By Fung Yu

Author’s Note: This article uses virtual reality technology to provide an immersive experience. Adobe Flash 10 or higher is required to view the 360-degree VRs. Average VR size is 2.2Mb each.

I FIRST set foot on Sagada about 4 years ago, had so much fun and adventure then that I vowed to visit the place again. The opportunity came during the long December holidays. It was more of a sudden decision really, of packing your bags, leaving your thoughts and hopping on the bus the day after Christmas.

Sagada, known as Philippines’ shangri-la, is a rusty idyllic town near Bontoc, the provincial capital of Mountain Province in the Cordilleras. Located some 275 kilometers north of Manila and about 140 kilometers from Baguio City, it is a haven for adventurers. Famous for it’s centuries-old hanging coffins and burial caves, underground river and water falls, majestic sunrise and star-studded night skies, aromatic coffee Arabica and verdant rice terraces. At 1500 meters above sea level, Sagada boasts of cool breezy weather throughout the year. Dry season starts usually from December to May and wet season from June to November.

Even after 4 years, little has changed in Sagada. The whole place seems to be trapped in a time-warp with the locals keeping to their traditional way of life. The only notable transformations are the numerous inns and lodgings converted from residential homes, upgraded rest houses catering to more tourists with better amenities, and more dogs in the streets. Relatively crime-free and peaceful, with residents familiar with one another, only dogs are employed for house security; shifting from pet dogs in the morning to guard dogs at night.

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By Marjorie Gorospe

IF you’re in a hurry to see the whole of Singapore, then perhaps you can take a ride on the Singapore Flyer.

Located in Marina Centre, the Singapore Flyer is an observation wheel with a diameter of 492 feet. It was built over a three-storey terminal building, giving it a total height of 541 feet.

The Singapore Flyer has exceeded the London Eye (443 feet) and Star of Nanchang (525 feet), making it the world’s largest observation wheel.

It takes approximately 30 minutes to complete the ride. The Singapore Flyer has 28 air-conditioned capsules and each can handle 28 passengers.

The Singapore Flyer gives passengers a chance to observe the city center and even beyond. You can see some parts of Malaysia and the islands of Indonesia.

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FILIPINO celebrity kids Paul Salas, Jane Oineza, Eliza Pineda, Kristel Fulgar and Micah Torre pick their favorite dinosaur and talk about lessons they learned from the Dinos Alive World Tour currently open to visitors at the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City, Philippines. Watch this video report of INQUIRER.net multimedia reporter Izah Morales.

Fung Yu was recently in in Sagada, Mountain Province, where he was able to catch President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the First Family visiting one of the more popular tourist destinations in the country last week.

Watch these 3D shots taken by Yu.

Echo Valley

Hanging Coffins

Lumiang Cave

By Marjorie Gorospe

BOHOL is just an hour away from Manila if you were to travel by air to Tagbilaran Airport. Even before landing, you will be amazed by the scenic view of Bohol from above.

But once you’re on the ground, smiling faces are the most consistent trademark in this province, which known for its Chocolate Hills and the Philippine Tarsier, an endangered species that is endemic to the country.

A group of journalists and I were eventually billeted in Panglao Island, courtesy of computer giants HP and Intel.

It took us 30 minutes to settle in. The resort’s good service – not to mention wonderful accommodation and endless line of seafood and Filipino cuisine – was something that you can only have once in a while. There was also a pool where one can bathe while enjoying beach scenery. To top it all, there was wireless Internet through wireless fidelity, which to journalists like us was heaven-sent – or at least to those who were planning to work remotely.

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Dinosaurs from the Jurassic and cretaceous periods will be invading Manila, courtesy of the Dinosaurs Alive World Tour (DAT).

These interactive dinosaurs (almost real creatures of prehistory) will dazzle you starting November 28 until January 11, 2009.

The dinosaurs will be housed in a 12,000-square-meter theme park — which is the size of 30 basketball courts combined– at the SM Mall of Asia, according to James White, vice president for Sales and Marketing of Max Entertainment.

“The dinosaurs will be quite interactive. They move, make the sounds that dinosaurs would have made. They will also jump out at you. You will be scared by them. You will be surprised by them,” said White during a recent briefing.

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We need not go far in our search for the famous higantes of Angono. They were right there along the highway, all lined up and raring to fiesta.

The Higantes Festival dates back to the 1800s when the people of Angono created these giant effigies meant as caricatures in protest of tyrannical Spanish landlords (Angono was a Spanish hacienda during those times).

The art of higante-making has become an age-old tradition in Angono. In fact, the artists have formed a collective called HIMAS (or Higante Makers Sculptors Society), or literally meaning “to caress”, in reference to how they use their hands when creating these huge paper maches.

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By Lawrence Casiraya

BALICASAG Island in Bohol is described as one of the best dive spots in the country with its protected marine sanctuary teeming with healthy corals. For non-divers, it is also a great place for snorkeling.

Last Saturday, I was part of a small group that ventured near Balicasag for dolphin watching. I did read about dolphins in Bohol although around nearby Pamilacan Island.

Anyway, one important lesson is to wake up early – early as in don’t wait for the sun to rise. Or rather, it pays to be at sea on sunrise because that’s mating time for dolphins.

We set out past 6AM and by the time we reached the area where the dolphins are, it was already swarming with many boats with the same idea.

As one colleague puts it, it was more like “dolphin chasing”, rather than watching. Each time dolphins were seen rising out of the water; it was like off to the races. And it just seemed to scare these poor creatures.

Fortunately, before we headed for home we did see dolphins - one more like twirling rather flipping out of the water. And just when we least we expected it, a whale shark passed by in front of our boat rousing our sleepy eyes.

By Alexander Villafania
INQUIRER.NET

LAS Vegas, Nevada — What can you do with US$100? Not too much, if you’re in Las Vegas.

That amount will run out in 30 minutes when all of it is used on any of the slot machines, another 30 minutes when playing craps. It’ll last 40 minutes when playing blackjack or just 10 minutes in poker (if you have a bad hand or simply not too good at the game). Las Vegas will literally suck you dry with its dry heat and sinful invitations.

Then again, there is the good side to having only $100. For one, you’ll be forced to stay away from the gambling spots, which could bankrupt your wallet. Another is that having a small amount of money will encourage better financial management when in the city and perhaps wisely use it for other non-gambling activities.

Lucky for me, I got that chance to be in Las Vegas, courtesy of IBM when they had their huge Information-on-Demand conference. Despite staying only for two days I was able to go around the city, particularly the famous Strip where most of the major hotels and resorts are located. I had to make the most of my $100.

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By Lawrence Casiraya
INQUIRER.net

Rico J. Puno once sang about penniless lovers walking in Luneta — albeit, a Tagalog version on Barbara Streisand’s “The Way We Were” — and that song sure was humming in my mind when I found myself there one Sunday with my family.

Every Filipino probably knows what and where Luneta is, most people would have fond memories of it but until that aforementioned Sunday, I can never remember when was it that I actually was there.

I did see a few couples but what struck me most is that the entire length of the park was filled with families spending a lazy Sunday together, staking their own patch of space in the grass. And so, like most dads I saw, I found myself running after my two-year old daughter running (more like chasing) after kites.

The best thing about Luneta is that it costs nothing to stay there –- unless you get thirsty or hungry, which forces you to buy from any of the small bahay kubo sari-sari stores. Spending an hour or two at Luneta made me believe that there are other places to go and spend any given lazy Sunday than the nearest overcrowded mall.