Discovering the Paradise Islands of the Philippines

The Philippines, commonly known as the "Pearl of the Orient" is an archipelago of 7107 islands with a wide variety of great destinations considered by many as paradise. From the hustle and bustle of the great city of Manila to many of the true white-sand beaches and virgin forests scattered throughout the islands, it is a place where everyone can find something that can suit their taste.

Discovering the beauty of each of the islands is a task that may take a lifetime but if you know what you like then you can choose from any of the destinations below that suit your particular needs and taste. Whether you just a tourist looking for the good old souvenirs or the adventurer seeking to find the next new place to discover there is something for you.

For Nature Lovers.

Nature has blessed the islands with a variety of natural resources and this includes virgin rain forests, indigenous wild life and scenic locations. If you are fond of nature then you have many choices to places to visit, from Zamboanga in the south to Vigan in the north.

For the wild life enthusiasts you can go to Davao where you will find the endangered Philippine Eagle, or to Donsol where the famous giant whale sharks ply the local waters, and perhaps take a dive in the waters of Puerto Galera which is home to some of the best coral reefs anywhere in the world.

For the scene lovers, take a trip to Palawan where scenic rock formations, underwater rivers and magnificent caves are abundant. Another place you can visit is Albay which home to the Philippines most active volcano Mt Mayon, a volcano with a perfect cone that has erupted over a few dozen times in the past century. Pagudpud in Ilocos north of the Philippines offers some of the most scenic and panoramic views on the islands which include the Mabogabog Falls and Saud beach.

For the Beach Bums

If there is one thing that the Philippines is famous for it is the great number of sandy white beaches that are scattered around the thousands of islands. From the popular beaches of Boracay to the hidden beaches of Palawan there are literally hundreds of beautiful beaches to visit. A plane or boat ride away from Manila you can travel to any of the paradise beach locations in the Philippines.

A few of the best beaches in the Philippines include Coron, a town in the Busuanga Island in Northern Palawan, Bohol with hundreds of white sand beaches, Nueva Valencia, Guimaras, and Cebu City. Where ever you go there are beaches and resorts that will suit everyone's needs.

For the Party Goers

When the streets of Manila light up after dusk a whole new look to the city takes shape. From the neon lights of the red light districts to the hundreds of casinos, the karaoke bars and discos, and to the wonderful restaurants, whatever you want to do you can. You can party all night in the discos of Makati or the contemporary clubs of Manila and Quezon city, there is virtually no limit to where you can go to have fun and party the night away.

For the History Buffs

Hundreds of years of history have shaped the Philippines into what it is today, a melting pot of cultures from European, Asian and North American cultures. If history is what you are after, then you will discover a vast number of historic locations you can visit on many the Paradise Philippines islands, from the walled city of Intramuros in Old Manila built by the conquering Spaniards in the 16th century, to the Rice Terraces of Banaue built thousands of years ago by the indigenous natives of the cordillera, and to the more recent ruins of Corregidor which served as fort for the American troops during World War II.

The Philippines, a country that is comprised of over 7,100 islands, traveling between points is important and transportation is a relevant factor when going to the different locations within the archipelago. There are various means of transportation options available to help you get to where you need to go and some of these are typical and others unique only to the Philippines.

By Air

The main international gateways to the Philippines are Manila, Cebu, Clark, Davao, Laoag and Subic, and all international flights diverge to any of these cities with the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) located in Manila being the primary gateway. This airport is served by over 30 international airlines which fly to and from different cities around the world. In Cebu the Mactan International Airport (MIA) handles regular international flights from Australia, Japan and Singapore in addition to chartered flights from countries like the United States, Hong Kong and other major countries. The Davao International Airport located in the south of the Philippines handles flights for Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. In Central Luzon, the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in Pampanga and Subic Airfield in Zambales service both chartered flights and cargo planes. To the north of the country, the Laoag International Airport in Ilocos Norte handles regular flights from both Taiwan and Macau.

The country's national carrier is Philippine Airlines (PAL) considered as "Asia's First Airline", and to this day remains as the largest airline company in the Philippines, with the largest number of international and domestic flights. PAL has routes to over major 14 cities in 8 countries and regularly flies to 41 Philippine destinations outside Manila.

There are other airlines that fly to the domestic skies and these include Air Philippines, South East Asian Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Laoag International Airlines, Asian Spirit Airlines, and Pacific Airways. Each of the airlines services flights to popular tourist destinations. If you are looking for a personalized experience, then there are also chartered flights offered by smaller air companies such as Airspan Corporation (helicopters), A. Soriano Aviation, and Aerolift Philippines (small-to-medium-sized planes)

By Sea

The Philippines being an archipelago of thousands of islands separated by bodies of water, travel by sea is an integral part of the transportation system. A wide range of sea faring options are available which include small ferries to huge cargo vessels, and liners. From the major port of Manila you can take sea trips that can last for a day or two with any of the regular ship lines that ply the sea routes or perhaps take shorter trips with the larger ferries.

For long distance inter-island travel the ferries of major Philippine shipping companies such as WG&A are most ideal and these ferries most often include first class cabins. If it's a short island hopping transport you need over the seas, then there are the small motorized boats called banka's which you can avail of to take you between nearby islands and islets.

By Land

Even in a country with over 7000 islands, getting around by land is easy with the Philippines national highways connecting major islands and the availability of an extensive public transportation system which includes the Jeepney, an exotic form of transportation unique to Paradise Philippines. Other forms of land transportation include the trains, buses, taxis and trikes which make up the main modes of public transportation. In most major cities, the calesa, which is a horse pulled carriage, provides a more elegant form of traveling but is more commonly used for tourist rides in parks across the country.

For long distance land travel a railway system locally called Metrotren and run by the Philippine National Railways can be used. The route goes as far south as Carmona in Cavite and up north to Mecauayan in Bulacan. The rail system within Metro Manila composes of the Light Rail Transit (LRT), which plies the routes from Caloocan to Baclaran, Pasay City and the Metro Rail Transit which traverses the whole length of the EDSA (Metro Manila's main highway) and also connects North Avenue in Quezon City to Taft Avenue in Pasay City. The MRT passes through all major arteries of Metro Manila including Makati's financial district.

The easiest way to get around is using the taxis and they travel any routes throughout Metro Manila. The taxis are also a cheap form of travel with a Flag down fare of 20 Pesos (approximately 30 US cents) on the meter. There are also the buses that ply the main roads of cities in Metro Manila in addition to the provincial buses that travel to various destinations throughout the country. For short distances you can make use of the trike, with a motorized version commonly called a tricycle, or the human powered version of the trike called the pedicab.

Being the Philippines, the undisputed "King of the Road" is the Jeepney, which has become the most common fixture on the roads throughout the whole country. The jeepney is the Philippines' version of American jeep which first emerged in the country after the Japanese occupation and has now become a symbol of national pride. Every jeepney you will see is adorned with colorful designs, with each design or theme different from the other, and uniquely Filipino.