5/31/11

Glan Sarangani






Bounded on the east by Davao Del Sur, on the north by Malapatan, Sarangani Province, on the west by South China Sea, and to the south is Sarangani Bay. It has a total population of Eighty Three Thousand Fifty One (83,051) as of May 1, 2000 ( Source: National Statistics Office, Population Census ). The terrain of Glan is characterized by flatlands, rolling hills and mountains. Most land areas have been converted to agriculture and fishponds.WORLD CLASS BEACHES & RICH FISHING GROUNDS

Many foreign and local tourists flock to the area during summer because of its world class beach resorts. The sorrounding waters, particularly in Gumasa, Baliton and Margus areas are rich fishing grounds. As many as 2,400 species of marine animals have been found in the bay. The dominant catch include yellowfin tuna, shipjack, and mackerel.



Posted by zildjian Franz at 6:32 AM 0 comments
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5/29/11

Samal Island


Samal Island 

Samal Island offers unending fascination with its white-sand beaches, thick mangroves, coral reefs, rolling hills and rock formations.It is an archipelago of nine islands located in the Davao Gulf about 700 meters south of Davao City. An ideal model for resort and development, Samal Island provides a fabulous site for sunrise and sunset. 

Samal Island, like the rest of Mindanao, is outside of the typhoon belt, and enjoys relatively calm weather. Its coastline is characterized by tall, swaying coconut trees, white sand beaches, rock formations, mangroves, coral reefs, and small fishing villages, all suggestive of a tropical island paradise. 

Almost all of the beach areas have white sand, with widths varying from only a few meters to more than 10 meters. It provides ample space for picnic huts, reclining chairs for sun bathing, or for simply relaxing and enjoying the tropical scenery.

The water is crystal clear throughout the coastline, which varies in terrain from gently sloping sand beaches to steep cliffs and rock formations. The colors of the coastline at the beach areas transforms itself from the green lush vegetation of coconut trees, to the white sandy beaches, to the dark blue color of the sea, with its deep waters and coral reefs. 

Among its popular attractions are the Aguinaldo Pearl Farm, the caves of Talikud Island, the White Stone Mountain, and the San Jose Muslim Fishing Village. 
Posted by zildjian Franz at 8:53 AM 0 comments
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5/28/11

Beach Surfing in Surigao


Are you tired of the Urban Jungle? Try Siargao, a more than the usual island in the south with a different flavor. Dancing with gigantic waves is the main attraction in this part of Surigao del Norte. If you're ready to get wet, this island promises you to get "Wild over Water". Who would believe that one of the world's most admired surfing spot is part of our 7,107 islands?
Some says it takes you forever to reach this jewel island but its worth for an adventure lover like me. Almost seven hours to be exact, counted from the time I left my house in Manila. If you are coming from Manila, it will take you one and a half hour flight to reach Butuan City then a two hours bus ride to Surigao City, the jump-off point to the island of Siargao. In Surigao, you will take a 15-minute jeepney ride to the pier to take a two-hour ferry ride to Dapa (Siargao's main port town). If you miss the the 5:30 am ferry schedule, then you'll have no choice but to wait for the 2pm one. Once in Siargao, you'll have another 45-minute jeepney ride to reach the town of General Luna, where the famous Cloud 9 is. If you thought Siargao was only for surfers, think again. During the off season there's still plenty to do like island hopping, diving, kayaking and more. Are you ready to get Wet?
Siargao: A Surfing Paradise
The unspoiled teardrop shaped island called Siargao is a Shangri-la for adventurers and nature lovers. It is the surfing capital of the Philippines. This surfing haven is located 800 kilometers Southeast of Manila. Siargao is now one of the world's great frontiers for surf exploration. Its most popular break is "Cloud Nine." Surfing is best from July to November when strong waves are in constant motion. The powerful wave-off "Cloud 9" has been hailed as one of the world's five toughest breaks and has been frequently compared to the famous surf of Hawaii and Australia.
Siargao's "Cloud Nine", a powerful hollow right hander, featured in "Surf Magazine" as one of the ten best waves in the world. East of Siargao Islands lies the Philippine Deep that rises from over 34,000 ft to a belt of reefs. This Oceanic trench is the reason for the excellent surf in Siargao; because it is so deep and the continental shelf narrow, the waves break with juice straight out of deep water and focus the wave energy straight at the beach. This area is set to become Asia's next hot surfing destination and is truly one of the worlds' last great frontiers for surf exploration.
Siargao Island is Surigao Del Norte's "last frontier" facing the Pacific Ocean. The island boasts of quite a number of untapped natural resources that tourists marvel. Aside from the white beaches that abound, the seas of Siargao are the fishermen's choice to catch fish and other marine products. This year, under the administration of Gov. Robert Lyndon Barbers, Siargao's infrastructure development got the much needed "shot in the arm" with its people seeing and feeling the improvements where during the previous provincial leaderships, "it was only but a dream," so they said.
Are you ready for Island Hopping? There are islets where you'll find fine white sand beaches and crystal clear waters comparable to Boracay Paradise. The three favorites - Guyam, Daku and Naked Island are close to General Luna and can be visited by renting your own banca for only P1,000.00. Traveling around the town makes easier with habal-habal, a motorcycle that can load up to 7 passengers to that will bring you to different destinations in town.

Posted by zildjian Franz at 10:35 AM 0 comments
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5/22/11

7 Wonders

7 Natural Wonders...of the Philippines


If you are fond of traveling and visiting other places, Philippines should be a part of your itinerary. You’ll find everything that you want here – beautiful places, delicious food and friendly people. You’ll definitely never run out of things to do (and see) here in my country.
As part of my countdown before hitting the second “hub” milestone (this is my 48th hub), I would like to present to the readers the natural wonders of the Philippines. There are many, believe me, but in the interest of space (and time), I have limited them to seven. These are by no means official but these are made by nature and are some of the top tourist destinations in my country. So read on and enjoy the pictures.

Banaue Rice Terraces

Widely considered as the “Eighth Wonder of the World”, the Banaue Rice Terraces are already 2,000 years old. They were carved in the Ifugao mountains and were (are still, actually) used for planting rice and vegetables. These rice terraces were largely believed to be made by hand (with minimal or no equipment at all). Spanning about 4,000 miles, these rice terraces are said to go around half the globe if the “steps” are placed side by side. It is one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Site.
Courtesy of: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/17/Rice_Terraces_Banaue.jpg

Tubbataha Reef

Another UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Tubbataha Reef is home to very beautiful corral reefs. It is located in Sulu Sea (about 150 kilometers southeast of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan) and houses a lot of marine creatures. The reef was declared a national marine park by the then-President Cory Aquino in 1988. It is open for divers from around the world from March to June of every year.
Courtesy of: http://www.thinkphilippines.com/pictures/tubbataha-reef1.jpg

Mayon Volcano

Located in Legaspi City, this is one of the most active (if not the most active) volcano in the country. It is known for its near-perfect cone and is also the mountaineers’ favorite because of the challenge of climbing this volcano. Seen near the volcano is the bell tower of the church of the town of Cagsawa, the only reminder of its most destructive eruption on Feb. 1, 1814.
Mayon Volcano with the bell tower in front. Courtesy of: http://media.photobucket.com/image/mayon%20volcano/Pnong_pino/5.jpg

The Hundred Islands

These hundred islands are located in Alaminos City, Pangasinan. The age of these islands? Approximately 2.0 million years old. They are actually “ancient corals that extend well inland”. Of all the islands, only three are actually developed for tourism: Governor Island, Quezon Island and Children’s Island. The islands cover about 18.44 square kilometers.

Courtesy of: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:HundredIslandsNationalPark20050420.jpg

Taal Volcano

Another one of the active volcanoes in the country, Taal Volcano is located between the towns of Talisay and San Nicolas in Batangas. It is considered an island inside Taal Lake, a body of water surrounding the volcano which is actually believed to be a former crater or mouth of a larger volcano. It is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, making it very volatile. The volcano has become a very famous tourist spot; as a result, various establishments have been set up surrounding the lake. Due to its proximity to these establishments and human activities, the volcano is kept under close, tight watch for any signs of volcanic activities.

Courtesy of: http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1060/541816359_9c44a89af4.jpg

The Chocolate Hills

Another one of Philippine’s pride, this one is located in Bohol and is considered one of this place’s most famous attractions. The number of hills varies. Some say about 1,200 hills, others about 1,700 hills. Regardless of the number, the hills are, more or less, uniform in shape (about 30 to 50 meters). Why are they called chocolate hills? Because these hills are covered in grass, which during the end of the summer months, turn chocolate brown.
Courtesy of: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/136/336635045_2b8cab156b_o.jpg

Mount Makiling (or Mount Maquiling)

This one is a “dormant” or potentially-active volcano. Located in Laguna, it is one of the most popular destinations for hikers. There are actually roads going up this mountain but if you really want to see its beauty, you have to veer away from these roads and hike on foot. This mountain has a lot of hot springs inside, which are the source of the hot spring resorts surrounding the mountain. Part of Mount Makiling is located in the University of the Philippines, the premier university of the country and one of the designated caretakers of this lovely mountain. From afar, the mountain looks like a reclining lady, said to be Maria Makiling, the “guardian” of the mountain.
Courtesy of: http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1086/737951237_06aba45ce2.jpg?v=0
Posted by zildjian Franz at 9:53 PM 0 comments

5/6/11

Boracay



Boracay is an island of the Philippines located approximately 315 km (200 miles) south ofManila and 2 km off the northwest tip of Panay Island in the Western Visayas region of thePhilippines. In 1990, it was voted by the BMW Tropical Beach Handbook as one of the best beaches in the world and again in 1996 by British publication TV Quick as the world's number one tropical beach.[2][3][4]
The island comprises the barangays of Manoc-Manoc, Balabag, and Yapak (3 of the 17 barangays which make up the municipality of Malay), and is under the administrative control of the Philippine Tourism Authority in coordination with the Provincial Government of Aklan.
Posted by zildjian Franz at 6:47 PM 0 comments
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