Philippines — Where to Go
Top Things to See
• Explore old Manila and see the remains of the massive wall that protected the Intramuros (Walled City). Places of interest include San Agustin Church and Manila Cathedral, from which there are excellent views of the harbor, Fort Santiago ruins and Chinatown.
• Visit upland Baguio, a haven from the summer heat. Drive up zigzagging Kennon Road for spectacular countryside views. Attractions include The Mansion, the president’s summer residence; Bell Church; Baguio Cathedral; and the Crystal Caves, composed of crystalline rocks and once an ancient burial site.
• Gaze in wonder at the breathtaking UNESCO-listed rice-terraces of Banaue, which ring the mountainsides to an impressive altitude of 1,525m (5,000ft), and encompass an area of 10,360 sq km (4,000 sq miles). The terraces were hand-carved some 2,000 years.
• Discover the stunning scenery of Mount Halcon, 2,695m (8,841ft) high, Naujan Lake and Tamaraw Falls on Mindoro island, reached by ferry from Batangas pier, south of Manila.
• In Carcar town, south of Cebu City, view many preserved Castillian houses, gardens and churches. The Chapel of the Last Supper in Mandaue City features hand-carved lifesize statues of Christ and his apostles dating back to Spanish times.
• In Iloilo City, on Panay island, look at the 18th-century Miagao Church, a unique piece of baroque colonial architecture with a facade decorated with impressions of coconut and papaya trees.
• See the world’s smallest monkey, the tarsier, on Bohol Island, also home to fascinating natural wonders that include hundreds of limestone hills resembling oversized chocolate drops, nicknamed the ‘Chocolate Hills’. Also visit the Baclayon Church, which dates back to 1595.
• Davao province (Mindanao island) is the site of Mount Apo, the highest peak in the country, while the Apo Range has spectacular waterfalls, rapids, forests, springs and mountain lakes.
• Use Cagayan de Oro as the gateway to some of the most beautiful islands in the Philippines.
• In the largely Islamic province of Lanao del Sur (Mindanao island), don’t miss Lake Lanao, Signal Hill, the Sacred Mountain, the native market, Torongan, homes of the Maranao royalty, the various Muslim mosques on the lake shores and the famous brassware of Tugaua.
Top Things to Do
• Dive around WWII wrecks on the islands of Batangas, Bohol, Mindoro and Palawan. Scuba-divers also head for Sicogon Island, which has mountains and virgin forests to explore as well. Boracay Island is another such island paradise.
• Get wet. Swim, surf, windsurf, snorkel and dive off Santa Cruz Island, which has a sandy beach that turns pink when the corals from the sea are washed ashore. You can also hire traditional canoes (bancas).
• Go on a fishing trip. The Philippines’ warm waters are inhabited by some 2,400 fish species, including many game fish such as giant tuna, tanguingue, king mackerel, great barracuda, swordfish and marlin. Game fishing is best from December to August.
• Book an adventure tour with an ecological slant, including activities such as canopy walking (participants are lifted by pulleys to the canopy on the Philippine rainforest near Cagayan de Oro).
• Go trekking or mountaineering in the region around Matulid River, Mount Pulog and Mount Halcon as well as the famous UNESCO World Heritage-listed rice terraces in the Cordillera mountain range in northern Luzon.
• Watch a traditional game of Sipa, played with a small wicker ball, at the Rizal Court in Manila.
• Trawl the flea market in Zamboanga City (Mindanao island), which sells Muslim pottery, clothes and brassware.
• Visit Villa Escudero, a working coconut plantation in Quezon Province (Luzon island). Less than two hours from Manila, it yields rare glimpses into rural life. Guests tour a typical village on a cart drawn by a carabao, or water buffalo.
• On Hundred Islands, the second-largest marine reservation in the world, teeming with over 2,000 species of aquatic life, explore the caves and domes of Marcos Island and the Devil’s Kitchen.
