What are the wonders of the world? The Underground River is now 1 of the 7 World Wonders!

Posted on November 25, 2011 by Chared

It’s official, the Puerto Princesa Underground River (PPUR) in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, Philippines won a place in the New7Wonders of Nature. The initiative started in 2007 with more than 400 participants from more than 200 countries which was trimmed down to 77 and finally to 28. From the 28 finalists, the top 7 were chosen through a global poll.

The Underground River, properly called the St. Paul’s Subterranean River National Park, has been a famous tourist spot in Palawan, Philippines to locals and foreigners alike for many years now.

I for one have been there maybe more than four times (I have lost count!) but would visit it again when given the chance. I fully remember how enjoyable and interesting it is to be there. More than nature, it is amazing how the workers at the PPUR National Park handle tourists. They know not only what PPUR means to tourism but also what they mean to help the industry grow.

The boatmen for example have been trained how to keep the tourists interested while navigating the river through funny stories. To keep them entertained and not jog their memory too much with a lot of information, they have organized the interesting items in the cave into “groups”. There was a grocery department where one finds stalactites and stalagmites in the shape of fruits and vegetables. There was a cathedral where one can find the church and the Holy Family in it. Tourists burst into laughter to hear the story of the cave in this manner but also remembers it better.

Below is a great video to show you how the interior of the cave looks like.

To top this recognition, the PPUR was also picked as one of the seven natural wonders of the world by Lonely Planet readers. So if you haven’t visited it yet, you might want to consider going there the next time you go to the Philippines. Better yet, why not make it the reason for your Philippine visit?#

 

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Philippines traditions and customs

Posted on August 23, 2011 by Mark

Hi, Mark again,

This is a review on the book “Do’s and Don’ts in the Philippines” that helped me understand Philippine traditions and customs. If you’re looking for the book, you can find it here.

I met my Philippine wife in the Netherlands while she was here for a work project. We kept in touch since and after a while, I became curious about how her home country would be. However, although I have always been interested in Asian culture, I never left Europe before I went to the Philippines for the first time. And of course I wanted to leave a good impression on her friends and family.

Things can become very confusing for a western guy if you don’t know Philippine traditions. Luckily my wife gave me the book “Do’s and Don’ts in the Philippines” which describes very accurately how to behave with the Filipinos. It doesn’t only cover the Philippine traditions, but also their beliefs and superstitions.

This book taught me how to do the “Mano Po”, which is the traditional way to greet elder people to show you respect them. It’s like making a bow and putting their hand to your head. The book is very complete and describes the history of the Filipino people, their religion, how the houses are layed out, how to behave at parties, etc.

One funny thing I learned is that Filipinos have two kitchens, one “clean” and one “dirty” kitchen. The “dirty” kitchen doesn’t mean that it’s filthy, but that’s the place where the food is prepared. The “clean” kitchen is the organised version for guests to see so the hosts don’t “lose face” because of a messy kitchen. The idea of “losing face” or “hiya” is explained very clearly so it’s easy to understand for non-Asians like myself.

These are just a few of the interesting and useful subjects covered by this great read. It handles everything you need to know about the Philippine culture, its customs, superstitions and beliefs. If there is one thing not to like, then it may be that in some parts, it could be a bit too traditional, when the truth is, Filipinos are strongly influenced by western culture. However, I found out this only worked in my advantage.

For example, when I asked my wife to marry me I chose the traditional way and asked her parents for permission first while taking them out to dinner. I understood that most Filipinos don’t do this anymore but it was very much appreciated by my parents-in-law.

I can definitely recommend “Do’s and Don’ts in the Philippines” to every non-Filipino planning a visit to the Philippines. It’s full of funny anecdotes and you will be sure you won’t make any big mistakes or offend anyone.

If you want to learn more, you can find the book here:

Philippines traditions and customsPhilippines traditions and customs

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What to do in Manila

Posted on July 1, 2011 by Mark

Hi, I’m Mark

Do you want to get out of Manila as quick as possible whenever you’re there? I used to feel the same, because I thought there were no fun things to do in the city Manila. But thanks to the book “Street-Bound: Manila on Foot” I experience Manila in a totally different way now. Although I used to hate going to Manila, I actually enjoy it now since I know now exactly what to see in Manila, where to go and where to stay away. Here I will give you my personal review on the book that changed the way I look at Manila.

I’m Dutch and married to a Filipina. My parents-in-law both live in Metro Manila. This means that every time we visit them we will spend some of our Philippine holidays there. Most people will describe Manilla as a huge, noisy, chaotic and polluted city where there is not much else to do but shopping in the huge shopping malls. The first couple of years, that is how I spend my time in Manila: shopping, going out for dinner and a movie. But I got bored of it really fast.

Of course you can visit Intramuros, which is beautiful by the way, but once you have seen it, well…. you’ve seen it! Since I don’t like sitting at home and like to explore the city, it became quite frustrating when there is nothing else to do but go to the mall.

Therefore I was very glad when I found the book “Street-Bound: Manila on Foot“, written by a local woman: Josefina P. Manahan. Josefina has lived in the Manila all her life and she knows her city.

She describes where nice little markets are, beautiful quiet parks, curious shops and other hidden attractions in Manila. And the best thing is: Most trips are totally free! She knows how to mix practical information with nostalgic anecdotes. The book describes trips of 1 hour, an afternoon or a day so you always have a list of things to do no matter how much or little time you have. She includes the best tourist sites but goes much further than that. Josefina describes in detail how to get there, what you will be able to see and what you should wear. Tours are divided in different categories, like: nature, historical, cultural and shopping. Most tours contain a nice mix of those categories. That way you can create your own package tour to Manila and make a great sightseeing trip.

“Street-Bound: Manila on Foot” is written as a book for the whole family. This means that it has trips for either families, couples, singles or kids. So you might find some tips that aren’t particularly interesting to you, but there is something for every member of the family. I found that most information in this book is very helpful and I enjoyed every trip I picked from Josefina’s suggestions. The book contains more than enough tours to fill many days in Metro Manila.

I take this book every time I’m there so I know I have many fun things to do in Manila. This is the first among many tourist guides I read that will give you so much tips on how to spend your time in Manila. It showed me that there is more about Manila than meets the eye and I can definitely recommend this book to anyone who spends time there and wants to explore the city. I hope you will find this book as useful as I do.

If you want to learn more, you can view the book here:

Oh yes, before I forget! A map of Manila is very convenient when strolling around the streets. I find this a nice one:

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The Tarsier: Smallest monkey in the world?

Posted on June 7, 2011 by Mark
Is it Gizmo the hairy gremlin? No it’s a Philippine Tarsier, one of the worlds smallest known primates. Unlike what most people think, the Tarsier is not among the smallest species of monkey, but it is among the smallest species of primates. This cute little animal, only 90 to 160 mm in size (3.5 to 6.25 inches) can be found in the islands of Samar, Leyte, Bohol and Mindanao. Their big bulgy eyes equip them with night vision making them excellent hunters for their favourite dish: ‘insects’.

 

The Tarsier: Smallest monkey in the world?

tarsier photos

Although the Tarsiers were found in the rainforests all over the South East Asian islands, they are now almost extinct. Because of the destruction of the rainforests the number of Tarsiers alive is estimated between 5 and 10 thousand. Sadly this number is still falling.

Near the town of Corella, on the island Bohol a sanctuary founded by the Tarsier Foundation has some success restoring the Tarsier population. The sanctuary is located less than a half-hour drive from Tagbilaran City and can be reached for visits by private or public transport. Also their website contains much information about this special animal.

If you want to get a preview, just watch the video below.

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