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OUTDOOR
ACTIVITIES |
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The Philippines' third-world status has limited most people's
exposure to the kind of leisure activities that are taken for granted in
the West. Facilities are poor and for rural families there are more
important considerations than sporting excellence. That said, even the
most isolated barangay has some sort of rudimentary basketball court
where villagers gather to play in the cool of the late afternoon.
Trekking is becoming popular among young professionals, with a number of
clubs organizing regular trips up famous peaks such as Mount Apo, Mount
Makiling and Mayon Volcano. The best organized clubs include the
Association of Philippine Mountaineers (Jules Calagui tel 02/922 5760),
PLDT Mountaineering Club (Mike Salalila tel 02/813 7851), or the
Metropolitan Mountaineering Society (president Romulo Henson tel 02/890
5136). Caving, rock climbing, kayaking and mountain biking are all
developing a respectable following. Surfing is also taking off, with
major international competitions held regularly in Siargao, northeast
Mindanao.
Scuba diving
Of the two million tourists who visit the Philippines every year many
come for the scuba diving . It's hardly surprising that in a nation made
up of 7107 islands there are dive sites all over the place, with the
exception perhaps of the far north. Two hours from Manila by road you
can dive on the reefs of Batangas . An hour from Batangas City by ferry
is the hugely popular area around Puerto Galera , home to many dive
schools and fine beaches. Around the Visayas in the central Philippines
are Boracay, Apo Island (near Dumaguete), Cebu and Bohol. A one-hour
flight or twelve-hour ferry journey from the capital takes you to the "last
frontier" of Palawan , where you can dive on World War II Japanese
wrecks in the company of dolphins and manta rays. On the southernmost
island of Mindanao there is excellent diving around Davao and on the
northeast coast at laid-back Siargao Island . Tubbataha Reef in the Sulu
Sea is said to offer some of the best diving in the world, but the only
way you can reach it is by liveaboard from Puerto Princesa. In short,
you can slip into a wet suit just about anywhere.
The Professional Association of Dive Instructors, better known as PADI ,
organizes most scuba tuition in the Philippines. Always pick a PADI dive
centre and ask to see their certification. If you haven't been diving
before and fancy your chances you can start with a "discovery dive" to
see if you like it. The full PADI Open Water Diver course takes around
four days. You might want to consider doing a referral course with PADI
at home. This involves doing the pool sessions and written tests before
you travel, then doing the open water checkout dives with a PADI resort
in the Philippines. It saves time and means you don't have to slave over
homework in the heat. You'll need to bring your PADI referral documents
with you, as your instructor in the Philippines will want to see them.
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