The Philippines has a lot to offer in terms of tourism. Our beaches are considered one of the best in the world, with the added incentive of warm, friendly people. However, for those seeking to add a little extra to their vacation, Philippines will never be found lacking.
For the adventurous in spirit, you could try white water rafting in the Chico River in Kaliga Province, located in the northern part of the archipelago. In the southern part of the country, exhilaration can also be found at the Mambuaya River in Cagayan de Oro City. Outfitters and travel agencies assure outmost enjoyment with emphasis on safety.
Many of you may not have heard of spelunking before, much less tried it. For the uninitiated, it is the term used to denote the exploration of caves. In Palawan, the longest natural cave in the country is found, the St. Paul Cave. It is part of the St. Paul River, considered as the longest underground river in the world. The cave features spectacular rock formations and is home to a biodiversity of plants and animals.
For those interested in exploring the deepest cave of the country, head north to the Sumaging-Latipan-Lomyang Crystal Cave in Sagada Mountain Province for one unforgettable experience. For archeology buffs, there is also the Tabon Caves in Quezon where skull cap fossils and artifacts are found.
Additional unique attractions are linked to mysticism and spirituality that are so much part of the Filipino culture. Natives have long revered Mount Banahaw in Quezon and Laguna Provinces as a sacred mountain. Attesting to this are the considerable number of cults found at the base of this landmark, actually an active volcano. Tours offered at this site entail visiting several waterfalls, the crater and numerous spots believed to contain psychic energies. For the more curious travelers, there is also the island of Siquijor, found in the central part of the country. Early Spaniards call it “Isla del Fuego” or the Island of Fire. This island has long been associated with magic and spiritual healing. Adding to the intrigue are numerous abandoned churches and unexplored caves in the area.
Of course, one should not visit the Philippines without partaking in one of its numerous fiestas or celebrations. Being a predominantly joyful race, fiestas are an expression of the pleasant and jubilant spirit of Filipinos. One of the most celebrated is the Sinulog Festival on the island of Cebu. The festivity lasts the whole day, starting with a parade, group presentations and merry-making well through the night. All of this is done to pay homage to the Santo Nino, the child-like form of Jesus Christ. Similar festivities are found in Iloilo, called Dinagyang, and in Aklan, called Ati-Atihan.
An added point of interest is the island of Bohol where fiestas are celebrated the whole month of May. Everyday, according to popular custom, a different barangay or town commemorates the feast day of its patron saint with dancing and feasting.
The Philippines has a lot of exotic and unusual travel experience to offer.
[Tags]Philippines, Sinulog, Iloilo, Aklan, Ati-Atihan, Siquijor, Cebu, Spelunking, Palawan[/Tags]
Known as the commercial, cultural and economic center of the western part of the province of Leyte, Ormoc is also famous for its educational facilities. The Ormoc education system is made up of world-class colleges and universities, which promise to give students the proper education and learning experience they need to become competent, responsible and productive individuals someday. These tertiary schools are very nice because they offer decent facilities, interesting courses and a perfect environment for learning.
Recognized as the second longest serving tertiary school in the area, Western Leyte College plays a significant role in the development of the Ormoc education system. As a non-sectarian academic institution, this private college offers outstanding undergraduate courses. For those who want to become lawyers, they can enroll in any of the available law courses. On the flip side, those who wish serve as health personnel, doctors and nurses can enroll in any of the available courses in health services such as care giving and midwifery.
Previously known as Ormoc Vocational Institute, Santo Nino College was once a tertiary school that focuses solely on vocational training. Since its establishment in 1982, this academic institution has already made a long way. For years, its curricula and academic programs have been expanding in order to meet the continuously changing and growing demand of education in the area. In the middle parts of the 1990s, this college started to offer additional programs covering the fields of liberal arts and criminology. Additionally, those who are planning to pursue careers as teachers and educators can enroll at undergraduate courses like secondary education and primary education. In 2007, changes were made to its program including the addition of courses such as Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management and Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.
Definitely one of the oldest tertiary schools in the City of Ormoc, Saint Peter's College was previously known as Colegio Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe somewhere between 1914 and 1930. Education is one of the earliest and highly popular courses available inside this academic facility, which is perfect for individuals who want to become professors and instructors. It also offers Commerce, which is a very good course to choose for business-minded students. In addition to these things, the school also provides shorter vocational courses.
Many students enroll at Eastern Visayas State University because of its engineering courses. Add to that, it also provides extensive academic programs including interesting courses in architecture. Aside from its various undergraduate courses, this place is also very proud of its very own graduate school for professionals.
As part of the beautiful province of Leyte, Ormoc is a first-class city in the Philippines that boasts of a good lineup of shopping malls, retail shops and specialty stores. These commercial establishments offer people great products, services and merchandises in order for them to experience what Ormoc shopping is really all about. These facilities play host to various restaurants, stalls and supermarkets, all of which offer extensive lists of products that are of great importance to the daily lives of their customers.
Although this place is just a small boutique shop, people just cannot help but pay a visit to Tshilys Store in an effort to shop for different kinds of beautiful merchandises. As part of the extensive Ormoc shopping experience that it provides, the place offers a wide variety of Havaianas slippers. Many people love these items because of their rich colors, durability and attractive styles. Aside from such beautiful footwear, the store also offers different kinds of beauty products including imported perfumes, body sprays and special lotions.
For people who want to buy beautiful items at super affordable prices, they must check out Stars and Stripes, which is a shopping store offering all sorts of products for the price of 99 pesos each. For such a very low price, customers can purchase different kinds of special items like cosmetics and vitamins. Furthermore, it also sells different kinds of cheap chocolates, all of which are simply delicious. Many individuals check out this place because all the items available here are imported from the U.S. including home improvement items as well as toys.
Unlike huge shopping complexes, Ormoc Centrum is just a small commercial establishment with limited number of stalls. Among the popular items inside this place are Sony PSPs, iPod and mobile phones. Additionally, the place also houses stalls that sell different kinds of footwear like rubber shoes, leather shoes and even slippers. Meanwhile, other stalls offer various types of clothing including underwear, t-shirts and jeans. Moreover, shoppers will never go hungry at this commercial center because of the numerous food stalls available, offering super delicious food such as burgers, donuts and waffles.
The Point is another highly noticeable commercial establishment available in the City of Ormoc. The place houses products of top clothing brands such as Human, Bench and Penshoppe. Likewise, there are also different authentic brands of footwear available inside. For those who wish to avail cellphone repair services, they can find numerous stalls inside offering their services at reasonable prices. There is also a separate location for inexpensive footwear, accessories and clothing.
This is the Philippines Travel Guide where we tour you around the Philippines and give you the best places to stay while in the Philippines. We will let you systematically travel from the northern parts of the Philippines to the southern parts of the Philippines so that you will experience the best this country has to offer.
Let us start with the Philippines Travel Guide by putting the two most important destinations in northern Luzon together. The first place of the Philippines Travel Guide is Baguio. Baguio is one of the coldest cities in the Philippines which also means that you will not have such a hard time adjusting to the intense heat yet since temperatures in Baguio go to a maximum of 25 degrees Celsius. Another spot located in northern Luzon, not far from Baguio is the Ifugao region where the 8th world wonder is located at. The attraction that we are talking about are the Banaue Rice Terraces that you absolutely cannot miss.
Let us continue to the capital of the Philippines with our Philippines Travel Guide. The capital is called Manila and one of the most noteworthy cities within Manila is Makati where the commercial district is located which means translated; shopping, shopping, shopping. If you are into designer labels or into cheap finds, Makati has anything and everything for you. You will also find your favorite delicacies from home in one of their specialty stores around Makati.
After shopping it is time for a good nights’ party and a little fun in the sun. Which better place to travel to than our next Philippines Travel Guide spot called Boracay, located in the Visayan region. You can just relax on the white sand beaches or party all day and night in one of Boracay’s clubs. Scuba diving is great as well and you might find some scary sharks. Let us take another hop from the party island Boracay to the sightseeing island of Bohol where you will see the famous Chocolate Hills and the Philippine Tarsier.
For our last two destinations we will have to travel a couple of hours to the southernmost islands of Mindanao. The first destination will be the historical city by the sea called Butuan which is located in the Agusan province. This city and its river is full of archeological finds, and who knows? Maybe you get so lucky you will find another golden statue such as the Golden Image of Agusan that was found in the river. The lat city in our Philippines Travel Guide is going to be the largest city in the world called Davao. In Davao you can finish off your last shopping needs and souvenir needs and then travel back to your home via the international airport.
Now, you have seen the entire Philippines with the Philippines Travel guide and you might even find more places to explore and experience within the Philippines. Enjoy the travels through this archipelago and get to know the different cultures and practices.
When the Department of Interior and Local Government or DILG initiated a clean and green drive amongst the cities all over the Philippines, the city of Ormoc had been the steady victor or winner of the Cleanest and Greenest City program since 1995. After achieving such feat, Ormoc City did not stop as such; rather they made their way to gain the most business-friendly city in the Visayas Region honor in 2005 by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and industry. Ormoc City would never accomplished recognition without the places natural beauty combined with historical and cultural heritage.
Since the tragic event that took place way back 1991, the city of Ormok bounced back drastically and became a very competitive city in terms of tourism and economic stability. The following are some of the must-see places in Ormoc City. The Agua Dulce Artesian Well had been built during the Spanish regime and the Ormocanons are still benefiting from its sweet tasting water until today. In commemoration of the victims of the 1991 flash flood, the locals had built a Mass Grave where the remains of the casualties had been buried and yearly (during November) they offer a Sacrifice of the Holy Eucharist and flowers for their dearly beloved. Ormocanons value for international pact and friendship can be seen at the Philippines-Japan Peace Memorial. It served as an obvious memento of the post-Second World War between Japanese and Filipinos. The Puente de la Reina is the oldest known bridge in the city dating back the mid-1800. During the Spanish regime, it served as docking spot for traders. The Veterans Centennial Park is another prominent Ormoc City landmark in honor of the Filipino war veterans for the liberation of Leyte. This park is very suitable for picnic and family bonding. Its captivating view of the city leaves visitors captivated.
The growth of the city of Ormoc in terms of tourism and economic permanence depends on strong networking. To keep up with the pace of international competitiveness, the local government of Ormoc City is using the World Wide Web or the internet for potential tourists and business financiers. To give these visitors and investors a glimpse of what to expect in the city of Ormoc by just a few clicks, the local government created an official website (http://www.ormoc.gov.ph/). This website will allow easy access to the beauty and wonders of the city of Ormoc.
I have a 1200 consumable plan.
I have Unlisurf and Trinet renewing automatically every month, this was set up back in November in the Smart store when I changed to this plan.
Everything is good, my total plan is around P1600 a month inc. consumption.
Now come April, my bill suddenly almost doubled. I check the bill and it has 2 Trinet monthly and 2 Unlisurf monthly charges. resulting in a monthly bill of P2995!!!
First I use the support function on the Smart website and 3 times email in a ticket to get help to get my faulty bill fixed.
All 3 tries were ignored and no email back from Smart (Thanks guys, really makes me feel like a valued customer)
Now today I finally break down and waste the hours un-end it takes to get any kind of service on the hotline.
I get a hotline helper by the name of Sheng, she spends the next 30-45 minutes JUSTIFYING the double charges because of weird cutoff dates in the Smart system. Which I guess now is my problem and responsibility. She kept calling it a VALID CONCERN (meaning to her that Smarts bill and system was valid) and did not do anything to help me except the standard Smart Apology™
It turns out my automatic renewal for march did not get billed on March as it was supposed to, but in the beginning of April, and then of course the April renewal was also on April. This makes my consumable payment for March useless as it was not consumed and gives me a double billing for April.
I then demanded to get a superviser on the line as I really don’t want to pay a double bill for nothing. This request was refused.
In the end, Smart will lose a long time customer to Globe, as I really don’t like being treated like this and just being told “sorry – but PAY for the double billing”
So warning to all, be careful when signing up with Smart, they have “procedures” (that’s what she called this scammy behavior) and there is nothing you can do about it but PAY!
My choices as I see them:
Comments please, what should I do?
Just imagine - more than 7,100 Philippine islands all for you to discover! Question is, which should you visit first? Don't worry for we are here to help you figure out the best Philippine travel destinations.
Which among the travel destinations in the Philippines to visit first would actually depend on what you prefer. Do you want beaches with a lot of fun and hip people or would you rather enjoy a secluded beach away from the prying eyes of the public? Do you want to sample the best of Filipino dishes or are you here to experience and know for yourself the Filipino culture? Before ever finding out where you want to go, you better figure out for yourself first why you want to go.
To help you out with your decision, here are some great travel destinations in the Philippines.
a. Boracay is known for its fine white sand and clear blue waters. Considered as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, Boracay is able to draw a lot of tourists during the summer. This place is the must-be for young and hip people so if you are out to have a good time and meet new people, Boracay is just the place for you.
b. Camiguin is another option if you want to hit the beach this summer. But unlike Boracay, Camiguin draws less people so you'd be able to enjoy some more peace and quiet. The place also boasts of hot springs, waterfalls and some active volcanoes from which Camiguin takes its name.
c. Declared as a nature sanctuary, Palawan is one of the best beaches in the country where you can still enjoy and experience the untouched splendor of Mother Earth. Enjoy amazing clear blue waters, amazing rock structures and the best dive sites. Palawan is also equipped with the best facilities to take care of you and make sure that your stay is a blast.
d. Baguio is where most Filipinos flock when its summer. The cool breeze, the green mountains and the peace and quiet are more than reason enough to visit Baguio. You could also enjoy one of its many botanical gardens and take part in many of Baguio's cultural attractions.
These are just the most popular places to visit when in the Philippines. Of course, there are a lot more that you can enjoy but let's just say that these places are those that pop right away when you ask someone about the best travel destinations in the Philippines.
Good luck on your travel and see you soon.
Angeles City or the City of Angels has more than just warmth and hospitality to offer visitors. Aside from the interesting tourist sites that one can visit, Angeles City has one-of-a-kind festivals that visitors look forward to and enjoy.
The people of Pampanga have always been known to be able to turn an ordinary meal into a sumptuous one and an Angeles City festival depicts this clearly. The Sisig Festival, a dish that originated from Pampanga, is a tribute to the food that because of how wonderful it tastes, has spread all over the Philippines and in several parts of the world. The Sisig Festival showcases the many different ways to cook Sisig, a Filipino pork dish and its many variants. Truth be told, during the Sisig Festival, it's not only pork that plays an important role in the event. Pork is now substituted with fish, chicken or squid and now the term 'sisig' really pertains to how the dish is cooked. During this Angeles City festival, one can learn the different ways to prepare sisig and the many other means of serving it. During the Sisig Festival, the dish is usually served on a sizzling plate to make the pork crispy. The best part of the Angeles City festival is the taste test at the end of it. The participants of the Sisig Festival range from stay at home moms to large restaurants aspiring to get the title of Best Sisig.
One will not find another destination in the Philippines that has a Hot Air Balloon Festival. This Angeles City festival is an event that even other countries participate in and each year that it is held, the balloons are bigger and better than that of the previous year. Last year, a total of 19 balloons, 13 of which represented other nations were flown during the Hot Air Balloon Festival. The popularity of this Angeles City festival lies in how well this event is organized and because of the activities that one can do during this event. One can ride a hot air balloon during the Hot Air Balloon Festival for a nominal fee and experience what it's like to be in one and get a bird's eye view of Angeles City. Although this Angeles City festival is fairly new, it has a done a great deal in promoting tourism in the City of Angels. In addition to the balloons that are flown during the Hot Air Balloon Festival, there are also aircraft demonstrations and other exhibits that are very enjoyable to watch. The Hot Air Balloon Festival is truly an event for the entire family.
Getting lost. Getting there.
Travel in the Philippines can be a lot of fun, especially if you’re into hitting white sand beaches and getting a great tan. But you can get lost when you travel in the Philippines. It is, after all, 7,107 islands in the Pacific Ocean.
The long and the short to travel in the Philippines is that there are four primary international airports that make travel in the Philippines a breeze: three are up in Luzon and one is in Cebu, which is right in the middle of the archipelago.
These airports are your gateways to travel in the Philippines.
The Luzon-based airports are located in Manila (the Ninoy Aquino International Airport) and in the former US air bases in Angeles City, Pampanga (the Clark International Airport) and in Subic Bay, Zambales (the Subic Bay International Airport). The Cebu airport lies in Lapu-lapu City (the Mactan Cebu International Airport).
If you plan to travel in the Philippines, you’d do well to know which airport is nearest to your choice destination. (This isn’t rocket science advice to travel in the Philippines, but worth mentioning nonetheless.)
If you want to go sightseeing tarsiers and the Chocolate Hills in Bohol, or frolic in the white sand beach in Malapascua Island, find out which flights land in the Mactan Airport. This airport is also a nearer take off point (as against Manila) in going to Davao or Siargao.
If you want to go to the ever famous Boracay or Palawan, take a flight that lands in the Manila airport and take a domestic flight going to these places. If you’re flying in on a budget, fly with a budget airline from Malaysia, Singapore or Thailand and land in either Clark or Subic.
Of course, flying in is only the beginning of travel in the Philippines.
Pull out a map of the Philippines and find out how much farther you have to go, and if your destination is separated by sea from the airport. You may have to take a boat or, at best, take a domestic flight. Whatever transportation means is necessary, just make sure you come in prepared with information when you travel in the Philippines.
Don’t hesitate to ask the tourism desk at these airports so you don’t get ripped off and get lost when you travel in the Philippines.
For a more enjoyable and hassle-free stay in a hotel in the Philippines, here are some practical Philippines Hotel guide tips traveling folks should remember.
First, it’s advisable and saves travelers a lot of woes to always reserve in advance with a Philippine hotel before leaving one’s country. Choose a hotel that has a shuttle service to pick up client-guests from the airport to the hotel. Also have itinerary and hotel accommodations pre-arranged in the different places to be visited in the Philippines. This is a very important Philippines hotel guide tip that should make everything work out well as planned and save tourists lots of time and keep them from troubles.
Second, always have pocket money or loose change in Philippine peso denomination, especially before getting to a Manila Airport. It would also be advisable to have some dollar bills available in hand, but keep most of them (especially money in foreign denominations) in banks accessible through ATM or credit cards. The adage to travel light is so true when traveling in the Philippines. So a Philippines hotel guide tip here is the less things we hand-carry, the better, especially when we’re past the airport and in the streets of Philippine cities looking for or proceeding to a hotel. And anyway, many hotels are near ATM booths.
Third, it is safer to travel around Philippines cities, especially when scouting for a hotel, with a resident Filipino companion one knows well, or recommended by someone one knows well. It’s easy to be lost in the streets in this country, and not all local folks can be helpful in such times. Bringing Philippine street maps may be helpful, but this sometimes only makes one’s being lost more obvious to some unscrupulous people. To be sure, there are many friendly and honest locals around, but being extra careful won’t hurt. So, as a vital Philippines hotel guide tip, have a local resident as a traveling companion.
Fourth, choose hotels with travel agency offices or ticketing booths inside them which are relevant to one’s flight options. This way, travelers won’t have to leave their hotels just to secure plane or ship tickets. Not all tourists are booked in packaged tours. Some love independence and adventure and try to find their way around the Philippines by themselves. For this option, make sure to get a hotel with the necessary ticketing and travel needs. That’s a convenient Philippines hotel guide tip.
Travel to and around the Philippines is generally safe. However, as in other countries, there are basic Philippines hotel guide tips for safety and traveling convenience.