Malapascua Island, Philippines: A Popular Diving Site

While watching GMA-7s late night program “Born to be Wild”, hosted by Doc Ferds Recio and Kiko Rustia, I got to see a wonderful island in the Philippines, the Malapascua Island, which is eight kilometers off the province of Cebu. It has a white sand beach, similar to Boracay Island although I can say that it is not as popular yet. Many say that it is going to be the next Boracay in terms of being a tourist attraction.

One of the most popular attractions of the island is its rich diving spots. You can observe from below different species of fish and corals and the breathtaking Thresher sharks moving around its deep blue waters. It is becoming very popular among diving enthusiasts.

Another interesting place to see in Malapascua is the Calanggaman Island, which is around an hour or so by boat. There you can snorkel or just simply swim around while enjoying the ambience of a virgin paradise. Maripipi is also a wonderful destination for those who want to explore volcanoes.

Put Malapascua Island on top of your list if you plan to go around the Philippines. 

Pix: http://malapascuaislandsite.info/2010/05/malapascua-island/

The Amazing Belize Blue Hole

Photo of the Great Blue Hole of Belize courtesy of beautyofearth.net

After hiking, I’d like to go diving. I have featured here the Tubatahha Reef, one of the most popular diving spot in the Philippines. I’d like to out this time, to a distant location- Belize, a country in Central America. I have learned about Belize when I blogged about the Guatemala Sink Hole on my other blog- Amazing People and Events (I considered the sink hole a peculiar phenomenon or event). As I have read about sink holes, I've learned about the Great Blue Hole of Belize, which is a pre-historic sink hole.

The Belize Blue Hole has a circular opening and the water is royal blue in color. It is around 984 feet in diameter and 407 feet deep. Scientists calculate its age through stalactite formations, which goes as far as 153 thousand years ago. It is a home to a variety of underwater fauna and flora and has become a UNESCO world heritage site.

Filmaker, explorer and researcher Jacques-Yves Cousteau made the Great Blue Hole famous when he brought his ship, the Calypso to it in 1971 and declared it a great diving site. Since then, many adventurers were attracted to its mystery and beauty.

The Great Blue Hole of Belize fascinates me beyond words. I definitely cannot explore its hidden splendor and what lies awaiting under its deep blue color but maybe some videos may give us an idea of what’s down there. Here is a You Tube video clip of Belize with divers from Big Fish Dive Center filmed by Philippe Madeira.

The Lantau Hiking Trail in Hong Kong

Photo of The Lantau Hiking Trail and Cable Cars on the right courtesy of www.tripadvisor.co.uk

For able-bodied people, probably one of the most exciting experiences is trekking or hiking. You can see and explore different places leisurely most especially if you like nature. It allows you to test your endurance while enjoying fascinating views.

For persons with disabilities like me, perhaps it is a dream that may remain a dream for a while. Meanwhile, maybe, I can try to find other ways of exploring them.

Outside the Philippines, one good place for hiking is the Lantau Hiking Trail in Hong Kong. It is a seventy-kilometer, circular trail that crawls around Lantau Island. It starts and ends at Mui Wo or Silver Mine Bay Beach.

Photo of The Lantau Peak courtesy of wanderingdanny.com

Lantau Island treats you with its 934-meter high Lantau Peak. Photographers, videographers and naturalists will surely find a great time with its lush green panoramic view. One interesting landmark in the island is the highest and the biggest seated bronze Buddha statue in the world. It reaches a height of 34 meters and weighs 250 tons. You will need to climb more than 250 steps to reach the platform where it sits. If you like a more exciting experience, you can try the Ngong Ping 360. It is a 5.7 kilometer-long cable car ride around the mountain side of the island, which is about a twenty five minute ride.

Photo of the Lantau Tian Tan Buddha courtesy of nomad4ever.com

From the Philippines, Hong Kong is a very attractive destination because Hong Kong does not require tourists to secure a visa. It lessens the hassles of traveling. If you have a passport and the budget, you can go right away. You will surely have a wonderful experience that will last for a lifetime.

The Burnham Park

Burnham Park is the heart of Baguio City. Almost all major developments of the city like commercial centers, the Baguio Cathedral, the City Hall and the City Market have risen around this popular tourist spot.

 The park has acquired its name from its planner Daniel Hudson Burnham, who is also responsible for the original plan for Baguio City. According to GoBaguio.com website, much of Burnham’s original design has remained along the years although some improvements to it have been undertaken. Burnham Park has retained its glory as one of the most famous park in the country.

Burnham Park has been famous for its man made lagoon with boats for hire, the Children's Playground, the Skating Rink, the Rose Garden, the Orchidarium and the Igorot Garden. You can see there the Melvin Jones Grandstand, the Athletic Bowl, a Picnic Grove, the Japanese Peace Tower, Pine Trees of the World and the Sunshine Park as well.

Info: gobaguio.com

Baguio City: Philippines' Summer Capital

The Philippines is going through a period of dry spell. Scientists call it “El Niño”, which means that there will be a hot, dry climate all over the archipelago. We cannot blame some people who look for at least a temporary relief from the scorching heat by going to cooler places where they can spend even just a short vacation.

With or without El Niño, a famous destination during the stretch of the summer months is Baguio City, which makes it the summer capital of the Philippines as thousands seek to take refuge in the cool city. Experts say that Baguio is 8 degrees cooler than the lowland on the average and seldom goes beyond 26 degrees. In fact, the SM Mall in Baguio City is the only mall in the country that does not have an air conditioning facility.

Baguio City is in the province of Benguet in Northern Philippines, which is part of the Cordillera Administrative Region. It is about a six-hour travel from Manila on land. Its name comes from the Ibaloi (native language in Benguet region) word meaning "moss". Perhaps, because of its trees and vegetation. It is famous for vegetable and strawberry farms.

Historically, the development of Baguio City began in the early 1900’s during the American occupation of the Philippines. The American Governor Luke E. Wright commissioned the renowned urban planner Architect Daniel Hudson Burnham for the improvement of the city as a health resort for American soldiers and civilian employees, better known as the Burnham Plan.

The plan dramatically changed the entire mountain range and caused a rapid physical development. The plan had put together a road and a park system for a garden city that could accommodate about 25,000 to 30,000 people. The government that time enacted a charter authored by former Philippines Supreme Court Justice George A. Malcolm, that was in September 1, 1909, which supported the development plan and gave administrative autonomy to the city.

When the famous Kennon Road became open to traffic, almost immediately after the enactment of the charter, it prompted the progress of the mining industry up to mid 1930’s. It had made Baguio City the service and operations center for the rapidly growing industry which caused a fast-paced economic growth in the city.

The Second World War however, impeded all the development and almost left it in total destruction. However, soon after the war, developments proceeded rapidly.

Today, Baguio City has become a highly urbanized city known for its universities, businesses and tourism spots.

Images courtesy of:

kriyayoga.com

2010 Google Map

The Beautiful Maria Christina Falls

The distinctive diversity of our culture and our fascinating natural resources paints an inimitable image on the huge scenery of the world’s richest heritage. Much to my dismay, I could not get a chance to see and walk by the alluring wonders about which we have been studying since elementary days.

One of the most famous natural wealth of the Philippines is the Maria Christina Falls. It is the pride of Iligan City. The residents dub their city as the “City of Majestic Waterfalls” not just because of the famous Maria Christina but also because of more than twenty other waterfalls formed by the Agus River that crosses the region.

Maria Christina Falls is nine kilometers away southwest of the city bordering three barangays, Maria Christina, Ditucalan, and Buru-un. Behind its splendor and majesty, rising up to 320 feet high, its raging surge of water of about 130 cubic meters per second generates a power enough to produce 200 mega watts for the Agus IV Hydroelectric Power Plant.

The National Power Corporation operates the Agus IV Hydroelectric Power Plant since 1953. It provides a viewing deck for tourists who want to view the majestic queen in the south- Maria Christina Falls.

Images Courtesy of:
http://www.maxtein.com/travel/images/
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/

Mayon Volcano

Mayon Volcano is one of the most famous volcanic landmarks in the entire Philippine archipelago, particularly in the Bicol Region. It stands majestically with an almost perfect cone shape, which no other stratovolcano anywhere in the world can match. It is 15 kilometers from the city of Legazpi, Albay Province.

Its base measures 130 kilometers in circumference and rises to 8,077 feet from the Albay Gulf, which has a distance of ten kilometers. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) maintain a 6-kilometer permanent danger zone from its crater because it remains to be the most active volcano in the Philippines if not in the entire Pacific Ring of Fire.

Yet, in spite of the danger of its erratic activity, it allures people from different places with its enigmatic magnificence only God can create. It is sometimes ironical, even unsympathetic that tourists would come to see the volcano at the middle of its activity just to watch and wait for what it would do. The red-orange crater glow in a clear night sky, which molten rocks and lava flows create at the crater summit are amazing images of the wonder of nature.

Several days ago, on November 11, 2009, Phivolcs has placed Mayon Volcano in alert level 2 after manifesting activity. With rumbling and earthquake, it spews grayish ash two times in a day.

However, the most devastating eruption of Mayon on record happened in 1814. Molten rocks and flaming lava flowed down its slopes reaching towns below. An estimated 1,200 people took refuge in Cagsawa church in the town of Daraga, Albay. However, the fiery flood submerged the entire town and the church, killing all the people inside. Only the bell tower of the church remained standing.

Today, the Cagsawa Ruins (bell tower) have become a memorial monument that reminds the tourists and visitors of the cruelty of the volcano’s anger behind its calm and pristine appearance. The Cagsawa Park is under the management of the municipal government of Daraga, Albay.

You can reach Albay, either by train or bus from Manila.

This is a Wikipedia photo of Mayon Volcano taken from outer space

For more information and photos of Mayon Volcano,

you can visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayon_Volcano