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The Philippines

It should not be surprising that most of the activities in the Philippines are at or around the sea, as the country is made up of 7,107 islands and its total coastline is longer than U.S.A.’s. The warm and tropical sea around the Philippines is full with magnificent sea life and it is a heaven for snorkelling. Its lengthy and almost untouched white-sanded beaches will fascinate even those who are not keen on beaches.

Surely, this is not the whole of the Philippines… The jungles on its archipelagos, its mountains, its volcanoes and caves are all there waiting for you to explore them. Also waiting are many more elaborated delights for becoming intimate with the Filipino culture. This is not a country where fake “culture shows” for tourists are imposed on you; here the festivities for the locals welcome the foreigners, too. This is the reason why visitors are able to interact with the locals and are able to discover a country where the Catholic European traditions have merged with a rapturous Asian culture.

Where to visit?

The Bacuit Archipelago

Consisting of tiny islands, this archipelago, boasts many fabulous landscapes like impressive chalk cliffs, crystal clear lagoons and white-sanded beaches. Join a bangka (outrigger boat) ride and enjoy a lunch of barbecued seafood, snorkel all day long and relax at the beach.

Boracay Island

This magnificent island of paradise has become overpopulated but it still is the most popular attraction of the country. After a day that you spend by diving or kite surfing or being just idle, resting on the beach with a refreshing cocktail at sunset feels like a genuine bliss.

Carcar Town

At a distance of two hours southwards from the Cebu city, at the Carcar town, you can find the best protected Castilian houses, gardens and churches. The town is also famous for its lechon (roast pork) and its chicharon (roasted pork rinds); it’s worth to spend a day here and visit the town centre for a good meal.

Cordillera Rice Terraces

The incredibly large rice terraces at North Luzon were formed by mountain tribes using only simple hand tools about 2000 years ago. The best place to lodge is the Banaue town where you can hike to secluded villages like Batad.

Manila

Discover the protected Intramuros city with its surrounding walls that were bonded by the Spanish, and the ruins. Places that should be visited are San Agustin Church (with its small museum), the Casa Manila (a renovated mansion of a rich family) and the Fort Santiago ruins.

Santa Cruz Island

Swim, surf, windsurf, snorkel or dive at the waters of the Santa Cruz Island, offshore from the Zamboanga coast at Mindanao. The island is well known for its pink beaches as there the gathered corals were washed.

What to Do?

Diving at Calamian Islands

These islands are magnificently beautiful over ground, but Palawan, one of the northern islands, attracts visitors for the captivating shipwrecks which date from the Second World War, and can be accessed by diving. For a shipwreck dive closer to Manila, you can prefer the Subic Bay; other best spots for diving are Apo Island, Malapascua, Padre Burgos, Anilao and Puerto Galera.

Explore the Colonial Heritage at Vigan

The Second World War resulted with the demolition of the old buildings of the country. Thus, to visit Vigan, which made the UNESCO World Heritage list and its caravanserais dating from the Spanish times will be an unmatched pleasure. Some of these structures have been converted to museums and some to historical hotels. In this cute town, the tourists mainly use horse carts for transportation.

Line Fishing at Santa Ana

It may be rather far away, being at the northeast of the Luzon coast but the locals and guests of Santa Ana are very keen on line fishing between March and July. The warm waters of the Philippines are the habitat of 2,400 species of fish including hand-line fish like big tuna, tanguingue, horse-mackerel, barracuda, sword fish and spearfish.

Mount Apo

The Mount Apo (‘Ancestor’) with its altitude of 2954 metres (9,700 ft.) is the highest peak of the country and a very popular place for experienced trekkers. The southern slope of the mountain also hosts one of the longest energy lines of Asia. The Mount Apo, as a whole, offers formidable diversity with its spectacular falls, rapids, forests, springs and tarns.

Mountain View at Sagada

Visit this quiet mountain village for its fresh air, beautiful view, cheap lodging and fabulous dishes. Caves, falls under which you can swim, bicycle roads are all waiting for you to relax and enjoy both the view and the slow tempo of life. Swim with the Whale Sharks at Donsol

This calm fishing village started attracting tourists since the whale sharks were “discovered” (although the fishermen had been aware of them for years). Snorkelling alongside these gigantic (some of them being as large as buses) creatures is an experience not to miss.

Surf at Siargao

The best waves of the country can be met around this small island located offshore from Mindanao’s northern coast. Especially in a good day between August and November, the Cloud 9 wave is extremely beautiful. The uncrowded vacation spots recover during the annual surf competition held on September/October.

Water sports

Strap yourself to a wakeboard and ride at a speed of 30 kph (18 mph) around the lake at Camsur Water Sports Complex, one of the best water-skiing facilities of the world. A swimming lagoon, a skating rink, other sports facilities, accommodation choices and a good restaurant also exist at the complex.

The World’s Smallest Monkey at Bohol

You can see the world’s smallest monkey, the tarsier, at the Bohol Island with its many mesmerising natural wonders like hundreds of chalk hills that resemble chocolate drops (named as Chocolate Hills). Here, you could also visit the Baclayon Church that dates back to 1595.

Where to Shop?

The Philippines has taken over the shopping centre craze from the Americans. Added to these, there are many open or closed traditional marketplaces here.

You can buy handcrafted goods at lower prices than the places they were originally made and at Manila you can find them all at one place. At the Tiendesitas shopping centre there are 12 pavilions in each of which different product groups (ranging from antiquities to fashion goods and to household goods) are being sold. On the other hand, Divisoria, the high-end flea market, offers a more chaotic shopping experience. Outside of the capital, Baguio is well known for its silver and handcrafts shops and Karbon market of Cebu City competes with Divisoria.

Typical souvenirs that can be obtained from the region are: barong tagalog (hand embroidered dress shirts made of pineapple fibre), brassware from the South, guitars from Cebu, painted papier-mâché horses from Laguna, bamboo furniture, hand-woven grass mats (banig), antique wooden figurines of saints, carved paddy keeper figurines from the Cordillera mountains, pearls from Mindanao or Palawan, terracotta flower pots and table mats made of Manila hemp.

Night Life at The Philippines

Generally at Asia, it is really difficult to run across music as lively as the Filipino groups playing at hotels or bars; these and the universal popularity of karaoke (called as ‘viedoke’ here), reflect the musical charm of lively night life of Manila.

In a night that you will surrender yourself to nightlife you can find all sorts of locations, ranging from VIP joints appealing to the high-end customer base, to grotty bars where either a Pinoy (Filipino) rock music or a folk music group plays. Manila’s transvestite vaudeville shows (some of them being exceptionally fabulous) are also favoured by tourists. On the other hand, The Philippines Culture Centre offers more intellectual entertainment choices like ballet, opera and classical music.

Entertainment options outside Manila are rather limited. With the exception of annual festivals, the best fun you can find in most of the towns is a live music group dancing to provincial or reggae tunes. University towns like Baguio, where there are many music groups, may be exceptions. Cebu, with its active night-club scene can be considered as a second exception.

Where to Stay?

Makati Shangri-La, Manila, Luzon, Philippines
Discovery Shores Boracay Island, Boracay Island, Visayas, Philippines
Discovery Country Suites, Tagaytay City, Cavite, Philippines
Shangri-La's Boracay Resort and Spa, Boracay Island, Visayas, Philippines
Mandala Spa and Villas, Boracay Island, Visayas, Philippines
Amanpulo, Pamalican Island, Visayas, Philippines
Eskaya Beach Resort and Spa, Barangay Tawala, Bohol, Philippines
Misibis Resort, Cagraray Island, Cagraray Island, Bacacay, Albay Province, Bicol Region, Philippines
El Nido Resort, Legaspi  Makati City 1229, The Philippines
Antulang Beach Resort, Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, Philippines

Where to Wine and Dine?

22 Prime, 22/F Discovery Suites, 25 ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City
Acqua, Shangrila Mactan Island Resort and Spa, Lapu-lapu City, Cebu
Antonio’s, Purok 138, Brgy Neogan, Tagaytay City
Astralis by Diamond Hotel – Power Plant Mall, Rockwell, Makati City
Aubergine, 2/F 32nd and 5th building, 32nd street corner 5th aveue, Bonifacio, Global City
Azuthai, G/F Milky Wa Bldg, 900 Arnaiz Avenue cor Paseo de Roxas, Makati City
Banana Leaf, G/F The Terraces at Ayala Center, Cebu City also Greenbelt 3 and the Podium
Banana Leaf Asian Café, The Block, SM City North Edsa, Quezon City
Barcino Wine & Tapas Bar, G/F Greenbelt 2, Makati City
The Café Mediterranean, G/F Greenbelt 1, Makati City
Carpaccio Ristorante Italiano, 7431 Yakal Street, San Antonio Village, Makati City
The Champagne Room, Manila Hotel, Manila
Chef Laudico Bistro Filipino, G/F Net Square Bldg, 3rd Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
Chesa Bianca Swiss Restaurant, 7431 Yakal Street, San Antonio Village, Makati City
Cibo, 2/F Greenbelt 5, Makati City
Heat, G/F Edsa Shangrila Manila, Mandaluyong City
Je Suis Gourmand, G/F Net One, 3rd Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
Lemoni Café, Stall 117 D’Mall, Phase 4, Boracay Island, Aklan
Tea of Spring, Shangrila Mactan Island Resort and Spa, Lapu-lapu City, Cebu
Yurakuen, Diamond Hotel Philippines, Roxas Blvd cor Dr. J Quintos Street, Manila