Banaue Rice Terraces
located: Banaue

The Banaue Rice Terraces are 2000-year old terraces that were carved into the mountains of Ifugao in the Philippines by ancestors of the indigenous people. The Rice Terraces are commonly referred to by Filipinos as the “Eighth Wonder of the World”. It is commonly thought that the terraces were built with minimal equipment, largely by hand. The terraces are located approximately 1500 meters “5000 ft” above sea level and cover 10,360 square kilometers “about 4000 square miles” of mountainside. They are fed by an ancient irrigation system from the rainforests above the terraces. It is said that if the steps are put end to end it would encircle half the globe.

The Banaue terraces are part of the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, ancient sprawling man-made structures from 2,000 to 6,000 years old. They are found in the provinces of Kalinga, Apayao, Benguet, Mountain Province and Ifugao, and are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Locals to this day still plant rice and vegetables on the terraces, although more and more younger Ifugaos do not find farming appealing, often opting for the more lucrative hospitality industry generated by the Rice Terraces. The result is the gradual erosion of the characteristic “steps”, which need constant reconstruction and care.

Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park
located: Cagayancillo

Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park is home to some of the most beautiful coral reefs in the world. Rising from the volcanic depths of the Sulu Sea in the western Philippines, these magnificent atolls encompass an astonishing diversity of marine life.

The park is an underwater sanctuary where nature thrives. Tubbataha is the Philippines’ only marine natural park and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a place of global importance being preserved for future generations of humankind.

Tubbataha supports an unparalleled variety of marine creatures. Colorful reef fish crowd corals growing in the shallows while sharks and pelagics haunt the steep drop offs to the open sea.

A team of rangers are stationed on the reef year-round and, from March until June, divers visit Tubbataha to experience the wonders of this unique underwater world.

Source: Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park

Chocolate Hills
located: Bohol

The Chocolate Hills are located on the Island of Bohol. They are over 1,200 hills, covering over 50 km² and get their name because the grass which covers the hills turns brown during the dry season.

The hills are almost all conical in shape and made of limestone. Many people have believed that they were human creations. Geologists are not entirely sure how they were created. Theories include erosion of limestone, volcanic uplift, and accretion of limestone around basalt fragments from a volcanic eruption. The government of the Philippines has declared it one of their flagship tourist destinations. The Chocolate Hills are so central to the people of Bohol, they appear on the flag of the province.

From Wiki

The Chocolate Hills are an unusual geological formation in Bohol, Philippines.

According to the latest accurate survey done,[citation needed] there are 1,776 hills spread over an area of more than 50 square kilometres (20 sq mi). They are covered in green grass that turns brown during the dry season, hence the name.

The Chocolate Hills are a famous tourist attraction of Bohol. They are featured in the provincial flag and seal to symbolize the abundance of natural attractions in the province.

They are in the Philippine Tourism Authority’s list of tourist destinations in the Philippines; they have been declared the country’s 3rd National Geological Monument and proposed for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Taal Volcano
located: Batangas

Taal volcano has a unique distinction in the world. It contains the largest island, inside of a lake, which is on an island, which is inside a lake, which is on an island.

Taal is a very active volcano which has killed over 5,000 people in recorded history. It has been named one of 16 decade volcanoes in the world worthy of special study. Inside the Taal caldera is Lake Tall, which is a 25km across. The lake is know for its high sulfur content and is also home to many endemic species of freshwater fish. Taal is only 50km from the city of Manila.

From Wiki

Taal Volcano is a complex volcano on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. It is situated between the towns of Talisay and San Nicolas in Batangas. It consists of an island in Lake Taal, which is situated within a caldera formed by an earlier, very powerful eruption. It is located about 50 km or 31 Miles from Manila.

It is one of the active volcanos in the Philippines, all part of the Pacific ring of fire.

The volcano has erupted violently several times, causing loss of life in the populated areas surrounding the lake, the current death toll standing at around 5,000 to 6,000. Because of its proximity to populated areas and eruptive history, the volcano has been designated a Decade Volcano worthy of close study to prevent future natural disasters. It was thought to be named as “a volcano inside a volcano” because many believed that the lake that circles the volcano was once a crater or mouth of a volcano.

Mayon Volcano
located: Albay

Mayon volcano is perhaps the most perfectly shaped conic volcano in the world. It has been called by some the “Filipino Mount Fuji”. Located in south east Luzon, it is one of the most active volcanoes in the world.

It has erupted close to 50 times since the year 1600, with the most recent eruption occurring in 2006. 77 people were killed in an eruption in 1993 and 75,000 people had to be evacuated from their homes during an eruption in 1984. It rises 2462 m over Legazpi City in the province of Albany.

From Wiki

Mayon Volcano, also known as Mount Mayon, is an active stratovolcano in the province of Albay, in the Bicol Region, on the island of Luzon, in the Philippines.

Renowned as the “perfect cone” because of its almost perfect conical shape, Mayon forms the northern boundary of Legazpi City. Local folklore refer to the volcano as Bulkang Magayon, after the legendary heroine Daragang Magayon.

Puerto Princesa Subterranean
located: Puerto Princesa

From Wiki

The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is located about 50 kilometers north of the city of Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines. The National Park is located in the Saint Paul Mountain Range on the northern coast of the island.

It is bordered by St. Paul Bay to the north and the Babuyan River to the east. The City Government of Puerto Princesa has managed the National Park since 1992. It is also known as St. Paul’s Subterranean River National Park, or St. Paul Underground River. The entrance to the Subterranean River is a short hike from the town of Sabang. Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park has been nominated for the “New Seven Wonders of Nature” competition.

Boracay
located: Aklan

Boracay Island, Philippines Known far and wide as an island paradise, Boracay has charmed vacationers with its powder white sand, crystal blue waters and purposely laid-back pace. Located at the norther tip of Panay province, Boracay is about three hours away from Manila.Sun worshippers from all over the world visit Boracay yearly, and some have even made it their second home.

It is no wonder therefore, that French, German, Spanish and English can be heard spoken in the Island. The culinary fare is equally exciting featuring a wide range from Thai and Austrian to Belgian and Filipino. Numerous water sport facilities, including dive shops are on hand as well as a sprinkling of bars and discos. Most visitors, however prefer to sit back and enjoy the sun.

From Wiki

Boracay is an island of the Philippines located approximately 315 km (200 miles) south of Manila and 2 km off the northwest tip of the island of Panay in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. In 1990, it was voted by the BMW Tropical Beach Handbook as one of the best beaches in the world and again in 1996 by British publication TV Quick as the world’s number one tropical beach.[2] In 2007, Boracay island topped the list of the World’s Most Popular Beach according to Yahoo! Travel. [3][4]

The island comprises the barangays of Manoc-Manoc, Balabag, and Yapak (3 of the 17 barangays which make up the municipality of Malay), and is under the administrative control of the Philippine Tourism Authority in coordination with the Provincial Government of Aklan.

Tags: Albay, Banaue, Banaue Rice Terraces, Bohol, Boracay, Cagayancillo, Chocolate Hills, Mayon Volcano, Philippines, Puerto Princesa, Seven Wonders, Taal Volcano, Tubbataha Reefs

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