Top Tourist Spots in the Philippines: Natural Wonders
Here is a list of the top most beautiful natural tourist spot attractions in the Philippines.
Most
of the top tourist spot attractions in the Philippines are natural
wonders. There is no doubt that the Philippines is blessed with such
beautiful places that makes it one of Asia’s favorite vacation place.
Declared
as one of the United Nation’s World Heritage sites, the Puerto Princesa
Subterranean River National Park features a spectacular limestone karst
landscape with an underground river. The river’s distinguishing
features is that it emerges winds through a cave before flowing directly
into the South China Sea. Major formations of stalactites and
stalagmites, and several large chambers are also a highlights in the
river. The stalactites and stalagmites formation resembles amazing
images shapes like “banana blossom”,”bell pepper”, “corn”, “mushroom”,
and the “nativity”.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.
Considered
to be the 8th wonder of the world, the Banaue Rice Terraces are
2,000-3,000 year old terraces that were carved from the hillside by the
tribes people of Ifugao. The tribes people did this with their bare
hands to level the steps where they plant their rice, which is what
makes this wonder so attractive, aside from the fact that the rice
terraces are still used today. The rice terraces are like stepping
stones stretching towards the sky, where some of them reach almost 5,000
feet in altitude and cover about 4,000 square miles of land.
This
is considered to be one of the greatest engineering feats of mankind,
because if each one were connected end to end, then they would reach
halfway across the globe or be 10 times as long as the Great Wall of
China. On 1995 the Banaue Rice Terraces were declared a World Heritage
Site by UNESCO.
Spread
over the municipalities of Carmen, Sagbayan and Batuan, the Chocolate
Hills is Bohol’s signature attraction. It consists of approximately
1,268 cone shaped hills with heights ranging from 40 to 120 meters.
Formed centuries ago by tidal movements, the hills are considered as a
National Geologic Movement. During the dry season, the grass covering
the hills dry up and the brown earth is exposed, transforming the area
into seemingly endless rows of chocolate Hershey’s “kisses”
4. Taal Volcano
Reputed
to be the world’s smallest active volcano, it is a volcanic island at
the middle of a lake in the Southern Tagalog province of Batangas.
Inside the volcano is the Crater Lake, and inside this lake is yet
another volcanic island called Vulcan Point. A magnificent view of Taal
Lake and volcano can be seen from the nearby Tagaytay highlands.
Visitors need a boat ride from the shores of the big lake to get to the
volcano, and horses are available for rent to explore the island.
The
Hundred Islands are a group of 124 islands scattered along Lingayen
Gulf covering an area of 4,557 acres in the northern Philippine province
of Pangasinan. They are believed to be about two million years old.
Only three of them have been developed for tourists: Governor Island,
Quezon Island, and Children’s Island. The islands are actually ancient
corals that extend well inland, in an area previously comprising the
seabed of an ancient sea
Measuring
99,600 hectares in size, the Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park is
made up of 2 atolls rising in the middle of the Sulu Sea. A Study by
Conservation International has confirmed what Scientists long theorized,
that it is the nursery for fish and coral larvae that populates the
Sulu-Sulawesi Triangle – an area that not only covers the most important
and productive fishing grounds of the Philippines but extends as far
south as Malaysia and Indonesia. So important is this submerged
structure in the balance of the underwater eco- system that UNESCO
declared it a world heritage site as far back as 1993.
Considered
as the Philippines most popular waterfalls, it is situated in the
rugged highlands of Cavinti in the Tagalog province of Laguna. The base
of the Pansanjan falls is a natural pool, allowing great swimming and
diving. There are some caves to explore around the area which are known
for their acoustics. Behind the waterfalls there is also a small cave
which you can enter. To reach the waterfalls, visitors ride upstream on
bancas (local canoes) handled by skillful boatmen. Many smaller
waterfalls are visible on the way to the main falls especially during
the rainy weather. The ride downhill is a swift one where visitors get
to shoot 14 roaring rapids in less than an hour.
Famous
for its almost perfect conical shape, Mayon Volcano is one of
philippine’s top tourist destination. Even with the fact that it is the
most active volcano in the country does not stop tourist from taking a
glimpse on this majestic volcano. Towering 2,462 meters above sea level
with a jagged crater, the Mayon Volcano have unleashed its power and
fury in almost 50 recorded eruptions since 1616. Its volcanic activity
is regularly monitored by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and
Seismology at their provincial headquarters.
The
Magellan’s Cross is the most famous tourist spot in Cebu City because
of it’s great historical significance. The Magellan’s Cross is housed in
a chapel next to Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño in Magallanes St, and
in front of the City Hall of Cebu. It is considered to be the most
important landmark of Cebu and in fact it ‘s image can be found in the
official seal of Cebu City.
The original
wooden cross was erected by the Portuguese and Spanish explorers, as
ordered by Ferdinand Magellan in 1521 at this location where Cebu’s
Rajah Humabon, his wife Juana and their followers were baptized and the
first catholic mass in Cebu and in the Philippines was celebrated. This
site was then improved in 1735 by Reverend Juan Albarran and 1834 by
Ret. Reverend Santos Gomez-Marañon, Bishop of Cebu.
A sign below Magellan’s Cross says that the original cross is cased
inside the Tindalo wooden cross which is found in the center of the
chapel to protect the original cross from people who gradually remove
parts of the cross as souvenir or in belief that the cross possesses
providential power.
How to get there:
Getting
to Magellan’s Cross is very easy. It can be reached by availing a
taxi, you can be assured that all drivers know how to get there. You can
also ride a jeepney with a City Hall / Sto. Niño signboard.
