I know where my next get-away vacation will be: Iloilo. It may not sound faraway and exotic enough for the rest of you, but a recent working visit to this old rich city in central Philippines gave me a glimpse of what could amount to a real nice vacation.
First of all, it’s only an hour’s plane ride away, and there are enough flights a day to and from Iloilo (about 20 a day) to make booking a flight, even on the spur of the moment, not that difficult. For the more adventurous you can go by all manner of water transport, from the RORO to passenger ships to “fast boats”.
There are quite a few hotels in town. The Grand Dame in La Paz is a charming, cozy boutique hotel that fulfills the requirement of offering genteel hospitality and modern amenities all in one. Read the rest of the article
By Dina Sta. Maria
The Philippine Star 08/06/2006
One Comment
When it comes to food, I recommend Filipino is one of the most yummy foods in the whole universe! I missed “Lapaz Batchoy” nearly a decade. Iloilo City, Philippines has the most delicious “Batchoy” that I highly recommended here in the United States. My hometown here in the US is Mississippi, which I say very much similar to Iloilo City, in where I was born and raised. The hospitality in the state of Mississippi, USA is very much alike to the hospitality of Iloilo City, Philippines. When it comes to foods Mississippi and Iloilo City are just alike. But of course “we have our own touch” that no one can immitate how we “do” the cooking. Sounds funny but this is true. Majority of Filipino can cook good! We are known all over the world when if comes to cooking. Daughter and her school friends tried all my filipino cooking in the holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, 4th of July, Birthday and Party. All they have to say is…yummy! yummy! that’s it! Proud of it! By the way, I and my family are planning to spend vacation by 2007 or maybe 2008. I missed the “Dinagyang Festival” nearly a decade, and the “Food Festival”, “Lechon” makes me nut! I really do not like to hear that “word”, for a reason that we do not have “Lechon” here in the state of Mississippi, just saying. I need to travel to California just to eat “Lechon”. Also I missed to play bowling with my entourage at Elizabeth Center, Mary Mart Mall. How about that? Spending vacation in Iloilo City, Philippines is a big deal for me and to my family. “Hala Bira!!!!!!!”. Put your clothes on Boracay Island! Okay, up to here for now. Thanks for giving me a space.
Josephine