Philippines

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Philippines

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Edition 11th Edition
Release Date May 2012
Pages 481

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PAGE ON THE YOUR COMPLETE DESTINATION GUIDE
ROAD In-depth reviews, detailed listings
34 and insider tips

North Luzon
p100

Manila p36 Around
Mindoro p181 Manila p82

Southeast
Luzon p154

The Visayas p200

Palawan p370

Mindanao & Sulu
p329

PAGE SURVIVAL VITAL PRACTICAL INFORMATION TO
GUIDE HELP YOU HAVE A SMOOTH TRIP
435

Directory A–Z ................. 436 Language
Transport ........................ 443
Health .............................. 449 Tagalog, Pilipino, Filipino – the various lan- Magandáng ma·gan·da
Language ........................ 455 guage names might cause confusion, but araw pô. (pol) a·row po’
Index ................................ 467 they reÁect the political history of the lingua Magandáng ma·gan·dan
Map Legend .................... 478 franca across the 7000-island archipelago a·row
of the Philippines. Although not the mother (inf)
tongue of every Philippine citizen, Filipino
is spoken as a second language throughout Paalam na pô. (pol) pa·a·lam na
the country (with over 165 other languages), (inf) ba·bai
and is an o՗cial language used for university
instruction and in most legal, business and (pol) o·po’
governmental transactions (the other o (inf) o·o
language being English). It belongs to the
Malayo-Polynesian language family and has Hindí pô. (pol) heen·dee
around 45 million speakers worldwide. (inf) heen·de

Filipino is easy to pronounce and most Salamat pô. (pol) sa·la·m
sounds are familiar to English speakers. In Salamat. (inf) sa·la

ddition, the relationship between Filipino Walá pong w
nds and their spelling is straightforward anumán. (pol)
onsistent, meaning that each letter is
ronounced the same way. If you read anumán. (inf)
d pronunciation guides as if they
ou’ll be understood just
ounced as in ‘aisle’,
nded lips,

THIS EDITION WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED BY

Greg Bloom,
Michael Grosberg, Trent Holden, Adam Karlin, Kate Morgan

welcome to the

Philippines

Cultural Quirks The people are, simply, Filipinos – and
proud of it. Welcoming, warm and relent-
The Philippines is a land apart from main- lessly upbeat, it is they who captivate and
land Southeast Asia – not only geographi- ultimately ensnare visitors.
cally but also spiritually and culturally.
The country’s overwhelming Catholicism, Island Life
the result of 350 years of Spanish rule, is
its most obvious enigma. Vestiges of the The Philippines consists of more than 7000
Spanish era include exuberant town fiestas islands, and at certain times of the year it
(festivals) like Kalibo’s Ati-Atihan, unique will feel like you have them all to yourself.
Spanish-Filipino colonial architecture, and The typical island boasts a jungle-clad,
exquisite, centuries-old stone churches mountainous interior and a sandy coast-
lording over bustling town plazas. Malls, line flanked by aquamarine waters and the
fast-food chains and widespread spoken requisite coral reef. But you’ll find plenty of
English betray the influence of Spain’s variations on this theme, from marooned
colonial successor, the Americans. Yet de- slicks of sand in the middle of the ocean
spite these outside influences, the country to sprawling, overpopulated mega-islands
remains very much its own unique entity. like Luzon and Mindanao. Beach bums

JOHN PENNOCK/LONELY PLANET IMAGES © 3

The Philippines is defined
by its emerald rice fields,
teeming megacities,
graffiti-splashed jeepneys,
smouldering volcanoes, bug-
eyed tarsiers, fuzzy water
buffalo and smiling, happy-
go-lucky people.

(left) Hundred Islands National Park, North Luzon
(below) Fiesta time, Negros Occidental

TOM COCKREM/LONELY PLANET IMAGES ©

and divers should head straight to the Visa- and windsurfing are big in Boracay and in
yas, where island-hopping opportunities Daet, Bicol. While surfers are just catch-
abound and the perfect beach takes many ing on to the tasty waves that form on both
forms. More adventurous travellers can coasts at certain times of the year, divers
pitch a tent on a deserted stretch of coast- have long been enamoured of the country’s
line and play solo Survivor for a few days. underwater charms. You need only know
how to snorkel to go fin deep with the gen-
Accessible Adventures tle butanding (whale sharks) in Southeast
Luzon. Freshwater pursuits include raft-
The Philippines isn’t just about finding an ing, kayaking and wakeboarding. On terra
isolated beach and getting catatonic. From firma, the rice terraces around Banaue are
trekking in the mountains of North Luzon, most popular for trekking, but there are
to getting airborne on a kite board in Bo- peaks – including many volcanoes – to be
racay, to spelunking in the cave systems of bagged across Luzon, the Visayas, Mind-
Samar, the Philippines can capably raise oro and Mindanao.
any adrenaline junkie’s pulse. Much of the
action in the Philippines naturally takes
place in and around the water. Kitesurfing

› The Philippines Top Experiences ›

0 100 km 118ºE Batanes Islands Ifugao Rice Terraces 126ºE
0 60 miles 122ºE Ogle the ‘eighth wonder

ELEVATION of the world’ (p141)

20ºN

1500m Sagada Babuyan Islands
1000m North Luzon’s Babuyan Channel
500m cradle of cool (p131)
200m
0

Laoag Aparri Santa Ana
Kabugao

Gonzaga

Gattaran

SOUTH Vigan Luzon Tuguegarao Manila
CHINA Party all night
Tabuk in the capital (p36)
SEA
Sagada Mt Amuyao Ilagan Bicol
Apo Reef Bontoc (2702m) Whale sharks and
The Philippines’ Palanan Mt Mayon beckon (p155)
ultimate dive site (p196)
Banaue
Boracay
Lounge on legendary Hundred IslandsSan Fernando Mt Pulag Dinapigue
White Beach (p251) Casiguran
National Park (2922m)
Bolinao La Trinidad
Baguio
Dagupan
San Carlos Pantabangan Lake 16ºN
Baler

Tarlac Cabanatuan Philippine Sea

Mt Pinatubo Angeles
(1450m) San Fernando Polillo Islands

Olongapo

Balanga MANILA Calagua Islands
Mariveles Lamon Bay

Laguna

Lubang Lake de Bay Lucena Catanduanes Island
Taal Daet

Island Anilao Batangas Naga
Puerto Galera Calapan Boac Mt Mayon Virac
Burias Bicol
Mamburao Mindoro Marinduque Legazpi
Island

Pinamalayan Sibuyan Sea Sorsogon
IBsulasnudangAaMpoinRdoereof
Coron Sablayan Tablas Romblon Catarman Siargao
Island Island Bulan Laoang Cloud Nine has no
Calamian Group
Culion Roxas Sibuyan equal for surfing (p352)
Island
San José Island Masbate Samar
Palawan
El Nido Philippines TrenchBoracay IslandMasbateCalbayog12ºN
Strait Caticlan Catbalogan
Roxas
Bacuit Archipelago Semirara Visayan Borongan
Cruise past secluded beaches Islands Kalibo Sea Biliran
and pristine lagoons (p394) Island
Panay
Visayas Tacloban

PaPlaawsasange Taytay Cuyo Islands San Jose de Iloilo Silay Ormoc Homonhon
Taytay Bay Buenavista City Bacolod Leyte Island

Port Jordan San Carlos Baybay

Barton Dumaran Guimaras Mt Kanlaon Maasin Dinagat
Padre
Bohol Interior Roxas Island Island (2465m)Toledo Cebu City Island
See the tarsiers and
Chocolate Hills (p294) Kabankalan Cebu Bohol Burgos Siargao
Island
Puerto Princesa Surigao
Sipilay
Negros
Cagayan Tagbilaran Mindanao Sea Lake Mainit

Quezon Narra Islands Dumaguete Siquijor Camiguin
Island Island
Tandag

Mt Mantalingajan Sulu Sea Butuan
(2086m) Prosperidad
Brooke's Point Dipolog
Oroquieta Cagayan

Bugsuk Island Tubbataha Reefs de Oro
Balabac Island
Siquijor LilaoPyeninsulaPagadian Iligan Malaybalay Bislig
Seek out sand Ipil
and shamans (p289) Lake 8ºN
Lanao
Zamboang
Mindanao Tagum Caraga

Cotabato Mt Apo

(2954m)

Cagayan Moro Gulf Kidapawan Davao Mati
Sulu Island Zamboanga
Isabela Alah Valley Davao
Turtle Islands Basilan Lake Digos Bay
Pangutaran Jolo Island Buluan
Sandakan Island Island
Mindanao Sea Malita

Jolo General Santos Alabel

Archipelago Glan

MALAYSIA Tawi-Tawi Island Camiguin
(Sabah) Frolic in this playground
Sulu
for adventurers (p341)

Bongao INDONESIA

Celebes Sea