A Travel Guide for the Philippines
This travel guide features information and suggestions for planning your Philippine holiday, for both the Filipino and foreign tourist. Included are independent and frank reviews of many restaurants, hotels, resorts, guest houses and vacation activities. This web site was started some 7 years ago as a way of sharing my passion for exploring the Philippines, originally on a part-time basis, but now full-time... John
Often called the "last frontier", this sparsely populated island is famous for its
stunning seascapes, great snorkeling, wonderful beaches and some
beautiful places to go kayaking. This guide provides an overview
of the Palawan destinations with suggestions for itineraries.
Puerto Princesa City is the Capital city of Palawan and is a pleasant,
albeit busy commercial center. There are some fantastic
restaurants and cafes here. The city also retains some of its old
world charm as a port and fishing city. The major tourist activity
is Island hopping and snorkeling around Honda Bay.
Although Sabang's main attraction is the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National
Park, there are many other things worth staying a few days for. Walk
the Monkey trail to the underground river or take a guided tour of the
mangrove forest. Note that the underground river is more than 80km
from Puerto Princesa City so consider spending at least a
night there rather than doing the day trip from Puerto Princesa City
Taytay is another great Palawan tourist destination with lots of things to do - visiting the 17th century Fort Santa Isabelle, island-hopping, snorkeling, swimming in the hidden lagoon (cave), kayaking on the Lake Manguao, Irrawaddy Dolphin watching in Malampaya Sound, and swimming in the Canique Waterfall. Taytay is only one and a half hours drive from El Nido.
The setting is fantastic – rugged limestone outcrops crowned with dense
jungle foliage form the backdrop. Lots of island hopping and snorkeling
to do - islands rise out of the water all around.
Rent a motor bike, a 4 wheel drive car or a mountain bike and
explore around. Rent a sea kayak or a wind surfer and enjoy the
silence. El Nido sunsets are really beautiful.
Located on Palawan’s west coast, about half way between Sabang and El Nido. The attractions are island hopping, snorkeling, beach lazing and swimming. There is a mangrove river tour and two nearby waterfalls. Port Barton has a real frontier feel and is also a great destination for the eco-tourists.
Puerto Princesa - Baragatan Festival - 2009
Pictures or
Videos
This festival is held yearly and runs for the whole month of June.
The highlight of the 2009 festival was the June 23rd dance
performances by the 7 participating municipalities of Palawan. The beautifully choreographed dances with their stunning costumes tell a story of the culture and traditions of the different regions of Palawan.
With a population of some 40,000, it is
the largest city on the Island of Busuanga. Coron is famous as a destination
for wreck scuba divers. Enjoy sea kayaking, eating
at Bistro Coron, watching the stunningly beautiful ocean sunsets, relaxing
in the Maquinit Hot Springs or snorkeling around the islands.
Coconut Garden Island resort is worthy of being considered a separate
destination. This beautiful low cost resort is located on Cacnipa Island,
15Km (45 minutes by boat) west of Port Barton. There is a easy trail
that leads around and over the island with some stunning seascapes and
views of mainland Palawan.
It has waterfalls, burial caves, spelunking caves, great food, lots of rice terraces to walk along - the list just
goes on. It remains largely a farming community, is Anglican rather
than Catholic and has evolved for itself a sophistication and quality
of life which is different than much of rural Philippines.
Banaue is a great stopover destination on your way to Batad or Sagada,
The main attraction is the massive and very old Ifugao rice terraces.
Have a look around the shops that line the streets of the town of Banaue.
The Ifugaos are skilled basket makers and some are good woodcarvers.
A very ancient village set in a breathtakingly beautiful amphitheater
of rice terraces and rugged mountains. The Tappia Falls waterfall is
spectacular. Take your swimmers and indulge in a dip in the frigid waters.
The Bangaan Family Inn & Restaurant is the only accommodation here and
is accessible by road. It is within walking distance of the Batad junction.
Bangaan is a good alternative for those who cannot make the hike to
Batad or don't have the time. It is also an alternative to staying in
Banaue for the night. The walk to the village is easy and the scenery
is very beautiful.
The museum is well worth a visit for a couple of hours. It is a well organized exhibition of photographs (back in the head-hunting days) fabrics, basketry, jewelry, weapons, fascinating books etc, plus a replica of a village outside with the old houses, pig pens, girls and boys dormitories etc. The view of Bontoc from the lookout is worth the tricycle ride.
Buasao is located somewhere in the common-land border region near where
the Mountain Province, Abra and Kalinga borders meet in the Cordilleras
of Central Luzon. It was a 9km trek with only the first 1km assent being
arduous. On this trek, we passed
through numerous sections of "mossy forest". We slept by the fire on
a mountain top surrounded by pines.
The road, which follows the Chico River, offers some of the most beautiful
views we have seen in the Philippines. Valley after valley of extraordinary
mountain terrain with rice terraces situated in seemingly impossible
places. Stay at the Riverside Inn which is run by the infamous Victor
Baculi. This is right in the heart of a small rural community - lots
of free ranging pigs and chickens.
Baguio is too crowded for most foreign travelers to enjoy. Spend as little time there as possible if you are passing through.
Southern Luzon
This harvest festival is celebrated each year on the 15th of May. The
town Lucban, is situated about 2 hours (depending on traffic) south
east of Manila. Famous for its visual beauty, the pictures speak for
themselves.
Donsol is a
small, coastal fishing town, 600km from Manila, on the southwest coast
of Luzon. From about February to May every year, the town is frequented
by Whale Sharks.
Don't spend time Manila unless you have a tour guide or you really know what you are doing including how to survive the traffic. Manila can be a fun place or a nightmare, depending on who's showing you around. It is a filthy, overcrowded and polluted city. Getting around the city can be very difficult. This is exacerbated by conditions of high humidity and choking exhaust fumes. The live music is great and maybe one of the best things going for Manila. There is good jazz and blues music if you know how to find it.
