By Augusto Villalon
Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines–Macau is a place of many contradictory realities, all happening simultaneously and almost independently of each other. Confined within a total area of around 25 sq km, the Chinese fishing village and former Portuguese colony is established today as the 21st-century gaming capital of Asia, its future anchored on the massive numbers of visitors attracted by its booming casinos.

Macau is a city in perpetual motion. Las Vegas-type casinos continually pump cash throughout the day and night into already fully loaded city coffers. Money, lots of it, and everything that newly earned wealth can buy is everywhere in abundant Macau today.

“The more the better” is the feeling that new Macau generates, and Macau definitely keeps gathering up more and more of everything.

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By Margaux Ortiz
Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines–More foreign tourists are opting to stay longer in the country, making the Philippines “one of the most favored tourist destinations in the Asia-Pacific.”

Bureau of Immigration chief Marcelino Libanan made this observation Friday, saying that foreign visitors have paid more than P370 million to the government just to extend their stay in the country.

Libanan said that BI’s collections from visa extension fees from January to August 2007 amounted to P370.17 million, up by P57.9 million or 18 percent from the P312.2 million generated during the same period last year.

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By Lawrence Casiraya
INQUIRER.net

IT was simply the hugest beach I have ever seen in my entire life. Boracay Beach isn’t even half the size of the beachfront at Surfer’s Paradise, the most popular stop in Gold Coast.

This is how it looks like once you step into the beach at Surfer’s Paradise. Notice how long the stretch of sand is before it breaks into the sea. The waves are simply astounding — no wonder they call it Surfer’s Paradise. I can spend an entire day just listening to the crashing waves.

After much prodding, I had to take a dip. Lunita, a fellow journalist from Singapore and an avid surfer, said it’s a must that anyone who visits the Coast should at least “be one” with the ocean by dipping one’s feet in the water. Our plan was to get in the ocean but we got there late and it was a bloody cold spring night, and the strong waves made me think otherwise. The waves are so strong you need to be a strong swimmer or else the undertow might throw you back into the sea.

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By Lawrence Casiraya
INQUIRER.net

WHAT’S the difference between alligators and crocodiles? Apparently not so much says this guy at Hartley’s Creek Crocodile Farm in Cairns.

The video below shows him feeding these nasty-looking crocs while telling us guests a thing or two about these reptiles.

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By Lawrence Casiraya
INQUIRER.net

ON A TRIP to Cairns over the weekend, Systimax treated us journalists to a trip to the Great Barrier Reef. To an avid scuba diver, this sure sounds like heaven. I’m not a certified diver, but once we were told we could do some snorkeling… man, this is the Great Barrier Reef!

To get close to the reef, we hopped on a boat from that would take us to Green Island. You could tell from the above picture it was early morning, people sipping coffee to go with some excellent hot muffins. Two hours on a boat sounds like fun, but not totally for seasick chumps like me.

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ENJOY this video of the Apsara dance or Khmer classical dance of Cambodia uploaded by mboogiedown.

By TJ Burgonio
Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines–While little is known about them, Mt. Iraya in Batanes and other volcanoes rich in biodiversity can be turned into “eco-tourism zones” that could benefit local communities, environment officials said Friday.

There are 16 volcanoes across the country, including those active, potentially active and inactive, which have been designated protected areas by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Aside from their natural features, these volcanoes offer other attractions such as endemic flora and fauna to climbers, adventurers and ordinary tourists, Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) officials said.

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By Fung Yu, Contributor
INQUIRER.net

Author’s note: This article uses Apple’s QuickTime technology in providing an immersive experience by means of virtual reality panoramas. QuickTime is required to view the 360-degree VRs. Average VR size is 1.8Mb each.

I LOVE churches, especially centuries-old ones. Apart from their religious significance, I like the tranquility of its ambiance, the intricate architectural designs of its interiors, and the historical and cultural attachment to its community.

Being the only Christian nation in Asia and with over 400 years of rich Spanish heritage, our country is dotted with an abundance of these elegant structures. Built in God’s name, and for His glory, these bastions of Christianity are a testament of man’s faith, devotion, and artistic talents.

The National Commission for Culture and Arts (NCCA) listed the following four churches on November 6, 1992 for inclusion under the UNESCO World Heritage List: Church of the Immaculate Conception of San Agustin, Intramuros; Church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción of Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur; Church of San Agustin in Paoay, Ilocos Norte; and Church of Santo Thomas de Villanueva in Miag-ao, Iloilo.

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By Pam Pastor
Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines–The adventure starts way before you hit the water.

When people start warning you about the dangers, when you hear about how hard you have to paddle, when you ask yourself if you’re really ready to hit the rapids.

But you push those thoughts away and only start entertaining them again when you see the brightly colored jeepney pulling up in front of your hotel, with two big red rafts secured to its roof.

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By Anton Diaz
Inquirer

WHAT makes a restaurant awesome? Some would say great food and the right ambiance. “Great food” is subjective and varies with each person’s experience and background, however. To be considered awesome, a restaurant has to take the overall dining experience to a higher level. That means food that leaves an indelible mark on your taste buds and imprints lasting memories in your mind in an ambiance that carves out a special place in the heart to share with other people.

Every restaurant in this list has been carefully chosen. Each serves gourmet food with the freshest ingredients, and combines nature elements, artifacts or a sense of history in its atmosphere. Simply put, these restaurants have a story to tell that is spread via word-of-mouth. I can proudly say that these restaurants are found ONLY in the Philippines.

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