Beauty of the Philippines

The Philippines is an archipelago made up of more than 7,100 islands. It is located in South East Asia in the Pacific Ocean. The Philippines has 3 main regions. These regions are Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. The capital of the Philippines is Manila.

Culturally relevant attractions showcase the history and culture of the Philippines. We can find several museums and preserved architecture all over the islands. The Intramuros is one such structure. Built by the Spanish people during their regime, it houses several churches and other relevant political buildings and structures. In the neighboring province of Metro Manila, one can find the Banaue Rice terraces. These are mountain slopes converted into rice paddies. Since the tribes in this area didn’t have a lot of flat land, they develop the mountains to cater to their needs. In Sagada, one can see the hanging coffins, which were placed on the rock face of mountains.

In Cebu City, one can see the Lapu-lapu monument in Mactan, depicting the chieftain who thwarted Ferdinand Magellan. Cebu is also overflowing with five star hotels and resorts which cater to beach lovers and divers. Make sure not to miss the Sinulog Festival which showcases the story of the Sto. Nino de Cebu. A boat or plane ride away from Cebu is Bohol, a large island with beautiful, pristine beaches and a bevy of underwater attractions. The island of Bohol is also home to several churches which date back to the Spanish era. One can also find the legendary Chocolate Hills in Bohol. These hills look like mounds of chocolate during the dry season, thus their name.

Palawan is world renowned for its world class resorts and dive spots. One can also fish for game fish and other large fish there. The resorts in Palawan are exclusive and very private. Several of these, offer water sports adventure and other adventure sports like rock climbing. We can also witness the gathering of the delicious bird’s nests which are then made into bird’s nest soup. There are underwater rivers which can be explored by diving or by boat.

Davao City in Mindanao is home to Mt. Apo, the Philippines’ highest peak. This is the base of the Philippine Eagle Sanctuary which houses the endangered eagles along with other birds of prey. The Pearl Farm, Davao is an exclusive island resort specializing in pearl culture. Bukidnon is famous for its Del Monte Golf course and Del Monte Pineapples. Huge plantations of pineapples make a scenic backdrop for pictures. Ati-atihan festivals are held in Bukidnon. These events are usually about agriculture, horse riding etc. Cagayan de Oro is the neighbor of Bukidnon to the north. One can go white water rafting in the Cagayan de Oro River. It boasts a 3 hour ride down river with 27 rapids. There are several Nature Parks here that allow one to zip line from one tree to another and rappel down a gorge.

These are just a fraction of the beautiful sights and attractions to be found in the Philippines. Many more await visitors and tourists alike.