My Most Memorable Nature Trips

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

A nature trip is a wonderful respite, it's a great escape of a tired soul. It heals our exhauster spirit. And clears off foggy thoughts.

Unlike beaches, nature scenery is very poetic. It takes your thoughts somewhere, to the farthest corners of the earth as your gaze reaches no point in the horizon. 

The lush greenery, deafening silence, chirping of the birds, smell of the fresh grass  and the view of the wilderness make you think life in its simplest form. It feels like a healing therapy that takes away your exhaustion. 

I've never been to many nature destinations, I am more frequently traveling to beaches. But hopefully someday, I could have a great time visiting beautiful farm resorts. And get lost in my thoughts.

I've fewest nature trips and these are some:

Angkor Park

When it comes to my nature travel experience, nothing beats Angkor Park. It feels like a travel of a lifetime because Angkor park and temples let me strode back in time.

Ta Phrom ruins, Angkor park

The nature scenery was superb. As if I was taking life in retrospect, walking in the wilderness of yesteryears. The gigantic trees and lush greenery let me feel the freshness of the earth.

Temple ruins in Angkor Thom

The smell of the wild plants, the sight of the rainforest, ancient fig trees, temple ruins, lakes and all those ancient civilization treasures made my Angkor park adventure one of my most memorable nature trip.

Tinuy-An Falls

The natural gem of my home town! This is often called the Philippine version of the much romanticized splendor of Niagara Falls. Located in the rainforest of Borboanan, Bislig City in Surigao del Sur, Tinuy-An falls offers a breathtaking scenery of nature. 

Unlike Niagara Falls where the three tiers of waterfalls are horizontally wedged with each other, the layers of Tinuy-an Falls are vertically clustered in a separate water basin at the foot of the hillocks.

Another distinction that sets apart from Niagara, Tinuy-an's four layers can be visited at close range. Visitors can even sit at the base of the water curtain on the first and second layers.

The highest layer of Tinuy-an Falls with a recorded water drop of 180 feet

Extremely relaxing!! We trekked the hill to reach this location

When I visited this stunning countryside wonder with some university colleagues three years ago, I was so amazed and in great awe with the spectacular beauty of the waterfalls. 

Even if this is closer to my home town, I had never visited this in the past. The view was so entrancing and impossible not to be lured to soak under its roaring water drop.

The first tier of Tinuy-an Falls

We came closer at each layer and had a thrilling experience of being immersed into the water drop which felt like a soothing back massage, so relieving! According to its topographic record, the water drop of the highest tier of the waterfalls measured 180 feet.

When you come to visit Tinuy-an Falls you will experience this oh-so-relieving feeling of being in a magnificent place of comfort and serenity, as if the environment is so young and innocent, as if there's everlasting peace, a place  where you would see and feel nothing but beauty and tranquility.

TAGAYTAY

I am a certified nature lover and my definition of a quality life is a regular sojourn to the countryside where I could relax, feel the freshness of the environment, smell the sweet scent of flowers and bathe my senses with serenity.

At Bag of Beans! So relaxing

Dining at Bag of Beans is always fantastic

I always love Tagaytay due to its cool weather and terrific vistas and when thinking of dining in a tranquil environment under the unruffled shade of nature there’s no other place to consider other than Bag of Beans, it’s simply inspiring and liberating!

Bag of Beans is a wonderful weekend escape because of its natural setting under tropical trees and calm atmosphere. Its very oriental embellishment added comfort, it makes the whole dining experience very relieving.  Foods are scrumptious and ultra-delectable!

However, my wish to visit Sonya’s Garden at Buck Estate in Tagaytay remains a pipedream, still wasn’t able to visit the place despite many attempts due to several hindrances: rain, distance, scarcity of transportation. I am hoping one of these days I can realize this long-standing wish.

Nan Lian Garden, Hongkong

One of my best travel experiences in Hongkong was a visit to Nan Lian Garden and Chi Lin Nunnery in Diamond Hill, Kowlon. These attractions were on top of my priority list when I drafted an itinerary for our Hongkong and Macau trip last June 2013.

Scenic view of Nan Lian Garden

At the red pavilion inside Nan Lian Garden

It befits my appetite of nature tripping in the city. Nan Lian is a classical Chinese garden artistically built under Tang-Dynasty style. 

It’s a massive landscape of Chinese plants, cobbled pathways, running water, hillocks, flowers, herbs and beautiful garden. 

There’s an oriental-inspired pavilion built in the middle of the pond where visitors can take souvenir photos outside the complex, there’s also a vegetarian restaurant within the area.

Lotus Garden at the upper part of Nan Lian Garden 

During our visit, weather Hongkong was extremely hot. I was not able to enjoy my stay in Nan Lian Garden. It was intensely grueling and the summer heat became unbearable at 10:00 in the morning. 

Wish to go back there when political tension is over. 

The most ideal time to visit Nan Lian is in the afternoon when the ray of the sun is no longer prickly. My only disappointment with this Hongkong travel was my failure to visit Ngong Ping in Lantau Island, another scenic place, and well should I say, Disneyland?

Traveling is a perfect diversion! 

It reactivates tired senses. Hope to take another countryside travel in the months to come. My wish is to take a quick trip to the other side of Luzon - Albay, Camarines Sur, La Union, Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur. I am also hoping to revisit Batangas, either at the Golden Sunset resort or The Farm.