Island Cove Resort Philippines

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Visit Hong Kong - Pearl Of The Orient

Hong Kong, also referred to as the 'Pearl of the Orient,' is perhaps the most popular tourist destination in the Southeast Asia. Until the arrival of the British in 1842, it was just a typical small village.

In 1997, Hong Kong was handed over to China, under the policy 'one country, two systems.' The city has now become one of the vibrant as well as s sought after destinations not only in Asia but also in the world.

Bordered by the South China Sea and Sea, Hong Kong, al though a part of China, is different from rest of China. With its own government, stamps, and laws and regulations, the city consists of four geographic areas, such as, the New Territories, Hong Kong Island, Kowloon Peninsula, and the Outlying Islands, all of them packed with a plethora of attractions and facilities.

It also consists of more than 200 islands, which consist of both small and tiny islands. In addition, Hong Kong is much famed for its superb deep water harbors. According to the survey conducted by the World Tourism Organization, the city has been ranked among the 15 most preferred tourist destinations in the world.

An incredible city blending the best from the East and West, Hong Kong's attractions, among many others, are Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre with its unique curved three-tier roof and glass walls; the covered Central-Mid level Escalator, which is the longest in the world; and Hollywood Road, packed with a range of antique and curio shops selling Buddha statues, Japanese specialties like ikebana baskets, Chinese furniture, and snuff and perfume bottles.

Despite these attractions, perhaps the most famed attraction of the city is Victoria Peak, from whose summit you can gaze down to enjoy the wonderful vistas of skyscrapers and Victoria Harbor. During nights, the sights from the peak become more dazzling.

Also, of special significance are the temples of the region. Since Buddhism being the most popular religion of the place, Hong Kong has to its credit more than 400 temples, each of which is regarded as not to be a missed tourist attraction.

One of the most prominent Buddhist shrines is the Chi Lin Nunnery, located in Kowloon. Considered a living museum of the Tang Dynasty, it has been stunningly renovated in the traditional Tang-era architecture with several magnificent Buddhist halls. Another popular Buddhist shrine is Po Lin Monastery, whose focal point is a bronze statue of the Lord Buddha, which is the largest in the world. In addition to Buddhist shrines, the place also consists of several other popular shrines such as St John's Cathedral, which is considered to be the oldest in the Far East and Shelley Street Mosque, which is noted for its minaret of green and white colors.

A visit to Hong Kong would be incomplete without taking a tour to many of its fascinating museums, showcasing unique art and antiquities representing several aspects of the place such as its history, film industry, space and science, and coastal defense. Some of the most visited museums in the region are Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware, Hong Kong Film Archive, Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences, Hong Kong Racing Museum, Hong Kong Planning and Infrastructure Exhibition Gallery, and Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre.

Attractions also include a continuum of beautiful beaches, including Repulse Bay, the most spectacular among the city's beaches; Deep Water Bay, which is connected by a pathway to the Repulse Bay Beach; Turtle Cove, a tranquil beach; Golden Beach, the first artificial beach in Hong Kong; and Hung Shing Yeh - a marvelous beach on the Lamma Island.

Also, the gastronomy of the place is amazing, with specialized areas for enjoying remarkable delicacies, like, SoHo with a variety of restaurants serving international cuisine; Gage Street, dotted with an array of stalls, from where one can enjoy the best of Hong Kong style cuisines comprising noodles, soups, pastries, and herbal teas; and floating style restaurants found in Aberdeen.

Apart from this, excellent options are available for shopping, with areas like Lyndhurst Terrace packed with shops selling ancient paintings and maps; Stanley Street, considered a paradise for shopping cameras and film accessories; and Li Yuen Streets, dotted with shops selling knick-knacks, leather items, and casual wear.

With these fabulous attractions and options to enjoy a variety of activities, tourists flock to Hong Kong all year round. No matter you want budget or luxury accommodation, the city has options to cater to all types of tourists. Majority of the hotels and resorts are located within the heart of the city, and hence are within easy reach of almost all top tourist attractions.

Nowadays, many of the hotels, both budget and luxury accommodation, have their own sites on the web, which in turn enables the visitors to check price and room as well as make bookings in advance.

About the Author

The Accor Group manages Hotels with the Sofitel, Novotel, Mercure, All Seasons, Ibis, Formule 1, Grand Mercure brands and offers services to corporate clients and public institutions: 23 million people in 35 countries use a broad range of services engineered and managed by Accor Services.

Island Cove Resort - Philippines


island cove resort philippines
island cove resort philippines

Malapascua Diving

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Top 10 Things To Know About Malapascua

Malapascua is a small tropical island in the Philippines. It is located in the Visayan Sea about eight kilometers north of Cebu. The island is quickly gaining fame as a paradise island for divers and non-divers alike. If you are considering going there, these are some essential facts and do's and dont's to have in mind.


1    Bring Cash. There are no ATMs on Malapascua! The nearest ATM is in Bogo about two hours away by boat and bus. Going there and back will take most of a day. Additionally most places will not accept credit cards or will charge an extra 5-10% if they do.

2    Respect local modesty. It is insensitive wearing bikinis off the beach and into the village. The locals considered it somewhat vulgar, even if they are much too polite to tell you. Sunbathing topless on the beach is most definitely not appropriate.

3    Try not to loose your temper with the locals. At a glance Philippinos or Pinoys are much more western in their demeanor than other people of Asia, but they share the same notions about losing face. Keeping calm is important. You are unlikely to accomplish anything by losing your temper (other than venting of course...) If you have a legitimate gripe you are much better off calmly explaining what you see as the problem.

4    Make sure you are insured if you do any diving around Malapascua. If you have a normal travel insurance, you are most likely covered through that. If not, I'd recommend getting insured through DAN (Divers Alert Network, www.dan.org) a worldwide non-profit organisation working to improve hyperbaric medicine and diver's safety. You should know that if you have a serious case of decompression illness the medical bill can be astronomic as air lifting, meds and recompression is grossly expensive. Not being insured may bankrupt you for life or worse yet, they may refuse to treat you!  

5    Please try to Minimise your environmental impact. Garbage collection and disposal is a big problem on Malapascua, and most plastic litter unfortunately end up getting burnt. Please refill your water bottles instead of buying new ones all the time. It's infinitely better for the island and the environment as well as cheaper for you. You can refill your bottles at Oscar's, Blue Water, Sea Explorers and other places. If you are interested, you can check up on the environmental efforts on Malapascua, by visiting www.gotomalapascua.com

6    Tipping is not expected but very much appreciated. Consider leaving a tip, if you are happy with the service. Dive guides, waitresses, bartenders and other people you come into contact with are usually paid an outrageously low salary - most don't even meet the minimum salary of the Philippines. Bear in mind than an average daily salary is around 200 php, when you leave a tip - don't be extravagant - tipping a waitress twenty pesos a considered a fair tip.

7    There are no real beggars on Malapascua, as the locals are very supportive of each other and have strong sense of community. However, ever so often you hear cheeky kids utter the ubiquitous phrase "give me money!" more as a greeting than anything else. If tourists start actually giving these kids money, they will grow up as beggars. KIndly ignore their requests.

8    The economic future of Malapascua and the region lies in its resplendent and amazing marine environment. It is therefore doubly tragic that locals have discovered the sad  affinity for trinkets made of shells and corals, that some tourists display. The collection of shells and corals is having a very serious detrimental effect on the marine environment, and it may very well be illegal for to import these items into your own country. Politely refuse to buy and encourage vendors to instead sell bracelets, souvenirs made of wood, t-shirts or to braid hair, give massages or anything else. Selling off their future piecemeal is tragically shortsighted.

9    Recreational drugs have not really had an impact yet on Malapascua, and the locals are pleased to keep it that way. There is no "drug scene" whatsoever - people seeking this are much better off going to Koh Phangan or Goa. However, as always when there's a perceived need, someone will eventually offer something if you persist. Just remember that you have no idea what you're getting and chances are good that it'll be growth hormones for pigs rather than what was expected...

10     Finally you should know that violent crime against tourists is unheard of on Malapascua, and simple theft is very rare. On small islands everyone knows everyone - and as such the social stigma of any wrongdoings would be almost unbearable. That said, there's no reason not to exercise caution - don't leave your valuables on the terrasse at night, lock your door when you leave the room and If you have a large sum of money (as you should have if you read advice #1) you should store it in a safety box.

About the Author

Resident of Malapascua Island, dive instructor, webmaster of www.gotomalapascua.com - the independent guide to everything about Malapascua; the amazing diving, accommodation, travel tips and do's and don'ts.

Malapascua Diving


malapascua diving

Malapascua Diving

malapascua diving"malapascua diving"

Cebu: Adventure City of the Visayas

The region in the Central Visayas in which you can experience absolutely anything is Cebu. Cebu has something for absolutely any type of person. You will find something for the adventurer in you, the sport freak, the frequent shopper, the business person, the club hopper, culture geek and the lazy couch potato. Experience Cebu and find out which one of these personalities you want to satisfy in this beautiful island and city.

Let us start with what the city itself has to offer for the personal shopper, couch potato, business person, culture geek and club hopper. Cebu has the best shopping opportunities in the whole central Visayas. You can visit the Ayala mall in the city which has the most elegant, stylish and costly products, clothes and accessories in the city. There are numerous other malls in Cebu City such as SM mall, Robinson's mall and Metro Gaisano mall. You will also be able to find many specialized boutiques in the city in which you will find great buys and good trades.

The city has a great nightlife with many clubs that will keep your heart pumping all night long. If you are more on the hip-hop and R&B side, then you should go to the club "Halo," which is situated at the SM mall, but if you prefer house and trance music, then you might want to check out the VUDU club at the Crossroads where you can also find many other entertainment facilities. The business person will have the most opportunities in Cebu, because it is the economic capital in the Central Visayas. You may want to go to the International Airport or Sea port where you will find numerous trading and business opportunities.

The couch potato and the culture geek might love the cinemas and cultural monuments around Cebu. Cebu is the oldest city in the Philippines and thus there are hundreds of historical landmarks and monuments within Cebu City and the Cebu region. The couch potato might want to watch the newest movies and flicks in the Ayala and SM mall in Cebu City.

Now we can talk about the adventurous person and the sports freak within you. Cebu and its surrounding islands have many opportunities for those who want to explore unknown islands that are numerous in Cebu. There are also beautiful diving sites around Cebu, especially in Moalboal, Malapascua and Cabilao which are all islands or parts of Cebu or near Cebu. Many beach resorts are specialized on diving and this will make it easy for you to find your ideal dive resort. One of the many great dive resorts is Sea Explorers, which has branches all over Central Visayas and provides island hopping to all the other islands in the Central Visayas.
Cebu also has great roads that will give a good opportunity for biking and racing. There are also great mountains where many people climb and the sports freak in you can satisfy the adrenaline urge through climbing. Cebu City also has many great sports shops where you can find the best equipments for your choice of sports in the Central Visayas.

Cebu truly has everything that a person could desire and something for every hidden personality in you. Visit Cebu via plane, boat or bus and simply contact your local travel agency for more information.

About the Author

Peter Garant is writing
Cebu
articles for his site about the
Philippines
.

Diving Malapascua in the Philippines


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malapascua diving

Manila Beach Hotels

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What nice place can me and my husband stay for Apr 6-8, 2007 (1-4 hours away from Manila)?

Budget is 2k per night.
Nice if near beach or with swimming pool.
Please provide name of resort or hotel or place.
We travel by car only (no plane rides).

I would strongly recommend the new Hotel Pontefino in Batangas. It's only 2 hours from manila (say coming from makati/airport) and the location is ideal..you have a lot of beach destinations from the hotel. They also have a nice swimming pool and great dining.
For the budget, see if you can get a discounted price for an earlier booking, just try cause April is really a "peak month"

check out the site:

InterContinental Hotel Band - Beach Boys - Kokomo


manila beach hotels
manila beach hotels