PHILIPPINES EXOTIC SITES FOR VACATION

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herever your travels take you in Iloilo, you will experience 

the unique charm of this historic province.  

A relatively short trip, and you are magically transported 

to a totally different environment, an extra ordinary 

destination of remarkable sights.

Standing at the crossroads of the Orient and the developed Western world,

ILOILO lies in the Heart of the Philippines, stretching 4,663 square kilometers.  

This strip of land is cut by the Iloilo and Salog Rivers, looking like a nose, hence, 

the name "Irong-Irong," and later, Iloilo was given.  Occupying the southern 

and northeastern portion of Panay Island, to the north of Iloilo lies the 

Province of Capiz and JIntotolo Channel, Guimaras Strait washes its s

outhern shores, to the eastern side, the calm waters of Panay Gulf and 

Iloilo Strait, and the Province of Antique is our western neighbor.

Composed of 42 municipalities and a component city, Iloilo is readily accessible 

to the different regions of the country. Its unique location has made Iloilo 

the commercial, cultural and intellectual center of Western Visayas

from the dawn of history. Strategically, it is considered as one of the

main tourist’s entrance here in the region. Iloilo City, the vibrant 

provincial capital, is a booming financial center.

The provinces’ geographical structure and makeup has, 

in fact proven to be an advantage to the traveler, particularly 

the adventurous, daring and enterprising. The province is 

connected by a network of modern roads and bridges that 

traverse towns in the south with their old churches and A

ntillan houses; the cool, mountain haven of pine trees, 

 flowers and wildlife sanctuaries in central Iloilo; and the 

stunning land and seascapes with strings of resorts in the north.

But, for many visitors to Iloilo, their enduring memory of their 

travel will always be the people. Considered as the birthplace 

of Malayan civilization in the Philippines, present-day Ilonggos 

are a complex lot, most come from Malay stock, with 

varying infusions of Chinese and Spanish ancestries. 

Ilonggos are gregarious, fun-loving people whose 

hospitality is legendary. Their amiable faces, always ready 

with a warm smile and a cheery welcome, embodies 

a beautiful culture with pleasing voices that echo a proud past. 

Ilonggos are proud of their legacy as people normally 

entertaining their guests with tales of their cultural affluence. 

Moreover, Iloilo is steep in historical significance. 

Its contribution to history is valuable. It is home to 

freedom fighters, outstanding legislators, legal geniuses, 

noted business pioneers and famed musicians. 

Ilonggo’s zest for life has made us a world-class professional

human resource.

        Wherever your travels take you in Iloilo, you will experience

the unique charm of this historic province. A relatively short trip, 

and you are magically transported to a totally different environment, 

an extra ordinary destination of remarkable sights and 

attractions: a rendezvous of street dancing in January, 

retreat in April, beachcombing in May, from June to October, 

it is bustling education center, and the closest thing to white 

Christmas in December

There will definitely never be a dull moment here. 

Many who visit over and over again, and who have definitely 

fallen in love with the place, would attest to the charm, beauty, 

and magnetism of Iloilo.

GUIMARAS   "Mango Country"

Guimaras is one of the exotic islands in the Philippines. 
The originally its name was Himal-us but was changed to 
Guimaras after the  folktale of the lovers named 
Princess Guima and the slave Aras, 
who defied tradition for their romance.
The island was once a sub-province of Iloilo 
but by virtue Of R.A. 7160 it was proclaimed 
a regular province on May 22, 1992.
 The province is basically agricultural, 
with palay, coconut, mango,  vegetables, 
livestock, poultry, and fishing as major products.
Likewise, the major industries in the island are 
tourism, fruit processing, coconut processing, 
Handicrafts making, mining, and lime production.

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GUIMARAS
  "Mango Country"

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GUIMARAS
  "Mango Country"

Ifugao is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Covering a total land area of 262,820 hectares, the province of Ifugao is located in a mountainous region characterized by rugged terrain, river valleys, and massive forests. Its capital is Lagawe and borders Benguet to the west, Mountain Province to the north, Isabela to the east, and Nueva Vizcaya to the south.It is named after the term "i-pugo" which means "i" (from/people) and "pugo" (hill), thus people of the hill. IFUGAO has been and always to be separated from the Igorot tribe. There are alot of misleading information that always fusing the Ifugao tribe to the Igorots.
The Banaue Rice Terraces is the main tourist attraction in the province. These 2000-year-old terraces were carved into the mountains, without the aid of machinery, to provide level steps where the natives can plant rice. In 1995, they were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Iligan is nestled in the midst of luxuriant natural beauty of Northern Mindanao. It is a city truly blessed and nurtured by Mother Nature. It is protected from typhoons by natural barriers; its terrain is hugged by a long stretch of shoreline along the Iligan Bay.

Its mountains and lush forests hide numerous waterfalls in its embrace, earning for itself the title “City of Waterfalls.” The most famous, enchanting and the most awesome of these is the Maria Cristina FallsAgus River. Agus and Maria Cristina are sources of hydro electric power for most of Mindanao’s requirements. Spring like Timoga and Taytay are sources of cool and pristine water for swimming resorts that provide relief from summer heat. The coastline as well offers beaches and picnic grounds.

The rich soil, even rainfall distribution, and ideal topography provide suitable conditions for diverse agricultural ventures.

With all the natural wonders and blessing bestowed upon the city, the most prized asset of iligan is still the warm and vibrant hospitality of its people. Both natives and people of different ethnicity all come together to make iligan their home.

Ilocos Norte (Filipino:Hilagang Ilokos; Ilokano:Amianan nga Ilocos) is a province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region in Luzon. Its capital is Laoag City and is located at the northwest corner of Luzon Island, bordering Cagayan and Apayao to the east, and Abra and Ilocos Sur to the south. Ilocos Norte faces the South China Sea to the west and the Luzon Strait to the north.Ilocos Norte is noted for being the birthplace of former President Ferdinand E. Marcos, who led an authoritarian rule over the country during the latter half of his incumbency. The Marcoses enjoy a modicum of popularity in the province. Ilocos Norte is also known as a northern tourist destination, being the location of Fort Ilocandia, an upper class beach resort famous among expatriates, and Pagudpud.

Ilocos Sur (Filipino:Timog Ilokos) is a province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region in Luzon. Vigan City, located on the mouth of the Mestizo River is the provincial capital. Ilocos Sur is bordered by Ilocos Norte and Abra to the north, Mountain Province to the east, La Union and Benguet to the south, and the South China Sea to the west.              The historic city of Vigan, which was inscribed in UNESCO’s World Heritage List in November 1999, is found in this province. Established in the 16th century, Vigan is the best preserved example of a planned Spanish colonial town in Asia. Its architecture combines cultural elements from elsewhere in the Philippines and from China with those from Europe to create a unique culture and townscape without parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia. Its Kamestizoan District has examples of typical houses with tiled roofs, hardwood floors, balustrades and azoteas in varying Spanish-Mexican-Chinese architectural styles.
Centuries-old Santa Maria Church, declared a National Landmark, was used as a fortress during the Philippine Revolution of 1896. Tirad Pass, declared a National Shrine, held the last stand of the Filipino Revolutionary Forces under General Emilio Aguinaldo of that same period. Bessang Pass served as the backdoor to General Yamashita’s last ditch defense during the last stage of World War II.

ISABELA

Shaped like a sea horse, Isabela is the largest of the the islands in the Galapagos, more than 4 times larger than Santa Cruz the next largest. Isabela is 80 miles (100 km) in length and though it is remarkably beautiful it is not one of the most visited islands in the chain. Its visitor sites are far apart making them accessible only to faster boats or those with longer itineraries.

    One of the youngest islands, Isabela is located on the western edge of the archipelago near the Galapagos hot spot. At approximately 1 million years old, the island was formed by the merger of 6 shield volcanoes - Alcedo, Cerro Azul, Darwin, Ecuador, Sierra Negra and Wolf. Five of the six volcanoes are still active (the exception is Ecuador) making it one of the most volcanically active places on earth. Visitors cruising past Elizabeth Bay on the west coast can see evidence of this activity in the fumaroles rising from Volcan Chico on Sierra Negra.

   Two of Isabela's volcanoes lie directly on the equator - Ecuador and Volcan Wolf. Volcan Wolf is the youngest of Isabela's volcanoes and at 5,600ft (1707 m) the highest point in the Galapagos. Isabela is known for its geology, providing visitors with excellent examples of the geologic occurrences that have created the Galapagos Islands including uplifts at Urbina Bay and the Bolivar Channel, Tuft cones at Tagus Cove, and Pulmace on Alcedo.

    Isabela is also interesting for its flora and fauna. The young island does not follow the vegetation zones of the other islands. The relatively new lava fields and surrounding soils have not developed the sufficient nutrients required to support the varied life zones found on other islands. Another obvious difference occurs on Volcan Wolf and Cerro Azul, these volcanoes loft above the cloud cover and are arid on top.

Isabela's rich animal, bird, and marine life is beyond compare. Isabela is home to more wild tortoises than all the other islands. Isabela's large size and notable topography created barriers for the slow moving tortoises; apparently the creatures were unable to cross lava flows and other obstacles, causing several different sub-species of tortoise to develop. Today tortoises roam free in the calderas of Alcedo, Wolf, Cerro Azul, Darwin and Sierra Negra.

    Alcedo Tortoises spend most of their life wallowing in the mud at the volcano crater. The mud offers moisture, insulation and protects their exposed flesh from mosquitoes, ticks and other insects. The giant tortoises have a mediocre heat control system requiring them to seek the coolness of the mud during the heat of the day and the extra insulation during the cool of the night.

    When tortoises reach 20 to 25 years of age they become sexually active. Beginning approximately a month before the end of the rainy season the tortoises mate, after mating the females set out on a journey to lay their eggs. Alcedo females venture down to the sandy shores of Urbina Bay building nests in the sand. The female digs a hole with its hind legs approximately (30cm) deep. Once she is please with the hole she deposits between 2 and 16 eggs then covers the eggs with a layer of mud and urine before starting her journey back up the mountain. Baby tortoise take between 120 - 140 days to hatch usually happening between December and April.

    On the west coast of Isabela the nutrient rich Cromwell Current upwelling creating a feeding ground for fish, whales, dolphin and birds. These waters have long been known as the best place to see whales in the Galapagos. Some 16 species of whales have been identified in the area including humpbacks, sperms, sei, minkes and orcas. During the 19th century whalers hunted in these waters until the giant creatures were near extinction. The steep cliffs of Tagus Cove bare the names of many of the whaling ships and whalers which hunted in these waters.

Birders will be delighted with the offerings of Isabela. Galapagos Penguins and flightless cormorants also feed from the Cromwell Current upwelling. These endemic birds nest along the coast of Isabela and neighboring Fernandina. The mangrove finch, Galapagos Hawk, brown pelican, pink flamingo and blue heron are among the birds who make their home on Isabela.