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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Galera

Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro

Puerto Galera is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Oriental Mindoro, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 21,925 people in 4,424 households. It is the northwesternmost municipality in Oriental Mindoro.
Puerto Galera is only three and a half hours away from Manila first by bus to the port at Batangas City and then by boat. Tourists can also take the tourist service called the Sikat, from the City State Tower Hotel in Manila from the Batangas City port to Puerto Galera or Sabang Beach, Mindoro.

Location:


Puerto Galera - White Beach:


Recommended Beach Club & Dive Resort:
http://www.llbc.com.ph/home.html

http://www.balesin.com/factsheet.htm

Balesin Island Resort
Polilio Quezon Province Resort, Phili

Balesin is a mere 25-minute plane ride from Manila. It is located east of Mauban, Quezon beside the Polillo Islands and nestles at the gate of Lamon Bay, one of the richest, undisturbed fishing grounds in the Pacific. A true island paradise.

BACKGROUND
Balesin Island , which is currently owned by Balesin Corporation, is a 424 hectare island resort located in Lamon Bay , Pollilio, Quezon Province , Philippines ; 25 miles of the eastern coast of Luzon , and 95 air miles, (approximately 30 minutes flight time) from The Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Metro Manila.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Balesin has a 424 hectare total land area. It is approximately 5 kilometers long and 1.5 kilometers at its widest point. The island is generally flat except for some elevated areas, (cliffs) which reach up to 6 meters above sea level. There is abundant vegetation consisting of rain forests, coconut trees, wild shrubs and flowers. White sand beaches, accentuated by coves formed by coral rock formations, surround Balesin Island .

WEATHER
The island experiences sunny weather throughout most months, typical for a tropical climate. Mild southwesterly winds prevail from March to August while northeasterly winds occur from September to February. The short rainy season starts in September and ends in December, with heaviest rainfall occurring between October and November. The island is an ideal location for beach resort and outdoor leisure activities.

SEA CONDITIONS
Except for rare occasions when the islands west coast is disturbed by light northeast winds, the sea is generally calm and ideal for water activities and passage of all types of sea craft.



Approx. location

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canigao

Canigao Island

Canigao is an islet located in the Philippines, near the municipality of Matalom. The area is known for abundant fishing grounds and scenic coral reef areas suitable for diving.

Canigao Island is uninhabited, featuring a lighthouse as its only significant man-made structure. The beaches are white sand, with tropical sea creatures and extensive coral reef in the surrounding waters. The climate is tropical and similar to that found in other areas of the Philippine islands. These natural features often attract tourists and scuba divers, who arrive at the island by traveling from Matalom (in the province of Leyte).

The eastern and southern part of Canigao island is placed under nature protection as a sanctuary. Due to this, activities such as swimming, diving, fishing, snorkeling, and boating in the protected areas are limited by law.

Canigao Island


Approx. location


Web page about Diving in Canigao Island
http://www.infohub.com/TRAVEL/SIT/sit_pages/20499.html

good thread.

BORACAY ISLAND, PHILIPPINES

Do I need to input info's about this world famous paradise island? I think there's enough stuff on the internet regarding resorts, hotels, dive sites etc just do a search...

Located at the northwestern tip of Panay, this small island has meanwhile become the number one tourist destination of the Philippines.

It has also been voted in 1990 as one of the best beaches in the world by the BMW Tropical Beach Handbook. The British Publication TV Quick in its issue of December 21, 1996 gave the latest accolade for Boracay as the number one tropical beach in the world. The island roughly shaped like a dumb-bell, is 7 kilometers long and the narrowest spot is nearly 1 kilometer wide.

The best part of the island is its 4 kilometer "White Beach", also called long beach by the locals. It is situated at the West Coast between the villages of Angol and Balabag, and some experienced travelers claim it to be the finest beach of all Asia. The water is shallow here, and its sand brighter and finer than most beaches in the archipelago. There are about 350 beach resorts with more than 2000 rooms to suit virtually everyone's taste. There is accommodation of all types and price categories.

Aside from a bevy of resorts, Boracay boasts of a diverse selection of restaurants, ranging from the native fast-food stalls to establishments that would satisfy even a gourmet. One can find bars, beer joints as well as discos with amazing light and sound equipments open until the late morning hours. The White Beach may be the main attraction of Boracay, but there's much more, including watersports, beach volleyball, diving, snorkeling, motorbiking, mountainbiking, hiking, trekking, and even plain lazing around.

http://travelsmart.net/ph/resorts/Boracay/




location:


island map:


Boracay Flights are provided by the following domestic carriers. The fastest way to travel to Boracay is to fly from Manila Airport to Caticlan Airport, there new planes can achieve the flight to Boracay in just 35 minutes.

Flights to Kalibo. Flight time from Manila to either Caticlan or Kalibo is about the same ( 50 minutes ), and from Cebu City the flight takes 30 minutes. Flight schedules vary, so consult your WOW Philippines Travel Agency or the airline companies directly.

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yeah, it's sad that filipinos are not into travelling... even domestic travelling...

CEBU CITY

Province of Palawan
The Last Frontier

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palawan

Palawan is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region. Its capital is Puerto Princesa City and it is the largest province in terms of land area. The islands of Palawan stretches from Mindoro to Borneo in the southwest. It lies between the South China Sea in the northwest and Sulu Sea in the southeast. The province is named after its largest island, Palawan Island.

Palawan is Famous for...

World's Largest Pearl Found Here
The 9.45-inch Pearl of Allah is the world's largest. It was found by a diver off the Philippine island of Palawan in 1934 and is stored in a museum in that country.

Calauit Game Preserve & Wildlife Sanctuary

It is a unique game reserve and wildlife sanctuary of exotic African animals and endangered endemic animals of Palawan.
Established on August 31, 1976 by virtue of Presidential Decree No.1578, this was initiated in response to the appeal of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature to help save African wildlife when former President Ferdinand Marcos attended the 3rd world Conference in Kenya. By virtue of RA 7611 (SEP), administrative jurisdiction of DENR was given to the local government of Palawan, effective December 31, 1993. Management of the area is the responsibility of the PCSDO (Palawan Council of Sustainable Development Office). It is located in Calauit Island, Busuanga, Palawan.

Coron Reefs, Coron Bay, Busuanga

Seven enchanting lakes surrounded by craggy limestone cliffs attract hundreds of nature lovers to Coron Reefs in Northern Palawan, near the town of Coron.
Busuanga Island, whose main town is Coron, is the jump-off point for numerous dive operators. The principal dive sites are 12 World War II Japanese shipwrecks sunk on September 24, 1944 by US Navy action. They range in depth from the surface to 40M. This large variety offers exciting wreck exploration for enthusiasts, from novice divers and snorkelers and recreational divers to experienced TEC divers. Dive operators offer PADI dive courses ranging from Discover Scuba to Assistant Instructor, Technical and Enriched Air Diving, as well as other specialty courses. Dive operators offer day diving, snorkeling trips, and overnight dive safaris. Live-aboard and charter boats also offer diving in the area.

El Nido Marine Reserve Park

UNESCO World Heritage Sites:

Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park 1999

This park features a spectacular limestone karst landscape with an underground river. One of the river's distinguishing features is that it emerges directly into the sea, and its lower portion is subject to tidal influences. The area also represents a significant habitat for biodiversity conservation. The site contains a full 'mountain-to-sea' ecosystem and has some of the most important forests in Asia. -UNESCO

Tubbataha Reef Marine Park 1993

The Tubbataha Reef Marine Park covers 332 km², including the North and South Reefs. It is a unique example of an atoll reef with a very high density of marine species; the North Islet serving as a nesting site for birds and marine turtles. The site is an excellent example of a pristine coral reef with a spectacular 100 m perpendicular wall, extensive lagoons and two coral islands. -UNESCO

How to get there:
By Land or by Air

Palawan can be reached within an hour and five minutes' flight from Manila to the capital city of Puerto Princesa or a 20-hour trip by sea. A choice of regular Philippine Airlines (PAL), Air Philippines or direct-chartered flights can be made, depending on the desired destination. PAL and Air Philippines flights will take one directly to the heart of the province, where connecting trips to nearby premier sites can be made. Charter flights via Soriano Air, Pacific Air, Asian Spirit, and Sea Air will take one to his desired island, be this Cuyo, Curon, Busuanga, or El Nido. WG&A Shipping Company flies the Manila-Palawan route regularly.

Location:


Beautiful pristine white beaches and crystal clear water, caves, diving sites etc etc

BOHOL

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bohol

Bohol is an island province in the Visayas. It lies southeast from Cebu across Bohol Strait and southwest from Leyte, separated by the Camotes Sea and Canigao Channel. Bohol is also located north of Mindanao with Bohol Sea between them. With a land area of 4117.3 km² and a coastline 261 km long, Bohol is the tenth largest island of the Philippines. The main island is surrounded by about 70 smaller islands, the largest of which are Panglao Island facing Tagbilaran City in the southwest and Lapinig Island in the northeast.
The terrain of Bohol is basically rolling and hilly and about half the island is covered in limestone. Near the outer areas of the island are low mountain ranges. The interior is a large plateau with irregular landforms.
Near Carmen can be found the major tourist draw of the province, the Chocolate Hills. The more than 1,200 uniformly cone-shaped limestone hills were named that way because in the summer, the grass growing on the hills turn brown, making the landscape look like it had chocolate mounds all over. The Chocolate Hills is found on the provincial seal of Bohol.
Panglao is famous for its diving locations and routinely listed as one of the top ten diving locations in the world. Numerous tourist resorts dot the southern beaches and cater to divers from around the world.

Tourism plays an increasing role in the island's economy. An international airport is currently planned for Panglao which houses the most-visited and accessible beaches in the province. Proponents of the scheme hope that the new airport will increase Bohol's reputation as an international tourist destination although the plan has been dogged by ongoing criticism.

GETTING THERE:

http://www.aenet.org/bohol/bohvisit.htm

You will most likely be approaching Bohol from Cebu but there are direct flights to Tagbilaran from Manila that probably depart at least once a day. Check with Philippine Airlines (PAL) or your international carrier about transfers.

From Cebu, Bohol is easily visible from any vantage point that provides view across the 20-mile wide Bohol Strait. You can fly the short distance on PAL or you can check one of the competing domestic airlines such as Grand Air. Tickets can be purchased at Mactan Airport or in Cebu City. If you do fly, remember to confirm your return trip as soon as you arrive at the Tagbilaran Airport.

I've never flown to Bohol. There are many ferries that ply the Cebu-Bohol route throughout the day. Besides saving a few pesos, there's nothing like an inter-island ferry for catching the beautiful vistas that the archipelago has to offer.

In recent years, fast and smooth catamaran ferries have been put into service. What was a 4-hour trip now takes just 90 minutes. The ferries go by such names as "Supercat" or "Water Jet". "Jet" because the interior seating is setup much like an airplane. There are even snappily-clad "float" attendants to demonstrate use of life preservers (makes more sense on water than at 20,000 feet up) and emergency exits. In-float videos are shown.

These "fast cats" leave several times a day from Pier 1 located a few blocks from Fort San Pedro which houses the tourism office and also has a refreshment stand. The fort is worth seeing and is a good place to check schedules and get your last minute travel questions answered. The post office is also nearby.

If you'd like to save even a few more pesos and aren't in a hurry, you can take one of the regular cargo/passenger ships. These leave at all times and take 4 hours to Tagbilaran. Cargo is stored down below and passengers fill the upper deck. The deck area usually has a roof but is open on the sides. Tarps can be pulled down to enclose the area during stormy weather or at night. The seats are cots and families will stake out territories by pulling several cots together and laying out blankets and a picnic lunch or dinner. Some ferries have air-conditioned rooms with comfortable seats for slightly higher fares. Fares are paid as you board or sometimes after the ship is on its way. Ships often have a departure time but don't pay too much attention to it. It's a good idea to be ready to go but don't be surprised if a truckload of pigs shows up at the last moment that must be laboriously loaded squeal by squeal. If you're impatient, take a catamaran.

Many vendors sell their goods or ply their trades along the pier. You'll see a Boholano delicacy called calamay that comes in a coconut shell that is taped together. Inside is a thick sweet paste made of coconut milk and rice with peanuts added. It can be used as a spread on crackers. Other snacks include fresh and cooked banana, other fresh fruits (the best mangos come from Cebu and Bohol), and roasted or boiled peanuts. You'll also find bar-b-que shrimp, pork and chicken along with boiled eggs and balut (boiled duck embryo in the shell). Add puso, which translates to "hanging rice" because it is cooked inside woven palm-leaf pouches, for a quick meal. If you have time, how about a manicure, haircut, massage or having your fortune read?

Some of the regular ferries go to other ports such as Tubigon directly across the strait (3-1/2 hours) and Talibon to the north. Tubigon is a good place to go if your destination is the dive resort on Cabilao Island or directly to Carmen and the Chocolate Hills without visiting Tagbilaran first. You can save the expense of spending a night in a hotel by catching the boat to Tubigon that leaves after midnight. Stop at Fort San Pedro around sunset when the walled fortification becomes a lover's rendezvous then grab dinner at a "sidewalk cafe" near the pier. After a few San Mig's board the boat before midnight and you can set up your cot for the night. The ship's horn might wake you up at 2am but otherwise you should be able to sleep through to your arrival at daybreak. From Tubigon, buses go north toward Carmen and south to Tagbilaran.

Cebu City is a long and expensive (up to $20) taxi ride from Mactan Airport. If you'd like to bypass Cebu City altogether and go directly to Bohol saving some pesos along the way, take a taxi from the airport to Lapu-Lapu City which is still on Mactan Island. Ask the driver to drop you off at the pier. Here you can catch a small ferry that goes directly to the Cebu pier about every hour for 10 pesos more or less. This is also a scenic ride. Since you arrive at the ferry pier you can go direct to the next catamaran or ship to Bohol.

Location:


Pics:


chocolate hills

you got it all wrong. there's a new revolution now in the philippines. and that is domestic travel. filipinos today are more appreciative of their homeland than before. whenever i backpack with my friends, we always compete with fellow filipinos in domestic flights, ferries and accomodations. that's my experience.

CAGAYAN DE ORO

Home of white water rafting in the Philippines

jolo, where the action is non-stop

Thank you for posting about Canigao. I was thinking that I'm running out of places to travel next.