching, camping, and road trips; and doze off to sleep in the cool afternoon breeze while on a hammock underneath a mango tree. For most of us, summer is synonymous to vacation. It's the time of the year when we plan out getaways, travel with our family and friends, and head to our summer refuge --the beach. 

With our endless coastlines, there's definitely no shortage of white sand beaches we can go around here. But in the recent years, beach-goers have been mostly concentrated in the world-famous island in the Visayas-- Boracay. Year after year, this paradise has been seeing huge man-made developments to cater to the demands of the growing influx of foreign and local tourists. Yes, huge amount of money goes to the island's coffers, but I have to say that too much commercialism is also taking toll to this once pristine, quiet and immaculate island. I wonder how beautiful it must have been there before madness settled in.

This summer, my advise is to try to veer away from Boracay and explore the lesser-known but equally pretty beaches (without the party crowd). 

After visiting the 80 (of the 81) provinces in the Philippines, I'm blessed to have been to many splendid beaches that boast of quality fine sandy shoreline, spectacular sunsets and sunrises, amazing dive sites, lush mangrove forests, and clear emerald-colored waters. The beauty of these beaches will blow your mind!

Top 30 Favorite Spots in the Philippines: 1. Batanes

Thirty days before my 30th birthday, I'm going to let myself down the memory lane and recount my top 30 favorite spots around our country. I'm sharing random photos of places I've visited while I was completing my 80 Before 30 challenge. This is my 30Before30 Project.

The first of this 30-day series will be from one of my favorite provinces-- Batanes, an amazing province located in the northernmost part of the Philippines. Known for its splendid landscape and seascape, Batanes is definitely a dream destination for many. During my visit in 2011, I enjoyed many of its unique attractions. I specially liked my falowa ride from Batan Island to Sabtang, the one-of-a-kind shopping experience at the Honesty Coffee Shop, tried donning the native Vakul (Ivatan protected headgear), walked along the UNESCO Heritage nominated site stone houses at Chavayan, and was amazed by the sunset at Naidi Hill or the Basco Lighthouse. 

There's quite a lot to love about Batanes, but the one that stood out for me was the experience I had when I first saw the gentle rolling hills that this province is famous for. The grazing cows and the carpet-like verdant grass! It was a dreamy April afternoon that stayed with me for a long time. One crazy thing I did while I was there was...hmmm... well... roll down the hill. Yes, literally! haha :)

Check out more of my Batanes stories here.

Rolling Hills of Batanes

MAVID BATANES

The cow, Eric, Kim and myself up at Chamantad-Tinian Viewpoint

April 27-30, 2011

Batan and Sabtang Islands, Batanes

The thing I have with travel blogging the Philippines is that I sometimes run out of the right adjectives to describe each place I’ve been to. And now I’m faced with the same dilemma. How will I describe Batanes? Breathtaking, magnificent, panoramic, rustic. All these words suit this place just well. But for this blog, I will borrow the Ivatan word Mavid, which means beautiful... Mavid Batanes.

Batanes Itinerary

Scenic Vayang Ranch 

Planning a trip to Batanes? Here's our itinerary! I’ve included here our contacts, travel budget and places we’ve seen and visited during our four days and three nights stay there. Hope this helps, somehow. :)

ITINERARY

For first time travelers, I would suggest getting help of a tour guide. Going around there on your own can be a little difficult since most places are really far and can be time consuming. Here's how we've spent our days in Batanes.

Not Quite in Batanes Yet, Almost

Falowa Ride. Honesty Coffee Shop. Vakul. Rolling Hills. Lighthouses. Batanes.

These are some of the phrases/words I've been googling and wiki-ing for the past weeks.

According to Wiki, the province of Batanes, composed of 10 islands, sits at the topmost part of the Philippine archipelago. About one and a half hours plane ride from Manila. This place has been highly regarded as a prime tourist destination because of its magnificent rolling hills (some saying it can be compared to the ones in New Zealand), famous stone houses that have stood the test of rough and unforgiving weather conditions in the past years, the Ivatans resilience and kindness, and of course, the lighthouses that have become silent witnesses to the rage of the seas and the fury of the skies.