Your international traveling was nixed, no thanks to the viral scare that marked your destinations as “no travel zones”. Bummer, right? 

The itchy feet need to be scratched. Why not redirect your sight to somewhere nearer where you don't need a passport? That can also mean you have more moolah to spend now. With that in mind, splurge on a nice hotel, feast on good food and extend your vacation to a few more days that originally planned.

Luckily, Davao has direct flights to destinations we can choose from. No transient stops, which can eat up a chunk of the vacation time. Here are some places you can consider for vacation.

1. Iloilo. I can already here you running through your must-eat list. Yes, Iloilo is a foodie’s paradise—the molo soup, batchoy, that siopao in the downtown eatery, and the much-loved kakanins we can take home. 

Get your Molo soup fix at Camiña Balay nga Bato

In case you need to attend your daily mass, that would be a good chance to visit/revisit the city’s historic churches. If your visit falls on the Holy Week, include these churches on your Visita Iglesia list: Jaro Cathedral; Molo Church (a National Landmark); Miag-ao Church (on the UNESCO Heritage list); Sta. Barbara Chruch (a National Landmark); San Joaquin Parish Church (A National Cultural Treasure). 

ILOMOCA, contemporary museum in Iloilo Business Park

Stay in Iloilo Business Park, everything you need will be there—a nice hotel like Richmnode Hotel, a mall with cinemas, restos and bars. Do visit the ILOMOCA (Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Art), there’s nothing of its kind in Visayas and Mindanao.

2. Zamboanga. It may be curacha land for you but it is popularly known as Asia’s Latin City- Chavacano country!

Zamboanga. The breathtaking pink sand beach of Grande Santa Cruz Island

Time slows down here giving you a more relaxed pace familiar spots like the City Hall, Rizal Park, Fort Pilar Shrine and Museum, Cawa-cawa Boulevard, Barter markets, etc.

It will need planning but make sure you have a picnic at Grande Santa Cruz Island. The water is crystal clear and what makes it special is its pink sand.

Yakan at Yakan Weaving VIllage in Zamboanga

Since handwoven fabrics are hot fashion commodities today, Zamboanga has the Yakan Weaving Village. Go gaga over the patterns and colors. 

3. Bohol. Coming to mind are the Chocolate Hills, Tarsier, Loboc River, hanging bridge, bee farm, mahogany forest, Baclayon and Dauis churches, and of course Panglao Island. You’ve been there, done it, but isn't it nice to revisit the place and do another round of its sites?

Bohol. Panglao sunset seen from Bluewater Pangalo

Or you may opt to spend all your time along the white sand beach and take home a nice tan, which is probably what I will do. New resort hotels have risen and luring the more tourists to the island. Find your spot and mark it as your favorite. Stay at Bluewater Panglao Beach Resort.

Bohol landmark, the Chocolate Hills

4. Mactan Island, Cebu. Why would you want to dive into heavy traffic in the city center when you can while your vacation time away with a view of the sea in Mactan Island?

Mactan, Cebu. Daybreak at Bluewater Maribago

I can't stop you from crossing the bridge because you want to dig into the local specialties, but the Lechon Cebu, danggit and pusit (plus more!) will be available for you at the posh hotels where you're staying. If I were you, enjoy the sun and sea, get a good massage, daily if you must, at the spa. Movenpick has Spa del Mar; Bluewater Maribago, Amuma Spa; and Shangri-La, the Chi Spa.

Movenpick Hotel Mactan Island Cebu

5. Siargao. It was popular only to surfers years ago but now it’s everyone’s go-to beach destination in Mindanao. The island has amenities as good as any of the other developed beach destinations—nice hotels, good restaurants, etc, that tourists may look for. 

Siargao. The iconic boardwalk (Photo- Nicole S)

The island is huge and there are more beach areas and interesting spots other than the ones along General Luna. Thus, a ride is essential to reach the less popular areas. 

In Siargao. No one is ever too young or too old to surf (Photo- Nicole S.)

Another charm of the place is the neighboring islands’ attractions like the beaches of Guyam, Daku and Naked Island, Bukas Grande’s Sohoton Cave and jellyfish sanctuary.

Also published in the SunStar Davao newspaper.

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Hassle-free traveling, that’s what we all want. The lesser stops to the the final destination, the better. The good news is international carriers are more confident of Davao now. Their studies must have proven there is a large market of travelers in this part of the Philippines. Last year, three new airlines joined the list carriers providing international direct links from Davao. 

Silk Air, which links Davao and Singapore, is the longest international provide to date. In 2018, Cathay Dragon, the regional carrier of Cathay Pacific, launched its Davao-Hong Kong route. It was long overdue, I believe. But the move revived HK as a favorite destination for many. The year 2019 brought more good news for Davao travelers with Qatar Airways and Xiamen Airlines opened links to Doha and Quanzhou, and Garuda Indonesia reopened the Davao-Manado route.

The Lion City and Hong Kong may not be new destinations to you, but the (relatively) small cities are ever-changing and holds surprises. Doha, Quanzhou and Manado are still on the cities to be discovered for many of us. 

With that said, how about hopping on those planes and explore the cities. It flies you direct to the cities waiting to be explored. How about trying these?

Singapore via Silk Air. More than the attractions, Singapore is a food haven. You must have tried the various Hawker food centers across the city. How about the fancier ones? You’d be happy to know that Singapore has the #1 Best Restaurant in Asia 2019 and #18 on the 100 World’s Best Restaurants 2019 list. Odette, at the historic National Gallery of Singapore, is led by a 36-year-old Frenchman, Chef Julien Royer. Using the highest quality products from “specialist artisan producers” across the globe, the chef makes these “ingredients purr in delicate but flavorful dishes.”

Dining in this joint is costly but the experience is fabulous. Prior reservations required.

Hong Kong via Cathay Dragon. The city must have been you first international destination abroad and revisiting it can bring back happy memories. It’s a foodie and shopaholic’s paradise, and has a spot that nobody gets old—Disneyland. How about a night here? Both parents and kids will be giddy with excitement when they see the Disney characters march before them. 

Or visit Madame Tussauds wax museum. You’ll find Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurztbach stature there and soon, Manny Pacquiao’s. That’s a TKO moment for the Pinoys, in a good way.

Manado via Garuda Indonesia. If you love nature, then you’ll love this place. As an epi-center of eco-tourism, trips to the lakes and volcanoes, and underwater activities top the to-do list in Manado. Here, the beauty of nature is preserved.

More than destinations, these cities are gateways to other international destinations.  Do more than a quick stopover, enjoy a few nights in these cities and create special memories you can take home to share. 

Go ahead, travel more this 2020. Invest in it. It can make your mind and soul richer. 

Also published in the SunStar Davao newspaper.

How do I describe 2016? It was generous, exciting and exhausting. The last may seem a surprising addition but it “came with the territory,” so to speak—and I’m not complaining.

Off the bucket list is Kyoto. The photo of geisha’s walking the streets of the city was on my vision board for years, so was the Jidai Matsuri festival and the autumn season in Japan. I got to tick off three items from my bucket list.

Geisha spotting at Gion, Kyoto. One off the bucket list

Five days in the city was too short with a heavy concentration of Unesco World Heritage Sites, but good enough to know that I should revisit the city.

In Kyoto, stay at the New Gingkaku Inn. It’s affordable and very conveniently located a few steps away from the Kyoto station. The train station is a depot for buses for the city’s tourist attractions.

The few remaining days in Japan allowed me to visit another new place, Karuizawa in Nagano, to chase the autumn leaves (I came too early in the season to catch the red and gold foliage).

Went chasing fall at Karuizawa in Nagano

In Tokyo, I was able to visit a few more sites I missed on my previous visit.

Caught Maman, the giant spider by Louise Bourgeois, in Roppogi Hills this time. Saw it first in Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao.

Perhaps, the best lesson Japan has taught me was to maximize the Japan Rail Pass. It doesn’t come cheap so the more bullet train rides to faraway destinations you can do so. Short, quick visits to places are not just my kind of thing though. Do I compromise?

Taipei may not be on my list, but PAL’s seat sale was too hard to resist.

My first sunset in Taipei with the iconic tower, Taipei 101 jutting off from the city landscape.

Once under the Japanese rule, the Chinese city still has the vibe of Japan—clean, safe, commuter friendly and inexpensive. The city is vibrant and a foodie’s haunt. Taipei is worth a revisit.

In Taipei, stay at W Taipei and Shangri-La’s Far Eastern Plaza Hotel. W is contemporary chic and Shangri-La is Oriental sophistication, each is an experience in itself.

Oriental luxe at Shangri-La's Far Eastern Plaza Hotel, Taipei

While in these hotels, take time to dine under the Michelin stars. Yen, W’s Chinese resto, has a chef who earned a Michelin-starred culinary experience from Japan, and Shangri-La’s ibuki by Takagi Kazuo is Taiwan’s first Japanese restaurant to operate in concordance with Michelin standards.

Addictive little things- Steamed Abalone Siew Mai by a chef with a Michelin star restaurant expeirence

Only the freshest ingredients. Sushi at ibuki by Takagi Kazuo

Believe it or not, it’s been seven years since my most recent visit to Hong Kong. Its face hasn’t change much but it has become one of the most expensive cities to shop and dine at.

Hong Kong is transforming/repurposing its old quarters and turning it into new destination spots, a formula that can keep the city exciting.

Back in Hong Kong after 9 years. The view from my Marco Polo Hong Kong Hotel room

In Hong Kong, enjoy the changing scenery of the iconic Victoria Harbour in comforts of your own room at the Marco Polo Hong Kong Hotel or the Shangri-La Kowloon Hotel.

This view of Hon Kong's iconic harbour from my room at the Shangri-La Kowloon

Spoil yourself. In these hotels, go for the continental club floor room and enjoy the club amenities.

Spoil yourself more and dine at Shang Palace, Shangri-La Kowloon’s Michelin starred restaurant, and Cucina, Marco Polo’s amazing Italian resto.

Cucina's bestseller- slow cooked Wagyu beef cheeks

First course the Michelin-starred restaurant, the Shang Palace

Another destination I haven’t seen in years was Baguio. The weekend visit with friends was for food tripping. It was worth every calorie ingested.

How long has it been since the last visit. Baguio this year for food tripping with friends

Breakfast fare at Cafe by the Ruins

Bangkok’s charm is unending. Twice a year, there’s always a new find and the most recent ones discovered were a three food places in three hotels are great at pampering its guests: Punjab, an Indian restaurant at Radisson Suites Sukhumvit 13; Eat Well Café, a healthy hub at Well Hotel Sukhumvit 20; and the afternoon tea nibbles at The House at Sathorn of W Bangkok.

Tandoori Jheenga at Punjab

Juice Therapy at Well Hotel Bangkok's resto

High tea at The House on Sathorn

Catching the Loi Krathong festival on the super moon phenomenon was magical, and I finally was able to visit the Jim Thompson Museum after many attempts on my countless visits to the city.

Loi Krathong 2016 at the Benjasiri Park

Girl & the silk fibers. After years of attempts to visit, I finally made it to the Jim Thompson Museum.

Like they say, it comes in three’s. Third on the B destination list is Boracay. I still consider it my island home no matter how busy it has turned to be. It’s a matter of locating your ideal lounging spots along the white stretches, and enjoy the sun, sand and surf.

To enjoy Boracay even on the busiest season, look for your spot

For a touch of Davao in Boracay, the home I stay may soon be on the B&B list and Hoy Panga! has risen quite quickly on the most popular restaurants list in the island.

Hoy Panga!'s Sizzling Tuna Sisig is a must try

I should say, along with the happy (and extremely tired) feet is a happy tummy, with all the new dining places I was able to try this 2016.

My gratitude is extended to Philippine Airlines, with special mention to the office of its president. The Business Class upgrades made the journey to and from Taipei and Japan very comfortable.

How to reach a destination in comfort. Get a business class seat aboard Philippine Airlines

What’s in 2017? There are a few more photos of destinations on my vision board. I’m keeping my calendar open and wait where the generous Universe is taking me.

Email me at jinggoysalvador@yahoo.com. For more lifestyle & travel stories, visit www.ofapplesandlemons.com & www.jeepneyjinggoy.com.

Also published in the SunStar Davao newspaper.