The most romantic places

To celebrate the love month of February, Travel Talk will take you on a romantic journey to destinations known for...a place for people in love! The first place that comes to mind is probably Venice! One may wander why this city that sits on water is the favorite destination not only of honeymooners but also, couples of all ages for their wedding anniversaries. In one of the Mediterranean cruise that Del and I joined, we met a couple who were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. They are residents of New York and left the Philippines for a good number of years. They told me that they always dreamed of going to Venice since the early days of their marriage, but their job and children took priority. Finally, on their 50th Wedding Anniversary, they got on a cruise ship that would take them to their dream city... Venice! I felt so touched as I watched the couple come down the ship to board a tender that would bring them to Venice Island. Hand in hand, they held on to each other with such joy and excitement in their faces, that I almost envied them.

Another romantic destination is Hawaii. This island brings out the romantic side of people. In Hawaii, it is a common site to see young and old, expressing their love for each other over a cup of coffee or a glass of Hawaiian punch. It was fun to watch people at the beach, in the bus, at the hotels and everywhere we went. I have to admit that the atmosphere was quite contagious, so Del & I decided that we were going to blend in with the crowd. I took of my jacket, layed it flat on the sand, rolled up my pants (up to my knees), lay down on my jacket and gave Del a sexy pose. I let him take my picture for posterity. Ha! Got you there, didn't ?

Bahamas is another lovers favorite destination. It is one of the most, if not the most, well advertised destination for honeymooners in the United States. And rightly so, for those who reside in the mid-states, and who have never been near the ocean before. How lucky we Filipinos are! We have the beach and the coconut trees of Hawaii and Bahamas wrapped around our islands! I have always told this to my passengers before each tour we take. "Travel and see the world... and you will come back loving the Philippines more!" So far, none of them have disagreed with me. Oh yes! The Philippines has much more to offer if we talk about SEA, SAND and SIGHTS! We may not have preserved as much of our ancient history as we should have, because there isn't really much ancient history to speak of, but our hotels and resorts are at par with the rest of the world. Add to that, the traditional Filipino hospitality and a disarming and warm Filipino smile that we are known for throughout the world, and we have nothing left to apologize for. Filipina beauty? We have them in every corner. With a little bit of make up, a Filipina beauty will always get a second look. And lets not forget our Filipino cuisine. It is the best in the world! My mouth starts to water when I think of our delicious lechon, our freshly broiled or boiled sea foods, and an assortment of fruits that will make any tourist mouth drool. I simply cannot recall getting the same feeling when I am in front of a foreign dish. Oh well! I guess my taste buds are just made of diehard Filipino stuff. For those of us who have visited Cebu, Bohol, Baguio and the northern parts of Luzon, Davao, Palawan and Boracay, you need not dream of a more romantic city to visit....because you already have. Visiting foreign countries is a real treat but enjoying our own country's' natural beauty is an even greater treat! Fortunately or unfortunately, we need to travel to appreciate the beauty of our own country. We need to see what other countries have to offer, before we begin to realize that we have all those things around us at home. Oh, Philippines! It is the most romantic place to be! For your comments, you can reach me at Delmar Travel & Tours, Inc. Tel. # 2536561 & 2536571 or my email ad: [email protected].