Philippines

Metro Manila & Environs

The Capital of the Philippines, its heart and soul, is Manila. It set's the archipelago's rhythm and is pulsating hub that blends the Oriental with the Occidental, the quaint with the modern, the day-to-day norm with the extraordinary.

At the heart of Manila's history is Intramuros. It features the grand Manila Cathedral with its detailed stone carvings and stained glass mosaics; Fort Santiago, the site of torture chambers and dungeons; and the favorite wedding spot, the San Agustin Church.

Greater Manila, made up of 11 cities and 5 towns, is where the country's most prestigious business addresses and trendiest leisure establishments are found. Fashionable hotels, restaurants, discos, music bars, boutiques, and specialty shops converge around sleek Ayala and Ortigas Centers.

Other major cities include Quezon City, also an entertainment hub as well as a government center; Marikina City, the shoe center of the Philippines; Paranaque City, known for its dry goods and seafood markets and restaurants; and Las Pinas City, which houses the world's only bamboo organ at St. Joseph's Parish Church.

Calabarzon, comprised of the five provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon, is only a few hours away from Manila. The area boosts of great destinations and leisure activities for day trips or overnight getaways as well as export processing centers.

Museums
The u-shaped government belt within Luneta features the National Museum, the Museum of Filipino People, and the Department of Tourism building, future address of the Museum for Natural Sciences.

Tourist Belt
A stone's throw away from Rizal Park are the districts of Ermita and Malate, known as Manila's Tourist Belt. Ermita is antique and art galleries, curio, and souvenir shops, while Malate is cozy cafés, music lounges, and performance theaters.

Sunset Boulevard
Roxas Boulevard, which extends from Paranaque City to Manila, is the bay area from where one can have a view of the famed Manila Sunset. It is also lined with posh hotels, casinos, and lively nightspots. The Baywalk, a promenade along the boulevard, features bars and restaurants with nightly entertainment.

Food Trip
Metro Manila is one big gastronomic adventure. Fusion cuisine as well as authentic fare abounds in centers and hubs as well as alongside streets and off-the-beaten-track. To name a few, the Ilustrado Restaurant in Intramuros serves Spanish provincial cuisine; the Old Malate district is a favorite Watering Hole; while authentic Chinese cuisine can be had at Binondo.

Taal Volcano
This enchanting volcano within a lake is the smallest in the world. Witness the splendor of the volcano with a panoramic view from the Tagaytay Ridge.

Aklan is a 45 minutes flight from Manila. By sea it takes 14 to 18 hours from Manila. Aklan encompasses the northwestern portion of Panay Island and nearby Boracay Island, both situated within the Visayas island group and having an estimated land area of 181,789 hectares

Aklan has two of the most famous tourist attractions in the Philippines: Boracay and the Ati-Atihan Festival. Seven-kilometer long Boracay is rated as one of the best beaches of the world. Only one kilometer across at its narrowest point, its legendary white sand stretches can be found in several beaches, the most famous of which is the 4 kilometer long White Beach. Other beaches include Yapak, Manoc-Manoc, Bulabog, Diniwid and Puka Shell.

Boracay’s numerous accommodations range from the most luxurious to the most basic. Other island attractions include the famous Rock along White Beach, the so-called Bat Caves, and Crocodile Island. Caticlan in Malay is the jump-off point to this island paradise. The capital of Kalibo holds the Ati-atihan every third week of January. Celebrated in honor of the Santo Niño, the feast originated from a legendary event held by the Atis, the province’s original inhabitants. Places of interest also include the Museo Aklan, black-sand Busuang Beach, and the revolutionary 19 Martyrs of Aklan Freedom Shrine.

Outside the capital is Manduyog Hill in Banga, Jawili Falls in Tangalan, and lbajay town, where a reputedly more authentic Ati-Atihan is celebrated. The Kalantiaw National Shrine in Batan is said to stand on the site where the pre-Spanish Datu Kalantiaw issued his famous code.

Boracay, a tropical, butterfly-shaped island in Aklan is located approximately 315 km (200 miles) south of Manila and 2 km 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. Well known for its white powdery sand, crystal clear water and dramatic sunset. Seven-kilometer long Boracay is rated as one of the best beaches of the world. Only one kilometer across at its narrowest point, its legendary white sand stretches can be found in several beaches.

White Beach, the main tourism beach, is four kilometers long and is lined with resorts, hotels, restaurants, and other tourism-related businesses. Bulabog Beach, across the island from White Beach, is a secondary tourism beach and the island's main windsurfing and kiteboarding area. Other beaches include Yapak, Manoc-Manoc, Diniwid and Puka Shell. Other island attractions include the famous Rock along White Beach, the so-called Bat Caves, and Crocodile Island.

Boracay’s numerous accommodations range from the most luxurious to the most basic. If you want to be in the middle of all the fun at night then you can stay at Le Soleil de Boracay Hotel. For a back to nature and tranquil place then you can stay at Laguna de Boracay Resort Village.

A wide range of sports activities, nightlife and social affairs regularly happens from December to May. Sailboating and kayaking, are popular sporting activities. Boracay plays host to the annual Paraw Regatta, an international sailboat race that makes use of the native outrigger. For water activities, Boracay’s western coast is ideal for windsurfing, wakeboarding, waterskiing and diving. Dive sites surround the island and are learning venues to both novice and professional divers, guided by competent instructors of the many dive shops that operate in the area

Cebu is an hour's flight away from Manila. Cebu is a long narrow island stretching 225 kilometers from north to south. It is surrounded by 167 neighboring smaller islands, that includes Mactan Island, Bantayan, Malapascua, Olango, and the Camotes Islands.

Cebu City, its capital, also known as the Queen City of the South, is the oldest and second most important city in terms of business and tourism in the country. Cebu’s top tourist draws are its world-class beach resorts. Metropolitan Cebu is also composed of the adjoining cities of Mandaue and Lapu-lapu. Cebu is the Country’s oldest Spanish settlement, dating from 1565 when Miguel Lopez de Legaspi established a permanent habitation first known as Santissimo Nobre de Jesus. It was actually the capital of the new city of Manila, was established in Luzon in 1517.

There are many places of interest in Cebu City. One is “Magellan's Cross” which was named after Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese explorer who came to Cebu in the early 1500s. Pieces of the original cross are believed to be encased in the present cross. The monument is just across the street from the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño. It used to be the only Catholic Basilica in East Asia. The basilica houses the famous “Santo Niño” the patron saint of the Cebuanos. Other historical relics are Fort San Pedro and Colon Street, the oldest in the country.

Fuente Osmeña is a favorite city promenade, while the Taoist Temple at Beverly Hills and Tops Lookout at Busay offers spectacular views of the city. Notable museums include Casa Gorordo (a restored 19th-century house), University of San Carlos Museum, and the Jumalon Butterfly Museum, which features artworks made entirely from butterfly wings.

The booming metropolis is also home to several modern shopping malls and a sprawling business park. Mactan Island is home to the Lapu-Lapu Monument and the much older Magellan Monument at Punta Engano, both near the traditional battle site between the two historical figures. The island’s famed beach resorts are located at the island’s eastern coast, just half an hour away from Mactan International Airport.

Cebu’s other attractions can be found both south and north of Metro Cebu as well as in the surrounding seas. Carcar has many colonial houses (especially its restored Bahay na Tisa) and the Moorish-style Church of St. Catherine. Notable beaches can be found in Argao and Dalaguetec the former also has a splendid 8th-century church. Montalongon is the Little Baguio of Cebu with its upland vegetable and flower farms.

Boljoon’s well-preserved Church of St. Willam is now a national cultural treasure. At the southern tip is Sumilon Island, site of the country’s first marine reserve with its coral reefs; adjoining Tanon Strait is a whale and dolphin habitat. On the west coast is Moalboal one of the country’s most popular dive sites; its top sites are Panagsama Beach and Pescador Island. Badian Island has white sand beaches. In Matutinao is Kawasan Falls with its natural pools.

Samboan has Escala de Jacob, an impressive hilltop watchtower. Balamban is the site of a national park. The road north leads to Danao, famous for its paltik or gun industry. Sogod has attractive beaches and a world-class resort. At the northern tip are the islands of Bantayan, with its sandy beaches, and Malapascua Island, which has powder-fine sand. Olango Island across Mactan is becoming popular as a bird- watching site due to its status as a sanctuary of migratory birds coming from as far as China and Siberia.

Shangri-La's Mactan Resort and Spa Cebu, a five-star luxury resort, is a lush garden retreat ideal for vacationers and families. It features kid's play areas, a wide range of restaurants, and CHI, one of the largest and most luxurious spas in the region.

The January Sinulog Festival celebrates the feast of the Sto. Niño. Souvenirs include guitars, rattan furniture and shell handicrafts. Delicacies include otap (sugared biscuits), turrones (rolled wafers), dried mangoes, lechon Cebu, danggit (dried fish) and an almost endless variety of seafood.