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Sabado, Hulyo 16, 2011

THE FOREST CITY "PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, PALAWAN "

Getting there from Davao City is quiet far, there’s no direct flight from Davao to Puerto Princesa. Choices are from Davao to Cebu and Cebu to Puerto Princesa, Davao to Manila and Manila to Puerto Princesa. Since Cebu Pacific Air has connecting flight Davao to Manila and Manila to Puerto Princesa so I choose it. The advantage of connecting flight is that you don’t need to collect your luggage in Manila you will collect it all the way in Puerto Princesa.

Welcome to the forest city Puerto Princesa which is known to be one of the tourist destination in our country Philippines. I stayed at Moana Hotel which is closed to the Puerto Princesa airport only 5 mins. Walk and 1 km. To the city proper. The place is quite nice with a touch of a typical Filipino style. They have a Dive shop there that as far as I know it is the Biggest Dive Shop in Puerto Princesa. A bar and restaurant which serves a good food and drinks. They have swimming pool and small cottages under the huge trees which makes it feel fresh and so relaxing to sit there. They have very accommodating staffs who wears a Hawaiian dress style.

LANGUAGE: Local people there has their own dialect Cuyuno and Visayan but they speak Tagalog and English for the instructions.

PLACES I VISITED:
  • BAKERS HILL
  • UNDERGROUND RIVER
  • PRESTINE BEACH
GETTING AROUND:
  • JEEPNEY
  • BUSES
  • MOTORCYCLE
  • MOTORBIKE
  • VAN
 RESTAURANTS: (recommend and close to Moana Hotel)
  • PERGOLA (THAI and EUROPIAN foods)
  • KINABUCH BAR and GRILL
  • CHICKEN INATO
BAKERS HILL PALAWAN:
                                                                            
There’s no entrance fee, what you can see inside are restaurants and Snack bar. It’s a Philippine Disney Land kids would love it for sure.  You can see a lot of cartoon character and kids playground inside. It looks like a garden also because place were surrounded by trees and flowers. Bakers Hill is also Famous as a tourist destination here in Philippines. It’s childish but I must admit that I enjoyed staying there together with all the Kids stuff. Here are some of my photos:  

KALESA which made from wood sculptures!

Friendly TIGER! :)

Parrots Statue, careful of birds shits! :)

BLEUH!!!!!

Anna with SNOW WHITE and the SEVEN DWARFS! :)

Am in the DISNEY WORLD! :)

UNDERGROUND RIVER

Puerto Princesa became a top of the tourist destination in Philippines because of these Puerto Princesa Subterranean River Park which is Underground River a Natural World Heritage Site which located at Saint Paul Mountain Range on the northern coast of the island, Puerto Princesa. It has been nominated as one of the 7 wonders of the world. It is 8.2 km navigable underground river but the only 1km was allowed to enter and explore inside probably the rest couldn't be reach by a boat. There are some divers who dives inside and so far they did not found any harmful animals just like snakes and crocodiles. You can see a lot of rock formations, several large chambers and bats inside the cave.

General Entrance Fee:
P75.00 and P50.00

Cave Entrance Fee:
 21 – 59 yr. Old (P  200.00)
18 – 20 yr. Old (P  100.00)
13 – 17 yr. Old ( P    75.00)
6 – 12  yr. Old (P    50.00)
Commercial Video Fee  (P 3,000.00)
*Filipino Senior Citizens 60 yr. old and above, Children 5 years old and below, and the handicapped are exempted from paying entrance for the Underground River Tour.

Other fees:
Boat Underground River Beach
P700.00 for 6 persons two way
Terminal Fee P3.00/pax




Read the Description below!
The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is one of the most important protected areas in the Philippines and is designated as a core area of Palawan Biosphere reserved.  It was established as the St. Paul Subterranean National Park on March 26, 1971 by virtue of Presidential Proclamation 853. It was created primarily to protect and preserved the outstanding Biophysical properties of the area. However, studies later concluded that the size was not sufficient to ensure the long- term viability of the park. This was resolved by the signing of  Presidential Proclamation 212 on November  12, 1999. The said proclamation  amended the Park boundary to include community buffer zone and changed its name to Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park to property identify it with the area. It is now comprises with the area of 22, 202 hectares including the original 3, 901 hectares as a core zone and the additional is 18,301 hectares buffer zones.

The park is best known for the existence of an intensive Underground River System. It also protect significant old growth tropical considered by experts to be among the most biologically diverse ecosystem in the world. So far more than 800 plant species have been identified including some 295 trees dominated by the DIPTEROCARP type species. The park is also a home for 90 species birds, 30 species of Mammals, 18 species of Reptiles, 10 species of Amphibians and a large number of insects species in recognition of its high conservation value, the United Nations Cultural, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has inscribe the park of the list of World Heritage Site.

The Park is managed by the City Government of Puerto Princesa under a program of sustainable development centered on environment. It is being manage by the City Multisectoral  protected area management board or PAMB . Its mission “ Conserve the Park into its Natural State “.


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Biyernes, Hulyo 15, 2011

Welcome to the " City of Pines " Baguio City, OMG!!!

GETTING THERE: ( by bus )
Pasay Bus Terminal - Baguio City ( Viictory Liner P 450/1pax )
Travel Time: (8:00 - 16:00 ) exactly 8 hours travel.

ATTRACTIONS:
  • Tam-awan Village
  • Burnham Park
  • The Mansion
  • Camp John Hay
  • Mines View Park
  • Philippine Military Academy
  • Strawberry Fields
  • Session Road
PEOPLE:  Local people in Baguio speaks their own dialect - Ilocano and Ibaloy for the dialect of Igorots. However, they also speaks Tagalog and English for the instructions.

GETTING AROUND:  by taxis, jeepney and buses.

Welcome to Baguio City Guys. Am totally freezing , it’s very cold.  We already have the accommodation in Burnham Hotel, my reference is the Lonely Planet Book.

We ride a taxi going to Burnham Hotel but shame because I didn’t know that there are two Burnham hotel in Baguio the other one is Burnham Suites a new one which is very close to Burnham Park. So, I went at the receptionist and asked about the reservation under my name but they couldn’t find it and they said that maybe in the Burnham Hotel. Geez! Shame on me, hehe. Poor kiddo! We’re so  lost. It’s my fault because I just refer on a book and without searching at the internet. So, we ride a taxi again and went to the Burnham Hotel and OMG! Am a bit surprised because that hotel is very old and about to give up.  A typical old fashioned place, made from wood. We have had a very depressing room. But anyway,  it’s better than nothing. We just stay there for a night. So guys, don’t  be confused between Burnham Hotel and Burnham Suites cause it’s totally different. I recommend the Burnham Suites. Time to look around, am extremely freezing. It’s so cold for me and I didn’t manage to carry any scarf or jacket. It was so freaking fresh air.

The next day, we move to the other hotel  which is the Bloomfied Hotel. It was very closed to the SM Baguio Shopping Mall and on the main road. It’s a quite convenient place and has a reasonable price with breakfast.
Bloomfield Hotel . Time to look around.

TAM-AWAN VILLAGE:  The first place that we visit was the “ TAM-AWAN VILLAGE “. It’s a bit exhausted walking on the top hill but it’s worth it. It’s exciting because they have rented kubo’s. They showed us the cute paintings of the woman there that exclusively for adult. It’s typically a “ kubo” (house)  from Ifugao and Kalinga which build in same materials. It’s so cool because there are some kubo which you cannot stand, you can just sit there. From there you can see the magnificent China Sea sunset, it’s perfect. Guys, if you want to experienced the living of our tribes before, then “ TAM-AWAN VILLAGE” is the best place. You can rent and pretend that you live there. For further information please visit their website.

Entrance Fee: (P50/1 pax)

THE MANSION:  This was formerly called “ MANSION HOUSE, it was built in 1908 and was destroyed in 1945 during the battle of the liberation of the Philippine. And it was rebuilt in 1947 by the Philippine Government. It has been used by various Philippine Presidents whenever they come up in Baguio for the official visits. 

THE LOURDES GROTTO:  The Grotto commemorates the numerous visions of the Virgin Mary at Lourdes, France, by a girl named Bernadette Soubirous, also known as Bernadette of Lourdes. As what I’ve heard that there are more than 200 steps going there, you need to walk up and down. Well, I guess it’s not about counting steps but it’s about praying for more blessings, have a safety trip and a peaceful life.

That’s the end of my Baguio Adventure. Actually, not much adventure there because it’s only one day holiday in Baguio. It’s pity that I didn’t manage to see all of the attractions of the city but still we manage to see some places there. It’s okay, I enjoyed my freezing moment there in Baguio City. I like the people there because they are so friendly. I wanna go back there maybe in my honeymoon. Haha! In my dreams.