Tuesday 27 October 2009

Camiguin - Island of SEVEN Volcanoes.


Once again our friend, Ryan, has delivered a great article for Tourism-Philippines about Camiguin island in the Southern Philippines.

We can incorporate a visit and stay on this beautiful island as part of your Philippines holiday. Please ask.

Take a look at the full article HERE.

Monday 26 October 2009

The Philippines on BBC2

A really positive hour-long programme about the Philippines on BBC2 last night.

Charley Boorman - Sydney to Tokyo By Any Means

There have been a lot of positive tweeting on Twitter about the programme, and rightly so. The friendliness and warmth of the Philippines came over loud and clear.

Friday 16 October 2009

The Elegance of old Manila

What wonderful footage from 1938!

Many people rode around in calesas. This is still possible by Manila Bay.

Thursday 8 October 2009

Latest Atlantis Resort Newsletter


Once again, we're proud to link to the monthly newsletter of our friends at the Atlantis Resorts. This can be downloaded here...

We offer diving holidays to Atlantis at Puerto Galera, on the island of Mindoro, and also Dumaguete, on Negros Oriental. Even if you don't dive, these are relaxing resorts at which to stay, offering a high standard of accommodation and facilities.

Don't forget, we also offer Liveaboard Dive Cruises with Atlantis. Full information on our website here.

Wednesday 7 October 2009

Tourism brings prosperity to the Philippines.

Lamac, in south-western Cebu, is in a secluded mountain valley, and many have described it as a “hidden paradise.”

It had no road, no electricity and no water supply. Not too many wanted to go there to discover its natural wonders, such as its seven caves, a lagoon for water sports and lake for rafting and fishing.

But the residents, mostly farmers, realising they have a jewel of a place, volunteered to build on a rotation basis, a road making their barrio accessbile to the outside world.

Lamac now has a church, health centre, elementary and secondary schools, post office, bakery, its own water system and drug store, plus a concrete road used by farmers to sell their products. Here's the full article...

Tuesday 6 October 2009

Sorsogon, Bicol


Sorsogon, in the Bicol Region, is at the southern tip of Luzon Island, Philippines, and here we offer eco packages that can be incorporated into your holiday. These tours include:

Whale shark interaction and Manta bowl dives - swim with the whale sharks and dive with the manta rays!

River kayaking - For the athlete and athlete at heart, Donsol River's 100 kilometer stretch will be a challenge on its own.

Firefly river tour - the fireflies on the Donsol river should not be missed, and it is easy to get mesmerized by their dancing!

Trekking up the Mayon Volcano - The Mayon Volcano is the most popular tourist attraction in the Bicol region. (More on our Trekking page.) More information can be found on our Eco Donsol Page...

Monday 5 October 2009

Banaue Rice Terraces

More than 2,000 years ago, the lfugaos, with only simple tools and bare hands, carved rice fields out of the mountainsides with several peaks rising as high as 6,000 feet.

These were irrigated through a complex of bamboo pipes and canals, drawing water from streams created by bubbling springs. As they toiled the soil and planted the staple grains, they kept carving out fields and building soil embankments until, in the passing of time, the rice terraces almost reached the peaks.

Often called "the eighth wonder of the world", the Banaue Rice Terraces stand as the most awe-inspiring man-made landscape in the Cordilleras!

The panorama of the terraces becomes stunning as it changes colors with the season: varying shades of green in the planting season; alternating gold and ochre tones in the harvest season, and, different hues of the sky as reflected by water in the bare fields.

We offer tailored tours into this, and other parts of North Luzon, using air-conditioned 4x4 transport, with accommodation included. See more on our page Here.

Friday 2 October 2009

Cebu Flowerpecker is species champion in UK bird fair

The country’s Cebu Flowerpecker recently received the Bird Life Species Champion award in the recently held British Birdwatching Fair 2009 in Oakham, Rutland, United Kingdom (UK).

Known as the ‘Woodstock of Birders,’ the British Birdwatching Fair is an exclusive event where all sectors in birdwatching and wildlife conservation from all over the world gather.

Presented by BirdLife International, the award was given to the Department of Tourism (DOT) which was also named as the Species Champion for the said endemic bird.

“This award seals our country’s status as a premier birdwatching site in the global birders’ community. More importantly, it will draw further support for biodiversity awareness and wildlife preservation from our local sectors,” said Tourism Secretary Ace Durano.

The Cebu Flowerpecker has been rediscovered by renowned birder and zoologist Dr. Rob Timmins who saw it in 1992, 100 years after its last sighting. The bird was found in the village of Tabunan, and small numbers can also be seen in Nug-As and Mount Lantoy, also in Cebu. Presently, an estimated 100 birds of this species may be living in the area.

British birdwatchers have also confirmed new sightings of the elusive bird. Matt Merritt, Features Editor of the noted BirdWatching Magazine, wrote about his party’s glimpses of the rare specie in their visit to Cebu recently. He described it as stocky, 12cm-long, with a distinctively red back, grey-white underparts, blue-black wings and a black head with short stout bill.

Capturing the bird in a photo has long been every birder’s dream, as no photo of it yet exists due to its size and elusive nature, some of UK’s birders said.

Touted by the British wildlife enthusiasts as the bird that’s ‘back from the dead,’ the Cebu Flowerpecker was also cited as the flagship specie at the UK Birdfair. The event theme for this year was ‘Lost and Found,’ highlighting winged species which were known to be extinct but have been recently rediscovered.

Apart from the Cebu Flowerpecker, Merritt named other prized winged species that his group saw in their treks to other birding sites of the country which are Pampanga and Palawan.

Some which he mentioned include, the Philippine Duck, Cinammon Bittern, Night Herons, Luzon Hornbill, Philippine Hanging Parrot, Bar-bellied Cuckoo Shrike, Philippine Falconet, Sooty Woodpecker, Yellow-vented Bulbuls, Brahminy Kite, Great Sand Plover, Terek Sandpiper, Stork-billed Kingfisher, Palawan Peacock Pheasant, Tarictic Hornbill and Black Shama.

“With one-third of our birds endemic, birdwatching is a viable tourism product for serious birders who make up a sizeable part of our high-spending segment,” added Durano.

Thanks to WowPhilippines.com for the story.

We'll shortly be adding some great new bird tours to our website. Take a look at the Birdwatching page.

Take Me To The Philippines!

Apl.de.Ap of the Black Eyed Peas delivers an appropriate message...

Tourism Unaffected by Recent Tropical Storm

In light of the recent events brought about by tropical storm "Ondoy", the Department of Tourism reports that its tourism infrastructure remains intact, unaffected and in full operation.
The country continues to lure travellers with its raw natural beauty and warm friendly people.