BEAUTIFUL TOURIST SPOTS IN PHILIPPINES

Tagaytay Picnic Grove

Tagaytay Picnic Grove

by Mich Guevara

If you want to cool down this summer and can’t afford the long hours of traveling to Baguio, why not try going to Tagaytay. It’s just a couple of hours travel from Manila and there are lots of fun yet cheap things a family can do, including going to Tagaytay’s playground – the Picnic Grove.

Picnic Area overlooking Taal Lake and Taal Volcano

Picnic Grove offers a panoramic view of the Taal Volcano. Most of the visitors bring food with them to have picnic inside. By the way, entrance fee to Picnic Grove is now Php 50 and another Php 50 for vehicle parking. There are lots of cottages available in the picnic park which could be rented for at least Php 150.

Tagaytay Picnic Grove - Horseback Riding

Tagaytay’s famous picnic park is also known for its camping sites, eco-adventure trail, and horseback riding adventures. Adults and kids alike can enjoy an hour of horseback riding for the following rates: Big-Php200; Small-Php150. If you want to go to adventure trail, there is an additional fee of Php 150.

One of Tagaytay Picnic Grove’s attractions nowadays is the Tagaytay Ridge Zipline and Cable Car. It’s a breathtaking ride of up to 60km/hour as you fly high on a zipline to up to 300 feet off the ground. Don’t worry, professionally trained staff will assist you and ensure that every second of experience is safe enough to be tried.

Tagaytay Ridge Zipline and Cable Car

Tagaytay Ridge Ziplines & Cable Car Tour Information (from official site http://tagaytayzipline.com/)
- Guests ride a total of four ziplines ranging from 250 meters and one Cable Car
- Platforms and Zip lines range from 150 ft to 300 ft off the ground
- Ziplining involves gliding along a suspended steel cable, using a pulley and climbing harness
- Rides area is in the edge of picnic grove at Tagaytay and covers acres of land in a tropical temperate forest
- Ride duration is approximately 20-30 seconds
- All tours are fully guided

BANAUE

Hailed as the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World,’ this ‘Stairway to Heaven’ was built by hand by the ancestors of the Ifugao tribe. The magnificent rice terraces are farms built on structurally layered mountainsides. They provide food for the mountain locals, as much as breathtaking scenery for visitors.

INTRAMUROS

INTRAMUROS, the old capital of Manila, was built in 1571. It remains a monumental, if ruined, relic of the Spanish period in Philippine history. It is a city within a city, separated from the rest of Manila by its crumbling walls. This ancient capital had well-planned streets, plazas, the Governor’s Palace and churches. However, many buildings were reduced to shambles in World War II.
Among the places to visit in Intramuros are the two churches – The Manila Cathedral and St. Augustine Church — and Fort Santiago.

• The Manila Cathedral is the fifth stone church of Manila. It was destroyed and rebuilt several times. From the air, it appears as a giant cross.
• St. Augustine Church is the oldest stone church in the Philippines. It was built in 1599; however, it was also destroyed and rebuilt many times. It is an immense structure of thick walls of Corinthian and Ionic designs.
• Fort Santiago used to be the seat of the colonial powers of both Spain and the U.S. It was also a dreaded prison under the Spanish regime and the scene of countless military police atrocities during the Japanes occupation. Here, too, Dr. Jose Rizal spent his last hours before his execution on Bagumbayan. (now Rizal Park).

Bataan and Corregidor

In 1942, a combined force of Filipino and American troops made their last stand in Bataan and Corregidor against the Japanese. Many monuments of the Second World War still remain in these two places, which were proclaimed National Shrines. Corregidor, known as the “Rock” is a tiny, island-fortress guarding the entrance to Manila Bay. It gained worldwide fame in the last war for the gallant stand put up by the besieged US-Philippine forces against the Japanese army. Bataan, lying just opposite Corregidor, may be reached after a 30-minute boat ride from the “Rock”. It was also a famous battlefield in the last war. Corregidor

CEBU

Cebu City drew 403,326 international visitors in 2005, making the “queen city of the south” the top provincial destination of foreign travelers. Data from the Department of Tourism (DOT) also showed that Cebu City attracted 1,813 overseas Filipinos and 712,938 domestic travelers last year.

Total number of travelers in the city went up by 10.5 percent to 1.118 million in 2005 from 1.012 million in 2004. Arrivals in Cebu are expected to peak in December 2006, when the city hosts the 12th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Leader’s Summit and the 4th ASEAN Business and Investment Summit.

Government officials and business leaders from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam will troop to Cebu to discuss the future of ASEAN integration.

Also expected to participate are delegates from Japan, China, South Korea, India, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and European Union. This early, the 20 hotels in Cebu have been reporting full occupancy rates, with the influx of Japanese and Korean tourists, despite the recent opening of five-star accommodation facilities like Marco Polo Hotel and Hilton.

Other large hotels in Metro Cebu include Marriot, Waterfront, Midtown, Rajah Park, Diplomat, Northwinds, Sarrosa, Parklane, Crown Regency, GV, Mango Park, Richmonde, Golden Prince, Metropak, Crowne Garden, Grand Hotel, Montebello, Century Golden Peak, Holiday Plaza and Century Plaza.

Aside from Cebu, other top destinations of international visitors outside Metro Manila in 2005 were Aklan, the province which covers the world-class resort island of Boracay, with 157,638; Laguna, home of the Pagsanjan Falls, with 149,531; Pampanga, where Clark Field is located, with 76,133; and Palawan, with 70,066.

Occupying the 11th to 20th list of favorite destinations were Ifugao, site of the Banaue Rice Terraces, Negros Occidental, Baguio City, Iloilo, Cavite, Negros Oriental, Cagayan de Oro City, Batangas, Camiguin, and Ormoc City.

Data showed that some 1.414 million international travelers, 125,476 overseas Filipinos, and 13.631 million domestic tourists for a total of 15.171 million visited the country’s tourist attractions outside Metro Manila in 2005. The figure was 15.8 percent higher than the 13.103 million local and foreign tourists who visited the provinces last year.

PAGUDPUD BEACH

If Aklan has Boracay, Ilocos has Pagudpud, its northernmost town bordering the South China Sea. The coastal town of Pagudpud is the perfect setting for panoramic movies and photoshoot for travel magazines cover.

The town’s main attractions are Saud Beach, known for its fine white sand stretching for hundreds of meters and Maira-Ira Point, which hides a secluded beach called Blue Lagoon. Other breathtaking landscapes in Pagudpud include Bantay Abot-abot, a natural sculpture carved by the wind and sea, the Mabogabog Falls and the Patapat viaduct that treats motorists to a scenic view of green lushes and blue waters of South China Sea.

Pagudpud is just an hour’s drive from Laoag City International Airport. From here, tourists can visit other popular destinations such as the Bangui Wind Farm, the Hispanic village of Vigan, and the old Paoay Church.

PALAWAN

An elongated island-province southwest of Mindoro, it is a 55 minute flight from Manila. It is rich in natural resources and boasts of exotic wildlife, white sand beaches, world class snorkeling and scuba diving. Also known as "the last frontier", it is a haven for adventure seekers and nature lovers. Calauit Island in Northern Palawan is a national park and teeming with Palawan's rare and endangered species of flora and fauna. The Tabon Caves in Southern Palawan is a 29-cave complex of archaeological artifacts and fossilized bones of the Tabon man. The skull is carbon dated to be 22,000 years old. Dive spots in Palawan are plentiful, with each site offering a unique array of marine life. The Tubbataha Reefs are the best dive spots in the area.

In terms of tourist attractions, the province of Bohol has indeed many to offer. Some call it the number one tourist destination in the Philippines because of its many natural resources – from the chocolate hills to the exotic wildlife, great diving and down to the refreshing calm beaches of Panglao Island.

Bohol has sufficient hotel accommodations for all businessmen and travelers. All around the province is a collection of 7 big hotels, 34 lodging houses or pension houses and most interestingly, 29 beach resorts. Not only that, Bohol is also equipped with diving center facilities ranging from the expensive ones to the simple instruction programs found in almost all beach resorts. There are also shopping and recreational areas -- for antique lovers, Bohol is an ideal place to do some treasure hunting for rare one of a kind pieces. It is dotted by many antique shops whose locations are always known by van drivers and the locals. In the finance and banking sector, 45 notable institutions have their doors opened for investments and finance.

Local and foreign investments are also regulated under the Letter of Instruction No. 75 issued in the year 1973. Found in the letter are specific guidelines for projects and investments in the tourism sector. Proclamation No. 1801 on the other hand declares the islands of Panglao, Balicasag, and Cabilao as certified tourist zones apart from the Bohol Chocolate Hills and the rest.