Nature Trip

Visit Tubbataha Reefs – a Diving Spot in Palawan 0

Aug 10, 2010 by Admin in Adventure Travel, Food Trip, Nature Trip Tags: ,

Most tourists who visited the Philippines are geared towards communing with nature. Some may just be social types of tourists but there are a lot of people who seek out good diving spots in the Philippine archipelago.

Tubbataha Reefs PalawanThey are never dismayed because Philippines have a lot of diving spots to offer. Scattered throughout the 7,107 islands of the archipelago, choices are close to limitless. In 2007, Canadian-Swiss Bernard Weber together with New7wonders Foundation started a global nomination for the new7wonders of nature. The Tubbataha Reefs, was nominated, beautiful corals, marine life and a healthy ecosystem was the basis for the nomination.

From Puerto Princessa city in Palawan, 98 nautical miles if a 130,027 hectare of marine sanctuary, protected by Philippine law and considered as a UNESCO world heritage site is the Tubbataha Reefs. Coming to the Tubbataha is an unforgettable experience.

Our native tour guide shared his experience that dolphins, sharks, turtles and whales come to these life-rich reefs to feed. While most marine animals are native to Tubbataha, many others are migrants to this stunningly beautiful gift from nature. Tubbataha is a sanctuary for fishes and for birds too, the place consistently draws migratory birds to its sparkling blue waters.

The reefs are truly colorful and filled with energy. Seeing vast numbers of corals portraying a lot of formations are really food for the eyes. With all the fishes going around, there are numerous quantities of whitetip reef sharks that act as the highest level of consumers and prove that the reef is a healthy one. It is made of two coral atolls, dissected by 5-mile wide channel.

The south atoll is smaller from the north atoll and each of them has an islet that became the breeding and nesting ground for many bird species.. Possessing birds and marine species alike. Tubbataha reefs could be of great biological interest. One of the most astounding visitors of the reef are the Butanding (whale sharks) that finds vast numbers of food throughout the channel that separates the two atolls. Tubbataha became a finalist of the new7wonders of nature, but was not included in top 7. Today, Tubbataha attracts more and more tourists every year.


credit to: prilfish

Cebu Taoist Temple 0

Jul 19, 2010 by Admin in Adventure Travel, Cebu Travel, Nature Trip, Travel Tips Tags:

Due to the geographic location, close to Taiwan and China, Chinese community is growing so fast in the Philippines. Chinese traders were attracted to stay in the country. As the years pass, Chinese shared their traditions and beliefs to the Filipinos.

Cebu Taoist templeOne of the infrastructures that Chinese had built in Philippines is the Cebu Taoist Temple. You can find the temple along Beverly Hills, just 6 kilometers away from the downtown of Cebu.

This was built on 1972 by the Chinese community. Unlike the neighboring Temple, Taoist temple continues to attract not only the worshipers of Buddha but also the non-worshipers. Many of the tourists from all over the country always include this temple as one of the tourist landmarks in Cebu.

My first visit here in this place was way back 4 years ago when I was working in a Taiwanese- owned company. My boss always asks me to be with her as she visits the temple every Sunday. When I first saw the temple, found it really amazing, maybe because I am a Catholic, and it was my initial experience to visit such a place. As I entered, the Temple entrance seems so familiar to me, then I realized it looks like the replica of the Great Wall of China, which I only saw in my Social Studies books. You can also find a chapel, a library, a souvenir shop and a wishing well inside the temple.

A lot of tourists and believers were there during my first visit since it was Sunday. The Chinese worshipers are doing their traditional prayer where one prays to the gods to grant one’s wish. There are some rituals performed by them, which include hand washing and praying barefoot. If you also see blocks of wood, try dropping them. They say that your wish would be granted when you drop the wood, and they are facing upwards. If not then it is not yet the time for one’s wish to be granted and one has to come to the temple some other time. If you are looking for a Chinese scenery visit, try to include Taoist Temple in your list.


credit to: Capella
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