Cadillac

Places

There can be little doubt that the Philippines is a remarkably beautiful country. Most travellers to the country are there specifically to explore its various natural wonders and then gather to gush about them. Palawan is one place that travellers are particularly prone to breathlessly wax lyrical about. Wherever you are in the Philippines, you will meet someone who cannot stop talking about Palawan.

Unfortunately for me, I did not go to Palawan. I visited four main places of some natural beauty: the Bicol region, the Cordilleras, Aurora province, and Puerto Galera. The cities (by my own rough definition of a city) I visited are Manila, Legazpi, Laoag, Vigan, Baguio, Solano, San Jose, and Cabanatuan. The towns I visited or at least stopped briefly in are Donsol, Paoay, Batac, Baler, San Luis, Tarlac, Lagawe, and Puerto Galera.

Bicol region
Mount Mayon is the main highlight of this area (other than the whale sharks). It is a perfect cone, the sort very young children come up with when asked to draw a volcano. The view of the volcano from Donsol Bay on a clear day, perhaps laced with a thin cloud or two, is quite something to behold.

Aurora province
The main (perhaps only) tourist attraction of this sleepy province is the beach at Baler, which draws surfers with its smooth breaks in the right season. The beach is a pleasant sight, but not breathtaking. Thanks to my very kind hosts, I visited several spots of local interest that are probably not enticing enough to draw tourists. Ermita Hill is a small hill where locals sought refuge from a tsunami. It is now marked by a large cross at the summit. From the hill one can see Baler from across the bay. I noted that the park area on the hill was unusually well maintained and clean, compared to other parks in the country.

I also visited Culayan Falls, known locally as the small waterfall. The big waterfall is Ditumabo Falls. I visited four waterfalls in the Philippines and Culayan Falls had by far the cleanest water of all. The water is cool and almost perfectly clear, and the pool is waist to chest deep, which makes this place a good choice for families. Finally, I went to the ex-largest tree in Asia. It had been dethroned due to decay. Nevertheless, it remains large enough to walk through.

Puerto Galera
Puerto Galera town itself and Sabang (where we stayed) are not much to look at. We visited Tamaraw Falls, which is worth a few pictures, and Talipanan Beach, which is probably the nicest beach in the area. The best views, however, were probably of the sea from various points along the winding road along the coast, which was itself a great pleasure to ride.

Cities
It is difficult to like any of the cities or towns very much. The roads are dominated by noisy jeepneys and tricycles belching black fumes. The streets and pavements are caked by a thick layer of filth and littered with trash. The buildings are greying, not because of age but because of the polluted atmosphere. Even the most beautiful historical sights are marred by the telephone and power cables that are strung haphazardly all over the city. And in some provincial towns the final squeal of pigs to the slaughter greets the arriving traveller, but not before the foul stench of carabao flesh hits his nose.

The Cordilleras
This brings me to the most spectacular scenery I have ever set eyes upon: the rice terraces of the Cordilleras. I went from Bontoc to Sagada, back to Bontoc and then on to Banaue and Batad. Bontoc and Banaue are the capitals of Mountain Province and Ifugao province respectively and are fairly busy small towns. It was in Banaue that I was unpleasantly greeted by a makeshift slaughterhouse in the town square, as described in the preceding paragraph. Nevertheless, both towns have their fair share of beautiful mountains and rice terraces. It is only in Banaue that one can find true mud-walled terraces of the ancient UNESCO World Heritage Site variety.

Sagada is a lovely township in a pine forest - the setting could pass as an alpine resort. The temperature is perfect. The rice terraces take some walking to reach, but are simply stunning, especially from Mount Kiltepan. It was also here that Aaron and I ventured into the blackness of two limestone caves.

Batad turned out not to be a major highlight for me on this trip for various reasons, including the very short time I had there. However, it would easily take top spot if I were to rank the best views and sights. Batad is a tiny village set in a rice terrace amphitheatre. The rice terraces form the inside of a massive half-bowl facing a mountain on the opposite site. Huts are perched all over the terraces. There are no vehicles in Batad, giving it a silent and meditative mood.