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Nature Trip

If you prefer to go nature tripping, the Philippines also has a number of scenic spots for you. Dominated by towering marble cliffs that are homes to a number of tropical birds, El Nido Marine Reserve in Palawan is the source of one of the most delectable soups specially found in Chinese restaurants - the Nido Soup. This soup consists mainly of the bird nests that abound in the area.

But El Nido is more than this. It prides itself with having the most beautiful seascapes in the province of Palawan, known as the country’s last frontier. Because of its utter splendor, it has also been called the island of the Gods.

Occupying an area of 96,000 hectares, this popular nature spot boasts of diverse ecosystems such as rainforests, mangroves, white sand beaches, coral reefs, and limestone cliffs. It is now one of the country’s premier tourist destinations. Blessed with extraordinary natural scenery, El Nido is the sanctuary of various forms of wildlife. Countless varieties of fish are also found here. Manta rays are a common sight. When in season, divers may see one of the world’s rarest marine mammal, the sea cow, known locally as dugong.

If you are not too fond of the water, you can come to the Philippines to enjoy the scenery offered by the Ifugao Rice Terraces. The rice terraces were inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1995 “because of its great beauty that expresses conquered and conserved harmony between humankind and the environment.”

If you are already in Ifugao, you can make the trip down to Ilocos Sur and visit Vigan. Vigan was inscribed in the World Heritage List in November 1999 because of its outstanding development in architecture, urban planning, and landscape design. It also serves as a testimony to a cultural tradition which has disappeared.

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