The Philippines: Manila and Siargao Island

I had a great time in the Philippines and so did my entire family! We stayed in Manila and on Siargao Island. I especially liked Siargao. There were many fun things to do and my Sister and I loved being barefoot all of the time. 

Three things we learned to say in Filipino (Tagalog):

1.     Magandang Umaga means good morning.

2.     Kamusta Ka means how are you? 

3.     Paalam means good bye.

What kids will like about Manila:

1.      DreamPlay by DreamWorks is a great place for kids like me. It is in the City of Dreams which is where our hotel, Nobu, was located.

2.     The Jeepneys are super cool looking and you will see that it is a popular means of public transportation in the Philippines. They are known for crowded seating and fun decorations. Jeepneys were created from the army jeeps the US military left after World War II.

3.     There is a fun place for kids to play called Kidzania where kids can play different roles such as nurses to fire fighters. They allow kids aged 4 years and up so we didn’t go as Julia is too young.

What kids will like about Siargao Island and Nay Palad:

1.     It is great fun taking a ride to the town in a Four wheeler. I got to ride on the back with Julia and our babysitter Kate. We laughed the whole time and said hello to people as we passed by.

2.     We learned how to make chocolate ice cream and cookies during a cooking class with Chef Marc. It was one of my favorite activities. I really liked Chef Marc as he was fun to be around. He said we were always welcome to come into his kitchen to say hello or grab some treats.

3.     My family loved spending a day on the hotel's private boat visiting islands and stopping to paddle board, snorkel, and eat lunch.

4.  Surfing! My parents loved it and I had a wonderful time riding the waves while laying down on the surfboard and being pushed along. We each had our own instructor and one day I will try standing up.

5. We spent some time visiting a local school with the hotel team and brought supplies and cookies to share with the kids. I was shy at first but at the end of our time ran around the grass with another boy.

6. It was fun to take a ride in the hotel Jeepney while eating dried fruit and drinking Kalamansi juice. Kalamansi juice and coconut water were my favorites. 

Interesting facts:

1.     The Philippines are named after King Philip II of Spain.

2.     The Philippines is the second largest archipelago in the world with about 7500 islands.

3.     The most popular sport is basketball and you will see many hoops as you travel around.

4.     There are over 170 languages spoken in the Philippines.

5.     Many Filipinos speak English as it is the country’s official language along with Filipino.

6.     It is the only Asian nation that is mainly Christian.

7.     The Philippines island of Palawan has been recognized by many sources as one of the best islands in the world.

8.     Manila ranks as one of the most densely populated cities in the world with some of the worst traffic.