‘Goldilocks’ places: Just-right destinations for Pinoys

NASA recently announced the discovery of what could possibly be the closest candidate to be the next Earth so far. With a size 1.5 times that of our mother planet and a year lasting 385 days, Kepler-452b is what’s known as a “Goldilocks planet”—or a planet within its star's "habitable" zone in terms of temperature (not too hot, not too cold, but just right) and therefore with the possibility of having liquid water on the surface.

Since strapping ourselves into rocket ships and traveling 21 light years to Kepler-452b will remain a dream for a long time, let's focus the Goldilocks principle on terrestrial destinations with the "right" conditions—in terms of distance and accessibility, for instance—for Pinoys to visit.

Hong Kong has, for decades, been most Pinoys' top choice when it comes to a quick 3-4 day vacation, but of late Japan is slowly but surely becoming a favorite destination for every Juan.

Both Hong Kong and Japan feature several “Goldilocks” elements that make visiting the two countries easy, convenient and fun, such as the following characteristics listed below:

A flying time of four hours or shorter

Hong Kong and Japan's proximity to the Philippines—a two-hour flight and a four-hour flight away respectively—is not only a great convenience but also practical and economical as well. Traveling to these countries does not require spending a whole day stuck in a plane nor layovers and connecting flights.

Lots of flights options

Not only do multiple local and foreign airlines have daily flights from Manila to Hong Kong and major Japanese cities like Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka and Nagoya at NAIA, but other major Philippine airports like those in Cebu, Iloilo and Davao are offering direct flights as well.

This bodes well not only for Filipinos in Visayas and Mindanao not wanting to go to NAIA first to travel to these places abroad, but also for Hong Kong and Japanese locals who want to take a vacation outside of Metro Manila.

No visa/easy access to visa

Filipinos do not need visas to enter Hong Kong, while Japan has just recently relaxed its visa policies (READ: How to apply for a Japanese visa) Obtaining a five-year, multiple entry Japanese visa makes exploring the country's 47 prefectures easier.

New places to see, interesting things to experience

Japan’s four seasons, especially picturesque and colorful autumn, cannot be experienced within our tropical shores. Japanese history and culture, UNESCO World Heritage sites like shrines and temples, its world-class shopping districts and its cherry blossoms should easily fill any Pinoy’s must-see list.

For children and families, both Hong Kong and Japan have two of the happiest places on Earth (Disneyland) and other theme parks like Hong Kong’s Ocean Park and Universal Studios Japan.

Ease of communication

While both Cantonese and Nihongo can be a challenge to learn and understand, most local people in train stations, restaurants and stores in Hong Kong and Japan that Filipinos need to interact with have at least a basic knowledge of the English language and are very accommodating to foreigners.

Good transportation infrastructure


Metro Manila traffic is a daily nightmare, so going somewhere else that lacks a good mass transportation system such as Hong Kong’s MTR and Japan’s always-punctual and modern train network would be a hard sell.

Food, glorious food

Lastly, it definitely helps that Cantonese/Chinese and Japanese food are two of the most popular cuisines globally and in the Philippines. Going to these "Goldilocks" destinations means you get to enjoy authentic Chinese staples like yang chow fried rice, dim sum and Peking duck and Japanese favorites like sashimi, ramen, tonkatsu and tempura.

The next Goldilocks destination?

So after Hong Kong and Japan, what country or countries would Pinoys likely visit next? ASEAN countries like Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand have all the mentioned elements—except that they have the same climate as the Philippines. India and Australia offer more diverse climes—but are easily 8-9 hours away. And South Korea has four seasons and a lot of interesting destinations—but it has also slightly tightened its visa application requirements.

This leaves Taiwan as the next best “Goldilocks” country. Don’t be surprised if your social news feed soon gets flooded with images of Taipei 101, night markets and shao long bao. See you in Taiwan! — BM, GMA News