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The year 2017 is about to end and most of us are now starting to reflect the things that happened this year, the things that we are grateful and the things that we want to achieve. This is the best time to check our bucket list, see if we can cross out something and add more goals for the coming year.

I love planning and making a list, I have different bucket lists and one of them is my travel bucket list. If money is not an issue, I’m pretty sure that you won’t see me in one place. There are so many places that I wanted to visit but I know that life is so short and budget is limited. But it doesn’t stop me from planning and dreaming that one day, I will be able to visit my dream destination.

 “Travel as much as you can, as far as you can, as long as you can. Life is not meant to be lived in just one place.” 

I have a long list of places on my travel bucket list but for now, let me share with you the Top 3 Places on my Travel Bucket List in the Philippines. Our country is an archipelago which has 7, 641 islands, it is a beautiful country and there is no doubt about that. I’m not sure if I can explore all the provinces and islands in the Philippines but I would be happy if I could visit these three places.


I’ve been meaning to visit Batanes, Siargao and El Nido, Palawan but one thing that hinders me is the plane ticket. The airfare is so expensive so sometimes I chose to go to other countries in South East Asia because they have cheaper airfare and if I’m lucky I can score a seat sale.

The Top 3 Places on my Travel Bucket List

1. Batanes 

Batanes is situated in the northernmost part of the country, in fact, the island is closer to Taiwan than the Philippines. It is the smallest when it comes to the number of people and land area. The province may be small but it is on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage site.

Fortunate people who already visited the place compared Batanes to New Zealand because they have wide pasture lands, rolling hills and mountains, massive cliffs, deep canyons and rocky shorelines. I’ve never been to New Zealand so I would neither agree or disagree but I would want to see their beautiful landscapes and seascapes with my own eyes.

2. El Nido Palawan

I’ve been to Palawan twice and every visit is always memorable. It is one of the beautiful places in the world that I wanted to revisit and I’m proud to say that our Underground River is part of the 7 Wonders of the World and just recently, Palawan island won the first spot of the Best Island in the World 2017.


I’ve been to Coron and Puerto Princesa, Palawan but I haven’t been to El Nido. If you’ve never been to Palawan, I suggest that you add this to your bucket list too. You can DIY your trip or if you want to make your life easier, just book a tour package. You can find cheap Palawan tour packages here. 

3. Siargao 

Siargao is located in the province of Surigao del Norte and it is the well-known as “Surfing Capital of the Philippines” so it was not originally part of my bucket list before because I thought that this province is only for surfers. But I was wrong, this place is not only for surfers because there are a lot of interesting places that you can visit aside from the Cloud 9. You can do island hopping, visit the mangrove forests, or just enjoy the beach and food tripping.

Some people say that one week of stay is not enough to enjoy the place. The airfare may be expensive but the foods, tours, and accommodations are affordable. I don’t know when will I visit Siargao but for the meantime, I will just watch the upcoming “Siargao” movie this Christmas season.

How I wish I can visit these 3 places in the next five years but only time can tell. How about you? What is your travel bucket list?

 “Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.” - Dalai Lama