Many Filipinos online were recently busy “liking” and “sharing” stunning images and videos of some of the most captivating sites in the Philippines. The places featured are considered popular destinations known to us locals, but there is something about the social media content that made Pinoys extremely proud and inspired.
It is perhaps because the travel photographs and short clips were documented by Scottish-Colombian Jeremy Jauncey and the rest of his Beautiful Destinations (@BeautifulDestinations) team. Jeremy, who’s been called the “world’s hottest traveler” more than once, was here in the country for a 10-day exploration and promotion of the Philippines’ beautiful spots.
Beautiful Destinations is a popular Instagram account with 6.2 million followers to date, and it aims to showcase the most beautiful places in the world and inspire people to travel. The Department of Tourism (@tourismphl) partnered with Jeremy in a bid to tell the beautiful story of the Philippines through the perspective of a world famous traveler.
Traveling with Jeremy
• He will never travel without his roaming Wi-Fi, chargers, multivitamins, eye mask, ear plugs and headphones
• His favorite travel companion is his brother Tom
• Tokyo, New York, Santorini, Cape Town and the Philippines are currently the five most favorite places he has visited
• His travel bucket list includes Iceland, Cuba, Canada and the rest of Southeast Asia
• His best travel experience at the moment was his one-week sojourn in Santorini, Greece last summer
• His worst travel experience was when he slipped, cut his foot open and got a bad infection that nearly resulted in getting his foot amputated while in Thailand
• He considers New York his home and the place where he will settle down
‘Mind-blowing sceneries, amazing people’
At 31, Jeremy has been in many places and seen different breathtaking sights. In fact, he has been collecting passport stamps even before he can pack his own luggage.
“I have a Colombian mother, was born in Venezuela and grew up in Scotland. Also, my father was a professional photographer, so I think traveling has always been in my blood,” relates the globe trekker.
He then lived in New Zealand for a year and a half, an experience which he considered as “one of the best times in my life,” before moving to London to study and build his career. Currently, he is based in New York running his business Beautiful Destinations.
The good-looking traveler-entrepreneur has already lived in high-profile countries, visited well-known destinations and saw one too many sceneries, but he says the things he witnessed and experienced in the Philippines were nothing like he has seen in other countries he’s been to.
From May 12 to 22, Jeremy, together with his brother Tom and friends Jacob Briglin, James Relf-Dyer and Sam Kolder, explored some of the beautiful destinations in Bohol, Cebu, Palawan and Manila for the first time.
“Nowhere is near as beautiful as the Philippines, which has the combination of mind-blowing sceneries and really amazing and passionate people who made us feel welcome during our stay,” enthuses Jeremy.
But he wasn’t exactly surprised to see the stunning sights the Philippines has to offer; in fact, he expected to be awed, and the country didn’t fail him. “My very first encounter with the Philippines was from two and a half years ago when many Filipinos were posting photos using the Beautiful Destinations hashtag. I posted them on the page and they performed really well, so we knew even before we arrived that we will be excited to see this country,” he recounts.
The beach-loving farm boy
With a childhood spent on a farm, Jeremy has grown to become a fan of the kind of living that he did not have as a kid but dearly wanted. “I grew up in Scotland on a farm in the middle of nowhere. I went to a school that looks just like Hogwarts in the middle of a countryside, basically very different from an island. So I really became a sucker for beaches,” he shares.
Thus, within the short 10 days of exploring the tropical wonders of the Philippines, one place really stood out for Jeremy: Palawan’s piece of heaven, El Nido.
“El Nido is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been,” raves Jeremy. “And it’s not only because I am in the Philippines that I’m saying that, but that has been truly a memorable place.”
He even looks forward to coming back to El Nido – and we can’t blame him.
Responsible traveling
Having had the enviable opportunity to go to different places and be a traveling inspiration to many, Jeremy is aware of his duty to practice sustainable and responsible traveling.
“Our whole business is about telling stories – we tell stories of the people, of the culture and of the nature of a country, so we make sure that we always try to be respectful and appreciative of all the beings that we meet,” shares Jeremy.
However, many environment advocates were up in arms in Beautiful Destinations team’s trip to a province which is said to be exploiting the giant whale sharks for the sake of tourism.
“I got a lot of comments from people that I found really informative when I posted that [picture on my Instagram account @jeremyjauncy],” admits Jeremy. “I learned so many environmental impact that tourism brought to the place and now what I hope for us is to raise awareness and focus on places that are more environmentally aware.”
The bottom line, he says, is that when traveling, it is important to understand the balance of nature and not leave any mark that would damage it. When Jeremy and his team flew out of the country, all they left were footprints and breathtaking images and videos showcasing the beautiful destinations in the Philippines.