Escape to the Philippines - And Explore a Tropical Paradise

Whether you want to escape the EuropeanYou will find them in the provinces of Apayao,
winter blues, explore historical sites, or simply getBenguet, and are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
away to indulge in some tropical water sportsThey are dubbed as the "Eighth Wonder of the
such as surfing or wreck diving, the Philippines hasWorld."
it all.3. Enjoy Tropical Water Sports.
Here are some great reasons to visit:If you like water sports, soft white sand, ocean
1. Escape the European winter blues.waves, snorkeling, surfing, or scuba diving, the
Fed up with shivering through the European,Philippines is your answer. With 7,107 islands, and a
American, or Australian winters? The answer iscoastline twice the length of that of the United
simple -- escape to tropical Philippines!States, the Philippines is Asia's Beach Capital. And
The Philippines has a tropical climate characterizedBoracay Island, on the northwestern tip of Panay,
by high temperatures. Even during the coolestWestern Visayas, is often touted as the "finest
months the temperature seldom falls belowbeach in the world."
25° C (77° F) and the average annualIf you are into wreck diving, try Subic Bay in
humidity remains between 71% and 85%.Olongapo. Subic has 27 wrecks including the USS
2. Visit historical sites.New York, a battleship scuttled during World War
The Philippines is full of historical sites, far tooII, to keep her 17-inch main guns from falling into
many to list here. However, just to whet yourthe hands of the Japanese.
appetite, here are a few. All are accessible to youThere are many other popular wreck diving areas
when you visit.including Busuanga Island with 12 WWII Japanese
Intramuros, the walled city in the heart of Manila,wrecks that were sunk in September 1944.
was built in 1571 during the Spanish colonization ofPalawan also hosts 40% of Philippine coral reefs
the Philippines. Here you will find old churches,with incredible drop-offs. And whether you are
forts, colonial style houses, and horse-drawnscuba diving or just snorkeling, the reefs off the
carriages.islands of El Nido boast a dazzling array of color
Vigan, the third oldest Spanish settlement in theteeming with rich marine life. Absolutely amazing!
Philippines, and the best preserved. Established inThe Lingayan Gulf just west of San Fernando, La
1574 by the conquistador Juan de Salcedo, it liesUnion, has eight main reefs and some good
on the West Coast of Luzon about 400drop-offs.
kilometers north of Manila and only a few hoursSurfing is becoming popular here and is best
north of Bali Hai. Its architecture reflects aduring the north east monsoon that blows from
mixture of cultures without parallel anywhere elseOctober to February. A popular destination is San
in Asia.Juan, just north of San Fernando, La Union.
Corregidor, 48 kilometers west of Manila, is aAnd after a hard day in the tropical waters you
small rocky island at the entrance to Manila Bay. Itcan lay back under the shade of a palm tree, sip
was from Corregidor that Philippine Presidenton your favorite drink, and watch the setting sun
Manuel Quezon and General MacArthur left forturning the tropical clouds into a golden hue.
Australia in February 1942, leaving behind Lt. Gen.But of course there are more reasons than can
Jonathan M. Wainwright in command.be listed here. For example, the natural wonders
Palo Beach, Leyte, the site of General Douglasof the Philippines such as the The Chocolate Hills
MacArthur's landing on October 20, 1944, whereof Bohol and the El Nido Marine Reserve.
he fulfilled his promise, "I shall return."Or trekking through the rugged mountains, or
Banaue Rice Terraces are 2,000 year old terracessimply feasting on Filipino mouth-watering
that were carved into the mountains of Ifugao.delicacies.