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Destinations in the Philippines The focus of our travel information is food, culture, nature, art and beauty and is based on our own travel experiences. Palawan and Central Luzon are our favorite destinations.  We don't frequent highly priced resorts or hotels, nor do we travel on a shoestring. We love to relax, walk and read when we are on holidays.   Palawan

About Palawan Often called the "last frontier", this sparsely populated island is famous for its stunning seascapes, especially those near the town of El Nido. The St. Paul's Underground River in Sabang is also an extraordinary experience.

Puerto Princesa Puerto Princesa is the Capital city of Palawan and is a busy commercial centre. There is a more pleasant part of Puerto which is located in the vicinity of the airport entrance. Asiano, Casa Linda, Tom Tom Club and Kamarikutan can all be found around there.

Sabang Although Sabang's main attraction is the world heritage listed St. Paul's Underground River, renamed 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.

Cacnipa Island 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.

Port Barton Apart from sitting around in the "El Dorado bar and Bistro" drinking copious quantities of nice cold beer, there is a wonderful waterfall and and lots of islands to explore. It is Port Barton's remoteness that adds for me that extra bit of enjoyment to the stay.

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. Also note that El Nido town and El Nido Resort is the same place - this article is about  the low cost El Nido town.

Central Luzon and Northern Luzon

Banaue 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.

Batad 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.

Bangaan 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.

Bontoc 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, jewellery, 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 lookout are worth the tricycle ride.

Sagada This is our favorite place in the Philippines. It has waterfalls, burial 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 unusual for rural Philippines.

Buasao - Camping 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 (especially me not being fit).  On this trek, we passed through numerous sections of "mossy forest". We slept by the fire on a mountain top surrounded by pines.

Tinglayan 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 is run by  the infamous Victor Baculi. This is right in the hear of a small rural community - lots of free ranging pigs and chickens.

Baguio We have no plans to return to Baguio – it reminds us too much of Manila. I did stay in Tam-Awan Village for a few days, which was very pleasant. That's it on Baguio

Southern Luzon

Lucban Festival 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 - Encounters with Whale Sharks 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.

Manila We do not recommend that you spend much time Manila. It is a filthy, overcrowded and polluted city. Getting around can be very difficult. This is exacerbated by conditions of high humidity and choking exhaust fumes. If you know what you are doing though, you can still have a good time here. The live music is great and is the best thing going for Manila.

 

© 2004 Travel-Philippines.com