* Philippines: A paradise for tourists

[Kano]

Philippines: A paradise for tourists



Manila Bulletin By HENRYLITO D. TACIO
June 21, 2010, 2:21pm


"Land of the sun caressed, Pearl of the Orient seas, our Eden lost!" That's what Dr. Jose P. Rizal wrote in "My Last Farewell" ("Mi Ultimo Adios") about his beloved country, the Philippines.

The country has a total land area of 300,000 square kilometers and these are distributed in 7,107 islands (of which only 2,500 have names and 450 are inhabited). "The islands abound with white-sand beaches, exotic tropical vegetation, and beautiful lakes and rivers," wrote the All-Asia Travel Guide.

What makes the Philippines truly distinct among other countries is the fact that it has unique places and things that can be found only in the country. Much less, it is paradise for tourists.

As the travel guide, published by the Far Eastern Economic Review, puts it: "Places in the Philippines worth visiting are so numerous that the tourist can only hope to see a few of them."

To start with, here are some of those you should not fail to visit:

If you visit the Philippines during summer, Baguio should be on top of your list. A highly urbanized city in northern Luzon, it was established by Americans in 1900. Its name comes from the Ibaloi word bagiw, which means "moss." Being at an altitude of approximately 1,500 meters, the place is conducive to the growth of mossy plants and orchids. And due to its cool mountain weather, Baguio is considered the summer capital of the Philippines. Because of its many pine trees it is also called the "City of Pines."

About 100 kilometers north of Baguio in Banaue are the breathtaking rice terraces, touted to be "the Eighth Wonder of the World." The rice terraces, described as "the stairway to heaven," are a living monument to the ingenuity of tribal Filipino farmers who have tilled the steep slopes for over 2,000 years.

Terraced agricultural fields are common in Asia but the Banaue rice terraces are the most extensive. If stretched end to end in a line, the terraces measure 48,280.4 kilometers -- about 10 times longer than the Great Wall of China or about half the earth's circumference.

Some 90 kilometers south of Manila is Taal, the homeplace of Taal Volcano, a 406-meter-high crater and said to be the world's smallest volcano. It is described as "a crater within an island within a lake" because it stands as an island at Taal Lake. The lake was formed after the volcano, which used to be much larger, collapsed. The ridges around Tagaytay City, which overlooks the lake, are believed to be part of the crater of the old volcano.

Five hundred fifty-three kilometers from Manila is the famous Mayon Volcano, the main landmark of Albay Province. It is the country's most active volcano and considered to be the world's most perfectly formed volcano for its symmetrical cone. Towering at a height of 2,462 meters above sea level, it overlooks Legaspi City. Its eruption in 1911 killed 1,300 people and buried the town of Cagsawa.

The island of Palawan, considered the country's last frontier, is a haven for environmentalists. For one, there's the world famous St. Paul Subterranean National Park, a massive white rock mountain which is 1,028 meters above sea level and stretches towards Cleopatra's Needle. Its main feature is the underground river, with its 8.2 kilometers of labyrinthine caves carved by rainwater and the waves of South China Sea.

In Visayas, the most visited place is Cebu, the oldest city in the country which has many points of historical interest, including Mactan Island where Portuguese Ferdinand Magellan met his death.

Across the strait from Cebu is the island of Bohol, celebrated for the unusual Chocolate Hills, consisting of thousands of cone-shaped mounds scattered over 50 square-kilometers. Each hill rises 30 to 120 meters above the surrounding plateau.The hills look like chocolate drops when the grass turns brown. "The hills are best observed at dawn or dusk," said a native in the area.

Don't miss these points of interest while in Bohol: Baclayon, the oldest stone church in the country; the market site of the Sikatuna-Legaspi blood compact in barrio Bohol, about three kilometers from Tagbilaran; and the Hinagdanan Cave.

But the most famous tourist attraction in the Visayas is Boracay Island. Its long white sand beaches rival the best beaches of more popular destinations such as the Caribbean and the South Pacific. The fun doesn't end when the sun sets. Its nightlife pulsates with many bars and restaurants serving food, drink, and fun until the next morning.

Mindanao has its fair share of places to visit. The teardrop-shaped Siargao Island faces the Pacific Ocean and the Philippine Deep, the second deepest body of water in the world. However, this hidden tropical jewel in Surigao hosts one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. In fact, it is the surfing capital of the Philippines because its surfing waves are comparable to that of Hawaii's. American surf photographer John Callahan discovered the remarkable waves of Cloud Nine in 1993.

Davao, the most developed city in Mindanao, is known for Mount Apo (the country's highest peak at 2,954 meters above sea level), durian (the fruit which smells like hell and tastes like heaven), and waling-waling (the queen of Philippine orchids). It is also home to the endangered Philippine eagle, the country's national symbol. Tourists can also eat to their heart's content the sweetest fruit in the world -- the mango.