Travel Itineraries for Travelers by Travelers — Mangroove PH

It was only just years ago when I first decided to embark on a trip around the Philippines. Since I was new to this ‘lifestyle’, I used to join organized tours as they were indeed cheap and convenient. I would only pay and let the coordinator or the tour guide take us to places. It was fun in the beginning until it felt like we only had limited time that do not suffice my yearning to wander around, know and feel the place more. That’s when I decided to go on solo DIY trips. I wanted to savor my time braving the land, summits and the seas of this blessed archipelago. That’s also when I learned more about as I make a lot of travel itineraries. I had sources: lots of them. But then, some have become outdated, some are just too jampacked – it became a matter of a trial and error. Not until I stumbled upon Mangroove PH: a community and an online archive of well-thought and carefully crafted travel itineraries.

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About Mangroove PH

Mangroove.ph is the future of DIY travelers. It is both an online archive and a community where travelers could download travel itineraries that would guide them in traveling around the Philippines.

Mangroove is derived from the term mangrove: the trees that fringe the shoreline with brackish or saline waters. Primarily, these trees protect the land from storm surges, waves and tides while it nurtures an ecosystem. The founders have seen how this community they are building actually serve as a ‘mangrove’ to the travelers. As they put it:

Like the mangrove, we aim to protect travelers through unerring information and to shelter the information gained by travelers for the use of fellow travelers. Much like the ecosystem living beneath the mangroves, we also wish to provide a platform where travelers can share experiences and learn from each other – mutually benefitting from the knowledge archived in our humble Mangroove.

The Founders

Mangroove PH is a brainchild of three travelers namely Jameson, Chok and Lance who have been exploring the Philippines for 6 years now. When they travel, they see to it that they will experience what the province has to offer; more than just the visually-arresting attractions that it boasts. They travel to immensely experience and understand the towns and provinces. Hence, they would really sit down prior to their trip to plan and research about their target destination. With the hopes of turning the travelers into this perspective, they formed Mangroove PH. What sets it apart from other travel itineraries shared online is that, theirs are well-thought, carefully crafted, updated, detailed with a holistic approach to traveling. In this way, the travelers would get to know and understand the place itself, the history, people and their culture which makes it even more worthy of exploring.

How it Works

Anyone can sign up as a member of the Mangroove PH Community. As a member, you get to discover and download travel itineraries from the web in PDF format. These travel itineraries can be as detailed as it can be since you may also add the expenses, time, mode of transportation, places to visit, eat and stay, souvenir shops, too. Presently, Mangroove PH is on its first phase where members could only download the available itineraries. The community itself would make the travel planning easier as you may check on the previously posted or shared itinerary already and either use it as a basis or follow the itinerary itself.

The founders are looking into getting the members share their itineraries on the website, too, as part of the website’s development plan.

Presently, Mangroove PH only contains and aims to promote the Philippine travel destinations. Hence, if you wish to know more about the Philippines – more than just the tourist destinations that a lot of people know about, you know where you can find yourself diving into for more information.

Mangroove PH Travel Planning Services

Worry not if you fail to find the best travel itinerary for your trip from the community. You may also contact the admin and let them design the best itinerary for you.

Recently, I asked for their assistance and expertise in planning a trip with my family. While I have been to this particular province a couple of times, the travel itineraries including the activities, places to eat and to stay that I came up with would only work for a solo backpacker that I am. Also, I’ve been busy the past few days and the trip is just a matter of weeks already and I haven’t planned it all well. That’s when I asked for their help.

On our first meeting, Jameson, one of the founders, asked for the necessary information such as the flight details, number of persons traveling, our ages and interests. After a few days, we then arranged another meeting to discuss the draft of the travel itinerary he prepared. I was really amazed by how detailed and perfect the plan was for everyone in the trip! He presented a PDF file including the places we will visit, the time; even the list of souvenir shops, hotels and resorts that we may want to check into and travel requirements, too.

It was fascinating how he also suggested places that are not in the usual travel itineraries of the visitors of that town. Though the island is best known for its beaches, he included other attractions that would make us know the place even better — that both the young and late adults would love and appreciate.

You may also avail their personalized e-itinerary services at a reasonable price.

Parting Words

It is fun to plan trips and go to places, really. But, wouldn’t it be more fun if we’ll travel to these places not only to see their beauty but to also acquaint ourselves with who the province and its people really are? The only way to do so is to follow travel itineraries that would take us and make us do so. While it’s challenging indeed to make our own, there are just these communities, like Mangroove PH, who could help us fulfill those travel goals and make us engage in trips that matter.

Start your adventures through knowing the 81 provinces of the Philippines!

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