HELLO PHILIPPINES: A TRAVELER'S GUIDE TO RESTAURANTS, BARS AND RESORTS

Food and leisure are two of the most important things that we should reward ourselves after hours of paperworks, a stressful day or heartache. Philippines boasts of wide selections of restaurants, bars, and resorts that you can go to if you plan to visit the country. Let me give you a guide on some of the famous hang-outs here in the Philippines.

Let us start with finding cool places to go to for lunch. I wanted to start with breakfast but since I'm NOT a breakfast person, and most people prefer coffee and bread for breakfast, let's just proceed to the more exciting part of the day which is lunch.

MAX'S RESTAURANT - Max's Restaurant, one of the long-standing restaurants in the country, serves superb Filipino dishes. Being the pride of the Philippines, you can choose with their endless entrees, with chicken as their specialty. You can find a branch just almost anywhere since the company has grown big time, having branches in the United States too.

GOLDILOCKS - If you have a sweet tooth, GOLDILOCKS offers a variety of freshly baked products like cakes, tarts, and other pastries. Aside from that, they also serve lunch at a very affordable cost.

GERRY'S GRILL - Gerry's Grill is one of the best restaurants in the Philippines that serves a wide selection of Filipino food, from grilled meat to noodles and soups. Ambience is really cozy and food attendants are very warm to their guests. You can have lunch with your colleagues and even have a drinking session with your friends at night. 

BARRIO FIESTA - Being one of the long standing restaurants in the country that serves original native cuisines, BARRIO FIESTA also have products Filipinos surely love that can't be found somewhere else. Click on the link to visit their web site.

DON HENRICO'S - If you want pizza or anything Italian for lunch, then DON HENRICO'S is the place to go to. They serve lunch buffets on weekdays with great selection of Italian cuisine like pizza, pasta, nacho's, salads among others. I just LOVE their buffalo wings! You should try it! 

So, you want to have some fun? Philippines has a lot of bars that you can go to. Cities like Manila, Makati and even Quezon City are the main nerve centers of night life. After having dinner, you feel that it's too early to go home.  Why not hit the bars? I'll give you some of the nightlife highlights in the country.  Let us go bar-hopping.

HARD ROCK CAFE - This is one of the best bar/restaurant in the country located in Glorietta( A shopping mall), Makati, Philippines. HARD ROCK CAFE serves different kind of drinks (I wonder why not different kind of coffees intead, LOL) . The place is awesome, with a billiard hall, a stage for the performers and the works. Food is great, mostly western dishes, but really super! 

DENCIO'S BAR AND GRILL- One of my fave places to eat out and to have bonding sessions with buddies. It is a resto-bar that serves Filipino cuisine that you'll definitely love-grilled pork, fish, and other dishes native to the Filipino tongues with a welcoming atmosphere.   

PIER ONE BAR & GRILL - Another pride of the country, PIER ONE BAR & GRILL caters to all kinds of people who wants to have a fun night out. If you are into live music, the stay indoors to hear the band playing. If you just want to relax and talk and laugh with your friends, you can be seated outside and enjoy the good environment and variety of great food they offer.

THE CAPTAIN'S BAR - Located on one of the five-star hotels in the Philippines, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, THE CAPTAIN'S BAR is a venue where you can relax while listening to performers serenade you while having a bottle of vodka and eating delicious exquisite dish only found in this bar.

THE SKYLINE @ VIVERE SUITES - This is definitely my best pick. The Skyline, located at the 31st floor of Vivere Suites, which is one of the elegant hotels that we have in the metropolitan area boasts of good ambience, bountiful selection of international dishes, it's really perfect, I swear. Since it's at the penthouse of this grand suite, you can have an excellent view of the city, even better at night. They also serve buffet breakfast and lunch that you'll surely love.

Now if you want to breathe fresh air and feel the sand on your feet, then hit the beach. Philippines takes pride of having a lot of beautiful beaches being one of the tropical countries in the world. I'm telling you, there's really A LOT, I'll just bore you to death (although I'm sure you'll never get tired of seeing the lovely beaches that we have here). I'll just name a few beach resorts that is not only famous in the country, but have also made their names outside.

WHITE HOUSE BEACH RESORT, BORACAY ISLAND - I can only say one word- paradise. White House Beach Resort, which is one of the highlights of Boracay Island, is the perfect getaway for honeymooners and couples who want to just enjoy pleasures of life. There's a huge variety of bars and restaurants you can go to, and other beaches nearby as splendid as The White House Beach Resort. 

ALONA PALM BEACH RESORT AND RESTAURANT, PANGLAO ISLAND - Another perfect place to unwind, ALONA BEACH RESORT, which is located at Panglao Island, Bohol is where you would definitely want to have fine experience, with superb amenities and awesome beachfront. A lot of tourists visit this place, being known to having that fanmous Chocolate Hills landscape.

AMANPULO, PALAWAN - Another tropical paradise for beach lovers, AMANPULO is one of the luxurious beaches in the country. Enjoy the facilities like scuba diving, sailing, wind-surfing and a lot more. Feel the cool wind blowing on your face, white sand and enjoy the magnifivent view. Located in one of the provinces in the country that boasts of great beach resorts, AMANPULO is a perfect place to get away from pressures at work. 

PEARL FARM BEACH RESORT, DAVAO CITY -Located in the southern part of the Philippines, PEARL FARM BEACH RESORT is in the heart of Samal Island, one of the many islands that we have in the country. The resort offers a variety of leisures to keep you busy, like water sports, bars, fine dining and the works. Enjoy the tranquility and the natural view of this so-called heaven.