Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the
Japanese Garden of Peace
, where the Japanese war dead were buried in 1945.
Overgrown and lost, it was discovered in the 1980s, when the remains were
cremated and brought back to Japan. A statue of the Buddhist bodhisattva Guanyin
(or “Kannon” in Japanese) watches over the site. At some point you'll reach the
Malinta Tunnel
, a 253-metre-long chamber and network of damp underground
bunkers where MacArthur (and President Manuel Quezon) set up temporary
headquarters. You can only see the bunkers in an optional
sound and light show
that
dramatizes the events of 1942.
Elsewhere you'll see the ruined concrete shells of the once vast barracks that dotted
the island, and the remains of various gun batteries, peppered with bullet and shell
holes. You can also visit the
Pacific War Memorial
and its small
museum
containing
weapons, old photos and uniforms that were left behind. Finally, clamber the 57 steps
to the top of the old
Spanish Lighthouse
at the island's highest point (191m), for
stupendous views across to Bataan and Mount Mariveles.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
2
CORREGIDOR
By boat
Sun Cruises (
T
02 527 5555,
W
www.corregidor
philippines.com) has a monopoly on transport to the
island. It runs day-trips for P2300 (Sat, Sun & hols P2499).
If you opt for a walking tour (easy) rather than the bus, the
price drops to P1750 (per person, daily). It's best to make
reservations in advance, but you can buy same-day tickets
(before 7.30am). Check-in takes place at the Sun Cruises
o
ce in Manila, CCP Bay Terminal A, Fernando Maria
Guerrero St, at Paseo Palisoc (just beyond Harbour Square
mall). Shuttle buses take you to the wharf from here
(which is off Pedro Bukaneg St) for the 8am departure and
ride to the island (1hr 15 min). Tours usually run on trolley
buses that meet the ferries at around 9.30am, returning to
the dock in time for the 2.30pm departure - a buffet lunch
at the
Corregidor Inn
(see below) is included. You'll be back
in Manila at around 3.45pm.
ACCOMMODATION
Corregidor Inn
T
0917 527 6350,
W
www.corregidor
philippines.com.
Overnighters stay at the rustic inn, a
creaky but atmospheric little place with polished wooden
floors, thirty a/c, ageing rooms and a small pool. The ferry
and island tour is extra. The hotel can also arrange camping
on the island for just
P50 per
person, as well as kayaks
(P500/hr) and bangkas.
P2000
South of Manila
The provinces to the south of Manila -
Cavite
,
Laguna
and
Batangas
- are prime
day-trip territory, easy to get to and rich in attractions. The star is
Lake Taal
, a
mesmerizing volcanic lake with its own mini volcanic island in the centre, but there are
plenty of less visited natural wonders that provide a break from the city; you can ride
down the river to the
Pagsanjan Falls
, soak in the
Laguna hot springs
or clamber up
forested
Mount Makiling
for scintillating views. Divers should check out
Anilao
for the
best reef action near the capital.
The region also serves up a healthy dose of history.
Paete
has retained its
woodworking heritage and
Taal
itself is one of the most beautiful colonial towns in the
Philippines. Lastly, many Manileños come here just to eat;
buko pie
is an especially
prized treat made in Laguna.
GETTING AROUND
SOUTH OF MANILA
By bus and jeepney
Without a car, the easiest places to
reach by public transport are the attractions to the south
of Laguna de Bay, though Batangas City and Tagaytay are
also well served by buses. The lakeside town of Santa Cruz
is the main transport hub for the area. All the attractions
between Calamba and Santa Cruz are served by buses from
the Green Star Express terminal on Taft Ave (in the MRT-Taft
area, Pasay; see p.81). Note that all the Santa Cruz bus
terminals line the National Highway outside the town
itself, in the barangay of Pagsawitan. Numerous jeepneys
also ply the Calamba-Santa Cruz route (around P25-30).
Once at Santa Cruz you can catch jeepneys on to San Pablo,
Paete and also Pagsanjan.
