Philippine Travel Blog » Cycling

Philippines offers eco-friendly resorts and activities

Philippine Travel Blog — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 05:01:27 +0000

In an effort to promote sustainable development and eco-friendly travel options, the Philippines (www.experiencephilippines.ph) offers environmental tips, socio-cultural activities and a selection of hotels and resorts ideal for the eco-friendly traveler.

The Philippines has adopted eco-tourism as an important aspect of their economic development plan. Palawan, the second largest province in the Philippines (in land area), has become the prime eco-tourism destination of the county and the new “buzz” among the green travel community. Tourism not only helps to raise the standard of living for the remote island’s scarce population, but also reinforces programs that protect the environment. In response, tourists walk away with a memorable vacation, as well as the satisfaction that they are contributing to making the Earth a greener place to live.

Packaging tourism that is a spin-off from the traditional definitions, Bohol’s eco-tourism has made it a model for the country. It is home to the tarsier, the world’s smallest monkey, and to an enigmatic geological formation, the Chocolate Hills. Its coral reefs are home to enchanting varieties of marine life. Wetlands, caves and forests dot its terrain, while mangroves and palms grow abundantly in its coasts and swamps.

The ecotourism program has clear aims: to put in place mechanisms that are environmentally sustainable, economically viable, and socially equitable; accelerate development for the benefit of local communities; and spread tourism benefits to rural areas in terms of employment generation and improve the standard of living.

WHERE TO STAY
Following is a list of hotels and resorts throughout the Philippines which offer eco-conscious vacationers the opportunity to explore the marvels of the region while doing their part in respecting and restoring Mother Nature.

El Nido Resorts, Palawan
Lagen and Miniloc Island Resorts of El Nido Resorts believe in recognizing natural resources through responsible tourism. The resorts also work closely with the local community in the prevention of illegal fishing, promotion of coastal clean-ups, environmental education campaigns, monitoring of snorkeling sites and dive sites, and installation and maintenance of mooring buoys.

Club Noah Isabelle, Apulit Island, Palawan
Club Noah Isabelle is located on the island of Apulit on the northeastern coast of Palawan. Situated in a cove surrounded by a large marine reef, Club Noah Isabelle has been designed to be a model-case for eco-tourism. With administrative authority over a one mile radius of the island, Club Noah has slowly brought the reefs of Isabelle back to life. The presence of the white breasted eagle, grey reef egrets, and kingfisher attest to the abundance of fish in the water.

Bohol Bee Farm
The Bohol Bee Farm is a secret cherished and kept by visitors. Hidden, safe, and unexploited, it is a sanctuary where one can escape from the complexities and trappings of modern life. The farm has evolved into a popular tropical retreat, encouraging agricultural development through organic farming and introducing an alternative and sustainable lifestyle in harmony with nature. Almost everything at the resort – from the food to the furniture – is made on premises.

The Philippines is what those “I-can’t-wait-to-tell-you” vacation experiences are all about. Offering a great diversity of appeals, the 7,107 island archipelago boasts some of the most extensive eco-tourism offerings of any destination.

ECO-FRIENDLY PURSUITS
Following is a list of various activities for vacationers throughout the region:

WHALE SHARKS
One of the big reasons for heading to the peaceful village of Donsol in Southwest Luzon, is an opportunity to rendezvous with whale sharks measuring from 18 to 35 feet in length and weighing some 20 tons. Locally known as “butanding,” whale sharks are considered to be the largest fish in the world’s seas. Part of the beauty of this adventure is the opportunity to interact with the creatures in their natural environment instead of man-made captive areas. The best time for divers or snorkelers to swim alongside these gentle creatures (or to watch them from small boats) is from November to May.

BIRD WATCHING
If bird-watching is on the vacation agenda, the national bird of the Philippines, the Philippine Eagle, will surely impress (as will the rest of the country’s unique bird life). The rare Philippine Eagle is said to be the world’s largest, and those lucky enough to venture to the Philippines for a first-hand encounter will remember it as one of the most breathtaking experiences of their lives.

MOUSE DEER
When it comes to thinking “small,” the Philippines offers special interest as well. The smallest hoofed mammal on the face of the earth – the mouse deer (locally known as Pilandok) – can be seen on Balabac Island, south of Palawan, standing a mere 15.7 inches at shoulder level.

TARSIER
The scenic and lush oval island of Bohol is the comfortable residence of the Philippine tarsier – the smallest primate in the world. Aside from fitting in the palm of one’s hand, the Philippines tarsier is also the oldest surviving member of the primate group at an awesome 45 million years old. An endangered species, the tarsier can be found in several areas within the Philippines, but the most common encounters are on the island of Bohol.

PISIDUM
Beneath the surface of the warm and inviting waters of the Philippines one can find Pisidum, the world’s tiniest shell, less than a millimeter in length (the country is a seashell lover’s delight with some 12,000 species), and the world’s shortest freshwater fish – the colorless and nearly transparent dwarf pygmy goby (males have an average length of only .3 inches).

ARCIHIPELAGO
Vacationers who come to the Philippines will also discover that the archipelago is home to 488 of the 500 known coral species in the world including seahorses, five distinct species of marine turtles (the Green Turtle, Hawksbill, Leatherback, Olive Ridley, and Loggerhead), and seven of the world’s eight known species of giant clams.

CHOCOLATE HILLS
Aside from the tarsier, Bohol boasts a wide range of enticing tourist attractions including the dome-shaped Chocolate Hills – 1,268 hills rising 98-394 feet above the surrounding plateau, reaching as far as the eyes can see. The uniformly-shaped hills dry to a crispy brown in March resembling miles of oversized Hershey Kisses.

TAAL VOLCANO
Vacationers will not want to miss the chance to see the picture-postcard island of Taal, known to have the world’s smallest active volcano. Taal Volcano is an island on a lake about 30 miles south of Manila. Most notably, the volcano contains a lake of its own within its center known as Crater Lake. What makes this volcano even more novel is the tiny island inside Crater Lake – Vulcan Point – which is an island within a lake on an island within a lake on an island.

CAMIGUIN ISLAND
Camiguin Island, a volcanic island in the Bohol Sea, where waterfalls create both hot and cold springs, is often referred to as the Philippines’ Garden of Eden.

SUBIC BAY
Subic Bay, located two hours northwest of Manila, offers rich wildlife with distinctive species of birds, bats, monkeys and butterflies. Journey through the Subic Forest Watershed Reserves where the local monkeys are known to be extremely friendly in their interactions with visitors. At Jungle Environment Survival Training Camp, natives offer instruction on how to drink from a water vine, make fire out of bamboo shavings and twigs, cook in a bamboo steamer, and eat on a bamboo plate under a century-old tree.

MOUNT PINATUBO
Mount Pinatubo, also in Luzon, is notable in history as the second largest volcanic eruption in the 20th century, back in 1991. Spa facilities make use of hot springs and volcanic ash for their treatments, which results in a very soothing, mineral-rich experience.

PUERTO PRINCESA SUBTERRANEAN RIVER NATIONAL PARK
Palawan’s Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is the longest in the world. Visitors can explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site’s cavernous interior and various rock formations via outrigger boats through the underground river. Although only one third of the river’s length of more than five miles is navigable, it emerges into a crystal-clear lagoon, where visitors can continue their exploration of the park by leisurely hiking the Monkey Trail lined with 40,000 tropical flora and fauna.

IFUGAO RICE TERRACES
The Ifugao Rice Terraces in Banaue, another UNESCO World Heritage Site, is an agro-architectural marvel. Travelers will be in awe of the extensive natural irrigation system the indigenous Ifugao rice farmers were able to accomplish by hand more than 2,000 years ago.

Davao listed in Department of Tourism’s priority Grassroots Entrepreneurship for Eco Tourism program

Philippine Travel Blog — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 09:43:13 +0000

Davao is already in the priority for the Greet (Grassroots Entrepreneurship for Eco Tourism) program of the Department of Tourism (DOT).

Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano said the details are being finalized but this would come after the three pilot areas are completed.Â The Davao area will have four sites and two of these are in Davao City said DOT XI regional director Sonia Garcia.

Durano explained that under Greet program the focus also will be the participation of the community.Â He cited that in Donsol, Sorsogon the community had champion the “Greet” through their whale shark watching. The other areas are in Bohol where the chocolate hills are located and in Siargo in the Caraga Region.

Under the program, they need to level the playing field by giving the community easy access to skills, capital, market opportunities plus value formation.

In Donsol, he said 60 fishing boats were transformed into tourists boats that will ferry visitors to the area where they will get first hand look of the whale sharks and the fishermen as “butanting” tour guide.

Right now, he said, the Donsol community are advocating other communities by using tourism to gain livelihood.

“We will not move in the area unless we are done in a community,” he said.

Durano was hinting for glamorous camping or ‘Glamping’ in Mt. Apo. The place is ideal to try out the concept among foreign tourists who would experience culture and nature through camping and yet get high-end reception just like in five-star hotels.

He pictured ‘glamping’ as one that involves safari-style adventure with champagne, fine dining, rustic luxury of air-conditioned tents, hot water and other amenities.

He said this type of adventure has become popular among wealthy travelers from North America, Europe and Africa where resorts offer king-sized bed with Persian rugs and others.

International Reality TV adventure filmmakers eye Philippine islands

Philippine Travel Blog — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 16:55:34 +0000

International adventure film producers of reality game show consider the Philippines as a good site after the 8th edition of “Survivor France” was successfully filmed in Caramoan, Camarines Sur.

Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano told Davao reporters that the successful filming of Survivor France led other international producers to consider the islands in the Philippines as the right site for adventure.

Durano graced the Ecotourism Congress in Davao City on Wednesday, June 4, 2008 where tourism industry players, property owners, tourism officers and planners talked on the new standards as guide for developing ecotourism destinations.

Several tourists would go for physical activity and not just sightseeing and Davao with authentic destinations has the ingredient for adventure travel, he said.

Durano said they had been pushing for that to include diving and scuba diving is another market segment.

It maybe recalled that diving was promoted the Department of Tourism in the European market in a Travel Show early this year and generated interests among tourists.

The Adventure Travel is already a growing market, he said. With the global travel of about $900 million market, one-fifth of this is on adventure travel.

Durano meanwhile said that some of international producers from Korea and the US are looking for areas here that are ideal for location shoots.

In fact he said the “Survivor U.S.” is considering Caramoan as the site for their next episode.

“With our country consisting of several islands there will be lot of sites ideal for adventure,” he said.

Several tourists would go for physical activity and not just sightseeing and Davao with authentic destinations has the ingredient for adventure travel.

Durano said they had been pushing for that to include diving and scuba diving is another market segment.

As far as the airing of the Survivor France, he said part of the agreement is to include the showing of tourism sites of the Philippines as an opener to the main episode.

He said with nine million viewers daily for “Survivor France” beamed to television viewers in Europe and Canada that would be a high priced media mileage of promoting the destinations in the Philippines.

The airing of Survivor France will be from July to September of a reality game show that isolates its contestants in the wilderness to compete for cash and prizes in a location of exotic environments.

Durano said at Caramoan, a P200 million worth of facilities was built for the crew and contestants of Survivor France. And using it for four months, the producers paid P30 million to the provincial government of Camarines Sur. What the government paid was only the fuel needs for the entire filming, he said.

The Adventure Travel is already a growing market, he said. With the global travel of about $900 million market, one-fifth of this is on adventure travel.

Balulang pre-fiesta highlights 1st Mountain Bike Challenge on May 1

Philippine Travel Blog — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 01:40:50 +0000

THE Barangay Council of Balulang, Knights of Columbus and Combat-Cagayan de Oro is inviting local bike enthusiasts to participate in the 1st Mountain Bike Challenge on May 1.

A total of P30,000 in cash prizes and medals await the top winners on five different categories of the bike tournament organized by Balulang Chairman Alfredo Carcosa, Grand Knight Rodulfo Yana and Fiesta Sportsfest 2008 chairman and Kagawad Jay Acaylar as one of the barangay’s pre-fiesta activities.

Other fiesta activities line up by the barangay council of Balulang include 1st Balulang XRM Moto Cross, Dart tournament, Chess Tournament and Tri-sikad Race.

The categories of the 1st Mountain Bike Challenge are: Beginners A (25 years old-below), Beginners B (26 years old-above), Junior (19 years old-below), Senior (20 to 30 years old) and Veterans (31 to 44 years old).

Top winners in the different categories will receive medal each plus a cash prize of P2,500, P1,500, P1,000, P600 and P400 for the first placer, second placer, third placer, fourth placer and fifth placer, respectively. Sixth to tenth placers will be given medal each.

Registration fee is P250, inclusive of free T-shirt and lunch. Registration is on-going at Lower Balulang Barangay Hall, and at the New Marbert Trading (Hayes St.) every Saturday.

For details, interested participants may contact Chairman Carcosa (Tel. No. 350-8822), Kagawad Acaylar (Mobile No. 0909-3999909) and Mr. Yana (0919-2274953).

Adventure Philippines breaks out at world’s biggest travel fair

Philippine Travel Blog — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 04:40:22 +0000

It’s all about leaving the beaten path behind and taking on pure, high-octane adventure.

From mountain trekking to spelunking, encountering rare migratory birds or giant whale sharks, the Department of Tourism (DOT) formally lunged into the Adventure Philippines campaign at the recent Internationale Tourismus-BÃ¶rse (ITB Berlin), the largest travel fair in the world.

According to Ace Durano, Secretary of Tourism, “ITB Berlin is the definitive venue for the global travel and tourism industry. Naturally, this proved to be the best place to present the Philippines as one of the top adventure travel destinations in Asia.”

Announced during the first quarter of this year, Adventure Philippines promotes the country as the region’s center for ecotourism, nature exploration, scuba diving and water sports, and extreme quests.

The DOT has partnered with R.O.X. (Recreational Outdoor Exchange), the biggest outdoor equipment retailer in Southeast Asia, in developing packages and marketing activities.

Durano shared that for a destination to be considered part of Philippine Adventure, it should touch on at least two of three components: involves a physical activity, allows for cultural exchange and interaction, and engages the natural environment or ecology.

Some of the Philippine Adventure excursions announced at the 42nd ITB include hiking and trekking on the various mountain peaks across the country, scuba diving in wreck sites and coral reefs around the islands, white-water rafting, surfing in Siargao, windsurfing in Boracay, mountain biking through Northern Luzon, whale shark interaction in the waters of Donsol, spelunking down the ancient caves of Sagada and rock climbing on the limestone faces of Palawan.

“Our participation in this year’s ITB showed a new side of the Philippines. As we strengthened the country’s positioning as a relaxing tropical getaway, we also featured destinations for travelers that are out for an adrenaline rush. At the end of the day, it’s all about the Philippines offering more than the usual experiences and giving more reasons for visitors to come back,” Durano elaborated.

The 42nd ITB Berlin was held at the sprawling 160,000 square meter fairground of the Center ICC in Berlin, Germany. Reputed to be the leading event for the international travel industry, over 11,000 travel wholesalers, resorts, hotels, airlines, cruises, tourism associations, national tourism offices and other tourism-related enterprises from 180 countries and territories were on exhibit for business-to-business transactions and meetings with potential tourists.

This year’s expo drew in over 180,000 guests comprised of business decision makers and individuals planning their next holiday.

The 200 square-meter Philippine pavilion featured the breathtaking landscapes, exhilarating extreme sports activities and awe-inspiring dive sites around the islands.

Tour operators Annset Holidays, Art of Travel, Baron Travel, Blue Horizon and Intas Destination Management met up with their counterparts for joint marketing promotions, as well as accommodated inquiries from interested thrill-seekers and vacationers.

Likewise, Pinjalo Resort/Calypso Divers featured the country’s world-renowned diving attractions to the watersports sector. Flag carrier Philippine Airlines showcased the various access points to the country, as well as their own package tours.

Badian Island Resort & Spa, Coco Beach Resort, Dos Palmas Resort and Spa, El Nido Resorts, Eskaya Beach Resort & Spa, Hotel Villa Sunset Boracay, Mandala Spa & Villas, Microtel Inns and Suites, Plantation Bay Resort & Spa, Shangri-La Mactan Island Resort & Spa, Mandala Spa & Villas, and The Ananyana presented their amenities and services.

Members of the Bayanihan Philippine National Folk Dance Company gave exhibit visitors a sampling of the country’s culture, music and festivities with daily musical and dance performances.

DOT representatives who led the Philippine delegation at the ITB included DOT Undersecretary for Tourism Planning and Promotions Eduardo Jarque, Jr., DOT Marketing Head for Team Europe Verna Buensuceso and Frankfurt-based Tourism AttachÃ© Venus Tan.

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Philippines offers eco-friendly resorts and activities

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