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Philippines
Explore Philippines
The Philippines
is a country blessed by natural beauty and rich cultural history and as such,
it has plenty of tourist attractions for those who enjoy breathtaking
creations of nature as well as the historical and cultural traditions, arts
and monuments. This article will tour some of the tourist attractions in and
near Manila.
Tourist attractions in/near Manila
Manila is
the capital city of Philippines and thus it is the commercial and business hub
of the country. The oldest part of this city is the ancient Walled City of
Intramuros which is a tourist attraction in itself. Other attractions around
the Walled City are San Agustin Church and the Manila Cathedral.
Manila's buzzing Chinatown in the district of Binondo is also a hot
tourist favorite. Then there is Luneta Park which is home to the Rizal
Monument. Other tourist attractions in Manila are the American Cemetery and
the Coconut Palace. The Coconut Palace was actually built for Pope John Paul
II's visit, although the good Pope declined to stay in such ostentatiousness.
The palace was built entirely out of coconuts, Nara, and other native hardwood.
From Manila, excursions can be made to Las Piñas, which is a
little way out of the capital city. This is where the famous Bamboo Organ (a
church organ made from bamboo) is located and tourist can also take a tour of
the Sarao Jeepney factory.
The scenic Tagatay Ridge in Cavite,
which is just about an hour's drive away from Manila overlooks a lake that
looms the breathtaking Taal Volcano.
Sentimental history buffs can take a
ferry ride to the Corregidor Island aka The Rock, which is a famous memorial
of those killed during the Japanese invasion in World War 2.
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A day trip to the town of Pagsanjan which is some 60km (38 miles)
southeast of Manila, can be very memorable, at least for me. Tourists will get
to ride in dug-out canoes along a white-water river surrounded by huge cliffs
draped in lush tropical rainforest to the Pagsanjan Falls. This tall waterfall
was where the battle scenes of the Academy and Golden Globe award winner,
starring Marlon Brando, Hollywood blockbuster, Apocalypse Now was
filmed.
However, what turned me off at this spot was the intense touting and
harassment of tourists by the food venders and service providers.
Baguio is a mountain resort city where the richer Filipinos will head to
escape the sweltering summer heat. It is about 250km (150 miles) north of
Manila and its peak is at 1525m (5000ft) above sea level. Besides its pleasant
climate, Baguio has its own attractions like The Mansion, which is the summer
residence of the Philippine president, The Bell Church, The Baguio Cathedral,
and the Crystal Caves which are made up of crystalline metamorphic rocks and
was also an ancient burial site.
An eight hour scenic bus journey from Baguio is Banaue. This is the home
of a remote mountain community and tourists can visit their tribal
settlements. Banaue is famous for its beautiful rice terraces which are its
main tourist attraction. The terraced rice fields are indeed a breathtaking
sight as the fields on the side of the mountains rise majestically to heights
of up to 1525m (5000ft).
These rice field terraces were hand-carved into the mountains some 2000
years ago by farmers using crude ancient tools cutting into mountain's barren
barren rocks with each ledge completely encompassing the entire mountain. The
Banaue rice terraces are listed by UNESCO as World Heritage sites and rightly
so.
These are just some of the major tourist attractions in or near Manila,
Philippines. – Tourist Attractions In/Near Manila was
posted on 15th Nov 2007.
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