Belize Island Fun on the Cayes (photo slideshow)

Boracay: White Sand Island

When you want to relax in a tropical white sand beach in the Philippines, Boracay is just one of the hottest travel destinations in attracting thousands of foreign travelers in the country every season.

Boracay Island, the world famous island is located in Aklan province off the northwest corner of the island of Panay 345 kms. South of Manila and belongs to the Western Visayas island-group, or Region VI, of the Philippines. The island is approximately seven kilometers long, dog-bone shaped with the narrowest spot being less than one kilometer wide, and has a total land area of 10.32 square kilometers.

This beautiful island is surrounded by coral reefs wherein its best part is a "White Sand Beach", also known as the Long Beach by its residents. It is located at the West Coast between the villages of Balabag and Angol, and some experienced travelers claim it to be the "Finest Beach of all Asia". The water is shallow, sand is finer and more brighter than any most beaches in the archipelago. There are about 350 beach hotel resorts with more than 2000 rooms to suit virtually everyone's taste.

The white sand beach is blindingly white and powdery sand, is the main tourism beach. It is a bit over four kilometers long and is lined with resorts, hotels, lodging houses, restaurants, and other tourism-related businesses. In the central portion, for about two kilometers, there is a footpath known as the Beachfront Path separating the beach itself from the establishments located along it. North and south of the Beachfront Path, beachfront establishments do literally front along the beach itself. Several roads and paths connect the Beachfront Path with Boracay's Main Road, a vehicular road which runs the length of the island. At the extreme northern end of White Beach, a footpath runs around the headland there and connects White Beach with Diniwid Beach.

Across the island from White Beach is Bulabog Beach, a secondary tourism beach and Boracay's main windsurfing and kiteboarding area.

Either from Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila or Mactan-Cebu International Airport in Cebu, take flights to Boracay either via Kalibo (45 minutes away) or via Caticlan (30-40 minutes away). From Kalibo airport, air-conditioned vans and buses take passengers to the Caticlan Jetty Port, where boats provide transport to the island. Motorized tricycles will take passengers from Caticlan airport to the jetty port, 3 minutes away. From Caticlan jetty port, boat ride takes 15-20 minutes to get to Boracay.

If you want to take more views on reaching the island you can also take a travel by land. Buses and cars run from Manila to the southern provinces by means of the Strong Republic Nautical Highway. A nautical system conceptualized under the term of Pres. Arroyo. Buses leave from the Philtranco terminal in Cubao and Pasay City throughout the day. The journey by bus takes approximately 12 hours. Caticlan is the fourth seaport encountered along the SRNH while traveling south from Manila.

When you reach the island the two main modes of transport are via motor-tricycles along the main road or by walking along the beaches. Pedicabs are also available for transport along the Beachfront Path. Other means of transportation include mountain bikes quadbikes and motorbikes, all of which can be rented.

To explore around the island's coast, motorized bancas and sailing paraws are available for rent. These are outrigger canoes and are common sight in waters around the island. The sailing paraw is a narrow hulled boat with outriggers either side and with passengers sometimes seated on a trampoline platform between the outriggers supports. These are extremely fast off the wind, but can be unwieldy for inexperienced sailors.

Boracay has been known by Filipinos as the "Number One Tourist Spot In The Philippines". While a British publication known as TV Quick, awarded Boracay as the Number One Tropical Beach In The World!

More on Philippines' best tourist vacation destination.

Activity and Adventure Vacations in Belize (Photo Slideshow)

Vacation Images and Photos from our Belize Guestbook

Click Here for more Photos and Pictures of our Belize Vacations and Holidays.

The Philippine Tarsier

“The world's smallest monkey" is an often heard slogan. However, it is not a monkey. In truth, its classification is somewhat problematic. Some scienties consider tarsiers to be a taxonomic suborder among the primates. While, because they are closely related to lemurs, lorises and bushbabies, others classify them with the prosimians to which these animals belong.

The Philippine Tarsier (Tarsius syrichta), known locally as the Mawmag in Cebuano/Visayan is a tiny animal measuring about 4 to 6 inches (15 cm) in height. The small size makes it difficult to discover. The average mass for males is around 134 grams, and for females, around 117 grams. The average adult is about the size of a human fist and will fit very comfortably in the human hand.

Like all tarsiers, the Philippine Tarsier has a round head that can be rotated 180 degrees. It has a special adaptation in the neck to do this, its eyes being fixed and not being able to move. The large membranous ears are mobile, appearing to be almost constantly moving, causing any movement to be heard. It has uniquely large goggling eyes (disproportionate to its head and body), listed in the Guiness Book of Records as the largest eyes on a mammal. Being nocturnal, having these huge eyes are perfect for night vision.

Today in the Philippines it is more popular of its existence in area of Bohol that somehow aside from the province’s beautiful white sand beaches and the Chocolate Hills boasts the tourism of the province. But sad to say that this tiny and lovely creature is an endangered species in the Philippines.

More on Philippines' best tourist vacation destination.

Magellan’s Cross

Magellan’s cross is a large Christian cross planted by the Portugese and Spanish explorers upon arriving in Cebu, Philippines, as ordered by Ferdinand Magellan. This historical cross signifies the important event about the propagation of the Roman Catholic faith in the Philippines. The original cross is reputedly encased in another wooden cross.This is to protect the original cross from people who chipped away parts of the cross for souvenir purposes or in the belief that the cross possesses miraculous powers. Some people, however, believe that the original cross had been destroyed or had disappeared after Magellan's death, and the cross is a replica that was planted there by the Spaniards after they successfully colonized the Philippines.

Today as a historical landmark one’s trip wouldn’t be completed if this this will not be visited, which rest next to Basilica Minore del santo Niño, just in front of the city hall of Cebu City, Philippines.

More on Philippines' best tourist vacation destination.

Contact

Help promote Philippine Ecotourism.

Send your suggestion or share an article on the best places in the Philippines.

Email to ggyphilippines (at) gmail (dot) com