The Top Two Summer Destinations in the Philippines By Aaron Matthew Ang

For a lot of people, the desire for travelling escalates only during summer. Perhaps the most visited places of all summer destinations are beaches and mountainous areas to get away from the heat. If you are planning to visit the Philippines, here are the top two summer destinations based on accessibility and popularity.
Boracay Beach: Where All the Fun Happens
Located in the Western Visayas, in the province of Aklan, Boracay is well known for its white sand beaches and is one of the country's most popular tourist destinations. Accessible by land, air, and sea, the port of entry to the island is the Caticlan jetty port to Cagban where boats are used to ferry passengers.
The two primary tourism beaches are:

• White Beach - the commercial center of the island where all the restaurants, bars, and souvenir shops are located. Along this beach is a wide array of services like massages, spas, facials, scrubs and everything you need for pampering.
• Bulabog Beach - the ideal area for windsurfing and kite boarding activities.

Numerous resorts line the beaches. Accommodations vary from luxurious to Spartan and are divided into three stations:

• Station 1- isolated accommodations for the upscale vacationers looking for peace and quiet
• Station 2 - close to the bars and nightclubs. Ideal for those who love the nightlife
• Station 3 - where cheaper lodgings are located

To explore the island, hiring motorbikes or scooters is the best way to go. A boat ride in a paraw-a native sailboat-for a tour to the various beaches is also worth the money. One beach of note is the Baling Hai Beach which has a quiet environment conducive for swimming and snorkeling.
Scuba diving enthusiasts can enjoy diving from between 25 to 30 dive sites. Horse riding is also available at the Boracay Horse Riding Stables. If rock climbing is your stuff, there is an outdoor rock climbing gym located along the beach path called D'Wall Climbing Gym.
One can avail a wide selection of cuisine due to the proliferation of international travelers. You can choose from European, Oriental, to native foods and drinks. Shopping for souvenir items at the gift shops along the beach paths before leaving is one way to remember an enjoyable vacation in Boracay.
Baguio City: the Summer Capital of the Philippines
Baguio City is situated in the Northern part of Luzon on the Cordillera mountain range. It has an altitude of approximately 1,500 meters or 5,100 feet thus its cool mountain weather. It is popularly known as the Summer Capital of the Philippines. The name Baguio was derived from the word bagiw, which means moss in Ibaloi, the indigenous language of the Benguet Region. It is also called the City of Pines due to the number of pine trees in the city. Majority languages spoken are English and Filipino while the dialect is Ilokano.
Accessible by land, travelers from the lowlands could use the three main access roads:

• Kennon Road - the shortest but the most dangerous route due to landslides
• during the rainy seasons
• Marcos Highway and Naguilian Highway - these two are the safer and preferred routes by buses, trucks, and other bigger vehicles.

Baguio City is also accessible by air through Loakan Airport.
Baguio is a highly urbanized city owing to its establishment by the Americans in 1900.The primary economy is education considering the proliferation of universities, colleges, trade and technical schools. The secondary income is commerce, being the major retail center for the Cordilleras and the Ilocos provinces. Shopping centers abound with a huge variety of products competitively priced against Metro Manila, the country's business hub.
Baguio City is mainly a tourist destination because it is home to one of the most popular leisure resorts in the country, the Camp John Hay. Other attractions are:

• The Mansion
• Burnham Park
• Mines View Park
• Wright Park
• Baguio Cathedral
• The Lourdes Shrine
• Strawberry fields
• The Philippine Military Academy

One most sought after event is the annual Panagbenga Festival, otherwise called the Festival of Flowers, held every February.

Aaron Matthew Ang is a seasoned web content writer with seven years of experience. He writes in all niches and practically all topics under the sun. To date, he has written more than 1000 combined articles and eBooks for various niches.

He is currently working as a Senior Quality Assurance Manager in the BPO industry.
Did you find this article informative and relevant? If you did and you need articles like this for your blog, you can mail him at aaronmatthewang@yahoo.com.

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