Northern Highlights and Beach Stay

Arrive in Manila. You will be met and transferred to your hotel. Check in and overnight.

Meet our Tour Representative at the lobby of your hotel for your Exploring Old Manila Tour. The city of Manila is bisected by Pasig River, a tidal estuary that connects Manila Bay and Laguna de Bay. On its southern banks is the city center, where government and private offices, schools, shopping malls and manmade historical landmarks are located; on its northern edge are the densely populated, working class districts such as Quiapo, Binondo and Escolta, which used to be the city’s commercial district during the Spanish colonial period. Traversing from south to north, the tour affords one a glimpse of Manila’s colonial past and its relevance in the present times. ‘Exploring Old Manila’ combines a visit to the main attractions of Intramuros, including Rizal Park. A ‘calesa’ ride (horsedrawn carriage) will take you to Chinatown in Binondo. There will be time spent wandering along Ongpin Street that is lined with jewellery stores, restaurants, traditional medicine shops, grocery stores and bakeries. The tour ends with a short stop at Escolta, the country’s first commercial hub during the Spanish colonial times and view the few remaining buildings with rare architectural designs that dates back to the early 1900s.

Meet your guide and depart for your Northern Roundtrip Tour.
Wending your way through early morning traffic, travel north on the expressway, past the flat and fertile landscape of the Central Plains of Luzon then cross the southern gateway of Cagayan Valley by zigzagging across the Caraballo Range through Dalton Pass, a 920-meter high precipice which was named after the American General James Dalton who led the siege against the Japanese forces during World War II. An expansive view of the Sierra Madre and Caraballo mountain ranges is visible from a look-out located atop a hill. Begin the climb to Banaue as you reach the junction of Bagabag where the road from Banaue meets the main valley highway and runs northwest to Isabela. Arrive in Banaue late in the afternoon, check in and overnight at Banaue Hotel.

Board a local jeepney to explore the breathtaking scenery and fascinating traditional culture of Banaue that also shows the Ifugaos’ engineering skills and adaptability to its surroundings. Your first glimpse of the magnificent terraces is best seen at Barangay Viewpoint, where a marker stands declaring the Banaue Rice Terraces a UNESCO World Heritage Area and an international historic civil engineering landmark. Take a short hike down Bangaan Rice Terraces where you can mingle with the villagers, and if school is on, drop by the village school and observe the school kids as they go about their lessons.
Wind the day’s tour with a visit to the market place and visit some native handicraft store for interesting souvenir finds. Return to the hotel for overnight.

Drive inland on the mountain trail of Mt. Polis until you reach Bay-yo, the first Bontoc village you would see in this journey. Stop at Bontoc Museum, a repository of old maps, photos and artifacts which provides an insight into the lifestyle of the Igorots, the native settlers of Bontoc and the fiercest headhunters of all mountain tribes. Proceed to the limestone valley of Sagada, a town that is best known for its unique burial practices where the dead are placed in coffins made from pine wood and buried in caves or lodged between ridges and hollows of limestone cliffs, thus the name, ‘hanging coffins’. After visiting one such burial cave, continue on to Echo Valley, where a foot path leads to a vantage point from a limestone cliff, where some coffins placed between the gaps and crevices of cliff can also be seen. Drop by the Sagada Weaving House where hand-woven products are made by the local womenfolk who engage in hand-loom weaving. Proceed to Masferre Inn (or similar) for check in and overnight.

Travel along Halsema Highway towards the province of Benguet, the last leg of our journey, making brief stops along the way to gaze at the rows upon rows of terraces planted with vegetables. Beyond the vegetable fields is La Trinidad, the capital town of the province and Baguio City. Baguio was first developed by the Americans as their ‘rest and recreation’ city in the 1900s. A tour of this city showcases many of its parks and gardens that are abundant with flowers and pine trees, and pleasant hiking trails. End the day’s tour with a visit to the Public Market, one of the most colorful marketplaces in the country. Proceed to your hotel for check in and overnight.

Prepare to return to Manila, moving fast on the North Expressway where the landscape is transformed from wide open spaces to homes, buildings and warehouses along narrow streets. Arrive in Manila in the early evening, proceeding straight on to your hotel for check in.

Early breakfast, check out and transfer to the Ninoy Aquino Internal Airport Terminal for your domestic flight to Tagbilaran. In Tagbilaran Airport, you will be met and transferred to your preferred resort for check in. The rest of the day will be spent free at leisure. Overnight.

Embark on a trip where nature and culture coexist as you visit centuries-old churches and historical sites set up against the backdrop of Bohol’s scenic landscape. Drive through lush
green vegetation to the Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary and view miniature creatures with owl-liked eyes, big ears, long thin tail, kinky and wooly fur, short front legs and long hind legs
endemic to the province, the tarsier. Feel the cool crisp air while you travel through a manmade forest grown along the fringes of one of the province’s main highways. Climb 213 steps up to view one of the country’s geological phenomenon, the Chocolate Hills, then cap the day’s trip with a river cruise along Loboc River where a delectable lunch is served on board a floating restaurant. End the tour with a visit to Baclayon Church, a centuries-old church where Spanish influence is very evident. Overnight at your resort.

Depart early morning from your resort and take a 35-minute boat ride from the mainland to Balicasag Island, a 25-hectare wide islet located off the mainland of Panglao that is known for its dive sites. The island’s crystal-clear blue waters is rich with marine life that is ideal for snorkeling. Tour the island on foot and visit the village, then enjoy a picnic lunch by the beach before returning to the mainland. Overnight.

Two full days at leisure to enjoy the beach.

Transfer to Tagbilaran Airport for your return flight to Manila. In Manila, you will be met and transferred to your preferred hotel for an overnight stay.

Breakfast. At leisure until your transfer to Ninoy Aquino International Airport for your departure flight.