I had been to Batanes and just got back home this morning. It is the province located in the northern tip of the country. There's nothing much to see in the eyes of a tourist but for nature lovers, there's a lot in store for them. We were treated to the greeneries where the hills are alive with cattle such as cows and goats roaming the hillsides. From what I gathered, those grazing animals are left to their own devices. I just wonder how they get water to drink. The culture is so different. What got my eye was the Honesty Cafe, named such because there's no one tending the store. You just get in, and take what you want and pay what you get, i.e. depending on your honesty. It's a really unique experience to buy in that kind of store. More on my next post.
Here is the souvenir photo that I took of myself just to show off, hahahaaa. That panorama that you see is the standard vista in that province composed of 3 big islands and some small ones. Mostly hilly terrain with grass that looks like a garden lawn because the cattle provides the natural mowing of the grass. Usually cattle and goats although there are some horses and sheep as well. It looks like ranching is the main livelihood of people in the rural suburbs.
Let me delve a bit on Batanes since it was my most recent tour. The majestic mountains and hills are poster perfect. Since the province is composed of islands, the sea plays a big role. To the west is the West Philippine Sea a.k.a. as South China Sea and to the east is the Pacific Ocean. It's ironic because the waters of the Pacific is rowdy and people do not dare swim while in the West Philippine Sea, waters are kinder although it's not really perfect for swimming. The photo is the Pacific Ocean side of the island.
There is a place in Batanes called Blue Lagoon because the water looks blue. They say that it is the favorite swimming spot of the residents because it is partly covered from the heat of the sun. Legend says that the rocks beside the shore was carved by the gods when they went there to swim. The water is cool and not cold. There were a lot of people swimming, mostly residents and only a few tourists. It's a good place for a picnic too.
Let's go to the western side of the northern Philippines to check on the town of Bolinao in the province of Pangasinan. The hospitality of the inhabitants is greatly felt upon arriving there. Their delicacies are just fine but what gets us excited is the clean beaches. It's a great feeling to be in the sea of Bolinao and feel another nature trip with the family. The kids have been checking on the shells on the sand and some are even trying to catch coconut crab, they're the ones digging holes in the sand. What makes Bolinao beaches great is the few people in there. Unlike in other popular beaches where the crowd is overflowing, Bolinao beaches will give you the space you are looking for. Peace and quite.
One good thing about Bolinao is the cheap food. The hotel we stayed in had a buffet from breakfast to dinner. We would be in our swimming attire in the early morning to savor the swimming pool before having breakfast and the beach thereafter until dinner time. There were also tour packages if you want to see some interesting places like a cave or mountain top. There are lots of resorts to choose from. We just booked in one resort via online booking. And for that, we got a 70% discount. Great. The only minus factor that I see in Bolinao is the distance. It is an 8-hour drive from Manila. We left at 4 pm and reached home by midnight. Here is a photo of the so called Rock Formation...
Wow, fantastic posts, Corie! I've always wanted to travel around the world and just visit a lot of touristic spots and vistas. Sadly, I didn't really manage to do that until now, but right now I'm saving up some money along with my wife, and we're thinking about gifting ourselves a vacation soon. Maybe we'll even consider going to Bolinao.
Great posts and photos! I'd love to got to places in the Philippine Islands when my husband retires form work. But he'll be 70+ by then to be able to enjoy that long vacation. He's a photographer, and I'm very sure he'd love the experience. I will too! Thanks for the photos!
Tomorrow we are going to Subic and stay in the mountain resort lodge. Expect some photos when we return. I hope we can see the roaming monkeys. When we were there last December, there were a lot of monkeys in search for food. Our camera was very satisfied. Another atraction is the bat kingdom - the edge of the forest with tall trees where the bats stay. They start flying at dusk and come back at dawn. We were able to get some shots of that so I hope tomorrow we will be that lucky again.
I'm sorry, I have forgotten to update this thread about our trip to Subic Freeport. We stayed in the Forest View village that is isolated from the commercial area by 5 kilometers. The entire Subic Freeport is mountainous with beach and seafronts but the most common attraction is the forest that seems to be everywhere. And where there are forests, there are wild animals. Since it rained the night before, the road to the Forest View village where our accommodation is located was flooded... Fortunately, our car was able to traverse the water without any damage. After settling our things and our dogs in the villa, we left for a joy ride to see the sights. We encountered a lot of monkeys on the road asking for food. Here's one monkey eating an apple tossed by a passerby car...
Corie, these pictures are awesome. You look so young. I love the very blue water with all the rocks. Is the water really that blue?
Corie, this is quite a travelogue! Thank you so much for sharing these wonderful pictures. They make me want to visit there so badly! LOL It's almost time for my vacation, and I so wish I could spend it in your neck of the woods.
@Allison Schuck, the waters in the town of Bolinao are all blue. We noticed that when we traveled to another beach. That photo was taken in the so called Rock Formation - rocks formed by the smashing waves of the sea. @Brittany Houser, here is our trip last summer in the town of Morong in the province of Bataan. The sea is also ideal for kayaking although we didn't really swim but just waded in the sea water. There were many swimmers though, young and old. We were quite stymied by the presence of jellyfish. That's me with my nieces. And for those who are not keen to swim in the sea, there's a pool in the resort with saltwater and there's another pool filled with fresh water. So take your pick. In photo is the saltwater pool, our favorite with its warm water. With me are my nephew and niece.
Oh, I love looking at these piccies. Thanks Corie. You have a beautiful family & friends. Such lovely surroundings.
For overnight camp out, there is a town called Tagaytay (it's now a city) with a cool climate where the Taal volcano is situated. It is famous for its wind that brings the cold air. Nature's Discovery Camp is a small mountain resort fit for overnight camping. It is enclosed by a fence and security is good. It also have electricity so cooking is not that difficult. And so as not to get board, particularly the children, there's a swimming pool to cool them down. However, it is just a resort and there's no restaurant or even a store. When we go there, we always bring our own food and drinks. There's the famous small banana that is sold cheap in the roadside stalls. That's my brother standing and his family. Here's a view of the place that is actually a small hill. Behind our back is the Taal lake (down below) where the volcano is situated right in the middle of the lake.