Good news: You can finally rebook those canceled flights as some of the country’s top destinations have reopened for leisure travel. The bad news? You will be facing rigorous protocols and spending cash for swab tests. These spots, however, are taking the best approaches to ensure your safety, and the least you can do is follow the rules. Your new mantra should be #ItsMoreFunToTravelSafe.
NOTE: You have to be a resident of an area under GCQ. The general guideline is to present a negative swab test or RT-PCR result within 48-72 hours, and the accomplished health declaration form you can access online. Please check the guidelines for each province that you would visit.
Boracay
No, you can’t get multicolored dreadlocks from one of those roving giddy girls or snap souvenir photos along its sandcastles for P20, but you can book a hotel fenced off in Station 1 prior your stay for a much lower price. We’ve heard some P10,000-peso accommodations going down to P2,500+!!
There are no age restrictions, but you can’t visit without a prior booking, online declaration form, and the province’s mobile app. The Department of Tourism (DOT) has offered a list of accredited hotels and firms allowed to operate, which you can access here. Also, all planes should land at Godofredo P. Ramos Airport in Caticlan.
Baguio
The City of Pines is one of the most sought-after travel destinations in the country during the pandemic for its chilly atmosphere, perfect for everyone’s much-needed respite. It has reopened to the Ilocos Region through the Ridge to Reef Corridor Project in the first week of October, promoting seamless travel across local destinations through advanced and unified inter-provincial protocols, and has started welcoming tourists from Manila.
Like in Boracay, visitors need to pre-register and pre-book accommodations through the Baguio VISITA. The multi-platform can also serve as a digital monitoring application.
Also read: Make Baguio your first weekend destination
Ilocos Sur
Miss that unbridled feeling of nostalgia as you coast down the cobble-stoned stretch of century-old houses and cathedrals in Vigan? No worries, Ilocos Sur will reopen to NCR tourists this Nov. 19. As part of the corridor project, officials have already hosted a limited number of tourists from Region 1 to test whether the province can withstand an influx of visitors while curbing the virus.
Tagaytay
Tagaytay may have closed down in early January due to the Taal volcanic eruption, but it is one of the first destinations to get back to business during the pandemic. Some restaurants have resumed 80-percent operations, while famous attractions including Sky Ranch, Picnic Grove, and People’s Park run in 50 percent capacity.
Also read: We found cool spots you can visit right now