Photograph courtesy of Wilderness Travel
The Philippines was named "One of 25 Best New Trips in the World in 2010" by National Geographic which cited its ancient cultures, structures and
biodiversity as key reasons to visit the country.
In its November 2009 Adventure issue, the DC-based National Geographic described the Philippines as harboring "as many islands as the Caribbean and some of the most spectacular reefs on the planet", adding that travel organizations have "finally gotten wise."
National Geographic presented the "25 brand new adventures, all of them just right for right now." The list is directed at "travelers who want their dollars to do more - for others, for the planet and for themselves."
Philippine Ambassador to the United States Willy C. Gaa said the inclusion of the Philippines in the list shows the global community is "taking note of the natural and cultural wonders in the country as well as the efforts to protect and preserve them."
Summit to Sea
biodiversity as key reasons to visit the country.
In its November 2009 Adventure issue, the DC-based National Geographic described the Philippines as harboring "as many islands as the Caribbean and some of the most spectacular reefs on the planet", adding that travel organizations have "finally gotten wise."
National Geographic presented the "25 brand new adventures, all of them just right for right now." The list is directed at "travelers who want their dollars to do more - for others, for the planet and for themselves."
Philippine Ambassador to the United States Willy C. Gaa said the inclusion of the Philippines in the list shows the global community is "taking note of the natural and cultural wonders in the country as well as the efforts to protect and preserve them."
Summit to Sea
The Philippines has a PR problem. While it harbors as many islands as the Caribbean and some of the most spectacular reefs on the planet, the nation sees only a fraction of the visitors of nearby Thailand. Even travel companies, it seems, have bought the bad rap: Other than the occasional sea kayaking trip, U.S. guides have largely avoided the archipelago. But Wilderness Travel has finally gotten wise. This May the outfit will lead clients high into the 4,000-foot Cordillera Central, then deep into the world's most biodiverse marine environment. The trip begins in Banaue, where travelers spend days hiking into terraced mountains and nights back at the town's namesake hotel (pine cabins, private balconies, killer views). Then it's down to the island of Cabilao, trading butterflies for fish? species of them. For the next five days, you'll bob around reefs, scanning the area's 350 varieties of coral (including table coral that's a whopping nine feet wide). But don't forget: The best snorkeling starts at dusk. "It's like being in a train station during commuting hours," says Barbara Banks,
Wilderness Travel's director of new trip development. "The day fish are moving out and the night creatures like octopuses and eels are moving in."
According to the article, Wilderness Travel is organizing a trip to the Philippines in May 2010 which will "lead clients high into the 4,000 foot Cordillera Central then deep into the world most biodiverse marine environment."
Wilderness Travel is a company of and for travelers whose trip members are mostly repeat travelers or referrals from past members. These include "naturalists, authors, ecologists, archeologists, art historians, teachers and mountaineers."
The 12-day trip to the Philippines costs $3595 (10-12 members)
http://www.wildernesstravel.com/trip/philippines/banaue-cabilao-hiking-snorkeling-hilltribes-coral-triangle-ifuago
On its website www.wildernesstravel.com, the Philippines is described as a country which boasts breathtaking hikes among ancient rice terraces and
scenic mountain landscapes, cultural encounters with Ifugao people, world-class snorkeling in the "Coral Triangle."
According to Wilderness Travel, the Philippine journey explores "the emerald world of the Ifugao hilltribe people - steeped in ancient tradition- who
have transformed the precipitous mountainsides of their homeland into steeply contoured rice terraces, complete with ingenious irrigation systems
dating back 2,000 years.
The trip then takes travelers to Cabilao island in the Visayas to view "stunning coral reefs" that are part of the famed "Coral Triangle," the
world's greatest concentration of marine biodiversity.
The Philippines has been promoting its cultural and natural wonders as preferred travel destinations for global tourists. The Embassy of the Philippines works closely with the National Geographic in raising awareness on the importance of sustainable development and ecological protection.
During President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's official visit to Washington D.C. in August 2009, she delivered a talk at the National Geographic Headquarters in the U.S. capital, underscoring the Government's efforts in and urging international support for preserving, promoting and protecting biodiversity in the Coral Triangle. http://dfa.gov.ph/?p=10254
http://adventure.nationalgeographic.com/2009/11/best-new-trips-2010/trips-text
