Places to Visit in the Phillipines

[ginapeterb]

Petes Rough Guide to the Philippine Islands

Ok folks for want of nothing better to do in the evenings while I am waiting to ship out to the Phils for purposes of marriage I thought I would start a rough guide to Phils, and Im sure Forum Admin will approve, I will be slowly adding as days go by so if anyone is going some of this information will give you ideas on where to have a good vacation but of course if you are with a filipina she will know where to take you.

[ginapeterb]

Ok before I cover places to visit I will tell you how you can get around the Philippines.

From Manila Domestic Airport Terminal at NAIA.

Following arilines can be used to transit to the islands, remembering that certain jets i.e. short haul Boeing 737's and Airbus A320 Jets cannot land at certain of the outer provincial airports so the following info is usefull.

Asian Spirit is a small commuter airline flying Dak 7's and other small 50 seater down to 30 seater aircraft to Boracay Aklan Province, (Boracay is already covered in other areas of the travel tips on the forum but will be briefly covered again)

Cebu Pacific Flys using larger aircraft to Kalibo, and most other provincial airports of which in the Philippines there are numerous, most provincial cities have their own commuter airports which connect with Manila the Capital City.

Philippine Airlines and Air Philippines and Cebu Pacific operate the larger Jets.

Word of warning Philippine Airlines has shed some of its older aircraft to Air Philippines, ( A Tip for you, the cost of a flight from Provincial cities to Manila is around 2800 pesos or thereabouts...the same flight on Air Philippines is 1700 pesos...got the picture)

Sea Transport

You can use the super ferry services around the Philippines to commute between Islands, there is a 24 hour super ferry from Manila down to Negros..but 24 hours is a long old time....much quicker to fly Cebu Pacific or Phil Airlines.... the Supercat service is excellent and travels at 40 nots across the waters between the Islands... this is ideal if you want to get to some of the places that I will be talking about.

Ok lets start.


The Province of Bohol.........main attraction the Chocolate Hills.

The Province of Bohol is a large island about an hour by Supercat ferry from Cebu City on the Island of Cebu (which will be covered later) The Supercat voyage to Tagbilliran is around 8am in the morning and returns around 5pm in the evening...there is only 1 voyage each way so plan for a day on Bohol.

Tagbilaran City is your gateeway to Bohol and the Chocolate Hills... if you decide to spend the day on this outing you will certainly enjoy it but if you listen to my travel advice you will enjoy it even more.... as there are many things to do in the daytime that most tourists miss because they are not aware of what can be done in this lovely day out on Bohol.

When you arrive at the jetty...you will see various local filipinos offering a van tour of the Island... this is worthwhile taking as to be quiet honest there is lnot a better way to enjoy the tour of the island... the cost is going to be around 2000 pesos to 2500 pesos that is for the driver and a van....some of the van dribvers can be extremely helpful as I will show later in this guide to Bohol.

Once you have obtained a van and driver..you will be probably shown a big peice of cardboard with the days iternary on. the route to the Chocoloate hills is bumpy to say the least, .....in fact trust me when I tell you its apalling !! the roads in many places are nothing more than unmade gravel tracks probably worse than when the Romans came to Britain.... at least they built the 1st roads to march their armies across Britannia...these roads are nothing as good as that.......in the majority of the Island they are as I said absolutely 100 per cent apalling...........your knees and legs will go numb with the sheer force of the your bones being shaken.

However please do not be deterred........seeing the Chocolate Hills of Bohol is perhaps an experience of a lifetime and its unlikely you will go back for a 2nd visit because to be quiet honest you wont want to negotiate the roads again.

It takes about a couple of hours to go and see the main attraction the Chocolate Hils.

The Van driver may kindly ask you to cough up around 300 pesos for the gas for the van.......dont be perturbed by this.....its just that he hasnt got that kind of money and you have........dont pay him the rest until you arrive back at the jetty for the Supercat in the evening, he wont be expecting it so dont volunterr it.

When you leave Tagbiliran city you will head out towards the village of Carmen...most of the villages in Western Visaya are named after the Spanish Occupation of the Philippines and the scenery is very nice throughout..the van is air conditioned so relax and sit back....the chocolate hills are famous because they look like nothing on this earth......they are giant mounds that sitck up out of the ground like blamanges they are green or brown in colour..but actually they are structures that were at the bottom of the sea during the Ice Age and were a mixture of coral and granite rock and as the waters receded over millions of years they have been covered with vegetation and there are thousands of them on Bohol.

When you enter the viewing area there is a multi step struture that goes upwards for about 10 minutes.....its not for the faint hearted......and i very similar to climbing the steps to the Ginat Buddha at the Po Lin Monastery on the Island of Lantau in Hong Kong for those that know it........the steps are steep and tiring........and with the mid day heat its even worse.....but come on folks if I can get up there anyone can.

This would be agood time to take some photos to remember your trip and there is a nice restaraunt cafe and souvenir shop in the car park below......their is a information placque on the wall telling you how the structures were formed but its good to know you already know a little about it from me before yo get there so you can impress your filipina loved one by telling her how they were formed..she will think you are knowledgeable and smart..oh isnt my boyfreind so intelligent. hahahaha.

On the return leg a good place to stop would be to take the river cruise on the houseboat with the floating restaraunt........this is a sight to be seen for us western boys......these are floating death traps in my view and at first glance they look it.......but when you get on them its quite nice....its like a restaraunt on spanning 2 boats made out of bamboo and with a thatched covering over the top....these will for a small fee take down riiver with nice music accompanying you........and you can take lunch.... sit down drink coke and eat local food......I must say I didnt eat very much as I am not a lover of chicken legs.......squid and the most unusual looking things with eyes looking up at me.....got the picture...good.

This trip is nice for the scenery and at the end of the river you can go no further as their are rapids and the boats stop for you to take your digital photos and then you take the trip back.........all in all very enjoyable.........you can also stop there afterwards and see the most unusual species of Monkey....they resemble nothing like a monkey and for the life of me I cannot remember the name.......but its there at the boat trip.... by this time its mid afternoon and time to take the long bone shaker trip back to Tagbiliran.... if you arrive back too early dont let the driver knock off...keep him with you......and ask him to take you into Tagbiliran and you can go to Jolibees and have a Champ Burger and Fries he will quite happily sit outside for you and wait......then around 4.30pm shoot down to the jetty and sit in the air conditioned room...not the outer room its boiling...........get into the airc conditioned passenger departure area........take the weight off your feet and relax......also if you are Catholic or Catolico as they say in Filipino..you can take mass their early as the Priest comes in to the departure lounge and conducts it.

Another peice of useful information for you........maybe I should write my own travel guide to the Phils.

The Supercat service back to Cebu takes roughly 1 hour and why not take advantage of a club sandwich and soda whilst relaxing in the lovely reclining seats on the super cat.........dont get up....the hostesses will attend to your every need and bring it to your seat hhahahaha.

You should be back in Cebu ready to take a taxi back to your hotel by around 6.30pm...........hmmmmm just in time for Beefsteak Tagalog at the hotel.

[ginapeterb]

Boracay

I have mentioned Boracay on other areas of the forum but this island has to be mentioned again, and its a must for any traveller wanting relaxation and tranquility on the Philippines.

How to get there.

Manila Domestic via Asian Spirit is the best way in my view....the aircraft are superb turbo prop with very comfortable seats and the flight is excellent...flying at an altitutude which will enable you to see the scenery below as you fly across the islands to Aklan Province which is the Island of Pinay.

Boracay is located about 5 miles offshore from the town of Caticlan and has a small airport.

If you arrive during choppy weather..the Philippine Coastguard will advise that the water taxi cannot go direct around the other side of Boracay to the beaches, you may have to go from the Jetty on the taxi and go direct across the side of the island that is facing you...there you will be met by a hoard of trycicles and these will take you to your hotel destinations, for a small fee, if you are on the best side of the island youi will anchor just off shore and be invited to wade in the final few yards..a great experience.

Your bags will be taken by the porters and you land on the beach itself.........there are no jetties as such..sowhen they say boat station...they literally mean the place on the beach where the boats are...suggested dress is t shirt....loose fitting clothing..shorts and flip flops sandals that sort of thing....a light holdall with your essentials is preferred..the hotels on the Island are very well appointed and all close to the beach within 5 yards of it...many with beautiful views of the surf.

Many of the resorts are luxurious like the Boracay Regency..which has well appointed rooms in Cabana Style...nice cool floors with safes in the room for your valuables...Cable T.v. offering all of the well known international channels.including the football if its on at the time when you arrive..Euro Sport...Sky Sports...you can even watch the Premiership.

The bathrooms are nice with shower/bath options...marble floors and the cost is generally around 2500 per night for an airconditioned room which is a must...I have not yet stayed in one that doesnt have air conditioning... thats arpproximately £25.00 per night which by our standards is low...although the rates change in different seasons...dont try to book in holiy week as this is swamped by people from the other Islands...best time to go on the cheap is around June/July.....March is absolutely packed.

The Island has much to offfer in terms of relaxtion...you can relax on the beach close to your hotel..although my advice is to try and avoid the hours of 11.00am through to 2.30pm...the sun is oppressive and obviously those of you who are sun worshippers will know the power of the sun....putting on sun block is a must, I tended to k eep in the air conditioned confines of the room during ths time or keep under cover.

Swimming is very pleasant in the waters off of Boracay....the water is unbelievably clear...beautiful green and yoiu can look down and see your feet...if you have bathed in he waters off the UK you will know thats a novelty for us.

There are various other past times on the beach..you can rent a Jet Ski for a very reasonable figure... or the best idea is to rent a boat for the day and a guide...which is worth doing as you get to see some of the smaller islands around Boracay.

Cost to your wallett is around 1500 pesos for the day...which is around £15.00...this will get you the guide and the driver of the boat and the anchor boy..the anchor boy is your swimmer...he dives down and gets the anchor when its dropped over the coral reef...and I think also it makes you feel a little safer that you have strong swimmers on board if you need help...as snorkelling is something you might want to do....generally they will take you first out to Crystal Caves..which is a formation of caves that have been eroded over thousands of years by the sea and you can take the narrowest steps I have ever seen down to a cave that has crystal stalagtites...after that their is a small zoo to see and some amazing views from the watchtower on the top of the hill....then most likely the guide will suggest you go over to Friday's resort where the waters are exceptionally clear and beautiful.

They will try and take the boat to an area of deep water about 7 metres deep where you can snorkel with the many different species of fish..and you will be invited o feed the fish.....watch out for the big ones....!!! this is a fantastic experience and should not be missed... try and get loved one to take photos of you....if you prefer sailing yourself..there are sail boats you can take out for the day as well.

Massage services on tbe beach are excellent...the massage ladies are all fully qualified and where Green tunics and trousers..they are very easy to spot on the beach..dont be bashful about having a massage its very clinical and often done on the beach on a nice mat while you relax..the msssage is about 1 hour and costs around 250 peosos....thats about £2.50 so its well worth it...a couple of those a day is very relaxing...and makes your day on the beach very relaxing

Boracay is all about personal relaxation and getting away from it all..the bars are very close to the beach and drinks can be brought out to you by the many hoards of bar staff that seem to be on the island...

The best time to swim in my view is 1st thing in the morning around .6.30am the sun is low and its reasonable warm...why not take an early morning swim...dont be suprised if your filipina loved on is already up and has gone for a walk..along the beach..dont worry she hasnt left you.....

The night life on the Island is excellent with many hotel bars being on the beach anyway...just be aware of mosquitoes....the bars serve all local beers although the offering of Western beers is limited...the main beeer is San Miguel Light or San Miguel Brown...cocktails are common and other spirits are offered...the cost of drinking out at night is next to nothing...a whole night out for two cannot go much past a tenner so enjoy yourselfs.

Their are suprisingly quite a few Brits on the Island in various forms...some stayed there and didnt want to go back...others are starting business etc so you might bump into one or two in the bars at night...its not unusual to see an england shirt or two around.

I would say to enjoy yourrself and if you are wanting to see lots of the Phiilippines in a 3 week vacation...4 to 5 days is about right....if you are not a sun lover or swimmer then 2-3 day package is ok....when you are ready to go you will get a water taxi back to the jetty at Caticlan..I Hope you enjoy your stay on Boracay..which for me is the jewel in the Philippines crown.

[gm47]

Hi Pete,
Great info, I've been thinking of visiting the philippines but have been really put off after reading the governments advice on visiting there, if the kidnappers and bombers don't get you the mozzies will.
I have travelled quite a bit in S.E Asia but have have never been so put off so much after reading that.
I realise that things are never as bad as they say but it doesn't sound very safe.

What's your opinion ?
Gerry

[ginapeterb]

Well Gerry you have to take terrorism and other forms of problems within your stride...the Philippines is a big place.....7000 islands...its unlikely you will see any trouble whatsoever and the terrorism problem is mainly down in Mindanao...which if you are going to this area I cannot advise you...as all my travels are in Luzon..Metro and Western Visaya...you will have to take to Forum Admin about Mindanao...its the one place I will not be talking about..but the Philippines is safe in my opinion.

[Admin]

I went to Mindanao last Sept 03, and then read the goverment site when I returned. ::)

Everything it says is correct, but as the island has a high percentage of muslims on it, who are peaceful and wonderful Filipino's, their are the odd few idiots who think they are fighting for independence for them all. Whereas like the normal people in Ireland N&S over the IRA, they couldn't give a toss.

You do have to try and stay hidden, and only go out with known taxi drivers, and always with others who are willing to protect you, as white flesh means money to the muslims terrorists and local criminal gangs.

In my 2 weeks there I came across 3 white people!

If your going to Cebu or any higher, their shouldn't be a problem. But always best to be careful.

We have numerous English people who have moved over to and around Manila and have never had a problem. You get the normal hassle & crime you do in any major city in the World.

[ginapeterb]

Island of Cebu


The Island of Cebu is is a thin strip of land that lies between the larger island of Negros and Bohol... the tanon straight runs between the two islands and a very fast supercat service to Cebu can be taken across the Bohol Strait to Bohol.

Cebu has 6 main Cities....Cebu..Talisay... Mandaue ...Lapu-Lapu..and Toledo and Danao.... most of the island is characterized by lush vegetation in the inner areas...the main cities are naturally by the sea... the Internatiional Aiport is on Mactan Island and is the Philippines 2nd major international airport after Manila.

Cebu City is perhaps the best place to take a tour...and many hotels offer you the chance to take a city tour by taxi which is the preferred method...effectively the taxi is a hired car for the day with a driver...who will take you around the various sight seeing attractions.

This can cost you in the region of 1500-1800 pesos for the day which is not bad considering you will leave somewhere around 9.30am and return around 4.30pm in the afternoon.

what is their to see ?

If you dont like visiting attractions from the Spanish Occupation or anything architectural dont take the tour...if you are a beach baby...or just want to relax...then you are better off staying in one of the many resorts in Cebu...most of the up market ones can be expensive as they are marketed to the theory that all White boys coming from the U.S.A. Western Europe have got big dollars to spend....a night in a ressort can cost you around 150 USD per night to 400 USD Per night...many of these resorts have got mand made lakes in the center...close to the beach etc...but in my view if you are wanting to conserve your holiday spending money...the secret is not to spend it all on hotel accomodation in the philippines just to impress your loved one....remember thats dead money...my advice to you is to go for one of the established hotels in the center of Cebu City...and not on Mactan Island or near Magellan Bay...as these are expensive and will drain your credit card.

If anyone is going to Cebu...I have covered a very reasonable hotel in the guide to Philippine Hotels..check it out...

When you take the tour by taxi...no tour would be complete without a Visit to the Cross of Magellan in the center of the City...this is to do with the Spanish Occupation and is a shrine to locals who flock their...the influence of Catholicism is felt everywhere in the Philippines but more so in Cebu where the Spanish established many churches and Forts....the cross of Magellan is an example of the Spanish legacy..and is a nice place to take digital photos...unfortunately the place is frequented very much by hordds of children selling things..a polite wave of your hand keeps them away.

Something else worth seeing is the Old Fort of San Diego....(not California) the fort is a museum but the original walls are there for you to see and its virtually intact.

The next place that is worth seeing is the Taoist Temple in Beverley Hills...the temple is very clean...and their is an excellent souvenir shop in the temple grounds selling Taoist figurines...which are quite nice to bring back to UK for your wall unit.

Next you will be taken to the dried fish market...this is funny because you get to see millions and millions of dired fish all drying in baskets in the sun....word of warning for us white boys...dont open the window what ever you do...it stinks to high heaven and the smell actually can make you throw up....salted fish hmmmmm l ovely jubly.

After the fish market...you are taken up the moutain to a beatiful viewing area which gives you a panoramic view of the City of Cebu and surrounding area..its well worth going and you can sit out on the vernada wall at the top of the mountain and take in the scenery..its so hot so relax and have a drink..take your time....

the next part of the tour tends to take in the main resorts..I think this is because the taxi drivers are on backhander if they take you there...the idea is that you will fall in love with the resorts that yo uwill want to book in there and move your bags to it...my advice is dont do it...its nice and looks great...but its far too expensive and you can do as we did...go into the restaraunt and have a club sandwich and a couple of Ice Mango shakes but thats about all.

Thank the dirver and move on to your next place to view....all in the all the city tour is well worth doing for one day...but I didnt find much else to do in Cebu..it is mainly a tourist resort and a thriving residential area.. ithe only good thing about Cebu is that I am reliably informed its a great place to look for a wife.

If you are visiting Cebu unnacompanied or without what is known locally as a companion...then my advice is to put the word about that you are looking for someone nice to share your life with...you will be suprised how fast the word goes around....just let the hotel staff know about this...or one of the porters....you will be suprised...their is always someones sister..aunt neice or family relative who is also looking for a nice husband....even the taxi driver told me that his daughter was hoping to meet a nice white boy from Europe...as I was taken I thanked him for the offer...but the word can soon spread in Cebu..before you know it various introductions can be made.

Good luck with your trip to Cebu.

[gm47]

Really enjoy reading your personal reports Pete, very helpful, I've read quite a few sites with other info regarding tipping, customs etc. What's your take on it all, should you tip everyone, porters, waitresses etc and what is your experience with the local customs, have you made any errors that would be helpful to pass on ?

Keep the reports coming
Gerry

[ginapeterb]

Thanks Gerry its nice to know someone is reading all the stuff I put on here..hahahahah well I will do a subject on tipping in the Phiils for you...and something about local customs and how to act in the Phls if you like.....probaly do it sometime today..Satuday 7th..ok look out for it best wishes

Pete

[ginapeterb]

Petes rough guide to the Philippines will be continuing in Otober and the following places to visit will be available.


The Northern City of Baguio, the Philippines Summer Capital.


The City of Tagaytay and Lake Taal.

The Resort of Palmas Del Mar Negros Occidental.
The City of Dumaguete in Negros Oriental.

A Rough guide to Metro Manila.

I hope those of you who read my travel guides, will enjoy these latest additions, when I return from my travels around the Philippines in October.

I am also booked to travel back in December, where I will be writing about Palawan, Mindoro and North and Southern Leyte.

I hope you will enjoy these additions too.

Keep checking back for "Petes rough guide to the Philipines"

[ginapeterb]

The Northern City of Baguio – Summer Capital of the Philippines.

The Northern City of Baguio is often seen as the Summer Capital of the Philippines and rightly so as its temperature and scenery is like nothing else that can be seen in other areas of the Republic of the Philippines.

Based in the Cordillera region which was carved out of the predominantly ilocano regions of ilocos and Cagayan,, Located in the Central part of Luzon the region is composed of the six provinces of Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Kalinga, Ifugao, and the Chartered city of Baguio.

Dubbed as the Watershed of the Philippines, the cordilleras has a mountainous topography characterized by towering peaks, and intermittent patches of valleys, the regions climate generally is characterized by dry season from November to April.

The people of Baguio enjoy an all year round climate of cool air, and that certainly is felt in Baguio City.

The temperature can be as low as 21 degrees in Baguio City; this was highly noticeable in the early evening, when Filipinos are seen to be wearing sweat tops, and coats, something of which titillated me as I was walking around in my polo shirt, wondering what all the fuss was about.

Certainly Gina complained profusely that It was “Cold” to which I replied, “You don’t know what cold is my dear” “When it’s cold I will tell you”.

Putting the humour aside, the City does enjoy a cool all year round climate which makes it an excellent place to visit, I witnessed some of the most beautiful scenery.

How to get there:

There are only 2 ways to get to the Northern City of Baguio.

1) You can take an air conditioned coach from Manila, but this takes over 7 hours by road, and the roads are not known for their magnificence.
2) You can take a small 19 seater Dash twin turbo prop aircraft with Asian Spirit from Manila domestic airport to Baguio City Airport.

The second option is by far the best, not many people fly to Baguio City, as there is only 1 flight per day leaving at around 9.00am, and returning from Baguio to Manila at 10.20am.

The cost of the flight each way is between 2100 and 2800 pesos, i.e. £21.00 to £28.00 depending on time of year, promos etc etc.

The great thing about flying Asian Spirit from Manila Domestic is the wonderful airport in Baguio City, or Loakan airport as it is known, the airport is by far one of the cleanest I have seen, its small and has a wonderful wooden built Swedish style terminal, with a nice restaurant and souvenir shop on the side, As it only services 1 or 2 flights per day, the prospect of an incoming flight is a big thing for the local people, who stand and wave as you take off for Manila, the security is exceptional as they don’t have an x ray machine, and the whole process of arriving and departing is very nice.

How to get around Baguio.

Taxi’s in Baguio City are plentiful, comfortable, and fairly cheap, that is the best way to get around, the scenery from Loakan airport to Baguio is exceptional and should take about 20 minutes to take a taxi to the hotels area, the cost should be somewhere around 85 pesos.

What to do in Baguio City?

The following places are known as local attractions and I will try and talk about each one that we visited.

Camp John Hay

Camp John Hay is worth a short visit in so much as there is a small amount of history to this attraction, it is the Rest and Recreation centre of the United States Armed Forces from World War 2 and during the era of the Vietnam War.

The Camp itself remains largely unchanged, the Nissan Huts showing the R and R facilities give an insight into the history of Camp John Hay, there is a botanical garden and amphi theatre which has been turned into a museum, the Bell House on the top of the gardens, is the former home of the Commanding General of the U.S. Forces in the Philippines.

The Camp though has little entertainment value for any visitors, and is now starting to be surrounded by Luxury Properties and Hotels, there is a small set of souvenir stores further up the road, getting a taxi away from Camp John Hay may be difficult, we managed to get one by walking down the hill and starting the walk back into Baguio, for what it costs, it may be advisable to ask the taxi driver to wait for 15 minutes while you have a look round.

Minesview Park

Minesview Park is a rather soaped up vantage point, where you can take in the fantastic view across the mountain valley showing the City of Baguio in all its glory.

However apart from a walk down the steps to Mines view Park, which can be deceptive, as its difficult to tell there is actually a park there, this is because the park has largely been spoiled by the ever increasing vendors of souvenir shacks, food outlets, and corrugated structures, which typify the Philippines, selling everything from key rings, to cloth bags, and street food, there are horses there where you can mount and have your photo taken, and the vantage point at the lower point, is a good place to take photos.

Burnham Park

Burnham Park is in the centre of Baguio City, it has a boating lake, and a small area of gardens, it has some attraction in that you can take a boat out and peddle your way around the lake, if that’s your poison go ahead, I found it of little entertainment value.

Lourdes Grotto
Lourdes Grotto is a religious shrine, and for those of you who are religious, a visit to this attraction may be worthwhile, as it had little interest to me, I stayed in the taxi while Gina went up for a look, again, Baguio has a number of attractions, but not all of these will have value to visitors.

Wood Carving Villages

In the City of Baguio, there are various wood carving villages that are worth a visit if this is of interest to you, these are native villages where various wood carvings are made of huge objects, that can take months to carve, they are sold in stores of antiquity, but as this had little value to me, we did not stop.

Shopping

Baguio City has the probably the best SM I have seen in the Philippines, for one thing it has been sighted in the best area of Baguio, that overlooks the city, the SM (Super mall) is a great place to both shop and eat, and many of the restaurants in SM are overlooking the city, across one mountain to the other.
There are 4 levels on the SM and there is also the usual cinema screens at each end showing the latest films.

Baguio City Market

Baguio has a thriving City market, again selling everything known to man, its well worth a visit as is Session road Baguio, where most of the main shopping areas are, Session road runs the length of the city from East to West, the city has a surprising fresh clean look to it, it seems that there is less pollution in Baguio, and in the Summer, it has all the looks of a typical thriving UK City, this may be due to the cool climate and lower population centre, as although this region is one of the biggest in the Philippines, it is the least populated.

Also in Baguio the Fil-American Golf tournament is held every year, and in the Camp John Hay area, there are the Botanical Gardens, and lots of Country Clubs and Golf courses, which have taken advantage of the Pine Mountain forests surrounding Baguio, so the city is certainly well worth a couple of days to visit, but one word of caution.

The Banaue Rice Terraces

The Banaue Rice Terraces are seen as the 8th wonder of the world, located in the Ifugao province, they are a must to see if you have the time, sadly though due to the infrastructure of the Philippines, they are very difficult to get to, and the only way is by a Multi Van requiring at least 6 persons on a tour, costing 3500 each, or by coach, which sadly is over 8 hours each way, if you plan to visit the Banaue Rice Terraces, you may need to spend at least 3-4 days in Baguio, and from all accounts, its mainly a photo opportunity.

[ginapeterb]

The Resort of Tagaytay and Lake Taal


The resort of Tagaytay and Lake Taal is located to the south of Metro Manila approximately around 70 kilometres, Tagaytay is seen as a place of exquisite beauty and the main attraction is the tranquil setting of the beautiful Lake Taal in the bottom of a glacial valley.

On Lake Taal is one of the few Active Volcano’s in the Philippines, although it is not visibly active, or at least it wasn’t visibly active on Friday of last week, the scenery below is beautiful, especially in the evenings, when the lake is littered with boats all showing their lights.

What is the attraction of going to Tagaytay ?

In truth many Filipinos will tell you, there is not much to do in Tagaytay accept admire the scenic views, in fact, the whole visit is cantered around an area of tranquillity and relaxation, and the hotels are fairly expensive at that.

I have given an overview of the Taal Vista hotel in Tagaytay, and you can see from that, that a standard room will set you back around 4950.00 pesos per night, therefore, if you are planning a visit to Tagaytay, just be aware, that as far as entertainment value is concerned, there are better places to go, such as Boracay, or Cebu, where you have good beaches, and resorts for you to relax in.

How to get there?

This is a bit of a quagmire, as we recently discovered there is little or no information on the internet on how to get there, thankfully, any of you who are reading this, now have the benefit of Gina and myself who have actually been there, so hopefully you won’t have to take the route we took, last week.

PGMA that is President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo recently said in a speech to the Philippine business community that “We need to change the infrastructure of the Philippines to allow greater opportunities for tourism” I would certainly go along with that, as getting to Tagaytay is a good example of this, getting there is best with problems, therefore if you are going to stay at the Taal Vista hotel, you should telephone the hotel direct and make a reservation, when you do this, perhaps you could ask them to pick you up in Manila by prior arrangement.

The details are as follows

Taal Vista Hotel
Km 60, Aguinaldo Highway
Tagaytay City, tel (6346) 413 1000

The hotel points out that most people who arrive at Tagaytay city, generally travel by private car, why is this important, because the only other way to get there, is by an Air Conditioned coach from Manila, this can be found at the Lawton Bus terminal in Manila, any taxi can take you there, the fare for this journey is negligible around 68 to 70 pesos per journey, but on arrival in Tagaytay City, the bus does not go anywhere near the resort hotels, this means you have to get off the bus at the Doiliveira plaza, unfortunately, as Gina and I found out, there are no taxi’s in the City, the only way to get to the hotels, which are some 20 minutes by road, on top of the mountain overlooking Lake Taal, is by Trickle or Jeepney, or in this case, their wasn’t a jeepney in sight, then the tricycle was the only option.

This is quite undignified for a tourist such as myself, and I found the experience quite annoying considering Gina paid out 4950 pesos for our room for the evening, the prospect of turning up at the hotel gates, in a tricycle was laughable to say the least, and getting out of it was even more funnier.

Therefore my suggestion is as before, telephone the hotel in advance and they may send a vehicle to collect you, at least from Doliveira plaza.

What is their to do in Tagaytay City and the resort of Lake Taal?

In real terms, not much, the only benefit to going is to take some great digital photos, and maybe there is some relaxation value in being there, the rooms at the hotel I listed are nice, but I wouldn’t recommend staying more than 1 night there, in fact my recommendation now is to take a trip down there early in the morning by coach, and then take some photos, and take a journey back to Manila after only a few hours, then you save on the cost of a nights stay there.

[jooms]

Pete, if you ask the wife where the best place to go, you'll end up in a shopping mall. I go off myself because my wife is not that interested in getting to the top of Pinatubo.