Undiscovered Philippines: Island Hopping

Undiscovered Philippines: Island Hopping

By F. Recto

For the typical tourist, an ideal vacation in the Philippines would be either relaxing at a beach or cooling off in the mountains. While all these vacations are enjoyable, we forget that the Philippines has more islands that have yet to be discovered. If you want to have better ideas for a vacation here in the Philippines, here are some examples you may want to inclue in your itinerary while staying at the furnished apartment in Novaliches:

Catanduanes is one island that still remains untouched by tourists. Puaran Beach, home of the “majestic waves”, is one of Catanduanes’ prized attractions. The island also has diving spots for snorkeling, and beautiful waterfalls like the Sulong Falls. The fastest way to get to Catanduanes is a direct flight from Manila to Virac, Catanduanes.

Romblon is made up of twenty different islands. Several beaches line the coasts of the Romblon islands, like the Tablas beach. Other natural attractions include the challenging Mt. Guting-guting and the crystal-clear Busay waterfalls. It only takes one ferry ride at the Batangas Port to get to Romblon. On the way back, you could either leave from the Magdiwang port in Sibuyan Island or the San Agustin port in Tablas Island.

Davao Oriental, dubbed the “Sunrise Capital of the Philippines”, is a tourist spot that should not be missed. Aside from being the home of some of the most beautiful sunrises in the country, it is also home to a bonsai forest in Mt. Hamigutan, and Cape San Agustin, where St. Francis Xavier was said to have celebrated his first mass. To get to Davao Oriental, fly first to Davao City then take a 2.5 hour bus trip to San Isidro or a 4 hour bus trip to Mati city.

Aside from being known as one of the oldest pre-Hispanic settlements in the Philippines, Antique also has natural attractions like the Tiblao River, which is perfect for kayaking. Another attraction is the province’s tallest mountain, Mt. Madla-as, which is considered sacred to the locals and home to very rare plants and animals. Antique is also known for “Busang Patadyong”, a group of weavers that make excellent quality patadyong mats. To get to Antique, you can either fly to Caticlan or to Iloilo then take a bus or a van to Tibiao, Antique.



Sources:

http://en.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Top_10_Hidden_Vacation_Spots_in_the_Philippines
http://www.lakas.com.ph/2012/06/how-to-get-to-romblon-island-romblon/
http://route63travels.com/catanduanes-tips/
http://itsmorefuninthephilippines.com/davao-oriental/how-to-get-there/?page_id=3230
http://www.lakwatsero.com/destinations/travel-guide-siquijor/
http://katahum.com/how-to-get-there/