PHILIPPINES
Officially known as The Republic of the Philippines after Indonesia it is known for being the second largest archipelago with over 7000 tropical islands. This huge number of Islands makes Philippines a destination of travel, explore and discover the marvelous nature’s bounty of soaring volcanoes and the rugged mountains. This Southeast Asian country is full of coral-fringed islands, tropical rainforests, soaring limestone towers, rice terraces, tumbling waterfalls and also uninhabited islands. Experience here the best snorkeling and diving around the reefs that offer you an unforgettable experience. If asked to define Philippines physically the country is especially a group of islands located in the Pacific Ocean. Although located around Southeast Asia, Filipinos use majorly English language as a medium of communication; hence don’t get surprised when you receive slightly western influenced welcome. There are many reasons to which Philippines is best of the worlds travel spot, country’s richness can be seen in its 150 mammal species, 800 species of orchids and over 12000 species in plant kingdom. Truly a great place to be, Philippines oozing with natural wonders has the Chocolate Hills of Bohol and historic places like Vigan that fascinate any fagged tourist. And no tourist returns surprised at the hospitality and culture of the Filipinos. This place is visited by thousands international tourists only to catch the captivating scenery of the volcanoes and mountains in Taal, Negros, and Baguio. Also, recently keen interest has been taken to improve country’s infrastructure that includes modeling international airports, building flyovers and expressways and more will be on the plate of Philippines until 2010. All this only puts Philippines at the top position of any Southeast Asian destinations.
CULTURE
Any typical Filipino whom you may encounter will pose a cheerful smile with shrugging shoulders greeting everybody they come face to face. They believe in what is called the ‘Bahala na’ attitude which means to accept whatever comes their way and live the life to its fullest as all things shall pass on to somebody the other day. They are known as the happiest people in entire Asia because of their easy going and peace loving attitude. Westernized style of living comes as a surprise too many visitors but soon the restaurants and shopping malls makes one realize that they are standing in some part of the Asia. People of Philippines give great importance to family and religion; most of the population follows Islam and Christianity here out of which 90 percent of people belong to Christianity religion. The local Muslims are called Moro who are mainly found in the regions of the sulu and Mindanao.
GEOGRAPHY
With a total area of over 3, 00,000 sq. km Philippines Archipelago is categorized into three different groups, they are the Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao that divide the country into north, central and southern regions. Further these three parts house several other islands of interest. Being island country and a place of rugged mountains the country has a threat from Volcanoes that are terrifying. Out of 7000 and odd islands eleven are most visited islands- Mindanao (95,000 sq. km), Negros (12,700 sq. km), Panay (11,500 sq. km), Leyte (7214 sq. km), Mindoro(9,700 sq. km) Cebu (4400 sq. km), Palawan (11,800 sq. km), Bohol (3,900 sq. km), Masbate (3300 sq. km), Luzon (105,000 sq. km), and Samar (13,100 sq. km). These islands are highly active and feature volcanic mountains. All the islands are blessed with large rivers which are used as a mode of transport. River Cagayan flows mightily on Luzon and there are also other Rivers like Chico, Abra, Pampanga and Bicol that contribute to the assets of this island. The active volcanoes make the islands soil rich and fertile that allows very large scale agriculture in the country. As topographically this country is divided by sea because of which Philippines has the longest coastline of any nation in the world. This is the reason most of the Filipinos live along the coast to make use of the 2000 fish species available.
BEST TIME TO VISIT
Philippines observe favorable climatic conditions with dry and wet seasons. Although due to global warming one can’t have a clear picture of weather conditions it can be said that the dry season starts from September and lasts till May. If you want to avoid really hot summer then avoid going to Philippines in the month of May when temperatures are all time high. The summer monsoon brings heavy rains with the season and because the country straddles astride the typhoon belt the rainy season make the place worse. This predominantly occurs during July to October. So the best time to travel to Philippines would be the months of December, January, and May when the country is at its best with good climatic conditions and colorful festivals all around. Also during this time you will get a chance to look at the beautiful rice terraces.
TOP ATTRACTIONS
This country can be counted as one of the nature’s wonders that have bounty to offer even for a jaded visitor. Of course there are other places that can give you the same experience but what make it special are the location, rich flora and fauna, and fabled sunsets across the beaches. Include in your list of must sees the tropical forests, rice terraces, feel cumulus clouds in the breeze and vibrant sunlight dance across the South China Sea. This beauty is well preserved and has never been lost, still you can make new discoveries , walk along the white pristine beaches and select from wide variety of diving spots from Bohol, Palawan, Cebu, Galera, Subic, Coron Bay and Puerto. Also you can find the age old churches, museums and forts talking about the history of the country. If it’s your Honeymoon the merrier you can be with the spectacular sunsets, world class resorts, mouth watering dinning and the dazzling islands.
Manila
Most of the travelers start their journey here as Manila is the capital city of Philippines and one of the most happening cities. Manila belongs to Luzon Island that is located to the north of Country. As Manila is further divided into different towns the best places of interest can be Binondo, Intramuros, Quiapo, and Malate. The St. Augustine Church and fort in Intramuros depict the Spanish colonial architecture which was build around 16th century, and the artifacts collection here are over 400 years old. Then there are government buildings, cobbled plazas, and monasteries to explore. Ermita & Malate are home to CCP that is Cultural Center of Philippines having vast collections of white elephants. Visit the Coconut Palace in Imelda that was built for John Paul II showcasing the greatness of artisans and craftsmen. As the name suggests this grand palace is built of solely coconut material and now rented out as party or marriage hall.
Visayas
This Island is significant one in Philippines located between Luzon, Palawan, and the Mindanao. Visayas is home to further small islands like the Camotes, Cebu, Bohol, Negros, Siquijor, Borocay, Panay Samar, Masbate, Leyte, Romblon and Biliran. Tourist generally selects this place for its variety of outdoor activities in addition to bird watching along the palm fringed beaches and stunning reefs. Cebu has the central mountain range, so trek lovers can gorge on this spot. Bantayan has the clear white beaches and for enjoying the typical lifestyle of the island drop in Malapascua. Moalboal attracts divers and people who want keep a low profile or budget this place is the best. Other attractions are the Butterfly Santuary, Casa Gorordo Museum, the Philippine Chinese Spiritual Temple, the fort of San Pedro, and Magellan’s Cross. Apart from Cebu other popular joint is the Boracay an island at the northwestern Panay known for sun worshipping. People from all corners of the world come to Boracay for sun worshipping and lying at the beach.
Mindoro
Mindoro divided by mountain range one part of the island has beautiful beaches and other part is actually backwaters. The mountain range in between Mindoro resulted in two regions Mindoro Oriental and Mindoro Occidental. Tourists often prefer the oriental region around Puerto Galera that houses coves, marvelous harbor and white sand beaches. Puerto Galera’s harbor that is covered on all sides was the favorite anchorage for Spanish sailors. Most of the tourists drop in to spend the nights drinking and for being merry on the quite island. All classes of tourists can find accommodation here based on their budgets. Other attractions here are Sabang, Coco beach resort, Pandan Island, Mt Halcon, and Mt Iglit- Baco National Park.
Palawan
A place that has lot on its plate, the limestone cliffs, coral reefs, misty mountains, uninhabited islands and the active wildlife. Also known as the Last Frontier, Palawan has great treasure of coral reefs that gives shelter to an array of marine life and so it has been given the slogan of natural sanctuary. Only Palawan has 1768 islands and islets that are occupied by rich rainforests, old age caves, majestic mountains and beaches. The places of interest are the Calauit Island Wildlife Sanctuary, El Nido Marine Reserve, St. Paul Subterranean River National Park, Tubbataha Reefs National Marine Park and Coron Reefs. Palawan reefs and its multitude of marine life lure any visitor for a second visit.
GETTING HERE
Though there are choices to select the land of arrival in Philippines most people arrive at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport. One more popular airport is the Mactan-Cebu International Airport which is the second favorable airport. This is so because flying to Cebu can save lots of time as Manila airport is the most busy and immigration queues eat away your valuable time. In Cebu you can find connections from Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore, Seoul and surrounding Asian countries. From where you land you can go to your next destination by air, rail, road or sea.