Top 10 Hidden vacation spots in the Phillipines

September 21, 2008

Bored with the usual tourist destinations? If you don’t want to go to Boracay, Baguio, Puerto Galera or Subic, you might want to try Sagada, Mt. Banahaw, Siargao, Camiguin, Cagayan de Oro or Pagudpud. Or you might try these as-yet-unknown places for your vacation. Though these places may not be as luxurious as the usual tourist spots, low prices and warm local hospitality are added bonuses. In many of these places, residents are willing to accept visitors for home stays, just consult the local officials or ask around!

ROMBLON 

The province of Romblon is made up of twenty beautiful islands which have been likened to the Mediterranean islands. The island of Romblon is the Philippines’ main source of marble, thus earning the moniker “Marble Country”. However, there’s more to Romblon than marble. Mt. Guiting-guiting on Sibuyan Island with a height of 2,058 meters is considered a challenge to mountain climbers, for example. Romblon also has crystal-clear rivers and waterfalls, and beautiful, as yet unspoiled beaches.

DAVAO ORIENTAL

In January 2000, the earliest sunrise of the new millennium in the Philippines was at the easternmost tip of the country: Pusan Point, Davao Oriental, the “Sunrise Capital of the Philippines”. Davao Oriental has more than just sunrises to offer, however. It boasts, among others, the “bonsai forest” at Mt. Hamiguitan, “Tinagong Dagat” (Hidden Sea), plesiosaur-shaped “Dinosaur Island”, Cape San Agustin where legend has it St. Francis Xavier celebrated his first mass, and beautiful waterfalls and beaches. Davao Oriental is also home to the Mandaya ethnic group.

SIQUIJOR

The island of Siquijor, also called “Isla del Fuego” or the “Isle of Fire”, is known to many as a place of magic, mysticism and enchantments. It is frequently associated with phenomena beyond the explanations of science. For some, traveling to this island is not for the faint of heart or weak of spirit, yet for those who do go to this island, it is a beautiful place of natural white sand beaches, coral reefs, caves and forests, simply worth discovering. After admiring the natural sceneries and venturing into the caves, visitors might also attend the healing festivals or watch locals perform feats that boggle the mind.

ANTIQUE 

Antiqueños pride themselves on living in one of the oldest pre-Hispanic settlements in the Philippines. According to legend, Antique, or Hamtik, as it was then called, was the realm of Datu Sumakwel, and was the first large Malay settlement in the country. Although now often passed over in favor of nearby Boracay, Antique has many scenic beauties to offer those seeking adventures with nature. It has lovely waterfalls, lakes, and rivers, including the Tibiao River, ideal for white water kayaking. The province’s highest peak is the legendary Mt. Madia-as, sacred mountain and home of ancient gods, home to rare flora and fauna. Antique is also the home of the famous “Bugasong patadyong”. Lately, the river of Sibalom, Antique has been discovered to be rich with semi-precious stones.

CATANDUANES 

The island of Catanduanes in the Bicol Region is in the Pacific Ocean, and is still virtually untouched by tourists, making it a great vacation getaway for those who want to relax for a while from the rat race. Puraran Beach in the town of Baras on this island is the site of the so-called “Majestic” waves prized by surfers. The island also has as-yet-unspoiled white beaches all along its coastline, as well as diving spots for snorkelers and scuba enthusiasts, and cascading waterfalls farther inland.

LAKE CEBU 

Scenic Lake Sebu, South Cotabato, dubbed the “Summer Capital of the South”, is a protected landscape and the ancestral home of the T’boli people. Located in the Daguma Mountains of SOCCSKSARGEN, it boasts three beautiful mountain lakes (Sebu, Seloton and Lahit) and seven waterfalls, as well as the rich culture of the T’bolis, now internationally known for their t’nalak cloth. The scenery and light in this place make it a photographer’s paradise, and the mountains offer adventures for intrepid trekkers.

SARANGGANI 

Beautiful Glan, Sarangani, is the site of Philippine Government Colony No. 9, the first settlement by pioneers from Luzon and the Visayas in 1914 in SOCCSKSARGEN. It is a place where mountain sceneries meet white beaches and clear, sparkling waters.

BALER,AURORA

Baler, Aurora, the birthplace of first Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon, is a place caught between the mountains and the sea: the Pacific Ocean on the east, and the Sierra Madre Mountains on the west. Remote and isolated from the metropolis, its beauties remain unspoiled, waiting to be discovered. Sabang Beach waves are good for surfing, while nearby islets are great for snorkeling. History enthusiasts may be interested in Quezoniana such as the ruins of the Quezon house.Talk on the web is that in keeping with traditional Filipino hospitality, locals are willing to accommodate visitors for lodgings.

PUNDAQUIT,SAN ANTONIO 

Hidden away in the province of Zambales, not far from Subic, is the lovely fishing village of Pundaquit, San Antonio. For those in the know, the beach of Pundaquit is a great haven for beach bums and surfers.This tranquil place was the setting for some of the scenes in the Judy Ann Santos teleserye “Esperanza”, and Punta de Uian Resort served as backdrop of the Villa Santibañez resort in the teleserye “Mari Mar”.

CARAMOAN PENINSULA 

The serene Caramoan Peninsula is a hidden paradise in Camarines Sur, great for swimming, island hopping and nature-tripping.Aside from white beaches, waterfalls and islands, Caramoan also has caves for intrepid explorers and cliffs for rock climbers, as well as the wildlife sanctuary at Caramoan National Park for bird-watchers.

emoticon 

Comments (0)

Top 10 Survival tips on scouting

From the original 1908 edition of Baden-Powell’s Scouting for Boys. Tips gleaned by Elleke Boehmer, editor of the first and only critical edition of the scouting blueprint.

1. Keep your eyes about you at all times in order not to miss a thing. When tracking in the bush a tiny detail – a broken twig, a crushed can – may provide a crucial "sign" (of water, of food, of rescue, danger, wildlife).

This, for me as editor, was one of the most fascinating aspects of Scouting for Boys – that the non-bookish Baden-Powell advocated that the scout learn to "read" the countryside almost as if it were a book. The scout is invited to put "signs" together, in the same way as words come together to form meaningful sentences.

2. Breathe through your nose and keep your blood in good order. A mouth left hanging open aids and abets snoring – a dead giveaway in the bush.

Scouting for Boys is full of cranky Edwardian beliefs, some of them charming, others mind-boggling. The advice to keep the mouth shut at all times, unless speaking or whistling, was one of the more quirky bits of advice regarding a boy’s health.

3. Always carry a rough towel. Its uses are endless, even when you find yourself in the bush without water.

This recommendation I must confess I found teasingly ambiguous. It tallies in some way with B-P’s suggestion that when out tracking in dry terrain the scout keep his clothes clean by beating them with sticks. But why a rough towel?

4. Limit your intake of meat. Meat weighs you down.

This advice sprang to my attention for its relative contemporaneity. I’ve included it as an example of how parts of the book retain a freshness and direct appeal to our time, especially in the areas of exercise, diet and the environment.

5. Study other peoples’ footwear. Shoes are a good indicator of character.

Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes was for B-P the picture of the ideal scout (as was Kipling’s Kim), and this advice is derived virtually unadulterated from observations taken by the great detective in many of Conan Doyle’s 1890s stories.

6. Sleep where possible in the open air and without heavy blankets. An overheated body produces distracting dreams.

It would be difficult to avoid mentioning B-P’s famous predilection for sleeping out as he did – alone, virtually all his married life – as well as his aversion to anything, including "rich food", that might produce sexual stimulation. However he believed in speaking frankly to boys about the "dangers of self-abuse", more frankly than his first publishers believed acceptable at the time.

7. Whenever you can, "get a good laugh on". And make other people laugh, too; it does them good.

This is virtually a direct quote from the text, to suggest its unflagging chirpiness, its devotion to fun and games at all costs.

8. Be a friend to all.

This bit of advice – the fourth scout law – has often been touted in support of the alleged inclusiveness of the scout movement and its absence of class and race prejudice. B-P certainly did urge boys not to be snobs – but was he addressing middle class boys in the main, or all boys? The fourth law no doubt helped to promote the worldwide spread of scouting.

9. Play the game of life with good spirit, whatever your game may be.

Play up, play up, and play the game – be it the game of cricket or empire or life. For B-P it’s far better to be in the game than standing on the sidelines as a spectator.

10. Be prepared to do your duty. Country first, self second.

Possibly the most important tip in scouting: a useful reminder in a century when human rights are regarded as having a prior claim to social duties.

· The original 1908 edition of Scouting for Boys by Robert Baden-Powell is published on March 11 2004 in a critical edition from Oxford University Press, edited by Elleke Boehmer.

Comments (0)

Get free blog up and running in minutes with Blogsome | Theme designs available here