Why I Don’t Travel During Holy Week

The Holy Week is a religious holiday in the Philippines that includes traditional spiritual practices and a long break from work. Most urban settlers take this opportunity to go to far places and provinces while going on a leisure vacation.

A number of friends and acquaintances often asks one another where they will be spending the Holy Week. While some do brag about expensive trips, tours and getaways to top tourists destinations such as Boracay, Palawan, and Bohol,

Some choose to be more adventurous with destinations such as Sagada‘s nearby rice terraces, Batanes and the virgin islands of Bicol, particularly Camrines Norte and Camarines Sur.

Common choices for those on a budget would include nearby Batangas beaches, Puerto Galera, or simply cool off in Baguio.

If the summer season is considered a peak season, the Holy Week is the ‘peakest‘ of them all. 🙂

And it is during this time of the year when I get a lot of question “Where are you going this Holy Week?” My simple answer would be “home.”

I remember in 2010. From mid-March to May, I was out every weekend somewhere, except for Holy Week. Last year, we had a Visita Iglesia tour in Cebu and walked through the Station of the Cross in Camiguin; but those were done prior to the Holy Week

The main reason would be that I don’t want to join the crowded beaches, bus stations, and heap of people wanting to get their slice of the summer vacation. Aside to the pumped-up prices of resorts, hotels, and accommodations due to the law of supply and demand, I feel that one would not really enjoy the vacation due to the above-mentioned reasons.

That is why I don’t travel during the Holy Week. I’d rather spend it quietly at home with my family, some friends, or relatives. And by next week, we’ll be somewhere else; when the beautiful beaches are more sober and less crowded. Have a reflective Holy Week ahead, wherever you are.