Backpackers’ top destination

CEBU, Philippines - With its pristine beaches, inviting dive spots, historical attractions, and prized roasted pig delicacy known locally as “lechon,” Cebu may be poised to become Southeast Asia’s next top destination for backpack travelers.

A US-based travel website has listed the island, along with eight other areas in the world, as among the best destinations to visit with a backpack in tow.

“Head to the central Visayan islands at the heart of the archipelago where long, skinny Cebu island is the perfect hub for exploring the surrounding beaches and volcanic jungles,” reads the editorial review of the National Geographic via travel.nationalgeographic.com.

Despite the massive devastation it incurred from super typhoon Yolanda in 2013, National Geographic says the Philippines is set to become the region’s next hot backpacker destination “just like Thailand used to be.”

The other places Nat Geo recommended for backpackers this year include Eastern Europe (Albania, Montenegro and Macedonia); Zimbabwe; Turkey; Australia and New Zealand; Vietnam; Iceland; Colombia and Ecuador.

Amid calls for healthy leaving, backpacking — or travelling with a backpack tagged along — has been getting popular nowadays because it involves outdoor exploration like hiking, walking and trekking.

The World Tourism Organization estimates that youth travel and backpacking now accounts for between 20 to 25 percent of international tourist trips.

According to the Qualitative Sociology Review, backpacking is a form of low-cost, independent international travel. It includes the use of a backpack that is easily carried for long distances or long periods of time; the use of public transport; inexpensive lodging such as youth hostels; often a longer duration of the trip when compared with conventional vacations; and often an interest in meeting locals, as well as seeing sights.

It may also include wilderness adventures, local travel and travel to nearby countries while working from the country in which they are based.

Cebu’s natural and heritage sites have been instrumental in its inclusion in the Nat Geo list.

“While most of Cebu City’s impressive traffic is motorized, two-wheeled horse-drawn carriages called tartanillas still ply parts of downtown around Carlock Street and market area. Originally ridden only by the rich, these colorful relics are now open to anyone — although definitely negotiate a price before you climb aboard,” the article reads.

“It’s also the jump-off point for coastal hot spots all around the country’s ninth largest island. Outstanding diving awaits at Malapascua Island, off the north end of Cebu Island, and nearby Bantayan island offers laid-back seaside resorts on pristine beaches,” it adds.

These sites are complemented by a bustling nightlife scene, particularly “in the trendy Lahug district” around which many establishments offer nightly entertainment and recreation, the article reads further.

Aside from its laid-back and modern vibe, Cebu’s accessibility to backpackers also earned the website’s nod.

“Philippine Airlines recently gained approval for direct flights to Europe, Australia, and the United States from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Metro Manila which is connected to the Mactan-Cebu International Airport by dozens of daily flights. Passenger and vehicle ferries also run between Cebu and other major islands,” it says.

“On land, transport options include buses, minivans, jeepneys — wildly decorated vehicles with roots in Second World War US Army jeeps — pedicabs, and motorcycle taxis. Public ferries and smaller craft called bangkas ply the water,” it adds.

As to cuisine, the site says the country’s best lechon, or spit-roasted suckling pig, could be also found in Cebu. This is on top of other regional dishes like sinigang, among others. —/JMO (FREEMAN)