Top 5 beaches you should visit in the Philippines

With over 7,000 islands making up the Philippines, you will certainly have a multitude of beaches to choose from. To help you find your slice of paradise, here are 5 of the best beaches in the Philippines. Each has its own unique characteristics and feel, so take a look and see which one is perfect for you.

Bounty Beach, Cebu

Lying along the southern coast of Malapascua Island and extending for quite some distance up its east coast, Bounty Beach is yet another one of the Philippines’ awe-inspiring beaches. While many people come to enjoy the picturesque shoreline and the island’s laidback way of life, Malapascua is known for its fantastic dive sites. Just as many visitors come to explore its underwater delights. Its colorful coral gardens are teeming with life; you can see all types of sharks in the surrounding waters, as well as sea turtles, manta rays, and shoals of fish. Consequently, it is one of the most popular places to go scuba diving in the Philippines. Bounty Beach itself also warrants a visit for its glorious white sands.

Nacpan-Calitang Beach, Palawan

The twin beaches of Nacpan and Calitang run parallel to each other, with just a thin strip of land separating the two. There aren’t many places like it in the world. Together, they form part of a peninsula that juts out from the west of El Nido. While Nacpan curves up towards the north and stretches into the distance, Calitang is much shorter in comparison, and curves down to the south. It is a very peaceful, secluded spot, lying around forty-five minutes away from El Nido Town. As such, it is the perfect place if you’re looking to get away from it all for a bit and relax on a beautiful beach or two. Dense jungle hugs the coastline, and due to the beaches’ remote location, you really do feel as if you’re on a deserted island.

Alona Beach, Panglao

Lying on the small island of Panglao that is attached to the larger Bohol by two bridges over the water, Alona Beach is one of the most idyllic beaches in the Philippines. The surrounding waters are home to loads of fantastic dive sites. While there are many great resorts, beach bars and shops nearby, Panglao is much quieter than Boracay and is more family-oriented in outlook. There’s a very laid back vibe to the island, and many scuba divers and snorkelers head to Alona Beach for the wealth of marine life that lies just off its shores. Appearing as if out of a holiday catalog, the beach itself is as charming as they come; its pristine white sands lie next to inviting tropical waters and shady palm trees that offer respite from the blinding sun.

White Beach, Boracay

One of the most popular tourist destinations in the whole of the Philippines, White Beach on Boracay will make you feel like you’re in paradise. As the name hints, the sand is dazzlingly white. Coupled with the crystal clear waters and deep blue skies above, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more visually appealing beach. Hidden away amongst the palm trees lining the beach are loads of fantastic restaurants and bars for visitors, as well as some great shopping and lively nightlife for when the sun dips into the sea. White Beach regularly appears on lists of the best beaches in the world. In addition to the spectacular scenery, it has loads of watersports in the form of kayaking and parasailing – if you ever manage to tear yourself away from the sand.

Marimegmeg Beach, Palawan

Routinely lauded for its stunning scenery and array of beautiful beaches, El Nido in Palawan province is a delight to visit, and Marimegmeg Beach is just one of the many fine beaches that it has to offer. Lined by swaying palm trees, its white sands are bordered by glittering turquoise waters, and the incredible views out over Bacuit Bay only add to the perfect scene. Often referred to as Las Cabanas, due to the popular resort that lies along the beachfront, Marimegmeg is located just a short distance away from El Nido town, which makes it very convenient to get to. As well as lounging on the beach and enjoying a drink at one of its laidback bars, visitors can take an exhilarating ride on the zip wire that connects the coast to Depeldet Island; the views from up high are breathtaking.

See more: Visit the most beautiful towns in the Philippines

Source: Internet

The most tranquil coffee shops in Saigon

In Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), there are many cafes with various styles from garden cafe, street cafe, family cafe, cafe take away. For people who want a quiet place to read books or working, their choices must be book cafes or co-working spaces, which is considered as mini libraries.

Song Cham Cafe 

Is there time when all you want to do is slow down, to have some moment to do nothing but just sit and think about everything in your life? Is there time when you just want to hide yourself in a little corner, to feel time slowing down?

Song Cham Cafe is highly recommend for people who want to find their own space, enjoy books and it is also a place where authors and poets living in Ho Chi Minh come to meet and discuss about cultural topics.

Address: 63B Tran Quoc Thao Street, ward 7, district 3, HCMC

Banksy Cafe

This gem hides itself in a concrete building almost invisible to all the street. The three things this coffee shop has are good coffee, a great concept, and a killer cocktail.

The cafe is named after the famous artist “Banksy”, a British graffiti artist. The decor is matched to the concept with books about Banksy lining the shelves and Banksy-related photographs and canvases on the walls, which lend this coffee shop deep urban vibes.

Address: 14 Ton That Dam, Nguyen Thai Binh ward, District 1, HCMC

Chieu Cafe Shop

The cafe shop is named after its owner. It now has more than 1000 titles of book, mostly the owner's, the others are contributed by the customers. Just like other book cafe shop, the aim of Chieu cafe shop is to conserve the reading culture in the internet society.

Address: 377 Hoang Sa street, Tan Dinh ward, district 1, HCMC

Geek Hub

This coffee shop is located in a small alley, so it is very quiet and tranquil even though it is in District 1, the most active district of Ho Chi Minh City. The Geek Hub design is minimal and is decorated with many cute small trees set in simple wood shelves. You can also make a reservation for a meeting room or room for groups of 12 to 15 people. The best part about this café is the chairs, conference chairs without wheels which makes you feel like a professional working in an office.

Address
27B/9 Nguyen Dinh Chieu street, Da Kao ward, District 1, HCMC 
244/31 Huynh Van Banh, Ward 11, Phu Nhuan District, HCMC

Think in a Box Café

Think in a Box has several types of work rooms for you to choose from, depending on whether you are doing personal or group work. The name Think in a Box seems contradictory to the saying “think out of the box”, but as a working space, this café really offers you a “box” to work in.

Everyone respects the rule of silence in this café. The theme color is white to also inspire clarity. Stay on the first floor if you are working by yourself. You will also have a white board at each seat and it is free to use.

Address: 
116 Nguyen Van Thu street, Da Kao ward, District 1, HCMC
27 Nguyen Khac Nhu street, Co Giang ward, District 1, HCMC

Comma Cafe

Operating on the basis of “pay-per-minute” with more than 2000 titles of various genres and a selection of board games, Comma Cafe even surprises you with its book tents and unique beehive cubicles fully equipped with lighting for you to lie down and devour books to your heart’s content or to have a word with your friends without fear of distraction.

Address: 653 Le Van Luong street, Tan Phong ward, district 7, HCMC

See more: 5 interesting places outside Ho Chi Minh City

Source Internet

Typical breakfast dishes in China

Have you ever gotten curious at what the Chinese have for breakfast? If yes, take a look at this article to know about these most popular breakfast dishes in China.

Soybean Milk (dòujiāng) and Deep-Fried Dough Sticks (yóutiáo)

This breakfast set usually appears together. The two components are the most common breakfast combination. Some locals also like to have deep-fried dough sticks with rice congee. Soybean milk is made with a blender. You can find freshly blended or boiled soy milk in disposable cups at most breakfast stalls. Deep-fried dough sticks are long, brown, deep-fried sticks of dough. You can eat one as it is or dip it in some soybean milk, which has a better taste.

Steamed Buns (bāozi)

Chinese people eat steamed buns at any meal, but they are especially popular at breakfast. There is an almost endless variety of flavors, both salty and sweet. Salty flavored buns are stuffed with ground pork, eggplant, eggs, and vegetables, such as chives. Sweet flavored buns are stuffed with bean paste, creamy custard, sesame seeds, and sugar. They are also very convenient for a take-out.

Tofu Pudding (dòuhuā)

Tofu pudding is a popular Chinese snack made with very soft tofu, which is made from raw beans. Flavors of tofu pudding vary by region. In the north, people like to have salty tofu pudding with soy sauce or salt, or with meat. However, in the south, people prefer the sweet version with ginger and brown sugar syrup.

Wheat Noodles (miàntiáo)

In northern China, where wheat is more commonly eaten, a bowl of hot and flavorful wheat noodles is a popular breakfast dish. In Wuhan, hot-and-dry noodles are eaten at breakfast by almost everyone. This dish is prepared by frying boiled noodles, drying them, then scalding them quickly and adding spicy condiments. The result is chewy and quite tasty.

Rice Noodles (mǐfěn)

Rice noodles are a good choice if you are allergic to gluten. They are made of rice although they look like wheat noodles and the taste is different. Rice noodles are more commonly eaten in the south, especially in Guangxi and Yunnan provinces. In Guilin, Guilin rice noodles are a very famous and popular cheap meal. Local people eat the dish not just for breakfast, but also for lunch or dinner.

Steamed Glutinous Rice (zòngzi)

Rice dumplings are made of steamed glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo leaves. They can be bought at street stalls and have a variety of tasty fillings, including the sweet flavor of red bean paste, egg yolk, and lotus seeds, or the salty flavor of fatty pork and chestnuts. Zongzi are especially popular as a festival food and are frequently eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival.

Rice Porridge or Congee (zhōu)

Congee is probably the most common mainstay of the Chinese breakfast. It is a mild-flavored rice porridge that has been cooked for a long time with plenty of water to soften the rice. To give the congee some flavor, it is usually served with different toppings that vary by region, such as pickled vegetables, fermented tofu, peanuts, eggs, and meat.

Sometimes congee's flavor is sweet. Usually, it is made from red beans, coix seeds, peanuts, and black rice. Some find this colorful sweet congee to be so flavorful that it doesn't require any toppings at all.

Wontons (húntun) and Dumplings (jiăozi)

Wontons and dumplings are two similar types of food, which are comprised of a square or round wrapper (a dough skin made of flour and water) and fillings. Wontons can be boiled in a fragrant and watery broth, steamed in a bamboo steamer, or fried in a high-heat wok. Sometimes, wontons are also served with little noodles to make 'wonton noodles'. They are available with a large variety of fillings, such as ground pork, shrimp, fish, mushrooms, and other vegetables.

The stuffing found in dumplings is similar to that of wontons, and the cooking method is similar too.

Pancakes with Eggs (jiānbĭng)

These pancakes are quickly-cooked thin pancakes or crepes filled with typically savory or spicy ingredients. As a popular street food in China, they can be easily found and are a favorite "breakfast on the run".

The pancakes are usually wrapped around a deep-fried crispy dough slice and topped with fried egg, finely chopped mustard pickles, scallions, coriander, and a spicy sauce.

See more: The most popular desserts in China

Source: Internet