Philippines - More than Diving
Most trips start in the capital of the Philippines, in Manila. coutnless Mega-Malls inviting for a shopping tour. You find there everything, High-Tech computer-shops, boutiques, traditional handycrafts-shops and all big american food-chains are lined up there. All Philippinos love to go „Window-Shopping“. You also should not miss out to visit a traditional „Wet-Markets“. Buy your fresh fish there and go to a restaurant, they will prepare it for a couple of peso for you the way you like.
The cultural center of Manila is north of Ermita and Malate, where many big international Hotels are situated. It is wirth to spend some hours at „Intramuros“, litterally"the city in walls", with the Manila Cathedral and the National Museum. From Intramuros is just a short walk to the Rizal Park also known as Lunetta Park. Beautiful garden-arrangements fountains and plenty of performing musicans attracting thousands of Filipinos each late afternoon. The changing of the guards at the Rizal Memorial is interesting to watch, before you head to the Manila Baywalk to watch the stunning sunset sitting on a bench under palm-trees or strolling around on the way to one of the many greqat restaurants in that area, where you can take your dinner before joining the sizzling Nightlife of Ermita and Malate. International restaurants, pool-houses and countless bars and discos are in that area and it does not take long for a great party atmosphere to take hold.
If you spend your dive-vacation in Subic, don't miss out on a trip to the famous Mt. Pinatubo. The unexpected voilent erruption in 1991 was like a bad dream. An unbelievable amount of sand and ash was spit out up to 40 km high into the stratosphaere and covered the whole area in a thick layer of grey dirt.
When planning to explore central and north Luzon, don't miss out on the beautiful rice terraces of Banaue and vist the summaer-capital of the Philippines: Bagio, the city of flowers, certainly one of the one of the most famous places for Filipinos to travel to.
When you fly to the Philippines via Cebu you can take a ferry to Bohol and the famous Chocolate Hills there. 1268 small mysterious humps covering an area of more then 50 squarekilometers. There is a legend saying that it is a battlefield of 2 giants, who threw stones after each other for two days. They became tired and decided to life in peace together, but left the plateau, leaving the mess behind.
A few kilometer north of Tagbilaran live the very shy Tarsiers, the smallest primates in the world. They have large round eyes and are barely bigger than a rat.
If your vaction in the Philippines is not only about diving you have plenty of options where to go. You will meet friendly people and see beautifull places in this tropical paradise.