The Philippines: Pearl of the orient seas

Just a short introduction of myself since its my first post. My Name is Dawn, I'm 22 years old and now currently in the Netherlands. I came all the way to Europe from 6,587 miles away about 4 years ago without any idea how the world in the other side is like.

The Philippines

Also known as The Land of the orient pearl or pearl of the orient seas. The Philippines is located in the southeast Asia. It's an archipelago made out of 7,641 islands and islets. So if you're wanderlust is gets urging, get your flip flops and backpack and let me take you to my home country The Philippines.

This is Subic Beach Matnog, Sorsogon, this was taken before I left the Philippines, I think about 5 years ago. It's just 1 out of the 7,641 islands to choose from .

The island back then was not as developed as it is today. You need to ride a boat from Matnog port to get there but its quite cheap (around 15 euro) and you then got a big boat which could fit up to 20 people. You could see it from below. The island is known for its pinkish powder like sand that got its hue from the crushed red coral. It's amazingly breathtaking! I remembered it was somewhat isolated from the busy cities and all you could hear was the sound of the waves crashing into the shore,You could feel the the warm breeze of the sea, salted water drying up on your skin and enjoy the stunning view of a crystal blue sea.

The island is also known for its underground caves. There are different fish sanctuaries were you were able to swim with exotic fishes. I sadly lost the picture to proof this, but this is surely an island that should be on everyone's bucket list.

This is one of my favorite island Not just because of its pristine natural beauty but everything there was just spectacular! This is Biri Northern Samar.Its amazing how mother Nature works,I think this is even more beautiful than the under ground river of Palawan which was voted for the new seven wonders of the world in 2012 for its navigable subterranian river. The island is known for its rock formations that are carved by crushing rogue waves. It is almost a piece of art. This is the best spot to surf, dive, climb and take to astonishing photos of nature itself.y

These are just two recommendations but there is a lot more to discover and explore.

I thought of writing a blog to promote the Philippines because people are really discouraged to go there. For some reason it has a bad reputation. Especially here in the Netherlands. Every time I talk to someone about my home country, they ask me about how bad it is in there. They think it's dangerous, full with scammers, and they are afraid for natural disasters.

Thinking about this always makes me wonder if we are talking about the same country. I consider my home country as a beautiful group of islands, rich in breathtaking beaches, vista's and cozy villages. There are tons of things to see and discover. The magic of the country never wears out.

Of course: scams happen. But they happen everywhere in the world. If you know where to go,i advise you to go in the countryside than manila then you are good to go. Now that I think about it: The Philippines is actually known for its kind and hospitable people.

So try it yourself and remember:

"TAKE NOTHING BUT PICTURES,KILL NOTHING BUT TIME,LEAVE NOTHING BUT FOOTPRINTS,KEEP NOTHING BUT MEMORIES"