Located in the city center, the Davao Chinatown, which encompasses the areas of Ramon Magsaysay Avenue, Monteverde Avenue, Sta. Ana Avenue, and Leon Garcia Street, is a trading center of various business establishments built by Filipino-Chinese, who are living in the Mindanao area. Also known as Mindanao Chinatown, Davao Chinatown is around 44 hectares and it is the only business center found in the Mindanao region in the Philippines. The Archways or the main entrance of Davao Chinatown is near [...]
One of the reasons tourists flock to the island of Boracay is its different ambiance from the City. Visited by millions of domestic and foreign tourists every year, the pristine-white sand Beach of Boracay is no longer the only thing the visitors can enjoy. They can also avail the wide-variety of adventures, services and products offered in the island. One good example of these unique products are the hand-painted shirts and the fresh sea-foods. You can also buy the delicious [...]
Strategically situated in the secluded northwest part of Surigao, Almont Beach Resort, sometimes called as Almont Resort Hotel, is one of the finest Hotels in the city. Located about 5 kilometers from the city center, Almont Beach Resort offers high-quality rooms, foods and amenities. It is the “go to” resort for most foreigners visiting the area because of its relaxing ambiance, outside the hustle and bustle of the city. From the Airport of Surigao or the City Hall, near the [...]
One of the less visited old churches in the island of Bohol, the Calape Catholic Church is a Gothic-inspired place for public worship dedicated to San Vicente Ferrer. Named after a type of rattan, locally named as kalapi or kapi, the town of Calape, as well as the church established in 1802, is situated about 40 kilometers northwest of Tagbilaran City. Calape is on the western coast of Bohol. The town was established in 1802. The first settlers were said [...]
For many travelers, Boracay means beach, adventure & fun but for food lovers, the island offers a distinctive taste of freshly cooked seafood. There are different variety of seafood in Boracay from fishes of different kinds such as Tuna, Marlin and Bangus to Shrimps, Lobsters & Seaweeds. Most restaurant in the island offers seafood but only a few can cook it with finesse. Before choosing your fresh seafood, try to check the prices first and compare with the nearby stores. [...]
Situated about 35 kilometers from Tagbilaran City in Bohol, the Sagbayan Peak Water Park is a tourist destination that is gradually getting the attention of the islands’ visitors. Their facility, which includes a uniquely-designed swimming pool and clubhouse, is a perfect place to hold a Sunday bonding with the family or even held parties and special events. The Sagbayan Water Park in Bohol is a child-friendly park, which has a security personnel and lifeguard on-duty during open hours. It has [...]
Many of us often feel a spinning sensation when we are on an elevation or in great heights. We feel fearful and often find ourselves going back to the ground level rather than conquering it. Termed as Acrophobia, the fear of heights may vary from person to person. Most of us experience a degree of natural fear when exposed to heights, especially if there is little or no protection. Those who are confident in such situations may be said to [...]
One of the activities offered by EAT Danao in Bohol, aside from the heart-pumping Plunge and Zipline, which they referred to as Suislide, is the Cable Car. Named as Sky Ride, the Cable Car Ride is an open-air cabin, suspended about 200 meters above the Wahig River. It is a 15 minute-ride back and forth in 300-meter solid steel cables. Everyone who rides the Cable Car will experience a panoramic view of the gorge (a deep ravine, usually with a [...]
Fire Dance is one of the things you will see and experience when you visit Boracay. This is a dance where the dancer carries a couple of small flaming containers and dances freestyle or depending on the type of music they are dancing. The fire container is suspended on a metallic chain and one end is secured on the fingers of the dancer. The dancers will see to it that the fire will not throw away to the audiences. Fire [...]
Are you looking for a restaurant to dine which is away from the hustle and bustle of the city? A restaurant where you can enjoy good food, different ambiance, great Cebu City view on one-side and mangrove forests on the other side? I am talking about Lantaw Floating Native Restaurant. Lantaw according to http://translate.sandayong.com/cebuano/english/lantaw means “can be seen from a distance”, a name that fits since the restaurant offers a panoramic view of Cebu City. Lantaw Floating Native Restaurant is [...]
What makes the Philippines more than a usual holiday destination?
Some say, when the Gods created the Philippine island, they liked it so much, they decided to create seven thousand more. That meant having over seven thousand different views of the sun, and many different beaches like Boracay, which is probably unlike anywhere you’ve ever been.
They say that Gods took their time when they made this paradise. Having thousand of islands also meant that our wildlife and marine life are among the most diverse in the world.
Even our history comes in many chapters, each one with the different theme. Our colors come in infinite forms and our melting pot of cultures contain more than the usual ingredients, so you can expect more than the usual festivals every year.
We’re oriental, and were western too! That’s why no matter where you're from, the Philippines will feel like home.
Many come here to learn... and play. We just love taking the usual things further like honeymooning , relaxing, partying, and shopping. You haven’t seen a real bargain unless you shop here.
And if we like to over do things here in the Philippines just imagine what it’s like, to be our guest!
Accommodation in the Philippines is not a problem in highly urbanized cities such as Manila, Cebu and Cagayan de Oro. Tourism spots such as Boracay, Panglao and Palawan also offers great prices for overnight stays. In most cities, the price ranges from P800-P1500 for economy, P1500-P3000 for midrange and over P3000 for high end. Prices usually go up during Peak season such as Christmas and summer. Prices will double or even triple in "Super Peak" seasons such as New Year and Holy Week. In most cities of the Philippines, prices stay the same throughout the year except during fiestas and festivals. Be sure to book ahead of time to avoid any hassles. Hotels usually get fully booked even before the month of the festival.
Internet Access
In most part of the Philippines, even in small towns, have one internet café. But in more populated towns and cities, internet cafés can be seen in every corner. Prices are normally at P20 per hour in more decent places. Internet connection is relatively fast at 1mbps and most computers in urbanized cities are on the higher end. Some internet cafes are open 24 hours and offer a promo rate of P10 per hour from late evening until dawn but will tend to be very noisy as this will be the time most adults play their favorite online games. Browsing, chatting, playing games and encoding are just some of the things you can do in most cafés. Free WI-FI connection is available in most coffee shops and some fast foods and malls. Plenty of hotels and resorts in the Philippines offer free computer use and WI-FI to the guests.
Climate
The Philippines has a tropical marine climate dominated by a rainy season and a dry season. It is relatively predictable and similar in most parts of the region. The hottest climate is experienced during the summer in the months of March to May at a maximum of 38° C (100° F). During this time, El Niño is usually felt in most part of the Philippines making large amount of damages to agriculture. Temperature starts to drop in June and rainfalls are gradually experienced until October. La Niña the counterpart of El Niño is sensed during this season. The best time of the year in the Philippines is around November to February where humidity is pleasant and rainfall is not too much.
Business Hours
Different businesses in the Philippines open in different time of the day. Shopping Malls usually open at 10am to 9pm. Supermarkets are open at 9am to 8pm and wet markets are open early morning until 6pm. Most banks operate from 9am to 4pm but banks inside shopping malls, such as Banco de Oro, opens until 7pm. ATM machines are found in most populated area and are accessible 24 hours. Bars are open from 6am until dawn and restaurants open from 8am to 11pm. Government offices such as SSS, Pag-ibig, Philhealth, Post office and BIR among many others opens at 8am to 5pm with most of them having lunch breaks at 12nn to 1am. Embassies and consulates open at 9am to 1pm during weekdays. Most private companies operate at 8am to 5pm but with the growth of the outsourcing industry in the Philippines, some companies are open 24 hours and are on employee shifting scheme.
Transportation
The Philippines offers a wide range of transportation. Urbanized cities usually have an airport and seaport for both international and domestic travels. In most cities, jeepneys are the main land transportation. Jeepney fare starts at P7.00 and goes up depending on the distance of your destination. Buses are found in most part of the country traveling from the City to the different provinces of the island. Railway transits are found in Manila that offers fast travel experience. Tricycles and “pedicabs” (or cycle rickshaw) are found in most parts of the country with fares ranging from P5 up to P50 or even higher. Taxis are all over major cities. Just be sure to tell them to turn on their meter or you’re going to pay P200 for a 10 km ride.
Telecommunications
The Philippines has a good telecommunications from ham radios to cellphones. Ham radios are still being used by police, military, reporters and some non-government organizations in communicating. As of 1997, there are 7.3 million telephone mainlines in use which makes it easier to communicate locally and internationally. There are also radio broadcasting stations (both AM and FM) in every part of the country as well as television broadcasting stations. The Philippines has 3 giant mobile companies namely: Globe Telecom, Smart Communications and Sun Cellular with over a thousand cellular sites all over the archipelago. Since the advancement of SMS, it has been an important part to the Filipino lifestyle. This makes the Philippines as the SMS capital of the world. Without a doubt, text messaging and mobile calls are not a problem in the country. The country is also equipped with broadband internet which makes it easy to communicate anywhere in the world.
