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Friday, November 30, 2012

Palaui Island, Cagayan Valley Region



In a little island in the Cagayan Valley in the Philippines, is a paradise that is yet to be appreciated by many.

Its beauty is still restored to its glory because no hotels or resorts are built in the area, assuring the tourists of utmost peace and relaxation with nature.

Palaui Island in Cagayan Valley has served as a safe haven for people who are looking for a place where they can just throw their worries away and regain a sense of peace with their lives.
The island boasts of a beach that extends far from your sight, rich and dense forest that provides relaxation to every worn-out traveler, and positive and warm people who are willing to help you when you are in need.


What adds up to the adventure is the fact that getting there requires guts and courage. You will first have to get pass thorny grasses, a mangrove forest, and not to mention the muddy ground.

As poet Sarah Kay said, ““This world is made out of sugar. It can crumble so easily, but don’t be afraid to stick your tongue out and taste it.” Having minor bruises and scratches on the way to the island won’t kill you. But instead, these scars will remind you of a journey that you’ve survived and enjoyed immensely.

INTERNATIONALLY-ACCLAIMED BEACH

Palaui Island was declared by the CNN Go travel website of the Cable News Network as the top 3 among Best Beaches and Islands in the Philippines.

This is a recognition that makes every Filipino proud of their natural wonders.

The CNNGo’s website described Palaui Island as an “isolated island which is a natural secret — only the brave and persevering bother to visit.”

Tourists who visit the island are very much aware that the hassle they experience during the trip will be worth it once they set foot in Palaui Island.







Thursday, November 29, 2012

Syquia Mansion, Vigan



Vigan is the proud birthplace of the Philippines’ sixth president, Elpidio Quirino. President Quirino is best remembered as the chief author of economic developments undertaken by the country that helped it rise from the devastation of World War II, as well as the country’s foreign policy direction during that time. 

Having the Bigueno trait of independent-thinking, President Qurino became the target of CIA propaganda that made him lose his 1953 presidential bid against Ramon Magsaysay, who headed the National Defense Department under his administration. It was President Quirino’s penalty for his support of the withdrawal of the American bases whose stay in the country was up for review. 

The Syquia Mansion which houses President Qurino’s extensive memorabilia is actually owned by his
wife, Dona Alicia Quirino. Her ancestor was a Chinese who made his fortune in the robust trading in Vigan. Sy Kia’s pride in his Asian heritage can be seen by visitors to the Syquia mansion where they can view a portrait of him with his braided long hair and traditional Chinese robes. His descendants adopted the hispanized Syquia surname later on.

The first lady’s grand ancestral home was where some of the President’s functions were held during his administration so it is not only worth a visit for the presidential memorabilia but also for the feel of the magnificent and historical gatherings that have taken place amongst the elegant furnishings. 

To find the Syquia Mansion, visitors may walk through Crisologo Street towards Gordion Inn or the Kingdom Hall of the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the two-storey, blue and cream-painted mansion will be in the corner of Quirino Boulevard.

Inside the Syquia Mansion one will marvel at the huge rooms filled with not only Philippine antiques but also those from countries all over the world. There are huge oil portraits of the family, with three identified as being done by national artist Fernando Amorsolo. There is even a huge replica of Juan Luna’s Spolarium, which was painted by the national hero and painter’s assistant.

The house is still used by members of the Quirino family, so visitors will see modern implements in the dinning room and kitchen together with the exquisite antique chinaware on display.

Visitors should also not pass up on the opportunity to look through the peeping holes found in the master’s bedroom and the second floor which are used to view visitors in the receiving area before they are allowed to enter the grand living room.

A caretaker of the Syquia family is always around when the mansion is open to accompany visitors. Visitors can get important details from them, even information on secret doors!

The Syquia Mansion tour is free, but a donation may be given to the caretaker.





Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Cagsawa Ruins Park, Legaspi



The Cagsawa Ruins (also spelled as Kagsawa or Cagsaua) are the remnants of an 18th century Franciscan church, the Cagsawa church, built in 1724 and destroyed by the 1814 eruption of the Mayon Volcano. They are located in Barangay Busay, Cagsawa, in the municipality of Daraga, Albay, Philippines.

The ruins, currently protected in a park overseen by the municipal government of Daraga and the National Museum of the Philippines, are one of the most popular tourist destinations in the area.[1][2] They are considered symbolic of the dangers of living in close proximity with the Mayon Volcano.

The Cagsawa ruins are located 2.2 km (1.4 mi) from the town of Daraga and are approximately 8 km (5.0 mi) from the city of Legazpi. They are also 3.3 km (2.1 mi) from the Legazpi Airport and a 55-minute flight from Manila. By bus, the location is five to six hours away from Manila.




Fairways & Bluewater, Boracay


Fairways & Bluewater Golf Resort & Country Club is a world-class resort community and the only 18-hole championship golf course in Boracay, cradled by one of the world's most beautiful beaches. The entire development consists of approximately 125 hectares spanning Boracay, situated on panoramic views of the ocean and neighboring islands.

International design teams brought in by New Coast Properties and Fil-Estate Properties, Inc. joined forces to create what can only be described as the ideal resort community with a unique proprietary club share which provides tremendous benefits and privileges to its owner.As a homeowner in this prestigious community, there will never be a dull moment. Fairways & Bluewater Resort & Golf Country Club offers horsebackriding, golf, beach, and spa activities to name a few.

Accommodations are available at the thirty-eight-room five-star Mulligan Golf Hotel and a timeshare benefit is given to members of the Fairways & Bluewater Golf Club. Members are eligible to take advantage of Fairways & Bluewater's five-star rate with Interval International.

More than that, Fil-Estate Properties, Inc. continues to develop the resort with exciting income properties. In fact, no other development on Boracay island offers condotel units titled with a Condominium Certificate of Title. Because of this, Fil-Estate Properties, Inc. allows its clients to share in the income opportunity provided by Boracay's growing popularity among tourists. To date, the properties in this resort community include The Villas on the 9th (50, 80, 130 sqm), Balaihara (50-55 sqm), and The Lodgings (32 sqm rooms). The island beckons.

Fairways and Bluewater Boracay Real Estate, fully titled Philippines Condominiums, by Fil-Estate one of the largest Philippine Real Estate Developers, now offers Investment opportunities in Boracay Philippines Real Estate. 
Fairways Bluewater Boracay Philippines Golf Course offers condominium units overlooking the front and back 9. Real Estate for sale in the Philippines is selling at a record pace, invest now in Boracay Real Estate, a tropical Island paradise now receiving over 500,000 visitors each year.

Fil-Estate, Philippine Real Estate Developer in conjunction with Aklan Real Estate Property Consultancy Services, Philippine Real Estate Brokers located on Boracay. 

To find out more about owning your dream home in Boracay, please contact one of our sales representatives today.

+63918-469-2718 SMART
+63917-273-9958 GLOBE

Email At: fil.estates@gmail.com






Hinagdanan Cave, Bohol Island



Hinagdanan Cave is a cave on Panglao Island, in Bohol Province, in the Philippines. It is a naturally lighted cavern with a deep lagoon and many large stalactites and stalagmites.

The cave is lit by sunlight which filters through holes in the ceiling. The underground lake is a popular swimming spot, but it has been known to test for high levels of various pollutants, since it is fed by ground runoff.

Hinagdanan Cave is made of limestone. The cave is within easy reach. You'll have to walk through dense vegetation of just about one kilometer. The entrance of the cave is a hole of about 1 meter wide in diameter, visible from a limestone hill. Cemented steps lead to the interior of the cave. The cave is slippery, but there's a railing made of rope to hold on to avoid accident due to slippery stones of the cave.

Hinagdanan Cave was accidentally discovered when the owner of the area was clearing the decaying branches of the land when he found the hole. The owner throw a stone into the hole, then he heard a splash. Then he build a ladder to get into the cave. They named it Hinagdanan, means "laddered" used to get into the cave's interior.

The cave is about 100 meters long of beautiful rock formations. The stalactites and stalagmites stick out from the ceiling and floor of the cave as though trying to meet each other. Inside the cave, there's also a lagoon with a greenish surface produced by the green limestone at the bottom of the pool, where people used to bath in the lagoon, however, it has been advised to not go dip into the lagoon because of the karst pollutants present in the water.






Guisi Lighthouse, Guimaras Island


The Guisi Point Lighthouse is located in Barangay Dolores, Nueva Valencia, Guimaras. An 18th-century lighthouse built during the Spanish-colonial era, it is considered as the second oldest lighthouse in the Philippines, next only to the one found in Aparri, Cagayan.

Guisi Lighthouse is another must see if you are in Guisi Point in Guimaras. The beach of Guisi is one of the best especially if you are the type of a beach bunny who wants to just relax and unwind. The lighthouse is located on the far left end of Guisi beach and is top part is visible from the beachfront.


Why is this a local attraction?
Well,it might be just a tall rusty tower that can be sold to the nearest junkshop but this lighthouse has been standing for more than 300 years. Yes, you read it right. Three centuries and still facing Panay Gulf.

For a small fee of 10 pesos, you can assume that you have found a national treasure and heritage. The place is well maintained by the caretakers and they are friendly enough to answer your questions about the place.  To fully put justice to this place, you should visit Guisi Lighthouse yourself.

Around the lighthouse is a settlement for those who used to manned the lighthouse.  If you want to go back in time, then is visit Guisi Ruins. You can still see some baked red bricks with some roots growing between blocks.

Taking a walk around Guisi Lighthouse with the loud splashing of the waves gives that romantic and relaxing ambiance.  If you are alone with a lover..it would be a seductive and tempting place. If you want to relax..take a seat and you can surely tinker some positive thoughts.










Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Timobo Caves, Camotes Islands



Timubo cave or (Timobo cave)  is one of the caves in Camotes, Cebu, Philippines. Because of clear waters of Timobo Cave, it is the natural drinking water of the people of Sonog. It is one of the tourist destination in Camotes Island in Cebu. It is located 300 meters from barangay proper of Sonog, Camotes.

Going inside the cave is an adventure. The cave has a medium opening going in. You have to walk through a long winding staircase to reach the end of the cave, where you can find crystal clear pool of water. People enjoy swimming here because of the experience going inside, and a very nice place to swim. It is not recommended for the faint of heart, and physically unfit.





Zipline Boracay, Boracay



Zipline Boracay is an outdoor adventure activity that consists of a pulley suspended on a cable mounted on an incline. It is designed to enable two users to simultaneously traverse from the top to the bottom of the inclined cable by being physically attached to the cable by harness, which is then attached to a pulley.

Since safety is our main concern, Zipline Boracay utilizes two cables per person. Our cables are 12mm thick with a capacity of 1 ton per cable. We only use top of the line equipment from Petzl, a French company that is the leading manufacturer of climbing and work-at-height equipment.

Beginning above the tenth hole at Fairways & Bluewater and landing on the beach below, with an elevation of 80 feet above sea level combined with a cable length of 300 meters and a slope of 30 degrees.





Monday, November 26, 2012

Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary



The Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary is a sanctuary for migratory birds and other marine species in the Olango Island Group located about five kilometers east of Mactan Island, Cebu. The group of islands consists of Olango Island and six other islets namely Sulpa, Gilutongan, Nalusuan, Caohagan, Pangan-an, and Camungi.

The Olango Island Group has a total land area of about 10.3 square kilometers or 1,030 hectares. The island group is under the jurisdiction of Lapu-Lapu City and the municipality of Cordova in the province of Cebu.

The island group is a diverse coastal ecosystem consisting of extensive coralline sand flats, mangroves, sea-grass beds, and offshore coral reefs. The mangroves of Olango Island are the most extensive in the province of Cebu and its offshore corals are home to various kinds of marine species. The island group is surrounded by warm seas and partly sheltered from monsoons and strong trade winds.

The Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary has become a major tourist attraction as it is one of the seven best-known flyways in the world for migratory birds. The 920-hectare sanctuary is a haven for birds migrating from Siberia, Northern China, Japan, and other parts of northern Asia during the winter months.


Every year from September to April, the birds use the wildlife sanctuary as a wintering ground and feeding station in their annual southward migration to Australia and New Zealand. The birds then stop at the wildlife sanctuary in their northward migration back to the Northern Hemisphere to breed during the summer months from June to August.

Tourists and bird-watching enthusiasts usually visit the wildlife sanctuary in the months of July to November during the winter in the Northern Hemisphere. There are 97 species of birds in the Olango Island Group consisting of 48 migratory species, while the remaining 49 species are native to the island.

Some species of the migratory birds that stop at the wildlife sanctuary are considered endangered. Among the migratory birds in the island group are Chinese egrets, Asiatic dowitchers, Eastern curlews, plovers, sandpipers, Black-tailed Godwit, and Red Knot.

The Philippines government in 1992 declared the 1,020 hectares of tidal flats in the Olango Island Group as a protected area. The tidal flats in the island group is also home to various species of marine invertebrates that are the primary food of the migratory birds.


Location
The Olango Island Group is located approximately five kilometers east of Mactan Island, Cebu. Trying to get there from Cebu City involves taking a jeepney to SM City Cebu, where you’ll find jeepneys bound for Lapu-Lapu City. You can also go to Mandaue City’s Banilad Crossing, where most of the multicabs and jeepneys ply their routes to interior Mactan.

After you arrive in Lapu-Lapu City, take a tricycle bound for the barangays of Dapdap or Angasil. Then disembark at the Portofino Beach Resort (formerly Mar y Cielo) . Take a pump boat for Santa Rosa in Olango Island and disembark in the Santa Rosa Wharf. From the wharf, the sanctuary can be reached by tricycle or foot.

There are also professional tour companies in Cebu City and in Lapu-Lapu City that can give you affordable, comfortable and hassle-free tour packages to the Olango Island Group.







Calicoan Island, Samar Island



Calicoan is an island bounded by the Pacific Ocean on the East, and Leyte Gulf on the West. With its rugged landscape, virgin tropical forests, unspoiled white sand beaches, crystal clear water and surf, Calicoan is a must-see for the adventurous traveler or intrepid surfer.

ABCD Beach, Calicoan Island’s prime surfing area boasts both left-hand and right-hand waves. Surfing season runs from April to November. Summer months are perfect for learners with gentle 2 to 3 foot waves, while the latter months offer bigger and more challenging waves. Board rentals are available as are surf lessons upon request.


What to see...
Calicoan Island is envisioned to become the surfing capital and a top tourist destination in Eastern Visayas.

Calicoan Island boasts of miles of white sand beaches. With powerful swells rolling in from the Pacific over the 10,000 meters Philippine Deep, Calicoan is a surfer's paradise. The season for the best waves is generally from October to March.

In the middle of the island are six lagoons ringed by forest, the largest being 30 hectares in size.

At the cliffside margin of Calicoan's forests are dozens of caves. On the northern tip of Calicoan are wetlands like the Everglades, teeming with fish, shrimp, and crabs.

The rich diversity of the area is evident when one sees the exotic species being sold. The surrounding waters support several marine based industries such as fish, seaweed, and pearl farming.

Calicoan Island is one of the islands of the town of Guiuan, in the province of Eastern Samar. It lies east of Leyte Gulf, off the southeast point of Samar. The island can be reached from Tacloban City by a two-hour bus ride.