Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
This itinerary could be completed in under a
fortnight (ten days minimum), especially if
you take some flights, but as with the others,
you'll get a lot more out of it if you tackle it
more slowly.
1
Intramuros, Manila
The oldest part of
Manila drips with history, from Spanish
churches and forts to illuminating museums.
See p.62
2
Taal
Take a tour of this beautiful old town,
home to the biggest church in Southeast Asia
and
bahay na bato
architecture still redolent of
colonial Spain.
See p.116
3
Paete
The nation's woodcarving capital
makes for an intriguing detour, sprinkled with
the stores of local craftsmen.
See p.112
4
Malolos
The oft-overlooked capital of
Bulacan province is crammed with colonial
remnants, from the elegant Barasoain Church to
a smattering of preserved sixteenth-century
Spanish homes.
See p.120
5
Vigan
The best-preserved colonial town in the
Philippines is a treasure-trove of tiny museums,
chapels and crumbling villas.
See p.142
6
Laoag
The capital of Ilocos Norte boasts
plenty of historic attractions of its own, while
the Malacañang of the North, former holiday
residence of the Marcoses, is a short ride away.
See p.147
7
Sagada
Head into the mountainous heart of
Luzon, where Sagada is a focus for the Igorots
(Cordillera tribes) and the enigmatic hanging
co
ns.
See p.172
8
Banaue and Batad
You'd be remiss to
travel up here and not spend time among the
legendary rice terraces, fantastical ridges in
the mountains often shrouded in mist.
See
p.179 & p.182
