Archive for the ‘Cities’ Category

Angeles City is located in the Northern part of Luzon. It is also called “The Heart of the North” and also as “The City of Friendship”.

Majority of the people in Angeles City, can speak Kapampangan (Pampango), which is the native language of Pampanga and Tagalog, which is the national language of the Philippines. But old people in Angeles City, most of them can only speak Kapampangan. Because they’re truly proud of their culture and heritage.

The biggest municipality in Angeles City is Balibago. Balibago, is also known as the melting pot of raises. One of the reasons why, is because people in Angeles City are the friendliest people in the Philippines (that’s what they say) and also the so-called “Red Light District” is located in Fields Avenue in Balibago, which attracts a lot of different people all over the world.

People from different countries frequent Angeles City, not because of the friendly people, but also because of the good food, and various party places located in Balibago and Angeles City.

But the reasons given above are not the only reasons why you can frequently spot foreigners in Balibago, Angeles City. Also near Balibago is Clark Air Base. Former Air Base of the United States. But when Mt. Pinatubo erupted in 1991 the troops completely left Clark, because it was greatly devastated by the eruption.

Now, it is known as Clark Special Economic Zone. Where the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport is located. It is named after one of the Philippines former presidents. Also located in Clark are several Duty Free shops, and outsourcing businesses which are popularly known as call centers, which helped the Philippines economic status in a great way.

Angeles City is a very convenient place too. It is highly developed and modernized but at the same time it still has a nice suburban feeling in it.

Churches, markets, parks, bus stations and malls are easy to access. Public transportation is available 24 hours, everyday. Manila which is the capital of the Philippines is just less than 2 hours away from Angeles City.

That’s why Angeles City, is truly a place worth visiting because it’s not only a great place to party, it’s a cozy city with a rich culture and proud of it’s old world heritage.

Swim With The Whale Sharks At Sorsogon Philippines

Have you tried swimming with the whale sharks on your next summer adventure trip? If not, then this is your once in a lifetime chance to dive into their world and swim together with them as if you are a mermaid in a fairy tale story. This is an extraordinary summer adventure trip different from common wind surfing, sun bathing, snorkeling, and other common summer activities every summer.

So if you happen to be in the Philippines, take your chance to experience this extraordinary adventure at Sorsogon Philippines. Where is Sorsogon Philippines? Sorsogon Philippines is one of the six provinces of Bicol Philippines located at the Southern part of Luzon Philippines. It is 50 minutes away from Manila Philippines if you are taking a flight into it. However, if you are taking a tourist bus from Manila Philippines into Sorsogon City Philippines, it will surely take hours to reach Sorsogon City or according to Sorsogon city’s travel time guide, it will take 12 hours before you reach the city if you try to reach it by land.

After hitting the city, you can hire a motorized bancas to go to  either Donsol Sorgon, Pilar Sorsogon, Castilla Sorsogon or Magallanes Sorsogon where the famous “Whale Shark (or locally called “Butanding”) Interaction” activities took place. However, it is said that Donsol is the most visited because of the satisfaction it gives to tourists.

There two things you can do when you reach these places, one is of course have personal interaction with these Butandings or Whale Sharks, second, just stand by and watch. However, if you are planning to have personal interactions with these Whale sharks, you have to attend first the Butanding Interaction briefing, wherein you will be assigned to a particular boats and boat crew, including the Butanding Interaction Officer (BIO) where you will submit your Butanding Interaction Research Form after your briefing, which you will fill-up of course.

Once you saw these whale sharks, you do not have to freak due to its very huge body or just because it a shark, because these Butandings are gentle and friendly creatures, thus you will surely enjoy interacting with them and swim and play together with them on the waters. Furthermore, if you like to document your rare and once in a lifetime summer adventure trip, underwater video cameras are allowed but not with artificial illumination device or gadget for it may distract the Butandings.

This Whale Shark Interaction activity only happens every October, February, March, April and May. For these months, the Butandings appears in the waters of Donsol Sorsogon. Thus, this is really a rare experience. However, despite of its rare happenings, Sorsogon Philippines have been dubbed already as the “The Whale Shark Capital of the World” Thus, due to this rare phenomenon, the local government of Sorsogon has created a feast or festival for these creatures, they call this festival “Butanding Arriba Festival” This festival is to welcome the return of the Butandings or Whale Sharks at the waters of Sorsogon. This is held every first week of March at the town of Donsol.

Welcome to Puerto Princesa City in the Philippines

Having the title as the “cleanest city in the Philippines”, Puerto Princesa Philippines strives to maintain its clean image by fining those who ever caught any littering act either by its local citizen or by tourists. Yup, cleanliness is a serious matter in Puerto Princesa city Philippines even before you put your first step into this city, a flight attendant will warn you like this: “Reminder to travelers: Puerto Princesa is a city that values cleanliness and fines anybody caught littering” You better keep your dirty acts before you step in into this city lest they will thrown you into garbage pit for the city hates dirtiness. To prove to you how strict Puerto Princesa Philippines in their cleanliness policy, here is an example of a true story about this city’ strict policy : There was once a penniless tricycle passenger who was caught throwing a cigarette butt in the streets of the city and was charged to pay fine for it. But because he has no money to pay the fine he was punished to go around the city to seek 10 cigarette butts in the streets. However, he did not able to find any, so he just buy a pack of cigarettes and chain-smoked them and present them to the officer of the city who caught him. What a strict cleanliness policy is not it?

Puerto Princesa has not only gain a respect for its cleanliness policy, but its Oplan Linis policy has gain the More tourists visits and most conferences and conventions have choose their place for their venues. Moreover, it prevents most of its residence from serious health problems.

However, Puerto Princesa Philippines is not all about Cleanliness but it has also places of interest one could visit and explore. Like its parks : Mendoza Park, Capitol Park Square, Baker Hills, Coliseum Park, Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, and others.

There are also, beaches and bays like Puerto Princesa Bay which is best for mangrove cruises. The Puerto Princesa Honda Bay Islands which are powdery white beaches and dive sites. In the Pandan Island, one of its islands, there is an aquarium of fishes and coral reefs you could found there. Another Puerto Princesa Bay is the Puerto Princesa Ulugan Bay. It is a deep channel in the northwestern coast of Puerto Princesa Philippines where you could find a mangrove forest.

Aside from beaches and bays and parks, there is another interesting place at Puerto Princesa Philippines, namely the Puerto Princesa Cuartel where you could see a restored ruins of a Japanese old garrisons where 143 American soldier prisoners where buried and burn alive there by the Japanese during World War II; the Puerto Princesa Palawan Museums where you could found the Tabon Cave where it is said that the remains of a First Filipino was found; the Puerto Princesa Vietnamese Village, the Puerto Princesa Limestone and Marble Cliffs or Karst Mountains where mountaineers could climb, the Puerto Princesa Waterfalls, and other Faunas and Flora sites.

Anyway, if you wanted to visit Puerto Princesa city Philippines, the city is located at the Palawan Philippines. Actually, it is the capital city of Palawan Philippines.

The Island Garden City of Samal Island Philippines

The Samal Island Philippines is also another white sand island resort beach in the Philippines, it seems the Philippine archipelago have a lot of white sand beach to offer its tourists both local and foreigners. But what is the difference of this another island beach resort from another similar beaches in the Philippines?

The Samal Island Philippines is located at the province of Davao Del Norte Philippines. It is so called Island Garden City of Samal which makes it so interesting why it was called this way. In our trip to Samal Island Philippines we will discover this interesting titled it was crown of. Come on lets discover Samal Island Philippines what it offer us to us. Samal Island Philippines has a semi-acronym calling for it which is “IGaCoS”. Look a weird calling, but IGaCoS stands for Island Garden City of Samal. What an interesting calling, is not it?

It was so called to be the Island Garden City of Samal because of its Paradise like settings and ambience as well as its white sand beach, crystal clear waters and caves.

By the way, how do we could get into Samal island Philippines? Of course like any island travels us could either go by air or by water? So if you are from Manila Philippines, get an airline ticket to Davao city Philippines, and from Davao city Philippines take a boat ride into the Samal Island.

Upon arriving at this island, let’s go first to its eco-tourism parks where we could see why it was called Island Garden City. Our first stop is at Samal Island Mariculture Park. This park in Samal Island is the first industrial park on sea at the Philippines. It is located at sitio Leydao Samal.It has a large fish cage where you could see of fish swimming within this large cage. Similarly to this is the Audanao Fish Sanctuary located at Barangay Aundanao Samal. So much of a fishy adventure on this island lets now go the major tourist attractions this Island Garden City boast of, as well as to its Garden side why it was called Island garden.

After spending our time watching fish swims at Mariculture Park lets go the caves of the Talikud Island where we could see many bats hangings upon it. Samal Island Philippine have a large population of bats, actually Samal Island have annual Bat festival. Before we pass by at the Talikud Island, we saw a mangroves being planted and cultured on soil, this they call Mangrovetum mangrove forest site. Beside this mangrove forest site is the Mamacao Springs where there is a small falls in it wherein we could take a refreshing bath.

After an island hopping to this island, we could enjoy and relax to its peaceful and relaxing number of beach resorts. One of the famous peaceful beach resort in this Island Garden City is the Aguinaldo Pearl Farm Beach Resort where it is said to be the most private and peaceful resorts at Samal Island Philippines.

Dubbed as the “Summer Capital of the Philippines”, ironically, Baguio city Philippines is not similar to Boracay or beach resort rather it is the favorite cooling place of Filipinos during the hot seasons or summer time, thus it has been called. Just like Sagada Philippines, it is also located at the Northern part of Luzon within the center of Cordillera region.

Why it has become the favorite haven for those who love to escape the heat weather during the hot season or summer? Baguio City Philippines is not far away from Sagada Philippines, just like Sagada Baguio Philippines have also cool and fresh climate mixed with greeneries surrounding it that will surely give you a relaxing vacation. However, Baguio city is far bigger than Sagada Philippines and have tricycles and other land transportation in it. However, if you want to scroll down and witness the entire Baguio city by walking, you can. So now let’s take a walk and see the tourist places Baguio Offers us.

The most favorite tourist spot everyone loves either you are a Filipino of a foreigner is the Burnham Park. Burnham Park is surrounded with a lot of colorful flowers that will surely make you feel good. There is also an orchidium and botanical garden within it. After we have swoon to the beauty of this colorful flowers and orchids around, let’s get back into our consciousness and take a boat riding on its man-made lake. This boating activity is enjoyed by tourist who visits it. However, it’s not free to boat, the boat are rented. This man-made lake is situated at the center of the Burnham Park, while the Orchidium or Orchidarium is located at the western part of the park as well as the Children’ park. There is also a Grand Stand (Melvin Jones) and football field on it located at the eastern part. There is also a bike rental on it if you like to bike around the park instead of walking around.

Another popular tourist destination in Baguio city Philippines is the Camp John Hay. Camp John Hay is known for its golf course and beautiful houses and dining establishments and hotels. You could even own a cottage house for if you have the money to afford so that you will have a Baguio experience all your time. For it is really a good and perfect place to reside on it because of its quiet, refreshing and relaxing ambience.

Another tourist destination is the Mines View Park wherein you could view the mountain ranges in Baguio. Another one tourist spot is the Wright Park which is sometimes called the Ride Park. For in it you could do horseback rides. Moreover within it is a long stairway with pool of water going to the so called Pool of the Pines where you could witness many pine trees there.

There is also another interesting site in Baguio city, the so called Asian Hot Springs located northwest of Baguio. In it you could find thermal springs or hot springs and hanging bridges.

Have you included CDO in your list of travels in the Philippines? Yes, CDO is what they call for Cagayan De Oro Philippines. It is located at the northern coastline of Northern Mindanao at Misamis Oriental. Cagayan De Oro Philippines is the Mindanao counterpart of Manila Philippines- – where Manila Philippines is Luzon’ pride (Luzon is the whole Northern part of the Philippines) –and Cebu Philippines (Visayas’ pride).Actually, the Philippines is divided into three major parts, namely Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

Cagayan De Oro city is a highly urbanized city of the south or Mindanao because of its populous population Moreover is so called the first class city of Mindanao. For it is Mindanao’s central city.

Cagayan De Oro city Philippines is also known as the “City of Golden Friendship” and the “Gateway to Northern Mindanao. However to tourists it is known as the “City of Whitewater Rafting and River Trekking” For tourist who pay visit to it enjoy river trekking at the Cagayan De Oro river. This is one of the tourist places you could found in Mindanao, especially at Cagayan De Oro Philippines.

Aside from River trekking and whitewater rafting and kayaking the Cagayan De Oro River, there are other tourist places a tourist could go at Cagayan De Oro Philippines. The Gaston Park and the Saint Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral located at San Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral itself where many locals there flock, especially the area where the water fountain is located. The Macahambus Adventure park which is perfect place for nature lovers and a must see place a tourist should visit. It is just a 10 minute away from Cagayan De Oro city airport. It is located at Barangay Lumbia and Barangay Bayanga Cagayan de Oro.You could also try the Monigue Cave if you want an extraordinary visit at Cagayan De Oro city. This beautiful cave boasts the sparkling formations of white and brown stalactites and stalagmites.Monigue Cave is located at Barangay Mambuaya.

Or witness the soothing flow of F.S. Catanico Falls and scroll at the garden museum of Malasag Eco-Tourism Village and Gardens and do a repelling and horseback riding at Mapawa Nature Park, just a few minutes away from Malasag Eco-Tourism Village and Gardens. And other beautiful tourist places like the Bonifacio Park,Kagay-an resort, and Vicente de Lara Park.

Cagayan De Oro Philippines has a beautiful music theater located at Liceo De Cagayan University. Wherein a state-of-the-art acoustic and concert pianos is located.

There are also some museums you could enjoy at Cagayan De Oro city, like the La Castilla Museum, Museum of Three Cultures, and the Museo de Oro.

There is an archeological site located at sitio Tanguanao,the Huluga archeological site. It is an open cave and two sites where a skeletal of a woman and child were found. The woman skull is dated to be 377 AD.

However, if you wanted to visit Cagayan De Oro,you could buy an airline ticket at Mactan airport or Cebu airports to go there or you could directly go to Cagayan De Oro city via the Manila airports.

The Visayas Pride: Cebu Philippines

Cebu Philippines is the Visayan counterpart of the Philippines’ Northern or Luzon Pride, the Manila Philippines. Similarly, both are the capital city of their respective regions in the Philippine archipelago. Moreover, both have historical importance in the Philippine history and their phoenix-like ascension from the rubble and ashes of their past historical deaths.

Before Cebu Philippines become the known city of the Visayan region today and before it was discovered by Magellan and his colleagues, it is just an island of commerce by the natives inhabited by it. The natives call it Sugbo or Zubu. Magellan perchance stumbles upon it by just a mere purpose of Trade and his search for the Spice Islands. This consequently brought the famous Philippine historical tale of Magellan-Lapu-Lapu war. Lapu-Lapu then become the heroic figure of Cebu wherein he was immortalized in the history of Cebu,in the famous shrine of Magellan Cross in the Cebu city itself, and a statue in his similitude erected at Punta Engano Mactan island Cebu Philippines. This is called the Lapu-Lapu Shrine which has a 20 meter bronze statue in his similitude.

However, despite that Lapu-Lapu’s heroic deeds against Magellan who conquered their islands, Magellan’s indoctrination of Roman Catholicism among the natives of Cebu becomes ironically the most embrace and capital religion of Cebuanos, though Lapu-Lapu who have his own religion struggle to fight against the influence of Magellan to their islands. It seems, virtually, Lapu-lapu’s fight is not honored by the Cebuanos.

That is just a part of what you can expect when you arrive at the Cebu islands – vestiges of Spanish conquest and influence. Like Manila Philippines, Cebu has also some tourist spots which tourist flocks. For example, the Lapu-Lapu Shrine which we have mention above. Moreover, there are also beautiful beaches and Hotels as well in the islands which tourists could expect. There is also diving safaris along the coastlines of the island, which a diving enthusiast tourist could enjoy.

There are also Spanish inspired festivities held in Cebu which a tourist could enjoy, like the famous Sinulog festival held every January 3 in honor of the graven- image of Señor Santo Niño de Cebu which Magellan has brought into Cebu culture. The Kadaugan sa Mactan festival is the re-enactment of the historic battle between Lapu-Lapu and Magellan held every 27th of April at the Mactan island. The Nuestra Señora de Regla Fiesta held every November 20 to 21 at Lapu-Lapu city. There are other festivities which Cebuanos and tourist alike could enjoy you could check them up on Cebu’s travel guide when you arrive there.

As we have said earlier above that Cebu and Manila have similarities with each other, like Manila, Cebu Philippines is the main center of trade and commerce in the Visayan region of the Philippines. Consequently because of its availability and viability to trade and do commerce on it, for it has become so since back then on its earliest histories, Cebu Philippines has become the business shipping capital of the Philippines. For 80 % of Philippines domestic and international shipping is located in it. Major Industries were located on it, similarly to Manila, like the Pentax Corporation, Timex Philippines, Mitsumi, Olympus, Tsuneishi Heavy Industries, NEC Technologies, Lexmark International, Lexmark Philippines Inc., Aboitiz Group of Companies, Gaisano Group of Companies, Norkis Group of Companies, and so many other multinational companies.

Cebu Philippines have its own domestic airlines,The Cebu pacific airlines.

Manila has many tourist spots that the Philippines can be proud of aside from what we have mentioned above. Like Intramuros which is beside the Rizal Park. In it lie a number of historical sites, namely, The Fort Santiago which was once a prison cell for Filipinos who fight against the Spaniards, the San Agustin Church, the Manila Cathedral, the Casa manila and the San Juan De Letran School.

In the Philippines there are many tourist spots not only in Manila, as well as in the Visayan and Mindanao region. Like the Chocolate Hills and beaches in Bohol. Bohol is in the Visayas region. Moreover, the famous El Nido resort in Palawan is also in Visayas region. The Beautiful beaches in Glan Sarangani bay. Sarangani is located in Mindanao region. The Diving spots in Batangas city like the, Layag Layag Point and Mapating Rock at the Maricaban Island.

So much of the tourist spots in the Philippines you can Google it anyway them in full details at Google Philippines. Let’s talk about the Philippines’ famous foods and dishes.

Have you ever taste the sweet and sour Mango fruit of the Philippines? Don’t you know that the Philippine Mangoes are one of the best mangoes in the world today? You can either enjoy the Philippines mangoes on raw or dried type.

The second fruit which the Philippines are proud about is the Durian fruit. The durian fruit is not as sweet as the smell of a mango fruit but it is the opposite of it, a stinky smell! However, it is not the smelly smell you are after why you buy this fruit rather its delicious mixed taste of sweet and sour taste.

Let’s go to the kitchen of a Filipino native, what Filipinos are burning in their stoves? Of course, rice will not be out from their table but mostly soup base food is Filipinos main dishes, like sinigang na baboy(or Baka) and Nilaga (both are pork or beef and vegetable soup, respectively),tinola (chicken and vegetable soup),Sinigang na Hipon( shrimp and vegetable soup),the famous Adobo dish ( a pork or chicken “ginisang”(on the oil of fried garlic and onions, and other fried optional spices) soup where soy sauce is the base),the Kare-kare ( a pork or chicken ginisang soup where peanut and aciete extracts is the soup base),and other delicious Filipino dishes. You could Google them on the net if you want a complete list of Filipino dishes as well as their complete recipes.

Among Philippines’s most favorite snacks are halo-halo, banana cue and of course, Fishballs is on the top of our list. You could check them up in the web anyway for complete information about them.

If you want to tour this country and get around in it, most of about Philippines means of transportation is by jeepneys, bus, train and tricycles and rarely taxis. However, if you want to travel the country in a larger scale, you have to get into domestic planes and ships to go about Philippines most tourist visited places and regions. And be yourself as the witness of the big tourist population Philippines have, adding more of you to the already large regional population Philippines have in every region.