Peter Greenberg: Vacationing in the Philippine Islands

By: Peter Greenberg | Source: AARP.org | 2008-04-25

Are the Philippine Islands still a great place to vacation and/or retire, for a U.S. citizen?
-Paul, Eldon, Mo.

The Philippines remains a fairly popular location due in no small part to the simple reason that English is widely spoken there. Additionally, it is still a relatively inexpensive place to live. Indeed, the Philippines has long been a popular spot to retire, especially for American servicemen who were stationed at the Subic Bay Naval base, or the Clark Air Base, both of which have now closed.

However, be aware certain parts of the Philippines are more stable than others. A U.S. State Department travel advisory cautions that "the southern island of Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago are of particular concern" in terms of the threat of terrorism. Here, a low-grade but long-running Islamic insurgency has been responsible for numerous acts of violence and, especially, kidnapping. 

Overall, though, the Philippines remains a largely safe and fascinating destination. I'd recommend the small city of Legaspi and the biosphere-reserve island of Palawan to travelers as two of my favorites in the Philippines. With more than 8,600 islands to choose from, the nation surely has one that fits your preferences.