IT'S MORE FUN IN LUZON

manila ocean park - glass bottom boat ride The Manila Ocean Park's glass bottom boat ride. a small boat with a glass bottom to see the acquarium/ocenarium below with a guide . a short trip on the small lake/lagoon is 150 pesos per person. check out the boat Manila Ocean Park christmas promo for discounts.

 One of the most magnificent sights when going east of Manila is Lake Taal, a very large lake with Taal Volcano on an island within the lake, with a two-kilometer wide lake in Taal Volcano's crater, and a smaller island inside that lake!   Lake Taal itself consists of water which collected in the caldera of a massive volcano, so there are high ridges above the lake, however when I visited it wasn't even possible to see the lake from the top because the air was so murky, and there certainly wasn't any hope of seeing Taal Volcano.   The volcano is very active, there have been numerous eruptions over the centuries, the most recent activity lasted from 1965 to 1977, during which pyroclastic flows travelled several kilometers across Lake Taal, killing hundreds of villagers.   You can get some sense of how hazy the air was from this photo of the faux castle at "Fantasy World Resort" near Lake Taal, which is supposedly modelled after the very famous Neuschwanstein castle in Bavaria - which was itself a fake 19th century concoction!


That castle isn't the only great work of culture in the area east of Manila, there's also this mermaid at the coastal town of Atimonan, known locally as the Sirena.
It's said to be a replica of the famous Little Mermaid on the rock in Danmark's capital, Copenhagen, but my guess is that the Danes have no great need to fear this bit of competition!

Star city is one of the most affordable theme parks in the Philippines. Attractions here draw crowd from different parts of the country. So if you are planning to spend quality time with your family in this full of excitement venue but don't know how to arrive in its location, here's the directions to the Star City from different parts of Metro Manila. Star City is located in the CCP Complex in Pasay City at the corner of Vicente Sotto and Magdalena Jalandoni streets.

In the Philippines, there are three regions where this feast is being held: Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Since my family and I are based in Manila, we’ve been observing the feast in Luzon for over a decade now. Specifically, it’s usually held in Pangasinan where majority of members in Manila come from.

Baguio
 There’s no other place in the world like Baguio.it is one of the high-class urbanized cities located in the Northern part of Luzon. As a part of the Benguet province, Baguio is not only abundant in attractive tourist destinations but it is also rich in cultural heritage as well. Every year, when the sun is striking hot at some areas in the Philippines, Filipinos from neighboring provinces, especially from Manila, drive up to the steep road of Kennon or Marcos just to reach Baguio. That is why the city is popularly known as the Summer Capital of the Philippines.
The locals of Baguio City are gifted with the skill of turning a lifeless wood into a new form. Wood carving is one of the major industries in the city of Baguio. There are many wood carving shops scattered around Baguio. Some are just on the side of the streets welcoming you as you enter the city coming from Marcos highway. Typical wood carving subjects are religious icons, animals, chairs and an Ifugao hunter.

Camiguin, a tropical paradise, is one of the Philippines’ most beautiful islands. It is the home of the sweetest lanzones in the country and one of the best mangoes for export. Tourist spots in Camiguin include the Sunken Cemetery where a large white cross marks a cemetery swept into the sea by Old Vulcan Daan’s eruption in 1871, it has 3 beautiful and scenic falls- the Katibawasan Falls,

Siargao

Banawe Rice Terraces and Sagada

The Banawe Rice Terraces were carved some 2000 years ago by the ancestors of the Ifugao, the indigenous people of the Cordillera region where the terraces were built. The rice terraces are often called the 8^th Wonder of the World and is declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is located in Northern Luzon, some 240 kilometers north of Manila. A further yet worthwhile trip into the Cordilleras in Mountain Province is the town of Sagada. More popular as a backpacker’s destination, Sagada has a lot to offer. It also has rice terraces like in Banaue, plus other points of interest like the hanging coffins, waterfalls, underground river and caves.

Mayon Volcano, also known as Mount Mayon, is an active volcano in the province of Albay, on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. Renowned as the "perfect cone" because of its almost symmetric conical shape, Mayon forms the northern boundary of Legazpi City, the largest city in terms of population in the Bicol Region. The mountain is a national park and a protected landscape in the country proclaimed as as Mayon Volcano Natural Park in the year 2000.

1. Plaza San Luis Location: Intramuros, Manila

2. Fort Santiago Location: Intramuros, Manila

Description: Which marks its entrance on the northwestern trip to Intramuros, started in 1571 and completed nearly 150 years later by Filipino forced labor. The pre Spanish settlement of Rajah Sulayman was a wooden fort on the ashes of which was built the Spanish fortress which was Spain's major defense position in the islands. It looked out on the sea, towards which is canons were trained to ward off pirates and invaders. Also known as the "Shrine of Freedom", in memory of the heroic Filipinos imprisoned and killed here during the Spanish and Japanes eras. Partly rebuilt from the ruins of World War II, it is now a park and premonade housing a resident theater company - PETA which has used ramparts, old garison and small chapel, as theaters for both traditional and modern plays.

3. Rizal Shrine Location: Fort Santiago, Intramuros, Manila

Description: The restored shrine inside Fort Santiago houses Rizaliana items in memory of the Phiilppines' national hero. Jose RIzal spent his last few days here before he was executed on December 30, 1896. Among the objects exhibited are various books and manuscripts by and about the national hero; sketches, paintings, wood carvings and sculpture done by the hero; paraphernalia and souvenir acquired during his several trips abroad; and a collection of colonial style furniture form his hometown in Calamba, Laguna.

4. Mabini Shrine Location: Pandacan, Manila

Description: Apolinarion Mabini, the intellectual leader of the Philippine Revolution, lived in this house as a law student, a lawyer and worker who advocated Philippine Independence from Spain. During the American Occupation, it was much frequented by foreign correspondents who found Mabini both interesting and informative and became intellectual headquarters of the first Philippine Republic.
The house was made of bamboo and nipa roof. the floors are polished bamboo slats and the walls are sawali. It is a typical lower middle income family house. The pieces of furnitures in the house are replicas of the originals.
 

5. Palacio del Gobernador Location: Plaza Roma, Gen. Luna St., Intramuros, Manila

Description: Formerly the home of Manuel Estacion de Venegas, a governors' aide, the two-storey structure was expropriated and subsequently made the official residence and office of the Spanish governor-generals in 1654 until an earthquake brought it down in 1863. It lay in ruins for almost a century until the Land Bank of the Philippines built an 8-storey building on the site in 1978. the office of Intramuros Administration is presently housed here.