TRAVEL FILIPINAS

Saturday, April 25, 2009

EXPERIENCE BATANES

This heavenly place located in the extreme northern part of the Philippines- offers a different kind of experience
the northernmost and the smallest province in the country, it composed of ten (10) islands called the Batanes Islands.

From Batanes

Ivatan- as what the locals are known- are descendants of Austronesians. A world-heritage site, this is one of the few places where you can see the South China Sea from your left, meets the Pacific Ocean on your right.

From Batanes

No One could ignore the Filipino's devotion for their Creator, that even in the most isolated islands within the Philippines- you can find the most beautiful churches in the world.

From Batanes

Light houses are spectacular. Magnificently built even on the steepest hills.

From Batanes

Believed to be a Fountain of Youth, this beach offers a different serenity and freedom,

From Batanes

Can you guess now how envious all of those do not see this place now? Marlboro Country- as it is popularly known, your imagination will go into the wildest, and will think if this place really exist.

From Batanes

EAT YOUR HEART OUT!!! LOL.

From Batanes

A very popular movie was shot here...'Hihintayin kita sa Langit'- and true to its title, it is heavenly-worth experience when you see this paradise.

From Batanes

Now- A World Heritage Site.

From Batanes

These BLOOMS will prove to you how untouched their land is.

From Batanes

I THINK YOU KNOW NOW WHAT'S ON MY MIND SEEING THIS WAVES. =)

This secluded terrain should not be compared in any place in the world...I tell you... this is in the Philippines.

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PHILIPPINES

THE PHILIPPINES (Source: The Lonely Planet with some edited/corrected text)

The second-largest Archipelago in the world; with over 7,107 tropical islands- the Philippines is one of the great treasures of Southeast Asia.

Often overlooked by travelers because of its location on the ‘wrong’ side of the South China Sea, the Philippines rewards those who go the extra distance to reach it. And because it’s off the beaten path, the Philippines is a great place to escape the hordes who descend on other parts of Southeast Asia. First and foremost, the Philippines is a place of natural wonders – a string of coral-fringed islands strewn across a vast expanse of the western Pacific. Below sea level, the Philippines boasts some of the world’s best diving and snorkeling, including wreck diving around Coron and swimming with the whale sharks off Donsol.

Above sea level, it has a fantastic landscape with wonders enough to stagger even the most jaded traveler: the Chocolate Hills of Bohol, Banaue & the Rice Terraces and fascinating reminders of the islands’ history in places such as Samar & Leyte and Vigan.

And if you’re after palm-fringed, white-sand beaches, try laidback Sipalay or flat-out party town Boracay.

--------------------

From the Author's Research

Southeastern Asia, Archipelago between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, East of Vietnam

Two official languages - Filipino (based on Tagalog) and English-which is widely used as a means of communication in prints, news and other media. Large majority of Pinoy (local term for People of the Philippines) can speak English fluently and write correctly. The minorities can speak a little but still has the wisdom to understand.

Eight major dialects- Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocan, Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, Bicol, Waray, Pampango, and Pangasinense
Safety: Safety and security should be of concern- but this is very basic in traveling in elsewhere. News about terrorism is just being sensationalized in international media. The incidents are very isolated and and hundreds of kilometers away from the Metro and major tourist spots. Somewhere in southern and western Mindanao, Basilan, Tawi Tawi, Jolo and the Sulu archipelago which are all located in the extreme South of the Island.

Communications:
The international access code for the Philippines is +63. The outgoing code is 00 followed by the relevant country code (e.g. 001 for the United States). The major towns, cities and popular tourist spots are covered by GSM 900 and 1800 mobile phone networks. Internet cafes and wifi are widely available in Manila and most of the tourist resorts.

Climate :
The Philippines is very blessed with almost perfect weather-having a tropical climate with a dry season from late February up to early May. Rainy season is from June to September with the hottest months being April and May. The Philippines lies within the world's severest cyclone belt and is effected by around 15 cyclones per year.

Fast Facts about Philippines

World's Biggest Producer : muscovado sugar, coconuts, third-largest producer of bananas

GNP: US$430 billion

Highest Point: Mt Apo, at 2954m

Number of islands: 7,107 (even more during low-tide =)) the world's second- largest archipelago

Unemployment: rate over 11%

Population: 87.8 million

English Literacy Rate:
93%, the highest in Asia, the 3rd largest English-Speaking nation in terms of percentage; 5th largest English-Speaking Nation in the World in terms of population.

Life expectancy:
men 67 years, women 73 years

Asia's First:
University (University of Santo Tomas, 1611); Democratic nation (1896); Commercial airline (Philippine Airlines, 1941)

TOP TEN (10) BEST BEACHES IN WORLD

Palawan Ranks No. 4!

Ranking as follows:

1. Las Islas Cies, Galicia, Spain
2. Tayrona National Park, Colombia
3. Porto da Barra, Salvador, Brazil
4. Anywhere on Palawan, the Philippines
5. Nungwi, Zanzibar, Tanzania
6. Arambol, Goa India
7. Whitehaven, whitsunday Islands. Queensland, AU
8. Shell Beach, Isle of Purbeck, Dorset
9. Sinclair's Bay, Caithness
10. Aroa, Aitutaki, One foot Island, Cook Islands

Although Alex Garland's backpacker odyssey The Beach is set in Thailand, he took much of the inspiration for the location from the Philippines. The reason? As anyone who has been to Thailand in the last decade will tell you, the chances of founding your very own deserted island paradise in a country that has become synonymous with the backpacker superhighway are close to nil. The Philippines, on the other hand has over 7,000 islands, a fraction of the tourists and so many deserted beaches that it's easy to hire a fishing boat, sail off into the sun and create your very own "Beach".
The western island group of Palawan, which even Filipinos describe as their country's last frontier, is inconceivably exotic and tropical. It's an archipelago of jagged limestone islands with underground rivers, rocky coves, virgin rainforest and, of course, sugar-white sandy beaches. Honda Bay, which has several islets including Cannon Island, Bat Island and Starfish Island, is one of the most popular but the fun in Palawan is in discovering your own deserted stretch of sand.
Where to stay: For isolation and some of the best wreck-diving in the world, Sangat Island Reserve. For luxury, El Nido resorts.

Boracay Ranks No. 7!

The one and only beach in Asia listed in the top 10 most popular/ best beach in the world.

Besting even Australia and Thailand!

Ranking as follows:

1. Cancun, Mexico
2. San Diego, CA
3. Honolulu, HI
4. San Juan, Puerto Rico
5. Santorini, Greece
6. South Padre Island, TX
7. Boracay Island, Philipines
8. Miami. FL
9. Santa Barbara, CA
10. Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Boracay Ranks No. 8!

Ranking as follows:

1. Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro Brazil
2. Waikiki, HI
3. Cancun, Mexico
4. Surfer's Paradise, Australia
5. Negril, Jamaica
6. South Beach, FL
7. Phi Phi, Thaialnd
8. Boracay Island, Philipines
9. Tenerife, Canary Islands
10. Natadola Beach, Fiji

Boracay is a tropical island located approximately 315km (200 miles) south of Manila and 2km off the northwest tip of the island of Panay in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. It is one of the country's most popular tourist destinations. The island comprises the barangays of Manoc-Manoc, Balabag, and Yapak (3 of the 17 barangays which make up the municipality of Malay), and is under the administrative control of the Philippine Tourism Authority in coordination with the Provincial Government of Aklan.

BEST ANIMAL ENCOUNTER- Whale Shark (Butanding)

DONSOL, PHILIPPINES

describes the World's Largest Fish as the 'BEST ANIMAL ENCOUNTER IN ASIA.'

Here's the quote:

The fishermen of Donsol, 540 km southeast of Manila, knew for generations that pods of up to 60 whale sharks would gather offshore each year from February to May. But the first scientific sightings weren't made until 1998. When word spread, the many divers and scientists who have spent their whole careers pursuing a glimpse of these elusive behemoths fought one another for seats on the first flight to Donsol. Tourists followed.

Happily, this surge of interest has not driven the whale sharks away. Known locally as butandings, they are the world's largest fish, reaching up to 15 m in length. Unlike other sharks, they are docile, and are drawn to the waters near Donsol because of the unusually plentiful plankton there. The local government is working with the World Wildlife Fund for Nature to turn the area into a whale-shark sanctuary. Under carefully regulated conditions—which forbid touching the sharks, flash photography and the use of any equipment except mask, snorkel and fins—you can swim with these magnificent giants. It costs just over $50 for a permit, boat and guide, and while one hesitates to use the phrase "a whale of a time," that's exactly what you'll have.

From TIME

'Lechon' Best Pig in the World- Ever

Best Pig
The Philippines

The Hierarchy of Pork

No.1 Philippines
No. 2 Bali, iNdonesia
No. 3 Puerto Rico

When itinerant TV chef Anthony Bourdain — whose love of all things porcine is famous — visited the Philippine island of Cebu with his show No Reservations and declared that he had found the "best pig ever," many viewers were as surprised by the hyperbole as by the country he situated it in. But not Filipinos, among whom the zenith of porky perfection is an indisputable fact. It was just a matter of time before the rest of the world found out.

The pig that made Bourdain smack his lips with glee was lechón, or slow-roasted suckling pig, perhaps the Philippines' most beloved dish. Usually reserved for fiestas, it has long been a source of fanatical adulation; it's not uncommon for a whole lechón, still hot and fresh from roasting, to be flown across the country for special occasions. Though varieties differ regionally — stuffing can include any combination of lemongrass, tamarind, star anise, garlic, green onions and chili leaves, while condiments range from a light vinegary dipping sauce to a thick liver-based gravy — the basic concept remains the same. A pig is roasted for hours over a fire of open coals, slowly rotated on a bamboo spit, lovingly basted and meticulously supervised until its flesh is so tender, moist and succulent that it can be sliced with the edge of a plate, and its skin so crisp it can be punctured with the tap of a finger. You could call it the Platonic ideal of a pig, but it's doubtful if Plato, or even an entire faculty of philosophers, could have imagined anything so exquisite.

From TIME

Gastronomic treat

During the episode of "No Reservations" shot in the Philippines, Bourdain was seen snacking on the crunchy brown skin of a steaming newly-roasted pig and jokingly asking his tour-guide, Chicago-born Filipino-American Augusto Elefano, not to let anyone touch the pig's cheeks, intending to have the juicy part all to himself.

On Bourdain's blog entry titled "The Hierarchy of Pork", he declared the pork he tried in the Philippines as the "best in the world" followed by Bali, Indonesia and Puerto Rico.

During his short food trip in Manila, Cebu, and Pampanga, Bourdain also enjoyed several "porky" treats including sisig and barbecue. He tried many Filipino favorites including bulalo, kare-kare, fishballs, pansit palabok, sisig, sinigang, and even gamely popped a goat eye into his mouth with a smile.

Aside from calling the Cebu lechon "the best pig ever", Bourdain also said that tapsilog's beef was "ugly as hell but good" and described the popular soy-based street food "taho" as "like meatloaf in beancurd form."

From Philippine Roast Pig- Lechon

TRAVEL FILIPINAS

Saturday, April 25, 2009

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