Travel Trends: Go International!

written on August 19th, 2015 by Rafia Abubakar

So what’s next for the travelling Pinoy? When you have already visited some of the most iconic places in this beautiful country of ours? Widen your horizon and tackle lands beyond our seas.

Among friends and family, I’m sure you’ve noticed a travel pattern. A few years back, Hong Kong Disneyland was THE dream destination. Luckily for us here in Southeast Asia, it didn’t take long for Filipinos to make the trip to the happiest place on Earth, conveniently located two hours away by plane. That’s not to say that was the only thing to see and experience in HK. But there emerged a travel trend of planning a long vacation to Hong Kong with all the tourist attractions to see, Disneyland included.

Lately, there are more trends coming up where travelling internationally. See if you’ve already got it covered.

1. Turning Japanese

It’s like the “new Hong Kong” for the Pinoy Traveller. Even as I write this, I have friends on vacation right now. There are photos of authentic sushi and ramen coming up on my Facebook feed every so often. Most are first time travellers to the Land of the Rising Sun.

What draws the Filipino to Japan?

• Culture

Some just want to immerse in Japanese culture. We all know how the Japanese though highly advanced have been able to maintain their age old traditions. Their discipline and passion is both admirable and intimidating. They’ve managed to mix ancient with modern and even regal with quirky.

• Sights and Sounds

Cherry blossoms, thousands of temples and shrines, beautiful ladies dressed in their best kimonos, tea ceremonies… There’s so much to see, but let’s not forget the fun and novelty side of things. A visit to Akihabara Street in the Harajuku district will show you the most costumed people converge and frolic like any other day. Experience the amazing punctuality and efficiency of a bullet train. Get lost in the world class amusement parks. The list goes on.

• Japanese Food

You can’t go wrong with food. We Filipinos love Japanese dishes, evident by the endless sprouting of new Japanese restaurants everywhere in the Philippines. While one doesn’t need to go far to satisfy the craving for sushi, there’s no harm in trying a truly authentic Japanese one. Taste it from the source.

2. The Usual Suspects: Hong Kong and Singapore

Both were once British Colonies and though have long since reclaimed their independence, still reflect much of their European influences. They are now among the most thriving places in Southeast Asia. While it may be tempting to say that they are similar, each still has its own distinction in living up to their east meets west culture.

Why do we keep going back?
Hong Kong and Singapore are very accessible from the Philippines. It’s only a few hours away, with just the slightest change in climate if any at all. It’s also easy to navigate and commute.

There is also a steady number Filipinos working in these countries and that fact has given way for family and friends to visit.

3. The Bratpack of Backpack: Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam

Still on the tail of the adventure seeking experience, backpacking remains a great way to travel. The fun part is when you literally cross borders. That moment when you cross the line, go through a gate and voila! You are in a totally different territory with a new language, culture and tradition to discover.

Southeast Asian Crossings  

The neighboring countries of Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam allow easy access by land, thus the easy choice for backpacking trips. The journey can span a week or so giving the backpacker just enough time to experience the sights and sounds. Or with enough planning, you could be out and about for months – a truly deep experience of each country.

It’s like connecting the dots on a map trail. So the trail can start in Thailand, cross over to Cambodia and end in Vietnam. Thailand alone has over 20 international border crossings. So you can add into the mix Malaysia, Burma and Laos.

4. Eurotrip

Some of us dream about far off places across the seas. What’s it like over there? The seasonal change? The landscape? Being around people unlike our own? Or it could be as simple as wanting to see Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower or have a photo pushing on the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

It may take longer in planning; getting the right papers and essentials for the travel (arm yourself with all the necessary Visa requirements), the budgeting, and the time allotted for the trip, but more and more Filipinos are making their dream to visit Europe a reality.

Why Not?

If you have the means, a trip to Europe can be like a portal to a time much older than ours. It’s like history class right before your eyes, as real and awe-inspiring as you can imagine.

Which travel trend are you getting on?

Travelling has become less intimidating with the onslaught of useful information on the web. Planning to plunge into backpacking across Asia? Sip high teas in a quaint Euro café? Or have some authentic sushi? Chances are you will instantly find people who have done the same thing before you and are nice enough to share their experiences.