You don't have to travel far in the Philippines to find the road less traveled. Not a few hours from the city, some of the country's most unspoiled places wait to be discovered by the Flickr-and-Facebook set. Backpackers like Fredda Rosete take pride in finding these hidden jewels with little conventional planning.
"I prepare for my trip, but my mind is so open to new adventures," Fredda tells us; she often changes travel plans mid-stream after getting advice from the locals. "When I get to a place, and I hear another place is better, it's okay to change my itinerary. The fun there is in your openness, and the idea that you don't know what's going to happen. If you have a very clear itinerary to follow, then it's just like you joined a package tour, instead of 'backpacking'!"
"I prepare for my trip, but my mind is so open to new adventures," Fredda tells us; she often changes travel plans mid-stream after getting advice from the locals. "When I get to a place, and I hear another place is better, it's okay to change my itinerary. The fun there is in your openness, and the idea that you don't know what's going to happen. If you have a very clear itinerary to follow, then it's just like you joined a package tour, instead of 'backpacking'!"
A crystal-clear river in Daraitan in Tanay, Rizal.Keeping it real. Key to the backpacking experience is a sense of authenticity—thus the backpacker's traditional disdain of the packaged itinerary and the search for the real and unvarnished. Fredda's own quest for that backpacker nirvana has earned her not a few scars—she's been bitten by a baby cobra and stung by box jellyfish twice—but along the way, she's arrived at places quite off the regular tourist path, too. Like Sibuyan Island.
"Sibuyan Island is so pristine, they don't have a tourist office at all," Fredda says. As an unspoiled destination with a rich and diverse ecology, scientists have even dubbed it the "Galapagos of Asia."
Located in the province of Romblon, it's carpeted by the densest forest cover in the Philippines, at 1,551 trees per hectare. The trees shelter hundreds of species of birds, insects, and reptiles, some of which have not yet been catalogued by scientists.
"Sometimes I'm just sitting in the backyard of my nipa hut, and I see insects that I've never seen anywhere else," Fredda marvels. There's even more up in the mountains if you prefer to get up close and personal with intriguing flora and fauna.
"Sibuyan Island is so pristine, they don't have a tourist office at all," Fredda says. As an unspoiled destination with a rich and diverse ecology, scientists have even dubbed it the "Galapagos of Asia."
Located in the province of Romblon, it's carpeted by the densest forest cover in the Philippines, at 1,551 trees per hectare. The trees shelter hundreds of species of birds, insects, and reptiles, some of which have not yet been catalogued by scientists.
"Sometimes I'm just sitting in the backyard of my nipa hut, and I see insects that I've never seen anywhere else," Fredda marvels. There's even more up in the mountains if you prefer to get up close and personal with intriguing flora and fauna.
Finding one's way in DaraitanChoosing a destination. Between home and getting to your destination, you can rely on travel blogs like Fredda to help you decide where you take your backpack next.
One of those blog entries led her to Daraitan, in Tanay, Rizal: "One of the best places I've been to in Southern Luzon," Fredda tells us, explaining that the crystal-clear river made the trip. "From a certain spot, the river is so clean, it's so light blue, it's really amazing!"
Working out a travel budget. To keep travel expenses low, Fredda chooses to stay in homestays or other budget hotels that charge peanuts for a night's stay.
"I want to spend as little as possible; when I go to a place, if they show me a single room for P800 (around USD20), I'll say no, I'll look for something for P400 (around USD10), and if I find something that's cheaper still, I'll check it out," Fredda tells us. "I've stayed in rooms that cost as low as P150 (almost USD4)—of course it only had a fan, but it was decent and clean."
Fredda estimates that P1,000 a day should be good enough for the beginning solo backpacker; P2,000 a day if one limits one's itinerary to tourist traps. "You have to rent your own boat, that might cost P1,200, then your tour guide costs P600," Fredda warns. "Non-tourist islands like Sibuyan, it's going to be cheaper and much more awesome, because people don't try to take advantage of you. There you can spend around P500 per day."
One of those blog entries led her to Daraitan, in Tanay, Rizal: "One of the best places I've been to in Southern Luzon," Fredda tells us, explaining that the crystal-clear river made the trip. "From a certain spot, the river is so clean, it's so light blue, it's really amazing!"
Working out a travel budget. To keep travel expenses low, Fredda chooses to stay in homestays or other budget hotels that charge peanuts for a night's stay.
"I want to spend as little as possible; when I go to a place, if they show me a single room for P800 (around USD20), I'll say no, I'll look for something for P400 (around USD10), and if I find something that's cheaper still, I'll check it out," Fredda tells us. "I've stayed in rooms that cost as low as P150 (almost USD4)—of course it only had a fan, but it was decent and clean."
Fredda estimates that P1,000 a day should be good enough for the beginning solo backpacker; P2,000 a day if one limits one's itinerary to tourist traps. "You have to rent your own boat, that might cost P1,200, then your tour guide costs P600," Fredda warns. "Non-tourist islands like Sibuyan, it's going to be cheaper and much more awesome, because people don't try to take advantage of you. There you can spend around P500 per day."
Backpackers hiking uphill in Banaue.Choosing transportation. To minimize fares, pay close attention to low-cost carriers; these sales are usually announced on the carriers' social media sites, and don't last more than a few hours.
On her latest trip, Fredda ventured into surfing hotspot Siargao: "Not so ideal for backpackers on a budget," she confesses, but "it has lots of undiscovered lagoons, it's gorgeous." Still authentic and affordable—exactly what backpackers like Fredda crave to find when they venture onto the Philippines' trails.
On her latest trip, Fredda ventured into surfing hotspot Siargao: "Not so ideal for backpackers on a budget," she confesses, but "it has lots of undiscovered lagoons, it's gorgeous." Still authentic and affordable—exactly what backpackers like Fredda crave to find when they venture onto the Philippines' trails.
