by Jims Vincent Capuno
This summer, re-live the wonders of four local tourist destinations:
BOHOL: A geological marvel
“ Bohol is like a jade brooch set on a velvet-blue sea,” one author wrote. “Its fertile land has hills that roll gently around lush forests and grassy meadows. Marine life – from schools of tiny reef fish to bigger pods of dolphins and whales – teem in the surrounding waters.”
Carmen, an interior municipality, is home of the world-famous Chocolate Hills, an amazing geological curiosity that can only be found in this part of the world. The collective splendor of nearly two thousand similarly shaped hills, ranging from 30 to 50 meters above a mainly flat land, and the legend attached to them, never fails to amaze local and foreign tourists.
Boholanos are a deeply religious people, and the island has eight fine churches, including Baclayon, seven kilometers southeast of the capital, Tagbilaran. Baclayon Church is the best preserved Jesuit-built church in the region, although its facade and most of the stone structures surrounding it were built by the Augustininan Recollects in the late 19th century. In 1995, the National Historical Institute declared the church a historical landmark.
Like most islands in the Philippines, Bohol is also noted for its fine beaches. Some of the more well-known are found on Panglao Island. The Alona Beach, named after the popular film star of the 1970s (Alona Alegre), has the biggest number of beach front accommodations anywhere in the province.
Bohol may not be as famous Boracay, but is best known for its attraction to local divers. The dive sites are noted for their deep, steep walls – the creation of continental shifts during prehistoric times. At the end of the causeway connecting it to Tagbilaran is Panglao Island with its spectacular drop-offs.
IFUGAO: Stairway to heaven
People flock to the province of Ifugao because of the world famous, gracefully contoured rice terraces nestled within the rugged Cordillera mountain range. The rice terraces reach up to heights of 1,500 meters and if laid end to end, cover over 20,000 kilometers. They showcase an irrigation system which uses gravity to bring forest waters from a height of about 1,800 meters down to the lowest tiers.
The rice terraces can be viewed from the town of Banaue. However, the more spectacular terraces can be found in Batad and Mayoyao. Batad rests snugly at the bottom of a magnificently steep circle of terraces, which resembles a giant amphitheater. With no visible encroachment of civilization, the place is home to a village of authentic Ifugao people.
Mayoyao, on the other hand, is a three-hour ride from Banaue along a road which dips and climbs hundreds of meters along picturesque terraced hills, forests, and villages. Houses here have huge roofs and a neater, less crowded layout. The views of the terraces along the route are awesome.
PALAWAN: Nature at its best
Palawan is known as having one of the most beautiful seascapes in the world. Sprawled beneath the seas are nearly 11,000 square kilometers of coral reefs. Palawan was proclaimed as a fish and wildlife sanctuary in 1967 and to this day, this group of islands is probably the best protected province in the whole country.
One reason why people come to Palawan is the world-famous St. Paul Subterranean National Park, a massive white rock mountain which rises 1,028 meters above sea level and stretches towards Cleopatra’s Needle. Its main feature is the underground river, with its 8.2 kilometers of labyrinthine caves carved through the centuries by action of rainwater and the waves of the South China Sea.
The Subterranean River is a maze of intricate caves and endless wonders. Once inside, one can enjoy seeing a myriad of rock formations which resemble real-life objects, like a giant mushroom, a huge jellyfish, a huge madre de cacao, a man and his dog, skeletal stalactites that look like filigrees.
There are two more destinations one should not miss: El Nido and Honda Bay. El Nido is the place with crystal clear waters and many wonderful dive spots along with first class resorts. It is named after the exotic delicacy called birds nests harvested from the islands’ limestone caverns and exported to some countries where they are converted into expensive bird’s nest soup.
For divers, Palawan is a paradise. The mideast part of the Honda Bay area is studded with coral patches up to 18 meters across, interspersed with sand patches. There are numerous schools of small reef fish, parrot fish, snappers, and sometimes crayfish. Because the area is inconsistent, the tourism department cautions divers to carry a compass.
SAMAL: Earthly paradise
Over 20 beach resorts (both commercial and privately-owned) dot the island’s 116 kilometer-stretch of white sandy beach and coves. Fellow travel writer Ronald de Jong observed: “The beautiful and serene seashore is endowed with mangroves, swamps and coconut trees. This earthly paradise has been praised for its beauty like no other island in the region.”
The Island Garden City of Samal is rich in coral reefs, ideal for scuba-diving and other aqua sports, such as snorkeling and sailing. Two sunken World War II-vintage Japanese naval vessels await discovery by divers only 60 meters from the Pearl Farm Beach Resort.
The Haguimit Falls is located about two kilometers from Peñaplata district. It is a haven for picnickers, swimmers and nature trippers yearning for the simple, inexpensive pleasures in life. The area is well-covered from the scorching heat of the sun by a canopy of full-grown trees.
Another must-see is the Monfort Bat Cave, whose colony of bats was certified by the Guinness Book of Records as the largest populated by fruit bats in the world with a population ranging from 1.8 to 2.5 million as of 2006.
For trekkers and nature enthusiasts seeking higher grounds, climbing mount Putting Bato, the highest peak in Samal, towering 1.362 feet above sea level, promises to be a great adventure. According to those who have scaled it, the mountain slope is stunning and the changing landscape astonishing.
The combination of unparallel natural beauty and exotic attractions, its breathtaking panoramas, the warmth and the hospitality of its friendly people make the tropical island of Samal indeed a real paradise on earth.
