Reflection Paper
Reflection Paper
North of Manila, the island of Luzon tempted me with some wonderful mountainous areas, volcanic landscapes and a beautiful coastline dotted with heavenly beaches. Heading up the west coast from Subic, the Zambales coast amazed me being dotted with laidback resorts, while the Hundred Islands , as they say, a favourite weekend trip from Manila, gave me an idea on what to visit this summer. As I remember, further along the coast, the province of La Union draws visitors particularly for its surfing. North of here is Ilocos Sur, known primarily for the old colonial city of Vigan, where horse-drawn carriages bounce down narrow cobblestone streets. This scenario made me go back to the ancient times. As I was able to remember, the area around the capital of Ilocos Norte province, Laoag, features a number of sites related to former dictator Ferdinand Marcos, who was born in the nearby village of Sarrat. Another spot was Palanan – the jump-off point for the barely explored Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park. For many visitors, though, the prime attraction in Northern Luzon is the mountainous inland Cordillera region. Highlights here include the mountain village of Sagada with its caves and hanging coffins, and the stunning rice terraces around Banaue and Bontoc. In the village of Kabayan in Benguet province, it’s possible to hike up to see mummies, discovered in caves in the early twentieth century. Kabayan also provides access to Mount Pulag, the highest mountain in Luzon, as I was able to remember being discussed as “Mt. Pulog”. Finally, far off the northern coast lie the scattered islands of Batanes province. For me, this region is the best in choosing destinations for a vacation. When it comes to Visayas, I do love their place, especially Cebu City that of which includes traces from the Spanish and religious past, specifically the fight between Lapu-Lapu and Magellan in Mactan. On Mactan island, tourism is well developed. Many dive centres and
North of Manila, the island of Luzon tempted me with some wonderful mountainous areas, volcanic landscapes and a beautiful coastline dotted with heavenly beaches. Heading up the west coast from Subic, the Zambales coast amazed me being dotted with laidback resorts, while the Hundred Islands , as they say, a favourite weekend trip from Manila, gave me an idea on what to visit this summer. As I remember, further along the coast, the province of La Union draws visitors particularly for its surfing. North of here is Ilocos Sur, known primarily for the old colonial city of Vigan, where horse-drawn carriages bounce down narrow cobblestone streets. This scenario made me go back to the ancient times. As I was able to remember, the area around the capital of Ilocos Norte province, Laoag, features a number of sites related to former dictator Ferdinand Marcos, who was born in the nearby village of Sarrat. Another spot was Palanan – the jump-off point for the barely explored Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park. For many visitors, though, the prime attraction in Northern Luzon is the mountainous inland Cordillera region. Highlights here include the mountain village of Sagada with its caves and hanging coffins, and the stunning rice terraces around Banaue and Bontoc. In the village of Kabayan in Benguet province, it’s possible to hike up to see mummies, discovered in caves in the early twentieth century. Kabayan also provides access to Mount Pulag, the highest mountain in Luzon, as I was able to remember being discussed as “Mt. Pulog”. Finally, far off the northern coast lie the scattered islands of Batanes province. For me, this region is the best in choosing destinations for a vacation. When it comes to Visayas, I do love their place, especially Cebu City that of which includes traces from the Spanish and religious past, specifically the fight between Lapu-Lapu and Magellan in Mactan. On Mactan island, tourism is well developed. Many dive centres and