Camarines Sur - he Philippines’ newest and fast rising tourism star

Here's a great article from Tourism-Philippines.com:

From the deeply religious Bicol region, Camarines Sur is the Philippines’ newest and fast rising tourism star with coasts and islands that greet the traveler with gorgeous limestone formations, secluded white sand beaches as well as a throbbing adventure sports scene that makes the rest of Asia stand up and take notice.

About 10-12 hours bus ride (or a 45 minute plane ride) away from Manila is the province of Camarines Sur, formerly known as Tierra de Camarines – a Spanish-founded settlement. The name was derived from camaronchones or camarines, Spanish for a warehouse/barn which referred to the small nipa/bamboo huts used by the locals of the area. Spanish Governor General Guideo de Lavezares called Camarines Sur as Los Camarines after finding a great number of camarins or rice granaries all over the area.

Read it in full Here...

The Brits Once Held Batanes!

Many thanks to our good friend, Ryan Buaron, in Manila, for pointing us towards this bit of trivia:

"In 1687, a crew of English freebooters headed by William Dampier came with a crew of Hollanders and named the islands in honor of their country's monarchs. Itbayat was named "Orange Isle" in honor of William of Orange, and Batan was named "Grafton Isle". Sabtang Isle was named "Monmouth Isle" after the Duke of Monmouth. Capt. Dampier stayed for less than three months, and did not claim the islands for the British crown." Source of info.

This part of the Philippines is so beautiful, and different, we've given it its own page on our website. They say the countryside is very much like Ireland or parts of Scotland. Being at the very far north of the country, the temperatures are a little cooler.

New Boracay Website Launched!

With so much interest in the beautiful island of Boracay, we decided to create a specific website dedicated to this jewel in the Philippines crown.

The website can be found at: www.holidayboracay.co.uk

Son, David is charged with running this part of our business. He was quite impressed with the country on our last tour round the islands, and Boracay in particular, despite the fact it was the start of rainy season and we had a couple of tropical storms whipping up while we were there!

It was quite a novel experience. Warm rain is still far preferable to the cold stuff we get in the UK. (If you want to avoid the chances of rain, we'll advise you when to go.)

Ecotourism in the Philippines

We've now set up a page promoting ecotourism in the Philippines.

Ecotourism is a form of sustainable tourism where economic benefits are fostered and pursued for both the enrichment of local communities, and the satisfaction of visitors.

It could be argued that pretty much all of the Philippines can be considered Ecotourism destinations, such is the diversity of both the country and the activities it has to offer, plus the importance of tourism to local communities.

The province of Batanes is one new area we're promoting. It's a fabled land of stunning landscapes, quite distinct from other Philippine provinces due to the steep cliffs, rolling hills, deep canyons and boulder-lined shores. These natural characteristics make Batanes a very exciting place to visit, and a place to be at one with nature.

More information on the website.

Atlantis Resort Newsletter

Our friends at Atlantis have just issued their latest monthly newsletter, which can be downloaded here...

We offer diving holidays to Atlantis at Puerto Galera, on the island of Mindoro, and also Dumaguete, on Negros Oriental. Even if you don't dive, these are relaxing resorts at which to stay, offering a high standard of accommodation and facilities.

Don't forget, we also offer Liveaboard Dive Cruises with Atlantis. Full information on our website.

The Pocket Guide We Feature - Globetrotter Guide to the Philippines

The Philippines - Globetrotter Guide by Nigel Hicks
Just before our last visit to the Philippines, my youngest son, Peter, gave me a gift of a pocket guide to the Philippines.

I have to say that it's been the most useful book on the country I've had, mainly because it's so concise, and therefore easy to pick up and refer to whilst traveling.

It's also excellent value, especially considering it comes with a fold-out map. The book can be bought from Amazon here...

We're Delighted to Launch our New Website!

We've been hard at work doing a total overhaul of our website since returning from our latest trip to the Philippines.

The previous incarnation served us well as we established the company, but it has long been our intention to incorporate more and more relevant information about both the Philippines, and our services.

We also accumulated a lot more information as we toured various islands, meeting up with old contacts and friends, and also having some great times with new people who were keen to show us their contributions to tourism in the Philippines.

Highlights for me, (Nigel) on the latest trip, were Puerto Galera, especially the beautiful bay, and the yacht club. (Did you know you can have sailing lessons there?), and also Olango Island, a short boat ride from Hilton Pier, on Cebu. I was completely enchanted by the quiet beauty of Olango island, especially the wetlands nature reserve, where a guide spent ages showing us around.

Oh, and i mustn't forget Islahayahay Resort on Bohol. The owner, Ara, is a delight, and the place is so peaceful. (It's got a restaurant and bar, but overall it's a great place to relax and unwind, while still being close to the magical sights of Bohol, like the famous Chocolate Hills.)

There's info about all the above on our new website pages. Hope you like the new design!