WoW Travel Blog

• BoRaCay

 

 

During the last quarter of the year 2003, Mama and I had our 1st travel by plane. Funny yet true. Thanks to Tatee that brought us there.  We stayed at Red Coconut Beach Resort ( www.redcoconut.com.ph )that is strategically located at the beachfront between Station 2 & 3.

THE BEACH 

Boracay is a destination that the Philippines can call one of its finest, tourists flock to this island to experience the wonders only a pristine tropical paradise can offer. Boracay entices people from around the world. Studded with palm, pearly talcum white beaches, crystal clear waters, balmy weather and undeniably informal attire are really breathtaking. It is the best place to experience nature at its finest. Also in this tiny butterfly shaped island at the northwestern tip of Panay in Western Visayas, days can be spent by simply lazing on the beach and nights are for indulging in the tropical party lifestyle. Indeed, this is an island paradise.

ISLAND TOUR

A colorful outrigger boat (banca’) awaits you. Take in all “must sees”: visit secluded Puka Shell Beach, snorkel at Crocodile Island (or Diniwid and Angol Point), glimpse islets, a bat cave, a picnic exotic with fresh fish on the grill.                                                                                           

Crocodile Island enable one to marvel at one of the most colorful and exotic display of marine life. The undersea terrain is predominantly limestone and there are overhangs, crevices and declivitous walls that contribute to the underwater beauty of the island’s snorkel and dive sites. Marine life is abundant even in the off-season. Just make sure to throw a bit of food so that you’ll see the fishes upclose. The steep walls provide permanent niches to moray eels, lionfish, coral stalactites, sponges and a lot more of species.

BANANA FUN RIDE 

Try to stay on the banana while the speedboat pulls this inflatable in all directions on Baracay’s crystal clear waters. Fun guaranteed!

• BoHoL

CHOCOLATE HILLS

The world-renowned cone-shaped Chocolate Hills is Nature’s expression of beauty, mystery and romance. Spread over the Municipalities of Carmen, Sagbayan and Batuan, the Chocolate Hills is the province’s signature attraction. It consists of approximately 1,268 haycock hills with heights ranging from 40 to 120 meters. Formed centuries ago by tidal movements, the hills are considered as a National Geologic Movement. During the summers, the dome-shaped grass covered limestone hills dry up and turn brown, transforming the area into seemingly endless rows of chocolate “kisses”.

TARSIER

Would you believe that the tarsier, the smallest living primate, measuring 4 to 5 inches and a tail longer than its body, can easily fit snugly in the human hand and is 36 million years old? Being endemic in limited forest pockets in Bohol and having the status of an endangered species, the tarsier has generated substantial interest.

BEACHES & RESORTS

Panglao Island and the southeastern tip of Anda indulges one with soft, powdery white sand beaches.

HERITAGE SITES 

Without a doubt, Bohol is blessed with the most number well-preserved heritage structures and historical sites during the Spanish Colonial Era.

 

Blood Compact Site of Legazpi and Sikatuna

A CRUISE ON LOBOC RIVER 

In Loboc we first visited the church. The parish church of Loboc is certainly worth the visit, and has several attractive murals on the its ceilings. We were lucky, to hear the famous Loboc Childrens Choir sang when we attended the mass.

Near the church is also the departure place of the floating restaurants. These floating restaurants consists of two banka-hulls, over which a large wooden platform is placed. On this platform, numerous tables are placed, and a band plays music. Different boats play different styles of music, so, if you make a careful choice, you can dine with your favourite music.

As the boat takes of, the buffet begins. On the middle table all kinds of Philippine delicacies are presented, and while eating, you can enjoy the lush green landscape slowly sliding along your table. On certain points along the trip, daring kids climb in a large coconut tree overhanging the river, and jump in the water very close to the floating restaurant.

Children jumping into Loboc River

The end of the trip, which takes about an hour is Busay falls. The falls are not high, about one and a half meter at most, but mark the point where the floating restaurant cannot go any further, so here they stay for a while to allow the guest to look at the landscape. After some time, the return trip starts. Going downstream, we return much faster to our point of return.

HINAGDANAN CAVE 

Well known, and easy to reach is Hinagdanan (“laddered” in Cebuano) cave on the island of Panglao, just 2.5 kilometers from Dauis. This cave has a large number of stalactites hanging from the sealing, and matching stalagmites sticking out of the earth below them. The cave leads to a large underground cavern, that contains a cool pond but beware because it is steep and deep..

MAN-MADE FOREST

 

Witness the tingling shaft of sunlight that penetrates through lush canopies of teak and mahogany in the man-made forest of Loboc and Bilar.

 

• IlOcOs NoRtE & IlOcOs Sur

  

The  province of Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte is where the Ilocos Region’s myriad of cultures and histories converge to become a living museum of a spirited past. A national shrine, a national landmark, a national museum, ancestral houses, cobble-stone streets-they all share space in the timeless land of Ilocos Sur.

Vigan was derived from “Biga”, a giant taro plant that grows abundantly along the banks of Meztizo River. 

The historic town of Vigan was inscribed in the World Heritage List in November 1999 because of its outstanding development in architecture, urban planning, and landscape design. It also serves as a testimony to a cultural tradition which has disappeared.

Places to visit in Ilocos include:

CALLE CRISOLOGO.  Located at the heart of the Meztizo district. Lined on both sides by centuries-old Vigan Houses, it is made of cobblestones.

BAANTAY CHURCH & BELL TOWER According to the legend, before the Bantay Church was built on its present site, the Virgin Mary was enshrined in a distant place, Bulala. It usually happened that the Virgin Mary disappeared from her place of enthronement only to be found perched on a guava tree that grew where the present chapel of the Bantay Church is located. This story is believed by many of the people which had led them to erect the church in its present site.

VIGAN POTTERY HOUSE

PAOAY CHURCH

Built of coral blocks and stucco-plastered bricks, the architecture is a unique combination of Gothic, Baroque and Oriental. Construction of the church was started in 1704 and completed in 1894. A few meters away is the coralstone belltower which served as observation post of the “Katipuneros” during the Philippine Revolution. Paoay Church is included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

Paoay is located west of Batac, southwest of Laoag City and north of Currimao. Situated 480 kilometers north of Manila and 23 kilometers south of Laoag City, it is bounded on the north by Laoag City and San Nicolas, on the south by Batac and Currimao, on the east by Batac, and on the west by the South China Sea.

PAGUDPUD (Saud) –  A Haven in the North

After 10 hours of rolling the highways of northwest Luzon, we arrived in a small coastal town of Pagudpud. A fairly small settlement of towering coconuts, tiny stores, humble nipa houses and empty market. The town looks peaceful like any other rural communities in the Philippines. As a fast-becoming tourist hub of the north, this sight only means that the invading winds of tourism hasn’t arrived yet in the area. This place is developing on its own by having the tourists appreciate its rural charm without the presence of mass tourism.

Past a shaking dirt-road, we halted at an entrance heading to a resort. The lovely surrounding pulled us in without even checking the whole amenities. We checked in, took our luggages in the room and finished our unsatisfying meal. We rushed to the achingly beautiful golden-white sand beach just at the front of the resort, and satisfied our hunger for such delight. Pagudpud shore is famous for high-performance surfing and boardsailing but that time water turned out perfect for swimming and kayaking.

FORT ILOCANDIA – The only 5-Star hotel resort in Northern Luzon. A Spanish-Moroccan inspired villa.

• OcEaN AdVeNtUrE

At Ocean Adventure Subic Bay if want you can swim with a false killer whale? Maybe get a kiss from a seal? Or would you just like to sit back and be entertained by these magnificent creatures and be picked as a lucky guest just like myself and perform with the whales . Either way, your in for a treat, Ocean Adventure Subic Bay can give you all this and more…..

Subic Ocean Adventure Sea Lion Show

As you walk into the Ocean Adventure Park you will face the water. If you walk to the left you will come to the Seals, to the right are the False Killer Whales and Dolphins. They are kept and either end of the marine park, not sure why.

The sea lions are actually South American Sea Lions and they do a show in the Nautilus Theatre. The show is real fun and enjoyable to all, there is an underlying message of how to take care of the environment.

Now if you want to have your photo taken with one of the Sea Lions, well you can, you can shake it’s fin or receive a big fishy kiss. Lots of fun for everyone.

 

Subic Ocean Adventure Whale Presentation

This would have to be the highlight of the day. You can view the Whale Presentation from the El Capitan Stadium, which is named after a shipwreck just outside the marine park, the wreck is called, yes you guessed it is the El Capitan, which is a great scuba dive.

The two False Killer Whales are named Pounder and Tonker and put on a mighty show for all to see, diving out of the water and towing and hurling there trainers out of the water. Lots of fun! The show is conducted with an educational slant hoping that the guests may pick up something and use it in a way that may help the environment.

And the chosen lucky guest is me!

Subic Ocean Adventure Discovery Aquarium

The Discovery Aquarium is a walk through building with numerous aquariums built into the walls. Each aquarium houses different varieties of marine and fresh water creatures, from the coral reefs through to the mangroves each ecosystem has it’s unique variety of fish.

The Discovery Aquarium is not to bad, you can really see the difference in colours between the marine or saltwater fish and the fresh water cousins, the marine are so much more vibrant and colourful.

Where is Ocean Adventure Subic Bay?

Ocean Adventure is in Subic Bay Freeport Zone, which use to be a US Naval base. It is roughly 100 kilometres from Manila and on average would be a 3 hour drive, however depending on traffic it could take up to 4 hours.

The actual address is:
Camayan Wharf, West Alanin Forest Area, Subic Bay Freeport Zone.
 

• bIAk nA BaTo

 

During my first year in PLM I  was fascinated in mountain hiking adventures of this group “Siyap” a collaboration of two words Sining-Yapak.

A huge split boulder which is the mountain hideout of the revolutionary forces during the Spanish regime and the place where the Malolos Constitution was signed Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo and Pedro Paterno. It is where the historic Biak-na-Bato Republic was established. The park appeals to the adventurous spirits with its challenging rock formations. Hanging bridges (this served as our a place for our tents to avoid the ravishing falls during the nightfall when a heavy rain poured)and staircases, cinnecting rivers and caves make for a pleasurable exploration especially for beginners like me. Among the many ecological attractions in this National Park are the Bahay Paniki Cave, Aguinaldo Cave, Madlum Cave, Tanggapan Cave and the very beautiful Tilandong Falls which I myself experienced a dip on its clear blue waters.

~ by judecrise on November 27, 2007.