Like you, I love to travel too. I want to learn the culture of every country, meet different people and learn to love what they love. Here are the 3 best places I want to visit.

* EUROPE. Everybody loves Europe. Most of the tourist go to Greece and the sacred Vatican City, especially the honeymooners. Greece is a conservative country, essentially a agrarian society famous for island and beaches. It is equally a land where that languages or recent migrant communities from the Balkans, Africa and Asia. Vatican City is the capital of the Catholic world. It’s one of Rome’s most visited areas. Portugal is one of the best places in Europe, Portugal has an old-fashioned charm and picture-perfect villages. Lisbon is the capital city of Portugal. This is one of those cities that makes for a perfect venue to reminisce about history and past cultures.

* FLORIDA. Florida is known for the beautiful beaches. They are ranked as some of the best in the country for accessibility, facilities and beauty and Miami, Florida is #1 Healthiest City by Natural Health Magazine in 2002. Miami is the choice of most of the families, singles and all active travelers. Enjoy the night with the coolest bars in Florida. You can drink all night long. Regular bar goers out there would likely be unfazed with a drink bearing rather cheeky names like FU2. If you want to view these amazing paradise, always watch the CSI: Miami. Yeah! That’s what I do.

* PHILIPPINES. If you’re a traveller don’t missed to visit the Philippines’ beautiful, amazing places and very hospitable people. Everywhere you will go, you’ll see beaches, different kinds of fruits and a thousand islands. Filipinos are know for being hospitable. English is their second language, except for the fact that Filipinos have hundreds of different languages. This is the place of natural wonders and boasts some of the world’s best diving and snorkeling. Any traveler who has been here will tell you that it’s people and their culture that makes the Philippines unique. And for sure you’ll gonna come back.

In this little town in southern Luzon just off the coast in a spot where Whale Sharks – the largest fish in the sea come to feed. From here you can go out for a day with a boat and swim with the sharks. As they only feed on plankton they swim close to the surface and swim fairly slowly so you are able to keep up with them. You are only allowed to snorkel with the sharks but it is just an amazing experience to be so close to a shark of this size.

2) Bukit Lawang, Sumatra, Indonesia

In this town in northern Sumatra there is miles of forest which is inhabited with many orangutans, the treks here are great with some of the best guides I have ever used. After only 4 hours into the trek I had seen 8 orangutans and that included a 6 month old baby one.

3) Angkor Wat, Cambodia

The site of Angkor in Cambodia is a must on anyone’s trip to South East Asia. Angkor Way is the largest temple in the world and seeing the sunrise over it is just a view you cannot view anywhere else in this world. You can spend so much time here looking and the vast amount of temples here and never get bored.

4) Full moon party, Koh Pan gan, Thailand

The legendary full moon party has been going on for years starting with only a few people now with a minimum of 10,000 people a month. This party is just a rite of passage for anyone who comes to Thailand to travel. You meet up with so many people and dance the till morning.

5) Motorbike tour round Vietnam

Riding your own motorbike (or if you can’t you can hire a driver) round Vietnam going to villages and towns where no tourists go is one of the highlights of this trip. Do the tour to Dalat on the scenic roads for a truly spectacular view which you can only find in Vietnam.

6) Palawan, Philippines

This Island which is the South West of the Philippines is a hidden gem of all of South East Asia. At any point you will not find more than 50 backpackers on the island and it’s a large island. The locals are the friendliest I have ever met and the beaches are I think the best in the world. Image a cross between the islands around Krabi, Thailand and mix it with Ha Long bay, Vietnam and this makes the coast line of the town of El Nido. There is some of the best diving and snorkeling to be done at the many coral reefs off the many white sand beaches or swim in lagoons with tiny sharks or just relax and soak up the sun. Also the island has the one of the longest underground rivers in the world.

7) Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

This is a must for anyone in the area as it is UNESCO heritage site and is for a good reason.
The bay has close to 2000 limestone islands with of caves to explore and a few lagoons to go kayaking in. When you go out to the bay you go out on a traditional junk ship where you will get your own room and dinner and breakfast served.

Vang Vieng, Laos

This place is just one big drunken haze but is a right of passage for anyone coming to SE Asia. You get a tractor inner tube and float down a river and stop off at bars on route and get free shots of lao lao whiskey and then drink buckets of more lao lao whiskey and coke until 6pm then when you think you have enough you go over to an island which is just bars (smile is the best) until middnight when the curfew kicks in. Try the rope swings at each of the bars. The first bar has the biggest whatever other bars may claim.

9) Gili Islands, Indonesia

The Gilis is made up of three islands, with Gili Trawangan the biggest of all. When I say big it will take you ten minutes to walk the entire length of the main beach. There are no cars on this these islands with only horse and cart to get you around. You come here to relax on the beaches and go diving with sharks and manta ray at some on the best site on Earth.

10) Hoi An, Vietnam

Hoi An is located on the coast and has a pretty decent beach. It is the also the place to come for tailor-made clothes. There are too many tailors to mention here with the main road pretty much consisting of them. You can get literally anything made here all you need to do is take a photo of the item you want and they will make it for you. A good quality suit will cost around $50-$100.

The country gained its independence after World War II. However, much of the city was destroyed, and it never managed to rebuild itself or reclaim its regional importance and identity. Present-day Metro Manila is a conglomeration of 17 cities and municipalities–a “mega-city” offering a blend of cultures.

It is hard to determine exactly what Manila is. It is an amalgamation of contrasts: extreme wealth and poverty, sidewalk vendors and civilized shopping malls and bustling chaos and peaceful greenery.

The city of Manila houses numerous landmarks, parks and open spaces, museums, shopping centers, as well as abundant nightlife. At the heart of the city lies Intramuros, where forts and dungeons, old churches and colonial houses can be found.

Getting around Manila

Like many Asian cities, Manila faces a great deal of traffic congestion that leaves you in a quagmire during rush hour or rain. Fortunately, transport is fairly cheap, including the taxis.

Local Jeepneys (brightly colored converted Jeeps used as minibuses) are a popular form of transport and can be hailed anywhere. They are cheap, plentiful and best suited to shorter journeys. Local buses are useful to get to places on the main roads as they are prohibited from most streets in the center of town. Like Jeepneys, buses have their destinations indicated on signboards.

The elevated light rail system (LRT) and the Metrostar have helped to alleviate some of the congestion. They are an excellent way to soar past traffic but are normally packed during rush hour.

In sections of Manila you can find Kalesas (horse-drawn carriages) that plod through the traffic, carrying passengers and goods. Tricycles (motorcycles with side cars) and pedicabs (bicycles with side cars) are also for hire, servicing narrow roads and inner-city alleys.

Don’t miss…

Manila is just as alive during the day as it is at night, and you will never run out of things to see and do. Here are some highlights:

Intramuros

Within Intramuros is a fort built by the Spaniards when they colonized Manila. The fort walls were twenty feet high and over a mile in length, protecting several rich mansions, churches, and schools. Unfortunately, the fort was destroyed during World War II, but a strong sense of history still remains.

Much of Intramuros has been rebuilt and proves to be an interesting attraction for visitors. Here you will find the Casa Manila, The Manila Cathedral, and the Rizal Shrine Museum.

Quiapo and Chinatown

Chinatown is the center of the vibrant Chinese community, where the locals venture for a taste of true mainland delicacies. Walk along Ongpin Street where you’ll find dozens of goldsmiths, herbalists, teahouses and shops, incense, trinkets etc. Venture out to the nearby backstreets of Quiapo and visit the Quiapo Church, one of the most famous churches in Manila (also known as the Church of the Black Nazarene). Built in 1582, it has amazingly withstood earthquakes, riots, rebellions and the war. The church houses a statue of Christ that is believed to have miraculous powers, attracting hoards of visitors.

Coconut Palace

Under the Marcos regime, the Coconut Palace was built for Pope John Paul’s visit in 1981. However, he declined to stay, snubbing it as too pretentious and flamboyant. The Coconut Palace is now effectively a museum, which is almost entirely made from palm wood and coconut fiber. Some of the highlights include the 101 coconut shell chandelier and the dining table made of 40,000 tiny pieces of inlaid coconut shells.

Malate

The popular district of Malate showcases a wide variety of hotels, restaurants, clubs, bars, cafes, art and antique shops. The nightlife offers everything from cultural shows to discotheques, cozy jazz bars, entertainment lounges, and fashionable cafes.

The clash of local ingredients with the palates of conquering Spaniards left Filipino food with an unambiguous emphasis on meat. Filipino food is served in almost every restaurant in town. Local dishes include liempo (steamed spare ribs), lechon (spit-fire roasted pork), kare-kare (a stew with peanut sauce and ground toasted rice) and, if you can stomach it, balut (fertilized duck embryo steamed and served in the shell). For something sweeter try halo-halo, a drink of ice, sweet beans, fruit and condensed milk, topped with ice cream. You can find all types of cuisine in Manila. A few favorites include:

La Cocina de Tita Moning

315 San Rafael St., San Miguel, Manila

As you enter the gates of this old mansion, you walk into an actual ancestral home, filled with priceless works of art and memorabilia. You are welcomed with drinks on the patio, before being given a mini-tour of the place. Dishes are served on antique china, glassware and silverware. Select from a choice of old world recipes handed down from generations and served in a classic way, or those with a modern twist. A particular favorite is the paella and bread pudding.

Sala

Podium Level, Locsin Bldg., 6752 Ayala Ave. cor. Makati Ave, Makati

A refined and contemporary European bistro, featuring fusion dishes with an emphasis on simple mains seasoned creatively with organic herbs. Offerings include sesame crusted seared tuna with crispy Asian coleslaw, porcini mushroom risotto cake with brie and roast tomato, and beef tenderloin with horseradish mash and red pepper chutney.

Shang Palace

Ayala Avenue at Makati Avenue, Makati City

A restaurant that is renowned for its elegant ambience, unique furnishings of wooden latticework, glittering Swarovski chandeliers and intimate fuchsia dining booths. It has often been described as the best Cantonese in Manila. Try out specials such as the chilled sliced pork with spicy garlic sauce, sauteed prawn with orange sauce and sweet spare ribs in a clay pot.

Shopping

The tropical weather in Manila, combined with the facilities of its world-class malls, continue to attract Filipinos to the shopping malls. The biggest mall in the country is the SM Mall of Asia, which sits near Manila Bay. It has a skating rink, science discovery center, IMAX theater and many other attractions. There are also high-end shopping malls such as Shangri-La Plaza, The Podium Ortigas Center, and Glorietta Mall, where you can find designer goods and accessories.

Venturing beyond the shopping malls you can head to the markets, where bargaining will be a major part of your shopping experience. Visitors often return from the markets laden with mirrors, lace, capiz-shell lanterns, and hand-carved trinkets. Every district in the city, with the exception of Port Area, has its own public market. Bargains are easily found in mass market malls such as SM or Market!Market! More adventurous shoppers interested in serious haggling can head for a flea market (known as tiangge), such as Divisoria, 168 Mall or Greenhills. Bear in mind, that you may need a well-trained eye to spot fakes.

Tutuban Center in Divisoria offers more comfort as an air-conditioned mall, but prices of goods are still very similar to those bought outside. In Quiapo, a unique spot is the marketplace under the bridge, which sells original Filipino crafts and delicacies. Also in Quiapo, Hidalgo Street is the place to come for inexpensive camera equipment and accessories.