Surrounded by rice paddies, Mount Arayat boasts valleys and rivers. Once the capital of the Philippine Republic, Angeles is comparable to Manila, with shopping, nightlife, and colonial history it’s also the gateway to the Mount Arayat National Park. On the west coast, the city of Balanga, Bataan province, boasts colonial architecture, old-world splendor at The Plaza Hotel, and a festival to honor the hatching of baby sea turtles at the Pawikan Conservation Centre. Minlungao, with its winding river, is a popular spot for cliff diving or laid-back rafting. The active volcano of Mount Pinatubo in the Zambales Mountains provides hiking opportunities, where keen trekkers can reach the summit and catch sight of its crater lake. It’s the largest flat plains area in the country, so there’s plenty of room for agriculture here. Just north of Metro Manila, the region of Central Luzon is known as the rice granary of the Philippines. Here you’ll find rugged cliffs, green hills and half-subterranean, typhoon-proof houses on the main island of Batan. Find more hiking opportunities in Kalinga Province, with its tattooed, machete-wearing tribespeople headhunting ceased here just decades ago.įlung off the northern coast of Luzon, nearer to Taiwan than the Philippines, are the Batanes Islands. These share their name with the fascinating and diverse Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).įurther north, in the same mountains, is the area of Sagada, famous for its caving – such as at Sumaguing Cave – and hiking trails amidst misty mountain villages. No sight in this area is more famous than the stunning Banaue Rice Terraces located near the popular, relatively cool-weather city of Baguio, these terraces are like emerald steps down the hills of the Cordillera Mountains. The northern region of the most populated island in the Philippines is where you’ll find mountains, coastlines, tropical forests, and rivers. The riverside forest park of Arro Cerros and Ayala Triangle Gardens make for good urban retreats, too. ![]() Though the vast green space of Rizal Park with its lawns and gardens is a tranquil oasis in the city, it’s also on the shores of Laguna Lake – the Philippines’ largest freshwater lake – and Manila Bay in the east. The collection of settlements is pockmarked with Spanish colonial architecture, like Fort Santiago mixed with skyscrapers the City of Manila itself is the most densely populated city proper in the world. Located on a narrow isthmus between Central and Southern Luzon, Metro Manila is the center of culture and government for the Philippines. ![]() It is composed of 16 cities all converging into one: City of Manila, Quezon City, Caloocan, Las Piñas, Makati, Malabon, Mandaluyong, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Navotas, Parañaque, Pasay, Pasig, San Juan, Taguig, and Valenzuela (and one municipality: Pateros). ![]() Metro Manila is a megalopolis of an urban area. Today, the influences make this Southeast Asian nation a vibrant place to visit a place where hectic cities contrast with white-sand beaches for a memorable assault on the senses. Short-lived independence led to American and brief Japanese rule in the first half of the 20th century. This country has a long history with foreign powers following centuries of trade with India and China, it was first colonized by Spain in 1543. With Taiwan to the north and Vietnam to the west, the Pacific Ocean stretches to the east. Composed of over 7,000 islands, the Philippines is an archipelago nation that shares the South China Sea with neighbors Indonesia to the south and Borneo to the southwest.
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