The picture below is called Lake Maughan, which can be found in T’boli, South Cotabato. Lake Maughan in T’boli is part of the approximately 50,000 hectares area proposed to be set aside as provincial park and wildlife sanctuary.

According to my friend Lloyd (who took the pictures), it has a first class national road, you can either use a 4 wheel drive or a motorcycle to get there, then about 3 hours non-stop walk (hiking) to get to the actual lake. He also said it is not advisable to go there during rainy season because of the slippery paths. (Tip: Rainy season in Tboli, South Cotabato is unidentified, so if you know anyone who lives there, I suggest you ask them about the current weather before going.)

More pictures below :

Photos © PinoyGetaway.com. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

Described as the last frontier, Palawan is dedicated to eco-tourism with stunning subterranean caves, unexplored dive sites, unspoiled beaches and verdant tropical jungles for trekkers.

A white beach resort located in Barangay Ilihan, Cauayan, (before Sipalay) Negros Occidental, Philippines attracts divers and the “jet set” crowd. It is considered a paradise sanctuary by most tourists. Below are pictures of the said resort found on their website - Punta Bulata.

With this amazing scenery, who wouldn’t want to get there?

Bohol is located in the heart of Central Visayas. The island of Bohol is the 10th largest island in the Philippines. Bohol is situated 803 km south of Manila and 79 km southeast of Cebu. Bohol is known to the world because of its heritage, white sand beach resorts, natural attraction and world class dive sites.

Bohol is an island paradise in the Central Visayas region. Bohol is one of the tourist destination here in the Philippines. Bohol is an awesome beauty because of its natural attractions like the Chocolate Hills, tarsiers, majestic falls, caves and white sandy beaches and crystal blue sea waters. Bohol is rich in cutural and historical heritage like centuries old churches, towers and historical landmarks.

Bohol is also popular because this paradise island is a scuba diving haven. It is known to have some of the best diving in the Philippines. These world class dive sites are very accessible from Bohol Island. Divers can choose between several beautifully covered steep walls, some with quite a lot of current. Diving in Bohol is all year round.

Diving in Bohol becomes better and better because some of the dive site become marine sanctuary. Adventurous divers can see variety of underwater marine life. The tropical crystal blue waters of Bohol is home to different exotic fishes and beautiful coral gardens. Bohol is a diver’s paradise and this makes Bohol one of the best place to spend our vacation getaway.

How to get there :
Flight to Cebu from Manila and fast ferry to Tagbilaran. Transfers to dive sites are up to 1 hr by road or sea from there.

Famous Diving Sites in Bohol Philippines :
Cabilao Island: Dive site in this island has a depth of 20 to 50m and the current can be fierce. This island is located northwest corner of Bohol and can be reached from Alona or from Mactan Island to the north. A lighthouse can be found in the northwestern tip. Beautiful coral gardens, gorgonians, crinoids and soft corals makes this site so amazing. Marvelous underwater marine life can be found in this site like schools of hammerhead sharks, wrasses, barracuda, jacks, mackerel, groupers and tuna. Drift diving is best in the southern side of the island where a wall of 40m descends. The wall is very beautiful with many gorgones and sea-fans hard corals. You will find sea cucumbers, sea stars and anemones.

Some of the beautiful and amazing dive sites in this island are Lighthouse, Cambakis Point and South point.

Panglao Island: This island is known because of the world class white sand beach resorts, crystal blue waters and dive sites. There are a number of beautiful and amazing dive site that can be found here in the south side Panglao Island and these are Alona Beach Sanctuary, Kalipayan and Bohol Beach Club. The coral gardens are spectacular and beautiful variety of underwater marine life like scorpionfish, lionfish, batfish, moray eels and sea snakes can be seen in here.

The dive sites that can be found on the northwest tip of the Panglao Island are Doljo Beach, Napaling and Puntod. These site are deep and the currents are strong. These dive sites are known for its steep wall and slopes. The gorgonians are impressive and there is a multitude of small marine life. Beautiful and exotic marine life can be found in here like sharks, morays, sea snakes, barracuda and jacks are common.

Balicasag Island: This Island is the best dive site in the visayas. This island is located 10 km southwest of Panglao. This island is also impressive and beautiful because it is surrounded by a coral reef that is good for both diving and snorkelling. There is approximately 400 marine sanctuary on the southern side that is truely spectacular. Walls, drop-offs and overhangs can be found at the sanctuary. Scenic view of marine life can be seen in here like soft and hard corals with anemones, sponges, crinoids and feather stars. Divers will also encounter barracuda, jacks, groupers and batfish. Dive sites in here are ideal for photography.

Stunning dive sites that can be found in this island are Balicasag Black Forest, Balicasag Fish Sanctuary, Balicasag Diver’s Heaven and Balicasag Rudy’s Rock.

Pamilacan Island: This island is located 3 km east of Balicasag and is also named as “resting place of mantas”. Marine sanctuaryu can be found in the northwestern side of the island. Impressive beautiful corals are form and in coral formatiions, you can see anemones, sea fans and sponges. On the south of Pamilacan lies the Snake island also known as Cervera Shoal. This is a sunken island with a sea mount rising to 15m. This island is covered with corals. Marine life like whitetip sharks, butterflyfish, scorpionfish and surgeons can be seen in here.

Pamalican is a small island in the Sulu Sea Quiniluban group of the Cuyo islands, between Palawan and Panay, in the north part of the Palawan province of the Philippines. The island is set in the middle of a 7 square-kilometer coral reef. It has a length of 2.5 kilometers, and measures only 500 meters at its widest point.

The island was originally exploited as a struggling family-owned plantation. It was then purchased to establish an exclusive resort, re-planted with natural scrub and trees, and equipped with bungalows. The island is private property and belongs in totality to the resort. It is part of the high-end Aman group of resorts, under the name Amanpulo.

The island is serviced by a Dornier 228-202K plane flying from Manila, which is used to ferry customers and to bring supplies to the resort. Each bungalow (called casitas) comes with a personal buggy for free circulation throughout the island. The atmosphere around the island is extremely tranquil and secluded.

Diving activities are available, allowing for nice coral viewing and encounters with large turtles and rays. Several windsurf boards and sails are provided at the “Windsurf hut” on the north shore. The shallow protected lagoon there allows for easy windsurfing on a flat surface, and is especially favourable during the northern monsoon season (November to May), when the wind blows onshore.

About 40% of the employees are from the neighbouring island of Manamoc.

The resort has been nominated as one of the best island resorts in the world.

Malapascua Island is situated in Daanbantayan, Cebu.
It is a recent discovery for diving afficionados being discovered only in the early 90s. It is a tiny island 8 kilometers across a shallow strait from the northernmost tip of mainland Cebu island.

Logon, an insular barangay of Daanbantayan occupies the entire Malapascua Island and has eight hamlets.

Malapascua is actually a diver’s paradise. The island was discovered for its wide white sandy “BOUNTY BEACH” and later furthermore for its beautiful coral gardens and excellent dive spots nearby. The first resort to locate in the island was not a diving facility, it was “Cocobana Bounty Beach Resort”. Later a tourist diver discovered the sunken Island “Monad Shoal” where you can watch Thresher Sharks, the only place in the world to watch Tresher Sharks! Today, the majority of the resorts offer full-service dive facilities. In fact more than half of the visitors to the island are divers and dive afficionados.

Bounty Beach is the name of a stretch of beach along the southern and eastern shore. It is the main beach of the island where most of the upscale resorts are found. Cocobana Beach Resort, the largest on the island, the pricey yet exquisite Sunsplash Resort, Hippocampus Resort and also the finest so called “hidden secret of Malapascua” the MANGROVE ORIENTAL Beach Resort are some of the popular resorts that offer excellent accommodations and dining options. Number one from the dive resorts is Dicks “Malapascua EXOTIC Dive and Beach resort”. He was the one who made Malapascua the worlds most known Thresher Shark diving place. Most passenger boats to and from Cebu land at Bounty Beach.

Most of the islanders derive their livelihood from tourism and some get their daily sustenance from the bounty of the sea.

The Island of Malapascua is one of the many places in Daanbantayan that is famous for swimming — snorkeling — diving – fishing – sailing – boating — exploring – and just relaxing.

Local boats that can be rented in the Malapascua / Daanbantayan area, can take visitors to other nearby islands which generally remain unspoilt, such as Carnassa, Kalangaman/Calanggaman, Kanatarken(?), Gato, Chocolate Island — and others

Getting to Malapascua Island is a 4-hour bus trip from the Cebu North Bus Terminal passing through picturesque northern towns of Cebu to Maya, Daanbantayan, the northernmost point of Cebu mainland. Upon arrival at the Maya wharf, motorized outrigger boats will take visitors to the Malapascua island across the narrow channel in 30 minutes or so, depending on the weather condition. The trip frequency to the island takes every 30 minutes for 24 hours, starting 9:00 am for the first boat and 4:00 pm for the last boat. But the trip back to the mainland usually stops at 3:00/4:00 in the afternoon. It can happen that no boat goes back to Maya in the afternoon, cause boats go only if enough passengers are available. In this case one has to try to rent a boat by a so called special trip that costs you about 600-800 Php!!

Bantayan Island is an island in the Philippines located at the western portion of the northern tip of Cebu. The island can be reached by ferry from Hagnaya Wharf in San Remigio, Cebu, or from Cebu City, or from Cadiz City in Negros Occidental.

The town is composed of three municipalities:

* Bantayan, Cebu
* Madridejos, Cebu
* Santa Fe, Cebu

As of the 2000 census, the island has a total population of 120,101.

Tingko Beach is a popular getaway located in Daan Lungsod, Alcoy in Cebu, Philippines. It is situated in a small but deep lagoon across a coral island, called Mabad-on Reef, which is completely submerged during high tide and exposed during low tide. It is separated only by a very narrow channel from the mainland. Tingko Beach is characterised as an extensive stretch of arcing shoreline, approximately more than a mile long with very white sand and crystal clear water fringed with coconut palm grooves and limestone cliffs. A few feet from the shore the sea floor gradually plunges down to a depth of several feet below the surface.

The beach can be crowded during weekends where locals and city folks, and occasionally, foreigners, flock to enjoy the beautiful sand, sea and sun. Due to its unique location, being an arcing shoreline on a lagoon, the sand in the southernmost end of the beach would shift northward during the northeast winter monsoon season, sometime between late September and early December, thereby emptying the sand completely out exposing the rocky bed of the shore. The sand would return quickly starting in late December. The beach is conspicuously hidden out of sight when viewed from the road as it is situated down below a low limestone cliff. The KM 95 marker indicates the distance of the beach from the city. Most of the beach front property is owned by Roslyn Maria Roy a native of car-car, cebu and her husband Andrew and their 2 daughters Noelle and Danielle Roy.

A few meters beyond the northern reach of Tingko Beach stands the centuries-old Spanish-built Bantayan sa Hari (watch tower) on a promontory. Nearby are charming white houses, a row of beautiful white-washed houses over craggy shores, specially built for out-of-towners who want to stay in town temporarily for a short vacation with minimal fee. The beach also has crude huts with running water and toilet facilities. Camping is also possible on the beach where you can bring along tents for more fun and enjoyment.

Puerto Galera is blessed with one of the world’s most beautiful natural harbors. Known as the Pearl of Mindoro, it is world-famous for splendid beaches, coral reefs, and exquisite dive sites for new and experienced divers alike.

There are shallow coral gardens, interesting rock formations, and colorful species to watch, like crabs, shrimps, sea anemones, moray, and trumpet fishes. Puerto Galera is known among tourists for its numerous pocket beaches and many snorkeling and diving spots. The beaches have an active night life with their numerous beachside bars and restaurants.Puerto Galera is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Oriental Mindoro, Philippines.
According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 21,925 people in 4,424 households. It is the northwesternmost municipality in Oriental Mindoro.

Puerto Galera is only three and a half hours away from Manila first by bus to the port at Batangas City and then by boat. Tourists can also take the high-speed ferry service (popularly known as the Supercat) from the Batangas City port to Calapan, Mindoro and then by jeepney to Puerto Galera.

THE BEACHES :
La Laguna Beach
This an ideal place for swimming, snorkeling, and scuba diving. There are a number of resorts that offer accommodation and other travel and aqua sports facilities to both domestic and international tourists. It is located in La Laguna, Puerto Galera, and can be reached in 30 minutes from the town proper of Puerto Galera by taking a jeepney bound for La Laguna.

Sabang Beach
This area is ideal for swimming, snorkeling, and scuba diving. A cluster of nightspots abound in this area, which make it popular for evening socials. Cottages with entertainment facilities stand close to each other. Low-budget accommodations are available. It is located east of Puerto Galera, and can be reached in 15 minutes from the Puerto Galera pier by taking a jeepney or an outrigger banca.

Small La Laguna
Contrary to its name, Small La Laguna is bigger than La Laguna, and has more facilities. It has coral reefs, and its water is ideal for snorkeling and scuba diving. There are diving equipment for rent at nearby dive shops. It is located beside Sabang Beach, and can be reached in 20 minutes from the pier by taking a jeepney bound for Sabang.

Talipanan Beach
This area is not as busy as the other beaches in Puerto Galera. Thus, it is an ideal site for private swimming. It is located in Puerto Galera, and can be reached in 40 minutes by taking a jeepney or an outrigger boat from the town pier.

White Sand Beach
The white sandy strips of this beach offer excellent opportunities for swimming. Resorts in this area provide entertainment facilities for tourists’ greater amusement and leisure. It is located in Barangay San Isidro, Puerto Galera, and is accessible in 30 minutes from the town proper by a jeepney or a boat.

Punta Guarda Beach
This beach is far from the busy areas of Puerto Galera; thus, it is ideal for those who seek privacy and retreat. It is located in Puerto Galera, Occidental Mindoro, and can be reached by taking a 10 minutes’ jeepney ride from the town proper, to about one kilometer on the beach mark. The distance left will have to be covered on foot.

Adventure
Mountain Trail
The recently established Puerto Galera ‘Mountain Trail’ also called the Tabinay-Talipanan Trail, is a fairly easy introduction to the mountainous interior of Mindoro Island. The two-to-three-day walk begins in Tabinay, southeast of Puerto Galera and winds past three mountains - none of which are major summits - before emerging on the white sands of Talipanan beach, on the northwest side of town.

Diving
Underwater, Puerto Galera is a feast for the eyes. Having enjoyed the protection afforded by its marine sanctuary status for years, the coral reefs are alive and vibrant. Spear fishing is banned, and local dive operators forbid the taking of anything except pictures on the dive sites. Most of the deeper dives are along walls and drop-offs and currents can be strong. It is best to dive with an experienced divemaster or instructor to avoid problems. At least 16 dive centers are located along the beaches of Sabang, Small Lalaguna, Big Lalaguna, Coco Beach and Encenada Beach resort in Varadero Bay on the south coast of the isthmus. Local operators boast there are at least 25 dive sites within 20mins of any dive center.

Mountain biking
Puerto Galera is best known as a diving destination, but other action sports are starting to sprout up - mountain biking being one of the most enjoyable. In Calapan, there’s a keen group of local enthusiasts, bike shops, plenty of trails and amazing views. The sport seems set to blossom in this area.

Described as the last frontier, Palawan is dedicated to eco-tourism with stunning subterranean caves, unexplored dive sites, unspoiled beaches and verdant tropical jungles for trekkers.

Palawan is an island province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas Region. Its capital is Puerto Princesa City and it is the largest province in terms of land area. The islands of Palawan stretches from Mindoro to Borneo in the southwest. It lies between the South China Sea in the northwest and Sulu Sea in the southeast. The province is named after its largest island, Palawan Island.