Travel and Tourism Industry [Archive] - Page 41

bledzoe

February 5th, 2011, 04:22 PM

Irish Times hails Phl as country to explore in 2011
(http://goodnewspilipinas.com/2011/01/30/irish-times-hails-phl-as-country-to-explore-in-2011/)Posted on January 30th, 2011 under Beauty of the Philippines

http://goodnewspilipinas.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Cebu.jpeg

The Philippines was recently cited as the “country to explore” in 2011 by Ireland’s leading newspaper, The Irish Times.

The daily broadsheet based in Dublin, Ireland, said the Philippines’ pristine beaches and first-class diving sites were the main reasons the country was chosen over other well-known tourist attractions in the region.

In an article published in T.I.T’s January 8, 2011 weekend supplement entitled “What’s Hot for 2011,” writer Alanna Gallagher was all praises for two “stand-out yet accessible” tourist attractions to visit in the Philippines: the islands of Cebu; and Boracay island in Malay, Aklan.

“It (Cebu and Boracay) offers first-class diving and beaches like Thailand had 20 or 30 years ago before it was over-developed,” Gallagher’s article read.

With these distinctions, aside from many other more tourist attractions to see and experience, Gallaghar says, “the new country to explore in Asia is the Philippines.”

http://goodnewspilipinas.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Boracay.jpg

The Irish Times, which was established in 1859, is Ireland’s quality daily newspaper with news reports coming from throughout Ireland and from a comprehensive network of foreign correspondents, as well as sports and business coverage, features and arts sections, lifestyle, jobs and property.

Each issue contains well-informed background analysis and assessment of the events of the day, and diversity of debate in the daily opinion columns.

Boracay

Alanna Gallagher is a freelance journalist who contributes to publications such as the Irish Times and Sunday Times. She has also recently started her own weekly e-zine (electronic-magazine), The Weekly Edit, which gives Alanna’s top picks in fashion, beauty, interiors, and things to do that week.

Below is Ms. Gallagher’s article which can also be found at: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/travel/2011/0108/1224286988991.html

“You’ve attended full moon parties in Thailand and roasted your bones in Denang on China Beach in Vietnam but the new country to explore in Asia is the Philippines.

“It offers first-class diving and beaches like Thailand had 20 or 30 years ago before it was over-developed. Fly to Abu Dhabi and on to Manila.

“There are two stand-out yet accessible names to drop: the islands of Cebu; and Boracay. Cebu is where Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan first planted the Cross of Christianity in the name of Spain in 1521.

“A nine-night package including seven nights BB at the five-star Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa (on Mactan Island just off the coast of Cebu) and two nights, room only four-star Park Lane Hotel, Hong Kong costs €1,679pps. This price includes return flights with Cathay Pacific via London and Hong Kong to Cebu and is valid from May 5th to June 16th through Trailfinders.”

spearhead

February 6th, 2011, 02:36 AM

^^sounds good... i hope tumagal yan for 15 more years atleast...!

kalbongdad

February 6th, 2011, 05:30 AM

^^sounds good... i hope tumagal yan for 15 more years atleast...!

a thousand years kamo....

mwg12a

February 6th, 2011, 07:07 AM

Lemme in on this.

I feel the posters don't have life in them. Kinda eerie and the choice of colors too drab, too subdued. They just don't strike a nerve in me, sorry. Well, some people say "different strokes for different folks". Maybe I just happen to have the same type of eyes as @kalbongdad has. Others could have a better appreciation of that work of art.
Cheers!

there goes.....thanks @parchie for filling in on me...:lol:

Okay, here is one of the few times I would agree on these two creeps:lol::lol::lol: Kidding!!!

Those posters was just alright looking to me, they could do better than that. We do wanted to lure the tourist in , so definitely, you would want a very eye-catching posters or ads to showcase the tourist spots in the Philippines. I won't blame this on Aquino though, but if someone brought it up to his attention, he should direct his people to come up with a better idea. If the tourism industry is showing signs of improvement, the more they need to work on luring the tourist in so they would keep on coming back.

icarusrising

February 6th, 2011, 11:45 AM

jpdm

February 6th, 2011, 11:48 AM

Okay, here is one of the few times I would agree on these two creeps:lol::lol::lol: Kidding!!!

:lol::lol::lol:

12jairien14

February 6th, 2011, 02:05 PM

^^
http://images.travelpod.com/users/arnobs66/4.1295472340.watching-the-sunset-at-paseo-del-mar.jpg
^^
http://images.travelpod.com/users/arnobs66/4.1295472340.orchids-at-pasonanca-park.jpg
^^
http://images.travelpod.com/users/arnobs66/4.1295472340.plaza-rizal.jpg
^^
http://images.travelpod.com/users/arnobs66/4.1295472340.paseo-del-mar-at-dusk.jpg
^^
http://images.travelpod.com/users/arnobs66/4.1295472340.paseo-del-mar-s-baywalk.jpg
^^
http://images.travelpod.com/users/arnobs66/4.1295472340.tee-pees-at-pasonanca-park.jpg
^^
http://images.travelpod.com/users/arnobs66/4.1295472340.pasonanca-park-s-tree-house.jpg
^^
http://images.travelpod.com/users/arnobs66/4.1295472340.zambo-s-glittery-city-hall.jpg
^^
zamboanga city (http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=28840&id=144647532261316&saved)

kalbongdad

February 6th, 2011, 02:23 PM

^^
http://images.travelpod.com/users/arnobs66/4.1295472340.watching-the-sunset-at-paseo-del-mar.jpg
^^
http://images.travelpod.com/users/arnobs66/4.1295472340.orchids-at-pasonanca-park.jpg
^^
http://images.travelpod.com/users/arnobs66/4.1295472340.plaza-rizal.jpg
^^
http://images.travelpod.com/users/arnobs66/4.1295472340.paseo-del-mar-at-dusk.jpg
^^
http://images.travelpod.com/users/arnobs66/4.1295472340.paseo-del-mar-s-baywalk.jpg
^^
http://images.travelpod.com/users/arnobs66/4.1295472340.tee-pees-at-pasonanca-park.jpg
^^
http://images.travelpod.com/users/arnobs66/4.1295472340.pasonanca-park-s-tree-house.jpg
^^
http://images.travelpod.com/users/arnobs66/4.1295472340.zambo-s-glittery-city-hall.jpg
^^

wow ayos na pala zamboanga.....the last time i visited mukhang hindi pa ayos yung tree house dyan sa pasonanca park.....at yung rizal monument fronting city hall mukhang ayos na rin....sana naman totoo ito sa tunay na buhay baka naman sa pic lang

12jairien14

February 6th, 2011, 02:25 PM

wow ayos na pala zamboanga.....the last time i visited mukhang hindi pa ayos yung tree house dyan sa pasonanca park.....at yung rizal monument fronting city hall mukhang ayos na rin....sana naman totoo ito sa tunay na buhay baka naman sa pic lang
^^
totoo yan
kailan ka ba huling pumunta?
kahit isang taon ka lang mawala dito
di mo na makikila ang city
hehehe
dami ng nagbago
at my incoming pa
baka lalo ng di mo makilala
makilala mo na lang ito dahil super Latin siya
^^

Read this!

Zooming In On Zamboanga City (http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/arnobs66/4/1295472340/tpod.html#_)
Saturday, January 22, 2011

:cheers:

12jairien14

February 6th, 2011, 02:47 PM

^^
http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs791.ash1/168162_162194737161028_100001115098314_321851_5357363_n.jpg
^^
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_XjZ5tJ5rLXE/SVUA-cy3u6I/AAAAAAAAAB8/Ctpvuy4HYR4/s512/1_737688087l.jpg
^^
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_XjZ5tJ5rLXE/SVZy-vY1jvI/AAAAAAAAAY0/w4XsXVVVx_I/1_433447234l.jpg
^^
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_XjZ5tJ5rLXE/SVZ0qSPlbmI/AAAAAAAAAbY/SYuHevF8vOA/s512/1_974727809l.jpg
^^

^^
ZAMBOANGA CITY
^^
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs044.snc6/167464_160715130642322_100001115098314_314124_6334388_n.jpg
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1380.snc4/163207_160867697293732_100001115098314_315557_2586994_n.jpg
http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs790.ash1/168037_160867707293731_100001115098314_315558_8249274_n.jpg
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs745.ash1/163766_160867730627062_100001115098314_315559_6024071_n.jpg
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1335.snc4/162754_160867757293726_100001115098314_315560_3547178_n.jpg
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs007.snc6/165756_160867770627058_100001115098314_315561_6305706_n.jpg
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs016.snc6/166599_162195423827626_100001115098314_321867_4845936_n.jpg
^^

http://oi51.tinypic.com/350nvhv.jpg

zamboanga city (http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=28840&id=144647532261316&saved)

davaob4now

February 6th, 2011, 02:50 PM

^^OMG..ganda ng zamboanga..:cheers:
ganda ng baywalk at park niyo..

12jairien14

February 6th, 2011, 02:56 PM

^^OMG..ganda ng zamboanga..:cheers:
ganda ng baywalk at park niyo..
^^
:lol:
thankyou sir!!!
:cheers:
^^

marlowe_cano

February 6th, 2011, 03:01 PM

Muchisimas Gracias (Thank You very Much) sa mga kind words niyo po @kalbongdad and @davaob4now and the rest...

Totoo pong maganda ang Zamboanga. Nakakainis lang tlga kadalasan ang mga balita lumalabas sa TV. Usually hyped na. Kahit sa remote islands nangyayari ang mga isolated cases ng gyera o gulo, ang nakalagay sa balita kadalasan (ABS-CBN Zamboanga). Kaya akala ng mga tao nasa Zamboanga ang mga gulo nangyayari. :cheers:

marlowe_cano

February 6th, 2011, 03:36 PM

wow ayos na pala zamboanga.....the last time i visited mukhang hindi pa ayos yung tree house dyan sa pasonanca park.....at yung rizal monument fronting city hall mukhang ayos na rin....sana naman totoo ito sa tunay na buhay baka naman sa pic lang

you have to come bak by next year, coz by that time, these little plazas around CBD will be renovated esp. Plaza Pershing, w/ add'l fountains each, plus the huge 25M-worth dancing fountain that will be constructed inside Paseo del Mar (Zambo's mini-baywalk). :banana:

kalbongdad

February 6th, 2011, 04:23 PM

^^
totoo yan
kailan ka ba huling pumunta?
kahit isang taon ka lang mawala dito
di mo na makikila ang city
hehehe
dami ng nagbago
at my incoming pa
baka lalo ng di mo makilala
makilala mo na lang ito dahil super Latin siya
^^

nice good to hear na totoo na pala ang pagbabago dyan.....:)

12jairien14

February 6th, 2011, 10:01 PM

nice good to hear na totoo na pala ang pagbabago dyan.....:)
^^
yes :cheers: for that
^^

jaygold06

February 7th, 2011, 02:54 AM

you have to come bak by next year, coz by that time, these little plazas around CBD will be renovated esp. Plaza Pershing, w/ add'l fountains each, plus the huge 25M-worth dancing fountain that will be constructed inside Paseo del Mar (Zambo's mini-baywalk). :banana:

Wow.. 25 million worth dancing fountain? totoo ba yan ?

amigo32

February 7th, 2011, 07:05 AM

nice good to hear na totoo na pala ang pagbabago dyan.....:)

oo nga, magpasalamat ka naman sa dapat pasalamatan:D
:lol:

mwg12a

February 7th, 2011, 09:01 AM

^^

I feel, on the other hand, that the use of fiesta/tropical colors has already become redundant and commonplace.

I'm not even sure we should connect this to the administration's tourism campaign. I'm under the impression that it (Team Manila) is doing these posters to promote their services and not because they were commissioned by the government to do such. If it's free, all the more I have no objection.

Yeah, I was not thinking about fiestas or trophical colors, like what you have mentioend it's redundant and comon place. I would rather see what is really being showcased in certain regions, something that would stimulate the interest of those who would see it, foreign and local tourists alike.

If this is a group that is not connected to the administration tourism campaign? Why do we have people here who are critisizing these and even connected it to the office of the President when it is all about promoting services which, more or less, private citizens.

kalbongdad

February 7th, 2011, 10:17 AM

oo nga, magpasalamat ka naman sa dapat pasalamatan:D
:lol:

talaga.....i give credit where credit is due....ayaw ko lang yung ng kakamkam ng accomplishments ng iba.....:lol:

12jairien14

February 8th, 2011, 01:26 PM

Wow.. 25 million worth dancing fountain? totoo ba yan ?
^^
yup!!!
its true
and hindi lang sa isang area yan
4 areas pa
:cheers:
^^

xxxriainxxx

February 8th, 2011, 05:04 PM

I'm back. And guess what, maski sa sulok ng Mandalay, alam nila ang kabobohan ng Manila police nung hostage taking last year. Hayy. Will post photos here soon and some observation of their tourism industry.

hakz2007

February 8th, 2011, 05:07 PM

Reminders:

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All images and news items/articles posted without proper sourcing or linking will be subject for deletion.

kiretoce

February 9th, 2011, 08:07 AM

PYXtzswp_kE

vJ89Ngtg9x8

xxxriainxxx

February 9th, 2011, 08:25 AM

paMsGQELr3A

We had a nice afternoon swapping stories and jokes with the world-famous Burmese pro-democracy activists and comedians "The Moustache Brothers" of Mandalay.

7 February 2011.

Here is their message to everyone. Please pass this on.

shyaman

February 9th, 2011, 11:05 AM

Nice aerial video collection of the Philippines...

tD6r5YkiJao

Some shots don't look like they're in the Phils, but I could be wrong.

kalbongdad

February 9th, 2011, 11:18 AM

Nice aerial video collection of the Philippines...

tD6r5YkiJao

Some shots don't look like they're in the Phils, but I could be wrong.

most of the infra if not all...ay may bahid ni little evil gloria.....salamat pangulong gloria.....:lol: yung bagong bridge patungong vigan....ang bagong interchange patungong naia3...yung bridge sa sctex at agas agas bridge sa leyte....yung mga bridge sa cebu..patungong SRP at yung cansaga bay bridge connecting yung isang isla nila diha sa sugbo....yung macapagal bridge sa butuan....ano kaya ang naiambag na ibang presidente...sa infra....pagkakaalam ko kay makoy marami rami rin.....kay cory wala....kay tabako may konti....kay erap lalong wala.....wow.....the infra looks like first world .... sa wakas nag level up na tayo.....newly industrializing country na tayo...salamat po pangulong gloria ulit.....:lol: matingnan nga ulit...nakakataba ng puso....LOL

amigo32

February 9th, 2011, 12:23 PM

hoy, pasalamat ka rin sa nag ribbon cutting:D

kalbongdad

February 9th, 2011, 12:32 PM

hindi nya inabutan yan kaya hindi sya nakapag ribbon cutting....tingnan mo palaging nakasuot ng ribbon....sa dibdib....wla kasi mapaglagyan sa ulo...:lol::lol:

urban Iegend

February 9th, 2011, 01:41 PM

Nice aerial video collection of the Philippines...

tD6r5YkiJao

Some shots don't look like they're in the Phils, but I could be wrong.

nice video!

Agas-agas Bridge @ 0:57

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs279.snc4/40308_427411427444_631257444_4772365_8094957_n.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2487/4224185065_7d95d5ba84_z.jpg

kalbongdad

February 9th, 2011, 02:18 PM

nice video!

Agas-agas Bridge @ 0:57

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs279.snc4/40308_427411427444_631257444_4772365_8094957_n.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2487/4224185065_7d95d5ba84_z.jpg

may bungee jumping dyan at ledge diving...ganda ano first world na first world....salamat little evil gloria....kita mo napagkakamalan na hindi sa pinas....:lol:

kalbongdad

February 9th, 2011, 02:27 PM

most of the infra if not all...ay may bahid ni little evil gloria.....salamat pangulong gloria.....:lol: yung bagong bridge patungong vigan....ang bagong interchange patungong naia3...yung bridge sa sctex at agas agas bridge sa leyte....yung mga bridge sa cebu..patungong SRP at yung cansaga bay bridge connecting yung isang isla nila diha sa sugbo....yung macapagal bridge sa butuan....ano kaya ang naiambag na ibang presidente...sa infra....pagkakaalam ko kay makoy marami rami rin.....kay cory wala....kay tabako may konti....kay erap lalong wala.....wow.....the infra looks like first world .... sa wakas nag level up na tayo.....newly industrializing country na tayo...salamat po pangulong gloria ulit.....:lol: matingnan nga ulit...nakakataba ng puso....LOL

kakatuwa parang hindi sa pinas.....first world na first world ang dating....:)

xxxriainxxx

February 9th, 2011, 03:28 PM

kakatuwa parang hindi sa pinas.....first world na first world ang dating....:)

Dapat pag may makita tayong maganda sa Pilipinas, wag natin sabihing

"Parang hindi sa Pilipinas" Dapat "Angganda talaga ng Pilipinas!"

Kasi parang ang ibig sabihin ng "Parang hindi sa Pilipinas", wala tayong karapatang may makitang maganda sa bansa natin.

Just my 2 sentimos.

filcan

February 9th, 2011, 03:48 PM

What was the bridge at 1:41?

NOVO ECIJANO

February 9th, 2011, 03:53 PM

What was the bridge at 1:41?

Diosdado Macapagal Bridge,Butuan City

Kintoy

February 9th, 2011, 04:13 PM

lahat na lang pinangalan sa kamag-anak

xxxriainxxx

February 9th, 2011, 04:35 PM

lahat na lang pinangalan sa kamag-anak

Kaw naman, pare pareho lang din yan sila. At least may Ninoy Aquino International Airport 1, 2, 3. naman. quits na. LOL

kalbongdad

February 9th, 2011, 09:25 PM

Kaw naman, pare pareho lang din yan sila. At least may Ninoy Aquino International Airport 1, 2, 3. naman. quits na. LOL

hahaha bingo....sinupalpal mo naman agad si @kintoy....yellow kaya blindfold nyan.....:hahaha:

kalbongdad

February 9th, 2011, 09:46 PM

Dapat pag may makita tayong maganda sa Pilipinas, wag natin sabihing

"Parang hindi sa Pilipinas" Dapat "Angganda talaga ng Pilipinas!"

Kasi parang ang ibig sabihin ng "Parang hindi sa Pilipinas", wala tayong karapatang may makitang maganda sa bansa natin.

Just my 2 sentimos.

i just echoed yung sinabi ni @shyaman na it looks like some of it is not in the philippines....something to that effect....

but me....proud of those infra.....first world na first world......may yellow blindfold na lang ang magsasabi na hindi maganda at hindi importante ang contribution ng infra ni little evil gloria......:lol: o yung mga naka yellow blindfold dyan.....name something naman na nagawa na ng mga idol ninyong presidente.....not necessarily si pnoy....mababa expectations ko sa kanya...:lol: mukhang walang maidi deliver ang panot na mama...:lol: paper werks pa lang sablay na......pwede nating tawagin itong HARI NG SABLAY...:lol:

wino

February 10th, 2011, 01:12 AM

nice aerial videos..

try watching other AeroEyeAsia videos as well in youtube.. really really nice!!

amigo32

February 10th, 2011, 05:59 AM

Kaw naman, pare pareho lang din yan sila. At least may Ninoy Aquino International Airport 1, 2, 3. naman. quits na. LOL

balita ko ang cuneta astrodome magiging Kris astrodome na:D:lol:j/k

Linguine

February 10th, 2011, 07:20 AM

Samar gets P15M to draft tourism dev’t master plan

CATBALOGAN, SAMAR -- The national government is allocating P15 million to assist local government units in Samar to come up with an island-wide tourism development master plan this year.

Department of Tourism Regional Director Karina Rosa S. Tiopes said in a media briefing here that the funds, which will be taken from the department’s budget this year, will be used to cover costs in conducting seminars and meetings with various groups.

"We are hoping that, before the end of March 2011, we will be holding our consultative meeting and focused group discussion with representatives from the three provinces of Samar, both from the government and private sectors," Ms. Tiopes said.

"We will be inviting not just people from the government but also from the private sector," she added.

"In a realistic scenario, private sector should be at the forefront. We need their inputs because they’re the ones investing more in tourism."

This will be the first tourism development master plan for the entire island, the regional tourism head added.

"The concept is marketing the entire island. The purpose is [for each province] to cooperate with each other and promote each other," Ms. Tiopes explained.

She noted that other provinces like Zamboanga del Norte will receive similar financial assistance from the national government to help them craft their own tourism development master plans. The three Catholic dioceses in Samar Island have proposed the development of seven major destinations on the island.

These are:

* in Samar province, the Sohoton Natural Bridge National Park in Basey, Calbiga Caves and the network of waterfalls in Calbayog City;
* in Northern Samar, the Biri Protected Seascapes and San Antonio beaches; and
* in Eastern Samar, the Borongan-Llorente forest canopy and Calicoan Island in Guiuan which is ideal for surfing.

The Central Philippines Tourism Super Region Management Plan crafted under the previous administration had identified the general tourism development areas in Eastern Visayas as the:

* Samar-Leyte Interface (Tacloban-Basey);
* North Western Leyte (Ormoc);
* Northern Leyte (Biliran);
* Southeastern Samar Island (Guiuan);
* Southern Leyte (Sogod Bay Area); and
* North Western Samar (Catarman).

Development of these areas is expected to enable Eastern Visayas to lure about half a million foreign visitors annually by the end of the current administration in 2016. -- S. Q. Meniano

http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?title=Samar%20gets%20P15M%20to%20draft%20tourism%20dev%E2%80%99t%20master%20plan&id=26076

kalbongdad

February 10th, 2011, 07:23 AM

aruy kairo man han samarenos....15M lang for the 3rd largest island....sa pinas....pero ok na ra ba....kaysa wa diay.....:lol:

Linguine

February 10th, 2011, 07:24 AM

Ormoc allots P5M for Lake Danao improvement

ORMOC, LEYTE -- The city government here has allotted P5 million for the improvement of Lake Danao, a guitar-shaped lake that is increasingly becoming popular among tourists.

Mayor Eric C. Codilla said in a media briefing that the development plan for the lake would take into account the need to conserve the area.

Development of the lake as a tourist destination is subject to the approval of the Protected Area Management Board of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

"We have an agreement that they will extend technical assistance to us during the implementation of the plan," Mr. Codilla said.

A multi-sectoral meeting was held last week at the Lake Danao barangay hall to discuss development proposals.

The lake, located in the mountains of Ormoc at about 700 meters above sea level, supplies potable water to at least seven towns in eastern Leyte, including Tacloban City.

It is also the source of irrigation for rice lands in some Leyte municipalities.

For this quarter, Mr. Codilla said the city government will put up a welcome sign and construct a visitor kiosk and restrooms.

"We have been proposing for the construction of restrooms, welcome signage and visitor’s kiosk," said city tourism office chief Ira Niva P. Bantasan in a separate interview.

Other "eco-friendly" structures such as cottages, parking area, viewing tower, conference hall and function rooms that can accommodate at least 50 people as well as a swimming pool and zip-line are expected to be completed within two years.

The city tourism office said that from May 2009 to April 2010, the lake has received 4,790 local and foreign visitors.

The forest surrounding the lake is popular for sightseeing, hiking, biking, fishing and camping.

Lake Danao was declared a natural park on June 2, 1972. It is protected by Republic Act 7586 otherwise known as the National Integrated Protected Area System Act of 1992.

It is found within the 2,193-hectare Lake Danao National Park, which also includes the Amandiwin mountain range. -- Sarwell Q. Meniano

http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?title=Ormoc%20allots%20P5M%20for%20Lake%20Danao%20improvement&id=26066

wino

February 10th, 2011, 07:31 AM

^^ SAMAR? we only get a few news from Eastern Visayas.. one of the poorest region in the country..

we at least they got a budget of 15 million for tourism.. hope they invest it well.

Kintoy

February 10th, 2011, 08:38 AM

i bet puro mukha ng mga mayor ang lalabas sa tourism ads nila

xxxriainxxx

February 10th, 2011, 09:08 AM

i bet puro mukha ng mga mayor ang lalabas sa tourism ads nila

Hayyyy sinabi mo pa. Pero diba pinagbawal ni Noy yang paglalagay ng mukha sa mga ads or something to that effect? Buti lang kung tourism ads, pano kung maibulsa yan. A place is not poor for without reason - maraming kurakot siguro dyan kaya di umuunlad. Samar is a really beautiful place with beautiful people - panira lang ang mga magnanakaw na pulitiko. Ang Samar diba LP ang mga nanalo din dyan last year, siguro naman 'iba' din sila at sumunod sila kay Noy.

xxxriainxxx

February 10th, 2011, 09:09 AM

i just echoed yung sinabi ni @shyaman na it looks like some of it is not in the philippines....something to that effect....

but me....proud of those infra.....first world na first world......may yellow blindfold na lang ang magsasabi na hindi maganda at hindi importante ang contribution ng infra ni little evil gloria......:lol: o yung mga naka yellow blindfold dyan.....name something naman na nagawa na ng mga idol ninyong presidente.....not necessarily si pnoy....mababa expectations ko sa kanya...:lol: mukhang walang maidi deliver ang panot na mama...:lol: paper werks pa lang sablay na......pwede nating tawagin itong HARI NG SABLAY...:lol:

Okay sir.. :) :cheers::cheers::cheers:

juniordiscovery

February 10th, 2011, 02:03 PM

may bungee jumping dyan at ledge diving...ganda ano first world na first world....salamat little evil gloria....kita mo napagkakamalan na hindi sa pinas....:lol:

Nice! parang di sa pinas :D

xxxriainxxx

February 10th, 2011, 02:50 PM

^^ pasaway ka.

icarusrising

February 10th, 2011, 03:49 PM

I believe the last part of the video is the road to/from Caticlan.

william :D

February 10th, 2011, 10:55 PM

P18 B BATANGAS-MINDORO BRIDGE, PINAG-AARALAN

Nakatutok ngayon sa pagpa-follow-up kay Pangulong Aquino si Gobernador Umali hinggil sa pinag-aaralang paglalagay ng tulay na mag-uugnay sa mga isla ng Batangas at Mindoro.

Sa panayam kay Gob. Umali, napag-alamang inatasan na ni Pangulong Aquino si DPWH Rogelio Singson na simulan na ngayong taon ang pag-aaral sa panukalang malaking proyekto. Sinabi ng gobernador na napag-alaman niyang sa isinagawang inisyal na pag-aaral sa proyekto, nasa siyam (9) na kilometro ang haba ng ilalagay na tulay mula sa Batangas patungo sa isla ng Mindoro. Babagtas ang tulay mula Batangas patungo sa Isla Verde at pagkatapos ay saka babagtas patungo sa isla ng Mindoro. Tinatayang gugugol ng pondong humigit-kumulang sa P2 bilyong piso kada kilometro ang proyekto na may kabuuang P18 bilyong piso.

Matatandaang ilang buwan pa lamang pagkaupo ng Gobernador, nakapagpasok agad ito ng pondo para sa malalaking proyekto. Kabilang na rito ang P10 milyong karagdagang pondo para sa konstruksyon ng kauna-unahan sa lalawigang Batasang Panlalawigan at pagkatapos ay magkasunod ding naipasok ang P10 milyong pondo at P40 milyong pondo para naman sa konstruksyon ng sports facilities bilang paghahanda sa MIMAROPA Regional Athletic Association meet.

Kung magkakaroon ng katuparan ang panukalang proyekto, malaki ang maiaambag nito sa tiyak na higit na pag-unlad ng lalawigan partikular sa aspeto ng ekonomiya at turismo nito. (Provincial Information Office)
http://islandsentinel.com/2011/02/09/p18-b-batangas-mindoro-bridge-pinag-aaralan/

:cheers::cheers::cheers:

kalbongdad

February 10th, 2011, 10:57 PM

Nice! parang di sa pinas :D

:lol::lol:

Parchie

February 11th, 2011, 12:44 AM

Hayyyy sinabi mo pa. Pero diba pinagbawal ni Noy yang paglalagay ng mukha sa mga ads or something to that effect? Buti lang kung tourism ads, pano kung maibulsa yan. A place is not poor for without reason - maraming kurakot siguro dyan kaya di umuunlad. Samar is a really beautiful place with beautiful people - panira lang ang mga magnanakaw na pulitiko. Ang Samar diba LP ang mga nanalo din dyan last year, siguro naman 'iba' din sila at sumunod sila kay Noy.

Tama. Bawal ang mukha. Pero pwede puwet na lang ang ilagay sa ads? Hahahaha

Ady001

February 11th, 2011, 05:45 AM

^^ Puwet ko na lang, tapos lagyan ng caption ng isang pangalan ng isang pulitiko...

Libel kaagad ang labas... :lol:

xxxriainxxx

February 11th, 2011, 07:22 AM

Some of the photos I took when I went around some of the places in Burma last week and this week:

Boat on the Irrawaddy:

http://shareimage.org/images/1v8kinf2on4o7kw0eftn.jpg

Bagan (an ancient city of over 2,000 temples):

http://shareimage.org/images/uzkn5gtyjkzodbm4njlu.jpg

A monk in Mandalay:

http://shareimage.org/images/ctbns3ufd0nek3k1q61m.jpg

A kid wearing the thanaka, Burmese traditional make up in Rangoon:

http://shareimage.org/images/cxrhvmjrqp8rgmq9n0i.jpg

Sagaing

http://shareimage.org/images/kypuetazm84an07m03l.jpg

Hamming it up with Burmese Pro Democracy Activists and Comedians, The Moustache Brothers with my traveling Philippine flag:

http://shareimage.org/images/g17zlcun3becf6f7hm.jpg

xxxriainxxx

February 11th, 2011, 07:27 AM

Para sa mga mahihilig sa airport heto ang bagong Airport ng Rangoon:

http://shareimage.org/images/uds51ur0bbvvl14eo5yy.jpg

http://shareimage.org/images/9mb846skj0w0nonqoly.jpg

http://shareimage.org/images/sjhyhr8pvtg6t5kojom.jpg

mrboy

February 11th, 2011, 07:56 AM

^^nice photos sir!

xxxriainxxx

February 11th, 2011, 07:58 AM

^^nice photos sir!

Salamat po boss. :)

jakeB

February 11th, 2011, 08:04 AM

i bet puro mukha ng mga mayor ang lalabas sa tourism ads nila

oo gaya dito sa Antipolo kahit saan kita mo ung mukha ng mayor ultimo maliit ng na sticker sa tryke may mukha sya nakakabwisit

hakz2007

February 11th, 2011, 08:06 AM

Welcome to Thread 13! :cheers:

Keep posting forumers :okay:

Link to Thread 12 (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=435396&page=455&highlight=travel+tourism+industry+compiled+threads)

xxxriainxxx

February 11th, 2011, 08:31 AM

Repost ko dito ang last kong post:

Some of the photos I took when I went around some of the places in Burma last week and this week:

Boat on the Irrawaddy:

http://shareimage.org/images/1v8kinf2on4o7kw0eftn.jpg

Bagan (an ancient city of over 2,000 temples):

http://shareimage.org/images/uzkn5gtyjkzodbm4njlu.jpg

A monk in Mandalay:

http://shareimage.org/images/ctbns3ufd0nek3k1q61m.jpg

A kid wearing the thanaka, Burmese traditional make up in Rangoon:

http://shareimage.org/images/cxrhvmjrqp8rgmq9n0i.jpg

Sagaing

http://shareimage.org/images/kypuetazm84an07m03l.jpg

Hamming it up with Burmese Pro Democracy Activists and Comedians, The Moustache Brothers with my traveling Philippine flag:

http://shareimage.org/images/g17zlcun3becf6f7hm.jpg

Para sa mga mahihilig sa airport heto ang bagong Airport ng Rangoon:

http://shareimage.org/images/uds51ur0bbvvl14eo5yy.jpg

http://shareimage.org/images/9mb846skj0w0nonqoly.jpg

http://shareimage.org/images/sjhyhr8pvtg6t5kojom.jpg

The airport is small with few immigration counters.

One thing that we can learn from Burma tourism. For long haul bus trips - Most bus companies offer free wet wipes, plastic bags for trash, toothbrush and toothpaste and even a liter of bottled purified water. Some buses also have a free neck pillow.

xxxriainxxx

February 11th, 2011, 09:43 AM

Let's support tourism to Burma. Like what the Moustache Brothers said: No tourists, no journalists. If you are going to Burma (only package tours are allowed), go with the most minimal package available. Less money for the junta. Spend more money with the actual people people.

paMsGQELr3A

Around Burma

RYtOXvJDKWg

xxxriainxxx

February 11th, 2011, 09:56 AM

The most famous gate in Burma. The gate to Aung San Suu Kyi's house:

http://shareimage.org/images/n58ymsa63bc9pvf0pm.jpg

12jairien14

February 11th, 2011, 10:17 AM

^^
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/180092_144787228914013_144647532261316_272765_247151_n.jpg (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=144787228914013&set=a.144783815581021.28844.144647532261316)

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/166672_144785225580880_144647532261316_272702_4345684_n.jpg (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=144785225580880&set=a.144783815581021.28844.144647532261316)

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/168438_144805958912140_144647532261316_272835_5322319_n.jpg (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=144805958912140&set=a.144783815581021.28844.144647532261316)
(click the photos for the source)
^^

xxxriainxxx

February 11th, 2011, 10:21 AM

^^ Very beautiful Zamboanga. I wanna go... hayy.. I wont be back in PHL until August and I wont be spending a lot of time. Only a couple of days in Manila and then El Nido..

12jairien14

February 11th, 2011, 10:36 AM

^^ Very beautiful Zamboanga. I wanna go... hayy.. I wont be back in PHL until August and I wont be spending a lot of time. Only a couple of days in Manila and then El Nido..
^^
thankyou
go na
hehehe
GodBless

Ady001

February 11th, 2011, 03:29 PM

Repost ko dito ang last kong post:

Some of the photos I took when I went around some of the places in Burma last week and this week:

The airport is small with few immigration counters.

One thing that we can learn from Burma tourism. For long haul bus trips - Most bus companies offer free wet wipes, plastic bags for trash, toothbrush and toothpaste and even a liter of bottled purified water. Some buses also have a free neck pillow.

Kumusta naman internet diyan? Mukhang masaya din ah... How's daily life there?

xxxriainxxx

February 11th, 2011, 03:34 PM

Kumusta naman internet diyan? Mukhang masaya din ah... How's daily life there?

Im back na sa Vietnam. Internet, never had access whilst I was traveling in Burma, I left my laptop, my phone, my ipod. I spied quite a few internet cafes. And in our RGN hotel, there was free wifi daw. But I dint want to access internet there for fear of govt trying to steal info from me. Everything is watched. In Mandalay, may nightlife, but may curfew sila gaya ng Vietnam. I was almost tempted to drop by at the NLD office but I dint want to put my Burmese driver in a difficult situation pag nagkataon.

marlowe_cano

February 11th, 2011, 04:26 PM

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/166672_144785225580880_144647532261316_272702_4345684_n.jpgsource (http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/166672_144785225580880_144647532261316_272702_4345684_n.jpg)

That's Twin Sta. Cruz Islands found. off 2-kilometer mainland Zamboanga City.

and more litrato!
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1354.snc4/162629_185838741440386_100000427847392_576814_2186601_n.jpgsource (http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1354.snc4/162629_185838741440386_100000427847392_576814_2186601_n.jpg)

bledzoe

February 11th, 2011, 05:02 PM

famous jumpshot...:nuts:

marlowe_cano

February 11th, 2011, 05:05 PM

^^LOL. that's me in shades. LOLOLOLOL :lol:

wino

February 12th, 2011, 03:44 AM

^^ Very beautiful Zamboanga. I wanna go... hayy.. I wont be back in PHL until August and I wont be spending a lot of time. Only a couple of days in Manila and then El Nido..

i could be going back in July-August.. and just like you, EL NIDO is part of my itinerary. :D
crossing my fingers..

xxxriainxxx

February 12th, 2011, 03:51 AM

famous jumpshot...:nuts:

infamous you mean? :lol:

xxxriainxxx

February 12th, 2011, 03:52 AM

i could be going back in July-August.. and just like you, EL NIDO is part of my itinerary. :D
crossing my fingers..

Aba, eh baka magkitakita pa tayo dun! Will be staying at Miniloc Resorts.

wino

February 12th, 2011, 04:23 AM

^^ haha oonga!
I know you from the picture, I'll wave at you when I see you. LOL

Pero di pa ako 100% sure.. I'll still need to wait and see. Crossing my fingers.. :D

xxxriainxxx

February 12th, 2011, 04:26 AM

^^ haha oonga!
I know you from the picture, I'll wave at you when I see you. LOL

Pero di pa ako 100% sure.. I'll still need to wait and see. Crossing my fingers.. :D

anong wave wave. dapat lapitan mo ko at magpakilala ka at malibre kita ng isang bote ng san miguel. :D

marlowe_cano

February 12th, 2011, 04:30 AM

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/71502_443849194350_830969350_5088180_2234939_n.jpg

HERMOSA FESTIVALE '10
:cheers1::cheers1:

marlowe_cano

February 12th, 2011, 04:31 AM

anong wave wave. dapat lapitan mo ko at magpakilala ka at malibre kita ng isang bote ng san miguel. :D

^^

sama ako sa libre mo.. puede? wahahahah :lol:

wino

February 12th, 2011, 04:31 AM

^^ Haha privacy is more important than a bottle of beer. just kiddin.. :D
We'll see!!

5 months to go.. di pa ako booked.. plans could easily change. My mother is still puttin' up a fight to go to Singapore instead.. I strongly declined, nothing in Singapore interests me.. haha!! I hope she won't succeed in persuading me. :D

xxxriainxxx

February 12th, 2011, 04:37 AM

^^

sama ako sa libre mo.. puede? wahahahah :lol:

Sure why not?! San Miguel lang ha! :D :D

^^ Haha privacy is more important than a bottle of beer. just kiddin.. :D
We'll see!!

5 months to go.. di pa ako booked.. plans could easily change. My mother is still puttin' up a fight to go to Singapore instead.. I strongly declined, nothing in Singapore interests me.. haha!! I hope she won't succeed in persuading me. :D

Aww. Dont be a stranger. I am usually a nice guy. Haha. I am meeting my parents naman in HK/Macau this April. Then I am off to Beijing and then Mongolia in June. Pinas in August. After that medyo next trip ko December pa.

wino

February 12th, 2011, 04:38 AM

^^ haha!! we'll see.. we'll see..

xxxriainxxx

February 12th, 2011, 04:39 AM

^^San ka nga ba based ngayon?

hakz2007

February 12th, 2011, 05:41 AM

wino

February 12th, 2011, 06:50 AM

^^San ka nga ba based ngayon?

malayo layo hehe..
Canada pa

Picture of the DAY in TIME Magazine

http://img.timeinc.net/time/today_in_pictures/1102/tip_ny_0210_02.jpg

Darth Balloon
NEXTBACK
Spectators stand in front a partially inflated hot air balloon depicting Star Wars character Dath Vader before its flight during the 16th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta, in Pampanga.

Thursday, Feb. 10, 2011

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/today-in-pictures/0,31511,2048395,00.html#ixzz1DilIbDIq

xxxriainxxx

February 12th, 2011, 09:37 AM

^^ Canada! Layo nga. haha. :D

Someone was asking me about the Darth Vader balloon yesterday on Twitter. LOL Thanks for the photo and the link man!

xxxriainxxx

February 12th, 2011, 09:56 AM

simply wow :cheers:

You can also create a thread in Asian forums for your Myanmar photos, Rain :okay:

Sige po, pag sinipag.. haha. :)

xxxriainxxx

February 12th, 2011, 10:34 AM

Just one of the many things which makes the Philippines one of the most stunning countries in the entire known universe.

3LCYsG5hD4U

SleMarKen

February 12th, 2011, 10:57 AM

WoW! Thanks for your Burma pics @Rain... Burma is also nice. But my 1st list in ASEAN is Cambodia...:yes:

xxxriainxxx

February 12th, 2011, 11:11 AM

WoW! Thanks for your Burma pics @Rain... Burma is also nice. But my 1st list in ASEAN is Cambodia...:yes:

Thanks bai, yes. Mine too.

Aside from the Philippines, my top destinations in ASEAN are:

1- Cambodia
2- Indonesia (havent been there yet but I am planning na)
3- Burma

12jairien14

February 12th, 2011, 12:20 PM

^^
PPKp6lA8bFU&feature

ZJFGY_wT31c&feature
^^

SleMarKen

February 12th, 2011, 01:19 PM

^^
PPKp6lA8bFU&feature

ZJFGY_wT31c&feature
^^

Zamboanga is very beautiful. I'm very proud of this place:okay:

spearhead

February 12th, 2011, 01:39 PM

O para sa mga bading posters dito, ito good news para sa inyo hehe:
Video of Newly Recruit Transsexuals (http://www.buzzfeed.com/dailypicksandflicks/new-thai-airline-recruiting-transsexuals-as-flight-2ghf)

Thai Airline accepts service from 6 transsexuals (http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/8030559-thai-airline-accepts-service-from-6-transsexuals)

12jairien14

February 12th, 2011, 02:03 PM

Zamboanga is very beautiful. I'm very proud of this place:okay:
^^
indeed our city is one of the most beautiful places in our country
:cheers:
^^

wino

February 12th, 2011, 10:05 PM

^^ Canada! Layo nga. haha. :D

Someone was asking me about the Darth Vader balloon yesterday on Twitter. LOL Thanks for the photo and the link man!

My pleasure! i stumbled on it while I was reading Time. :D

le Reine

February 13th, 2011, 07:10 AM

@Rain: nasa Vietnam ka ba this Feb?

xxxriainxxx

February 13th, 2011, 07:15 AM

@Rain: nasa Vietnam ka ba this Feb?

Unfortunately, LOL. Bibisita ka sa Hanoi? :)

Yeah, my next trip wont be until end of April pa. :)

le Reine

February 13th, 2011, 07:18 AM

I see. Nasa HCMC ako pero dadaan lang. Pupunta pa kasi kaming Cambodia.

xxxriainxxx

February 13th, 2011, 07:44 AM

I see. Nasa HCMC ako pero dadaan lang. Pupunta pa kasi kaming Cambodia.

Aww.. layo nun sa akin. 2++ hours by plane ang Hanoi to HCMC. Are you gonna bus in to Cambodia or are you flying din?

le Reine

February 13th, 2011, 07:47 AM

^^Nope bus lang. Ano bang masayang puntahan sa Cambodia? Meron ka bang suggestions?

xxxriainxxx

February 13th, 2011, 08:19 AM

juniordiscovery

February 13th, 2011, 09:07 AM

Zamboanga is very beautiful. I'm very proud of this place:okay:

Nice video! :cheers:

kalbongdad

February 14th, 2011, 02:42 AM

Just one of the many things which makes the Philippines one of the most stunning countries in the entire known universe.

3LCYsG5hD4U

a scenery beyond your wildest dreams.....one of the best dive sites in cebu....moal boal....meron din silang orchd garden na for exports....ang galing ng lugar na to and you don't have to spend a large fortune.....daming mga europeans dito.....sila nakikinabang sa mga tagong yaman ng pinas....:)

xxxriainxxx

February 14th, 2011, 05:26 AM

Diving in Moalboal now is definitely on my bucket list! :) Wow Cebu!

Bricken Ridge

February 14th, 2011, 05:45 AM

^^ Siem Reap (Angkor Wat). The best. ever. Avoid Sihanoukville because everyone we know whos been there said it's crime ridden. Sayang there were new skirmishes at Preah Vihear when the Thais destroyed the Cambodian temple.

Preah Vihear was not destroyed, just partly damaged. The site has seen destruction before and has been a bone of contention for centuries.

xxxriainxxx

February 14th, 2011, 05:51 AM

Bricken Ridge

February 14th, 2011, 06:07 AM

Yes it is damaged. Saw it in the news. Quite a sad fact. Imagine San Agustin Church damaged? Thailand would not recognise the UN's ruling on the border and the ownership of the temple. I don't understand why they would go that far as damaging the temple. The temple was built by the Khmer no disputing that fact. When I saw the temple damaged, I was so angry. Preah Vihear is a world heritage site, and not only it was an affront to the Cambodian heritage and nation, it is an affront to people all over. It is not called a world heritage for nothing. Imagine Cambodia razing the Grand Palace in Bangkok to smithereens!:ohno::ohno::ohno:

I guess the Thais think that "If we can't have it, you can't have it either." So much for a world heritage site for them. I guess they think they have enough inside their country, it won't hurt to destroy one that they can't own anyways.

kalbongdad

February 14th, 2011, 06:14 AM

Diving in Moalboal now is definitely on my bucket list! :) Wow Cebu!

what prompted you.....the dive, the orchid garden or the europeans....:lol::lol: kidding...btw yung orchid garden na for export nakapasok lang kami because of a friend of the family...but who knows...tourist destination na rin ata sila ngayon....

xxxriainxxx

February 14th, 2011, 06:47 AM

what prompted you.....the dive, the orchid garden or the europeans....:lol::lol: kidding...btw yung orchid garden na for export nakapasok lang kami because of a friend of the family...but who knows...tourist destination na rin ata sila ngayon....

The dive!! I wanna do that Sardine Run!

Wow. Orchid exports? Hopefully you can brand it as Philippine orchids kase alam mo naman mga kapitbahay natin, akala nila sila lang ang may orchids sa mundo.

I guess the Thais think that "If we can't have it, you can't have it either." So much for a world heritage site for them. I guess they think they have enough inside their country, it won't hurt to destroy one that they can't own anyways.

Interestingly, whilst I was in Cambodia and also recently in Burma, pinagtatawanan ang mga Thais ng mga locals - ang Thai soldier raw is pusturang pustura pero kulang naman sa experience. Siem Reap apparently meant the defeat of Siam according to one Cambodian. You can see on the carvings in Angkor the wars waged against the Thais. For Burma, the Burmese have burned down and pillaged Ayuthayya, 5 times.

IMHO, Shwedagon is much better than the Grand Palace, less tourists and more picturesque. Bagan shits on Ayuthayya by a mile, tho I think Angkor is more well-preserved. Burma and Cambodia have more places worthier of UNESCO listing. Napanganga ako sa ganda ng Angkor. Truly a world wonder. Sa Bagan naman, andaming temples, 2200++ of them. We arrived around 430am by bus in Bagan and we jumped into the back of pickup and rumbled through the darkness, when daylight broke - the scenery was exceptionally stunning. Stupas upon stupas puncture the skyline. Amazing. I just cant get that wow effect in Thailand.

I hope more Filipinos get to experience Burma... one day I am flying my entire family naman to Siem Reap..

On the positive side, Thailand is of course more organised, travel is much easier, for a traveler who've never been to Angkor or Burma or Sri Lanka, Thailand is a good introduction. But for travelers like me who've been around, it's difficult to be impressed.

For beaches, wala ng tatalo sa Pilipinas nyan. We win there hands down.

So far my trip sked this year:

Apr - HK/Macau
June- China (Beijing)/Mongolia
August - Manila and El Nido (PHL)
December - We scrapped Paris and replaced it with Maldives (via KL).

For next year sked trips:

India/Nepal
Bhutan
Indonesia
It's a toss up between a country in Europe or possibly Hokkaido (Japan).

xxxriainxxx

February 14th, 2011, 08:35 AM

Top 10 underground experiences

With the 33 Chilean miners – and their rescuers – now all safely rescued from two months trapped underground, chances are they’ll be wanting to stay on higher ground for a bit. But if you really want to get below the surface of a place, here are some great spots around the world that are worth heading underground for.

1. Cappadocian Underground Cities, Turkey
You can taste the true troglodyte lifestyle in the mysterious underground cities of Cappadocia. The best known are Kaymaklı, Derinkuyu and Özlüce, though there are many more still unexcavated. Dated to 7th century BC or earlier, the cities were forts where the people could escape invaders and live for up to six months at a time. You’ll find yourself in a vast, complex labyrinth of rooms and tunnels over several levels. Signs of life are everywhere: storage jars, communal kitchens blackened by smoke, stables – and holes in the ceilings through which hot oil could be poured on the enemy.

2. Sagada Burial Caves, Philippines
Sumaging Cave is an exhilarating adventure guaranteed to bring out the Indiana Jones in you. The route takes you crawling through narrow crevices, wading through water and scaling the sides of deep ravines, and in some sections the smooth limestone is so slippery you have to go barefoot. Guides light the way (and the stunning calcium formations) with gas lanterns. The connected Lumiang Burial Cave is fascinating for its eerie collection of centuries-old wooden coffins. Other, slowly decomposing, coffins can be seen hanging from the cliff-face.

3. Grotte De Font De Gaume, France
France’s Vézère Valley is crammed with prehistoric rock art, but this cave is arguably the best of them, containing one of the most astounding collections of paintings still open to the public. You can get close to about two dozen of its 230 figures of mammoths, bison, horses, fish, reindeer and bears, and wonder at the meaning they held for their cave-dwelling Cro-Magnon creators 14,000 years ago. Many of the animals, carved into the rock or delicately shaded with red and black pigments, are caught in remarkably lifelike movement.

4. Blackwater rafting in Waitomo, New Zealand
Imagine jumping backwards off a waterfall into darkness, feeling the shock as you hit the cold water, and then shooting through tunnels and caverns, bumping gently against rock walls until suddenly the velvety blackness above you is filled with sparkling pinpoints of blueish light – the glow-worms of Waitomo caves. Riding the underground river in a wetsuit and inner-tube raft is the magical (but oh so cold) experience of blackwater rafting. For the really adventurous, there are underground climbing and abseiling too.

5. Pathet Lao Caves, Laos
Caves make brilliant wartime hideouts. In 1964 the Pathet Lao, a leading communist organisation in Laos, moved its headquarters to a series of caves near Vieng Xai. Situated inside an impressively narrow and precipitous valley, it was virtually unassailable. Six of these caves can be visited: inside are former meeting rooms, government offices, markets, temples, printing presses, hospitals, army barracks and more. Wooden walls, as well as natural formations, divide the caverns into various rooms, still decorated with images of Lenin and Che Guevara, and incongruous house facades and gardens are built onto the front of the caves.

6. Crown mines Shaft 14, South Africa
South Africa proudly lays claim to the world’s deepest pub, 226m down a Johannesburg gold mine known as Shaft 14. This is also one of the deepest mine tours you can take, and despite being located in a kitsch theme park, it gives an authentic glimpse of gruelling mining life. When the mine opened in 1897, there was only candlelight to work by, up to 40°C heat, ear-shattering drills and dangerous gases – along with miserable wages. Migrant miners of many languages learned to send messages by slapping their boots in rhythms, the origin of the isicathulo or gumboot dance.

7. Canoeing Barton Creek Cave, Belize
Some say the intricate cave systems of Belize offer the best spelunking in the world. For the ancient Maya, the caves were the entrance to the underworld, where the gods lived and accepted sacrifices. One of the most exciting caves to explore is Barton Creek Cave, which you traverse by canoe. You’ll paddle and swim past fragments of pots and human skulls, evidence of at least 28 people who lie interred here. As your headlamp lights up spooky limestone formations and bats flit around your head you’ll see why the ancients called this Xibalbá, the Place of Fear.

8. Sleep in a ‘dugout’ in Coober Pedy, South Australia
Coober Pedy’s raison d’être is opal mining. The town’s Aboriginal name, meaning ‘white man’s hole in the ground’, describes it pretty well. As well as the mines, many of the houses, hotels, the church, shops and museums are underground ‘dugouts’, sheltering from outback Australia’s extreme climate: daytime summer temperatures can soar to over 50°C and the winter nights are freezing. With the dry, dusty lunar landscape, you’d never describe the town as attractive, but it’s worth sticking around a while to hear the outrageous yarns of mining fortunes made and lost, intrigues, vendettas and crazy old-timers.

9. The Paris Catacombs, France
In order to solve the problem of Paris’s overflowing cemeteries, in 1785 the bones of the buried were exhumed and relocated to the tunnels of disused quarries, 20m beneath the city streets. This continued for around a hundred years, and 300km of tunnels are lined with almost artistically arranged stacks of skulls, tibias and femurs. In the 2km open to the public, it’s estimated that six million individuals are represented. During WWII the tunnels were used as a headquarters by the Resistance. Today they make a macabre attraction; urban spelunkers are often caught illegally roaming the unstable closed-off section.

10. Sidi Driss Hotel, Tunisia
If you’ve ever wished to set foot on the planet of Tatooine, the village of Matmata in the Tunisian Sahara might be as close as you can get. The Berber underground dwellings here are built around a deep sunken courtyard with cave-like rooms coming off the sides, which means they remain at a comfortable temperature year round. But Hotel Sidi Driss has an added attraction for movie buffs: the hotel was used as the set for Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru’s house in the Star Wars movies, making it a rather surreal place to stay.

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/turkey/cappadocia-kapadokya/travel-tips-and-articles/76096?affil=twit

EDMARATION

February 14th, 2011, 04:08 PM

Thanks bai, yes. Mine too.

Aside from the Philippines, my top destinations in ASEAN are:

1- Cambodia
2- Indonesia (havent been there yet but I am planning na)
3- Burma

=> Me, my toplists:

1. East Timor
2. Cambodia
3. Laos
4. Indonesia

EDMARATION

February 14th, 2011, 04:17 PM

For Vigan Tourists, you may try this.

Grandpa’s Inn: Living in the past
Hotel Review by: lakbaypinas (http://www.virtualtourist.com/hotels/Asia/Philippines/Province_of_Ilocos_Sur/Vigan-1376509/Hotels_and_Accommodations-Vigan-TG-C-1.html)
________________________________________________________________________________________________

http://cache.virtualtourist.com/0/4733840-Living_in_the_past-Vigan.jpg

http://cache.virtualtourist.com/0/4733841-Living_in_the_past-Vigan.jpg

http://cache.virtualtourist.com/0/4733842-Living_in_the_past-Vigan.jpg

http://cache.virtualtourist.com/0/4733843-Living_in_the_past-Vigan.jpg

Nostalgic is perhaps what best describes this place.

Once a Spanish residential house, it was converted into an inn housing 19 rooms, a coffee shop (Café Uno), and a restaurant (Kusina Felecitas).

The rooms impart an old-world character, and the entire inn is a mini-museum by itself, showcasing vintage furniture and collections of antique heirloom pieces displayed in different areas of the house.

Rooms are quite basic, and come with standard amenities (air-conditioning, private toilet and bath with hot shower, cable TV). Standard fan rooms are also available, and come with the same amenities except for the air-conditioning.

The inn provides 24 hour Internet WiFi access in all rooms, and room rates include complementary breakfast.

The inn is just a few blocks away from Vigan’s heritage strip (Calle Crisologo), and a five-minute walk to the old town center (Plaza Burgos and Vigan Cathedral).

http://cache.virtualtourist.com/0/4733844-Living_in_the_past-Vigan.jpg

wino

February 14th, 2011, 06:58 PM

^^ wow very nice!!

buti pa ang thread na to... napakaganda ng ambiance..
ung ibang thread.. parang palengke na sa gulo.. lol :D

cHemon

February 14th, 2011, 07:23 PM

Preah Vihear was not destroyed, just partly damaged. The site has seen destruction before and has been a bone of contention for centuries.
Yes it is damaged. Saw it in the news. Quite a sad fact. Imagine San Agustin Church damaged? Thailand would not recognise the UN's ruling on the border and the ownership of the temple. I don't understand why they would go that far as damaging the temple. The temple was built by the Khmer no disputing that fact. When I saw the temple damaged, I was so angry. Preah Vihear is a world heritage site, and not only it was an affront to the Cambodian heritage and nation, it is an affront to people all over. It is not called a world heritage for nothing. Imagine Cambodia razing the Grand Palace in Bangkok to smithereens!:ohno::ohno::ohno:
I guess the Thais think that "If we can't have it, you can't have it either." So much for a world heritage site for them. I guess they think they have enough inside their country, it won't hurt to destroy one that they can't own anyways.

Could you give me any sources or pictures showing how the temple was recently damaged?

http://www.easia-travel.com/vietnam/images/Vihear1.jpg

This is how the temple has been like for centuries and here is what I got from a quick research.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=133505696

---------
Cambodia's government denies that it deploys soldiers at the millennium-old World Heritage site — seeking to avoid the impression it would deliberately put the temple in danger or use it as a shield — and has accused Thailand of seriously damaging the complex.

However, Associated Press journalists who visited the temple Wednesday found hundreds of Cambodian soldiers deployed in and around the sprawling temple compound, which was fortified by sandbagged bunkers.

They also saw areas where shrapnel chipped away at some of the sanctuary's ancient walls, but no signs of large structural damage. The U.N. cultural agency, UNESCO, says it plans to send a team to makes its own assessment of the damage.
---------

So comparing this to damaging San Agustin Church or razing the Grand Palace in Bangkok in a bit too much, IMO. And if someone here is kind enough to listen to Thai side, there're gunfires from the cambodian military base at the temple aiming Thai village and killing Thai civillian. Do you think we can't have the right to protect lives of our citizens just because the other use the world heritage site as a shield?

Here's an example of the damage at Baan Phum Srol school on Thai side. And you can follow the link to see more photos showing the damages of Thai village. 2 Thai civilians died and 20000+ had to flee their homes.
http://www.go6tv.com/2011/02/blog-post_05.html

http://desmond.yfrog.com/Himg616/scaled.php?tn=0&server=616&filename=rm2ag.jpg&xsize=640&ysize=640

I'm not saying whether it's right or wrong. And I'm also sad and frustrated at what's happening. I'm not going to argue with you xxxriainxxx, I've learned from the past that's it's such a waste of my time doing so. But I would like to provide another side of the story for anyone who happened to read your post. which seems to me always ready to bring up all the bad things about Thailand, especially this time making others think that Thailand is a totally bad guy.

12jairien14

February 15th, 2011, 04:14 AM

^^
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UmCuOJY650o/SfHSinOjdjI/AAAAAAAAGzk/83ZwIiLtlRY/s320/Zambo+aerial+2+copy.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UmCuOJY650o/SfHSiduPS4I/AAAAAAAAGzc/3tBg9rmR3HU/s320/Zambo+aerial+1+copy.jpg

zamboanga city (http://zamboangajournal.blogspot.com/2009/04/aerial-view-of-zamboanga-city.html)
^^
http://images.travelpod.com/users/arnobs66/4.1295472340.aerial-shot-of-zamboanga.jpg

zamboanga city (http://www.travelpod.com/travel-photo/arnobs66/4/1295472340/one-of-the-food-stalls-at-paseo-del-mar.jpg/tpod.html)
^^
http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/2836/22022010138.jpg

http://img535.imageshack.us/img535/2919/22022010137.jpg

zamboanga city (http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/2836/22022010138.jpg)
^^
http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/19759120.jpg

zamboanga city (http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/19759120.jpg)
^^
http://i810.photobucket.com/albums/zz30/nejo_98/IMG_5687.jpg

zamboanga city (http://i810.photobucket.com/albums/zz30/nejo_98/IMG_5687.jpg)
^^
http://img391.imageshack.us/img391/6267/zamboaerial1.jpg

zamboanga city (http://img391.imageshack.us/img391/6267/zamboaerial1.jpg)
^^
http://multiply.com/mu/cons44/image/27/photos/9/1200x1200/1/Aerial-Downtown-Zamboanga.jpg?et=SrYybkD89goWxlGdHDmyJg&nmid=120948506

zamboanga city (http://multiply.com/mu/cons44/image/27/photos/9/1200x1200/1/Aerial-Downtown-Zamboanga.jpg?et=SrYybkD89goWxlGdHDmyJg&nmid=120948506)
^^
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_mjvtRfiUGr0/SBaSf5RlkKI/AAAAAAAAFGU/vjajUD0CSrc/s512/DSC_0910.JPG

zamboanga city (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/cw-_cOOAjU58VBk21y5MDA)
^^
http://inlinethumb55.webshots.com/42230/1502519641055399872S600x600Q85.jpg

zamboanga city (http://inlinethumb55.webshots.com/42230/1502519641055399872S600x600Q85.jpg)
^^

xxxriainxxx

February 15th, 2011, 06:41 AM

cHemon

February 15th, 2011, 09:34 AM

I'm also sad about the damage, but I'm more angry that innocent Thai civillians have been killed including one small kid.

xxxriainxxx

February 15th, 2011, 10:03 AM

I'm also sad about the damage, but I'm more angry that innocent Thai civillians have been killed including one small kid.

Khmer civilians also died. Khmer lives are as important as Thais.

thainotts

February 15th, 2011, 10:39 AM

Sorry guys, this is off topic already. I am just really angry that a world heritage site is being destroyed. Preah Vihear, like other world heritage sites, is a gift to the world. I would be angry as well if the Grand Palace, Ayuthayya be destroyed/damaged.

Then tell the Cambodian soldiers stationed at Preah Vihear not to fire on Thai positions.

The Associated Press has photo's and a journalist witnessing it.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jp22az6nzd5bDZOo_dKJDKXEWXHA?docId=3709f3d3d2a3491ea1f7438e3219fb02

Oh, and please update your history books, if you want to get all nationalist-chauvinist about countries that really aren't your area of expertise, let me enlighten you: Burma only sacked Ayutthaya twice in times of our weakness, and each time, Thais drove them out and routed their armies before in their colonization by the British.

P.S. Please be more subtle in your anti-Thai views. I'll bet you have a little cheer when you hear bad news about Thailand, and you seem to be very happy saying that x y and z are better than Thailand. Good to hear that Thailand is vastly overrated, but its not subtle (or influential) enough just quite yet. Try harder.

thainotts

February 15th, 2011, 10:52 AM

Parchie

February 15th, 2011, 10:56 AM

But World Heritage sites are more worthy of anger?

I have the same anger towards the stupid Thai nationalists who urge fighting to "protect" our 4.6 sq km, but the Cambodian leaders are also equally at it. Its ridiculous to lose lives in the 21st century over territory that doesn't even have oil.

One practical idealist I see!
The question people should asked themselves before squeezing the triggers: "What is to be gained by fighting for this territory?"

xxxriainxxx

February 15th, 2011, 11:05 AM

Then tell the Cambodian soldiers stationed at Preah Vihear not to fire on Thai positions.

The Associated Press has photo's and a journalist witnessing it.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jp22az6nzd5bDZOo_dKJDKXEWXHA?docId=3709f3d3d2a3491ea1f7438e3219fb02

Oh, and please update your history books, if you want to get all nationalist-chauvinist about countries that really aren't your area of expertise, let me enlighten you: Burma only sacked Ayutthaya twice in times of our weakness, and each time, Thais drove them out and routed their armies before in their colonization by the British.

P.S. Please be more subtle in your anti-Thai views. I'll bet you have a little cheer when you hear bad news about Thailand, and you seem to be very happy saying that x y and z are better than Thailand. Good to hear that Thailand is vastly overrated, but its not subtle (or influential) enough just quite yet. Try harder.

Nope. Wrong.

Do these dates mean something?

1548, 1564. 1569, 1593 and 1767.

Try again.

But World Heritage sites are more worthy of anger?

I have the same anger towards the stupid Thai nationalists who urge fighting to "protect" our 4.6 sq km, but the Cambodian leaders are also equally at it. Its ridiculous to lose lives in the 21st century over territory that doesn't even have oil.

Presumptuous there.

As to your question -

But World Heritage sites are more worthy of anger?

How would you feel if the Grand Palace is bombed? I am not Thai but I would feel angry at the loss of a world heritage. If people do not have respect towards historical places as more than tourist attractions then we live in a sad, sad world.

Eastern Dragon

February 15th, 2011, 11:26 AM

kakaingit naman pagbiyahe mo riain.

malibot nga yang thai. cambodia and burma na yan.

Munich dweller

February 15th, 2011, 11:31 AM

How would you feel if the Grand Palace is bombed? I am not Thai but I would feel angry at the loss of a world heritage. If people do not have respect towards historical places as more than tourist attractions then we live in a sad, sad world.

I think everyone pretty much agrees already that world heritage sites are worthy of preserving and they are gifts to humanity from our ancestors. No arguments about that. But still you didn't quite answer their questions. What would you do, or what would ANY nation do if fired upon with heavy weapons from troops using the site as a shield ?

If you are a commander in the field, can you sincerely tell your citizens that you cannot do anything to protect them, their houses, their schools and their lives from artillery shells just because they are fired from a "heritage site"? Seriously I also wouldn't give a shit even if they were fired from the White House, but would give the order to return fire on their position wherever they came from anyway. :ohno:

So who is more to blame here? A commander trying to protect human lives or an army that uses the site as a shield for its acts?

As Thainotts said, most Thais are critical towards the right-wing nationalist idiots as well, both on our side and on their side. We long for a peaceful mean to solve this problem and to live with Cambodians as good a neighbor. It's 21st century already and war is pretty much an obsolete way to solve any problem. But we are also determined to protect ourselves as well if being irrationally attacked.

Parchie

February 15th, 2011, 11:46 AM

xxxriainxxx

February 15th, 2011, 11:55 AM

I think everyone pretty much agrees already that world heritage sites are worthy of preserving and they are gifts to humanity from our ancestors. No arguments about that. But still you didn't quite answer their questions. What would you do, or what would ANY nation do if fired upon with heavy weapons from troops using the site as a shield ?

If you are a commander in the field, can you sincerely tell your citizens that you cannot do anything to protect them, their houses, their schools and their lives from artillery shells just because they are fired from a "heritage site"? Seriously I also wouldn't give a shit even if they were fired from the White House, but would give the order to return fire on their position wherever they came from anyway. :ohno:

So who is more to blame here? A commander trying to protect human lives or an army that uses the site as a shield for its acts?

As Thainotts said, most Thais are critical towards the right-wing nationalist idiots as well, both on our side and on their side. We long for a peaceful mean to solve this problem and to live with Cambodians as good a neighbor. It's 21st century already and war is pretty much an obsolete way to solve any problem. But we are also determined to protect ourselves as well if being irrationally attacked.

What would you do, or what would ANY nation do if fired upon with heavy weapons from troops using the site as a shield ?

First thing, this is debatable from the perspective of Thai-Cam conflict. Of course the Thai govt would say that it was fired upon. The Khmer govt would say, why would be the Thai troops there in the first place? Why does the Thai govt do not want to invite the UN to get involved? I think the Thai government is lying to the Thai people and the world in general! They don't want further scrutiny from UN that would expose these lies. This wasnt the first time that the temple was under siege.

Second, I give a shit about protecting our world heritage sites. Not just in Cambodia, or in Thailand but everywhere. Just because of some stupid claim that costs lives and damaged important historical monuments, both the Thai and Cambodian governments should cease from anymore armed conflict and respect the ruling of the international courts regarding the ownership of the temple and we all know what the ruling was. If both of the governments still do not want to talk, UN should step in as it seems ASEAN is doing nothing to stem this conflict.

I regretted not being able to visit Preah Vihear when I was in Cambodia and it seems as the fighting goes on, I might not even see it anymore in the future. I don't want to visit a site that were practically rebuilt already.

We long for a peaceful mean to solve this problem and to live with Cambodians as good a neighbor. It's 21st century already and war is pretty much an obsolete way to solve any problem.

As it should be.

xxxriainxxx

February 15th, 2011, 11:57 AM

Pretty much universal for me! If there are other choices, please let's help find that avenue and stop debating who's right. We should ask what will be left if we go on fighting?

Dust. Dead people and history that will probably lost forever. :ohno::ohno::ohno:

kakaingit naman pagbiyahe mo riain.

malibot nga yang thai. cambodia and burma na yan.

Easy on Burma again... seems the junta just threatened Suu Kyi and the NLD. They are throwing a tantrum again.

Munich dweller

February 15th, 2011, 03:31 PM

First thing, this is debatable from the perspective of Thai-Cam conflict. Of course the Thai govt would say that it was fired upon. The Khmer govt would say, why would be the Thai troops there in the first place? Why does the Thai govt do not want to invite the UN to get involved? I think the Thai government is lying to the Thai people and the world in general! They don't want further scrutiny from UN that would expose these lies. This wasnt the first time that the temple was under siege.

It's understandable why you would think this is debatable whether which side opened fire first since in almost all conflicts, everyone involved would say he is innocent. I do not require you to believe in my story that we were attacked first anyway. Believe whatever you want. But the point remains. Why would you send troops to use the site as a shield if you didn't want any harm to come to it in the first place? Whether we fired first or the Cambodians fired first, was there any reason to be there, firing on Thai side and hoping the Thais would not return fire to the temple? If you are sincere about protecting it, you would think the Cambodians would set up their bases OUTSIDE the temple instead.

And what's with all those random fire to the villages, houses and schools ? ... We only returned fire with precision to military targets and artillery bases which the attacks originated. We have UAV's flying around as front-line observers to pinpoint their locations. But if you don't have the ability to mount a precision attack in the first place, then don't !!! You risk non-military casualties and stronger responses from your opponent. That is unless your purpose is to escalate the situation. :(

Mind you that we did not claim the temple is ours nor send troops to the temple. As you said everyone knows what the world court said about this. The problem is the surrounding disputed area has never been ruled which side is to have ownership over it. If you use a common sense accepted by nations thorough the world to use natural boundaries like rivers, or in this case the ridge of the mountain in the area as a border line, then most of the area belongs to the Thais. If you use a pre-WW2 era French map which we never formally accept, then the borderline is ridiculously drawn away from the ridge into the Thai side. Only idiots would draw a border line like that, or perhaps a drunk French colonel spilling coffee over the map and didn't clean the stain ....

I'm not in favor of an armed conflict, nor do most Thais and Cambodians I'm sure. This patch of barren land is not worth fighting for nor dying for in anyway. All this mess is just a product of someone's political game on both sides. I also am not here to claim righteousness for my country, saying that we can do no wrong or anything like that. It just annoys me reading posts like yours claiming to know everything happening around here and making a premature judgement who is right and who is wrong, who is lying and who is not, etc ....

Another thing to add is ... THE TEMPLE IS NOT DAMAGED AS P.M.HUNSEN CLAIMED .... We know how to return fire with precision. Also, foreign reporters already went to the site and saw no significant damage to it as cHemon posted in his quoted news. So you can now stop making the fuss about it ...

That's all I have to say. Now I have better things I should be doing than arguing about this nonsense. So you have a nice day ...

xxxriainxxx

February 15th, 2011, 03:48 PM

It's understandable why you would think this is debatable whether which side opened fire first since in almost all conflicts, everyone involved would say he is innocent. I do not require you to believe in my story that we were attacked first anyway. Believe whatever you want. But the point remains. Why would you send troops to use the site as a shield if you don't want any harm to it in the first place? Whether we fired first or the Cambodians fired first, was there any reason to be there in the first place, firing on Thai side and hoping the Thais would not return fire to the temple? If you are sincere about protecting it, you would think the Cambodians would set up their bases OUTSIDE the temple instead.

And what's with all those random fire to the villages, houses and schools ? ... We only returned fire with precision to military targets and artillery bases which the attacks originated. We have UAV's flying around as front-line observers to pinpoint their locations. But if you don't have the ability to mount a precision attack in the first place, then don't !!! You risk non-military casualties and stronger responses from your opponent. That is unless your purpose is to escalate the situation. :(

Mind you that we did not claim the temple is ours nor sent troops to the temple. As you said everyone knows what the world court said about this. The problem is the surrounding disputed area has never been ruled as which side is to have ownership over it. If you use a common sense accepted by nations thorough the world to use natural boundary as a border line, in this case the ridge of the mountain, then most of the area belongs to the Thais. If you use a pre-WW2 era French map which we never formally accept, then the borderline is ridiculously drawn away from the ridge into the Thai side. Only idiots would draw a border line like that, or perhaps a drunk French colonel spilling coffee over the map and didn't clean the stain ....

I'm not in favor of an armed conflict, nor do most Thais and Cambodians I'm sure. This patch of barren land is not worth fighting for nor dying for in anyway. All this mess is just a product of someone's political game on both sides. I also am not here to claim righteousness for my country, saying that we can do no wrong or anything like that. It just annoys me reading posts like yours claiming to know everything happening around here and making a premature judgement who is right and who is wrong, who is lying and who is not, etc ....

That's all I have to say. Now I have better things I should be doing than arguing about this nonsense. So you have a nice day ...

Why would you send troops to use the site as a shield if you don't want any harm to it in the first place?

It is perfectly understandable that the Cambodians would protect something of their own, IN THEIR OWN SOIL. Naturally they would gather around the temple!

Mind you that we did not claim the temple is ours nor sent troops to the temple. As you said everyone knows what the world court said about this. The problem is the surrounding disputed area has never been ruled as which side is to have ownership over it. If you use a common sense accepted by nations thorough the world to use natural boundary as a border line, in this case the ridge of the mountain, then most of the area belongs to the Thais. If you use a pre-WW2 era French map which we never formally accept, then the borderline is ridiculously drawn away from the ridge into the Thai side. Only idiots would draw a border line like that, or perhaps a drunk French colonel spilling coffee over the map and didn't clean the stain ....

Wow, you just contradicted yourself in one go. You say you do not lay claim on the temple and yet you backhandedly commented that the temple is within the boundary of Thailand. Who are you fooling? Common sense? Come on. Obviously, the 'idiots' at the UN and the International Court could have been drunk when they decided to rule against Thailand's favour if we follow your argument.

It just annoys me reading posts like yours claiming to know everything happening around here and making a premature judgement who is right and who is wrong, who is lying and who is not, etc ....

It annoys me as well that you come to a Philippine forum and force your hackneyed arguments down my throat like I am a vassal to your kingdom. And when it gets hot in the kitchen, you call in reinforcements. My views are not representative of everyone in this thread and I am not claiming I am speaking for anyone else. Nevertheless, in these threads, dissent and debate is encouraged and I may be the only who speaks out but it does not mean my opinions are lesser than yours.

Now I have better things I should be doing than arguing about this nonsense.

Nonsense that took your time from crafting replies. Another contradiction. I specifically moved the conversation to the ASEAN thread but somehow you prefer the conversation to be here.

I'm not in favor of an armed conflict, nor do most Thais and Cambodians I'm sure. This patch of barren land is not worth fighting for nor dying for in anyway. All this mess is just a product of someone's political game on both sides

Good on you. However, your govt and the yellow shirts seem to be intent on damaging ties with another country. Sad, but it is indeed part of a political game. Seems that politicians in the Thai govt is using the temple issue for their own ends. That's why I said your govt is lying to you.

In the end, a quick and lasting resolution to the conflict is what everyone hopes for. This is not good for Thailand's image and the image of ASEAN overall.

cHemon

February 15th, 2011, 05:08 PM

Munich dweller, we's better leave them understand whatever they want krab.
Thailand will never be any good in someone's mind, no matter what. Like khun thainotts said, most of the time when Thailand was brought up here, it's either Thailand is bad or x, y, z are better than Thailand. Going back to see those original posts, you can see how one-sided they were. Both sides could lie, but they already judged that only Thailand did.

Thailand is definitely not perfect, but someone just love to insist on bad things, and many times exaggerate them. I don't know, maybe it makes them feel better about their own (crab mentality?). Even with something good can be turned into a bad thing if you remember the previous thread.

Talk is cheap.
Seeing a lot of this makes me realise it is very true. Countries don't progress just because their people talk best. You see the example.
Thais, from time to time, are belittled or made fun of by others because our language skill and they think we are dumb because of the way we talk/write in English. I don't care anymore. I only know that even with all the bad things in our country, we are still proud people. We are loyal to the country and work together to move country forward. Oh.. and most importantly, we actually do it, not just talk.

see ya back in our forum ;)

xxxriainxxx

February 15th, 2011, 05:19 PM

xxxriainxxx

February 15th, 2011, 05:58 PM

Back to regular programming:

Have you guys heard of the Green Passport? Well, I got one 2 days ago from a friend from the UN. The Green Passport is a project by the United Nations Environment Programme and it gives travelers tips on how to make travel sustainable and how to be an ethical traveler.

"The Green Passport Campaign is an initiative of the International Task Force on Sustainable Tourism, firmly rooted in the move to accelerate a global shift towards sustainable consumption and production (SCP) that emerged from the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) held in Johannesburg in 2002."

Please visit and share this website:

http://www.unep.fr/greenpassport/

Kalibo Mangrove Reforestation Project

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs224.snc4/38517_142757639084151_100000497487463_378578_2884561_n.jpg

Candaba Wetlands, Pampanga

http://alainpascua.smugmug.com/Places/Candaba-Swamp/IMG5200/1051183701_FviwT-XL.jpg

Malasag Eco-Village, Cagayan de Oro

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/Tribal_Houses_Malasag_Eco-Village.jpg

xxxriainxxx

February 15th, 2011, 06:06 PM

I hope one day, PHL will appear on this list.

Ethical Travel—What it Means, and Where to Go

As the world becomes ever more interconnected, being an ethical traveler becomes both easier and more urgent. Travelers today have access to far more information than we did even 10 years ago. We can observe–almost in real time–the impact that smart or selfish choices, by governments and individuals, have on rainforests and reefs, cultures and communities.

Travel is one of the biggest industries on Earth, and our economic power as travelers is enormous. When we’re mindful of where our money is going, we turn that power into political activism. Deciding which countries to visit—and where to eat, sleep and tour when we get there—are not trivial concerns. The way we travel has a real impact on the environment, human rights, and the way our home countries are perceived by people in other lands.

While Ethical Traveler sees all travel as potentially positive, we do urge travelers to step off the beaten path whenever possible. Each year, after extensive research, our team chooses the 10 best countries to visit in the developing world. These destinations may not always be as glamorous as Paris, or as modern as Singapore. But they’re rich in natural wonders, and alive with fascinating culture. They’re also committed to conserving their natural treasures, while building economies that sustain and empower local communities. Our visits to these countries acknowledges these efforts, and inspires neighboring nations to embrace similar values.

Clearly, the idea of naming the 10 “best” developing countries has its perils. No country in the world is perfect. All the places on our list have both strengths and weaknesses. Still these are the best of the best. We sincerely hope this list inspires your travels. We also hope that our summary sheds light on the many concerns that every country must tackle to balance best practices with often challenging economic realities.

The Winners

Ethical Traveler congratulates the countries on our 2010/2011 list of The Developing World’s 10 Best Ethical Destinations. The winners, in alphabetical order (not in order of merit), are:

Argentina *
Barbados
Chile *
Costa Rica
Dominica
Latvia
Lithuania *
Palau
Poland *
Uruguay
( * = also appeared on our 2010 list).

How the List is Created

Every year Ethical Traveler conducts a study of developing nations, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, to identify the best tourism destinations among them. We begin our research by focusing on three general categories: Environmental Protection, Social Welfare, and Human Rights. For each of these categories, we look at information past and present so that we understand not only the current state of a country, but how it has changed over time. This helps us select countries that are actively improving the state of their people, government, and environment.

In the first phase of our process, we consider country scores from a variety of databases related to one of the three categories, using information from sources like Freedom House, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, and the World Bank. After identifying the top performers, we turn to detailed case research, focusing on actions governments have taken over the year to improve (or in some cases, weaken) practices and circumstances in the countries.

Please note that this report is not an exhaustive explanation of our methodology, but a brief and general view of how we conduct and verify our research. An appendix listing our sources will be sent upon request. We also understand that no country, particularly those facing significant economic limitations, is faultless; our goal is to encourage the behaviors we see as creating a safer and more sustainable world.

Environmental Protection
In evaluating each country’s level of responsible environmental protection, we looked at clear indicators of environmental health, preservation of resources, and cultivation of beneficial, sustainable practices. Our main resource is the Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC) Environmental Performance Index (EPI), a joint initiative between the Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy and Columbia University’s Center for International Earth Science Information Network. The index uses indicators focused on (i) reducing environmental stresses on human health and (ii) promoting ecosystem vitality and sound natural resource management, allowing us to measure these countries against 25 separate indicators of environmental responsibility.

Latin America countries continue to be top scorers in environmental protection. Costa Rica scored exceedingly high in the Environmental Policy Index (EPI), the only developing country—and indeed one of only four countries in the world—to make it into the top “100-85″ scorer category. Chile also scored high, particularly in sustainable fishery and forestry. Argentina continues to impress with its environmental initiatives, particularly an innovative new law designed to protect its glaciers.

Another notable environmental success is Palau, which declared its waters a dolphin, shark and whale sanctuary; rescinded support for Japanese “scientific” whaling, and called for an international moratorium on shark finning. Dominica was the recipient of a Green Globe for sustainable ecotourism. We also applaud Barbados for organizing the Caribbean Green Economic Conference for 2011, to discuss opportunities and challenges to developing a green economy in the region.

Social Welfare
Another critical point we consider is the social welfare of each country’s citizens and visitors. Quantifying this is not a straightforward task. In order to gain the clearest picture of the situation, we combine well-respected resources with our own country research.

UNICEF scores on child mortality rates are one indicator of social welfare. In this category, Lithuania and Latvia scored particularly high. To gauge issues such as access to safe drinking water, sustainable water management, responsible sanitation practices, and agricultural management, we considered the 2009 Human Development Report, compiled by the UN Development Program (UNDP). Barbados was the highest ranked Ethical Destination country on the index this year, followed by Poland. Uruguay received the highest scores for Latin American countries.

The Millennium Challenge Corporation also offers information on such aspects of social welfare as immunization rates, girls’ access to primary education, and health expenditure. That none of the MCC partner countries—typically some of the poorest in the world—actually made it on to the Ethical Destinations list this year points to a deep connection between economic and social health.

Human Rights
To evaluate countries’ human rights record, respected sources like Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Reporters Without Borders, and Freedom House were consulted to understand the challenges each nation has to address. Every country has human rights issues, but it was important for us to see efforts made towards improving known situations and the preservation of basic human rights for all.

Costa Rica returned to the list, after falling off last year, due to increased efforts by recently elected president Laura Chinchilla to address human trafficking problems. While there remains a great deal of work to be done—particularly to stem the country’s sex tourism industry—we applaud the progress.

Lithuania is the only country on the Ethical Destinations list to reach Tier 1 of the 2010 State Department’s Trafficking in Persons report. All other countries were listed as Tier 2 (a source, transit or destination country making significant efforts to improve) or Tier 2 watch list (a source, transit or destination country that has not shown significant improvement).

There is more to making our list, of course, than excelling in categories. Each of the countries selected as a Best Ethical Destination also boasts wonderful opportunities for the traveler—opportunities to experience nature at its most pristine, and to interact with local people and cultures in a meaningful, mutually enlightening way.

General Trends and Conclusions

Although the worst of the economic downturn has passed, efforts towards sustainability, responsible tourism, and environmental stewardship are only slowly recovering.

It is not surprising that again not a single Asian country made it to the Top 10. Although the economic recession has temporarily halted many development projects, their poor human rights record and lack of strong environmental policy keeps them once again from the list of ethical destinations. Contrary to last year, not a single African country made it to the list because of serious violations to the basic human rights of their citizens. We hope this is not a trend and that we can welcome some African countries in next year’s Top 10.

Notably, three small island states are in the Top 10: Barbados, Dominica and Palau. One of the main reasons for their strong presence is their strong environmental efforts. These states understand that their islands will be affected the strongest by climate change in the short term and are trying to fight it as well as they can.

Among the newcomers are also two re-entering Latin American countries: Uruguay and Costa Rica. Costa Rica has been top rated for years by many important indicators. Last year, however, World Vision considered it among the world’s most notorious destinations for sexual predators. Although the problem has not completely disappeared, Costa Rica is back on the 2011 list of ethical destinations because it has seriously stepped up its attempts on a government level to address human trafficking by taking on increased public awareness campaigns, creating a new office focusing on human trafficking, and training officials. Costa Rica should see this as an encouragement to step up efforts to combat human trafficking even more. Uruguay has been absent for a few years from the Top 10, but deserves its spot this year again because of its outstanding human rights and human development record. It has the highest level of human development in Latin America and it was the first country to allow gay marriage. In addition, the first human rights violators of the dictatorship period were convicted to prison sentences in 2010 after decades of impunity. After settling the pulp mill conflict with Argentina, Uruguay put more stringent monitoring mechanisms for pollution by the pulp mills into place.

Certain countries that made our previous Ethical Destinations list were omitted this time around. Unfortunately these included all African countries. Although South Africa, Ghana, Namibia and the Seychelles are still making considerable environmental efforts, for all of them there was an important deal-breaker, which led to their elimination from the Top 10. In South Africa and Ghana, some of the most vulnerable people were evicted from their houses, often without proper alternative housing, compensation or in some cases even without prior notice. In South Africa, these people were forced to relocate to make space for development projects leading up to the World Cup Soccer Tournament. The World Cup also caused an increase in sex trafficking into the country. Namibia lost its place in the Top 10 because of forced sterilization of HIV-positive women in hospital and because the latest elections were contested, even possibly manipulated. The Seychelles’ economy was buffeted by the global recession and by the expanding reach and incidence of piracy in the Indian Ocean, and therefore less was invested in sustainability. Furthermore, there were incidences of serious violations of freedom of speech, press and assembly.

Suriname was removed from our list after the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination urged Suriname to ensure legal acknowledgment of the collective rights of Indigenous Peoples. We remove Suriname with regret, as the country had conquered a place in last year’s Top 10 due to its unspoiled rainforest biodiversity and sincere efforts towards ecotourism and environmental preservation. However, the protection of indigenous peoples is an essential aspect of an ethical destination and we urge Suriname to work on this so they can be considered for the Top 10 again next year. Along the same line, we encourage Chile—which made our list due to significant efforts to introduce new legislation regarding its indigenous peoples—to continue to pursue constitutional rights of representation for native peoples within its borders.

Belize did not make it to this year’s Top 10 either due to the government seizure of mineral-rich land, high profile corruption and emerging child sex tourism. Furthermore the urge for development threatens its mangrove islands.

None of the countries on this year’s Ethical Destinations list is perfect, and four countries must include special caveats. In Barbados and Dominica, homosexuality remains criminalized. Normally this is a deal-breaker for us, but the laws do not appear to be zealously enforced. We sincerely hope that our vote of confidence will persuade these country’s leaders to repeal these backward laws. Latvia, Lithuania and Poland should do more to prevent discrimination against ethnic and sexual minorities while Costa Rica, Argentina, and Barbados have to step up their efforts even further to halt sex trafficking.

We sincerely hope that travelers will refer to this list when planning their 2011 journeys. By visiting the countries mentioned here, we “vote with our wings”—sending a signal that travelers are aware of where their money is going, and willing to support nations that care about the environment, human rights, and the global community.

To learn more about Ethical Traveler – and to join our alliance of members from more than 60 countries – please visit our website at www.ethicaltraveler.org.

Credits

This report © 2010 by Jane Esberg, Jeff Greenwald & Natalie Lefevre / EthicalTraveler.org

Source: http://www.ethicaltraveler.org/explore/the-worlds-best-ethical-destinations-2011/

Askal82

February 16th, 2011, 01:59 AM

Typical. :lol:

Kita nyo na mga kababayan? Lumabas din ang tunay na ugali nakatago sa anino ng kanilang mga ngiti. :lol:

Sa totoo lang, may konting din namang katotohanan yung mga sinasabi nya doon. Pero di-bale na - wala naman sila sa Next 11. :lol:

Aerin

February 16th, 2011, 03:30 AM

xxxriainxxx

February 16th, 2011, 04:12 AM

Sa totoo lang, may konting din namang katotohanan yung mga sinasabi nya doon. Pero di-bale na - wala naman sila sa Next 11. :lol:

Walang kinalaman ang pagiging magaling sa pananalita sa kaunlaran o di pag-unlad ng isang bansa. Hirap sa mga kapitbahay natin, feeling magaling, typical yang ganyang attitude na yan. Hindi lang ako nakapansin nyan, kundi karamihan ng mga banyagang napunta sa bansa nila nagsasabi na hindi sinsero at makatotohanan ang kanilang mga ngiti. Pag talikod mo, tatraydorin ka ng mga yan. Hindi naman lahat pero kadalasan. Kung sila nga mangpula sa Pilipinas sa lengwahe nila kala mo parang basahan lang tayo, pero pag sila na tinitira akala mo kung sinong hindi makabasag pinggan.Nagkakaisa pala ha. Kaya naman pala sa nakalipas na limang taon, parati sila may gulo at pangbobomba.

Pupunta punta yang mga bastos dito tapos mag-impose sila ng kanilang paniniwala. Antay lang tayo at pag namatay ang hari nila bagsak ang bansa nila.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Human_Development_Index

UN's Human Development Index classifies Poland and Barbados as developed countries; Argentina, Chile, Latvia, Lithuania, Uruguay and Costa Rica follow right behind as countries with a high human development. Actually, it's difficult to imagine Chile as a developing country since it looked pretty developed to me, not just in the capital but in the other cities as well. As for Uruguay, the country's environmental record seems questionable judging from the appearance of its capital in Montevideo (the other Uruguayan cities look well-kept though):

Historic Plaza Matriz (building on the right is the oldest church in Montevideo)
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5169/5272902906_3a9a6b5e0c_z.jpg

A street just behind Palacio Estevez, a building used by the govt to entertain the heads of various states.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5050/5272902900_d8f3848d8d_z.jpg

Gorgeous architecture otherwise in many of the buildings (pic added in an effort to balance out the criticism in my post :) )
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5283/5272902898_1bfb4b660d_z.jpg

It seems that environmental record is only a part of it. Human Rights and Social Welfare are also noted..Seems that the legalisation of same sex marriage boosts Uruguay's ranking.

xxxriainxxx

February 16th, 2011, 04:14 AM

Btw Aerin, weren't you supposed to go to Egypt??

Fraulein

February 16th, 2011, 08:12 AM

Walang kinalaman ang pagiging magaling sa pananalita sa kaunlaran o di pag-unlad ng isang bansa. Hirap sa mga kapitbahay natin, feeling magaling, typical yang ganyang attitude na yan. Hindi lang ako nakapansin nyan, kundi karamihan ng mga banyagang napunta sa bansa nila nagsasabi na hindi sinsero at makatotohanan ang kanilang mga ngiti. Pag talikod mo, tatraydorin ka ng mga yan. Hindi naman lahat pero kadalasan. Kung sila nga mangpula sa Pilipinas sa lengwahe nila kala mo parang basahan lang tayo, pero pag sila na tinitira akala mo kung sinong hindi makabasag pinggan.Nagkakaisa pala ha. Kaya naman pala sa nakalipas na limang taon, parati sila may gulo at pangbobomba.

Pupunta punta yang mga bastos dito tapos mag-impose sila ng kanilang paniniwala. Antay lang tayo at pag namatay ang hari nila bagsak ang bansa nila.

Aawww. Parang kilala ko yang bansa na yan... :lol:

Pero seriously, wag na nating pansinin ang mga yan. Hayaan mo sila hanggang sila na ang pag-usapan natin sa susunod... :)

xxxriainxxx

February 16th, 2011, 11:56 AM

Aawww. Parang kilala ko yang bansa na yan... :lol:

Pero seriously, wag na nating pansinin ang mga yan. Hayaan mo sila hanggang sila na ang pag-usapan natin sa susunod... :)

Yun na yun! :lol:

Btw, Boracay is featured on the Swimsuit shoot for Sports Illustrated:

Para sa mga mahihilig sa magandang tanawin:

PvqKAMXyak0

OtAkAw

February 16th, 2011, 12:57 PM

Walang kinalaman ang pagiging magaling sa pananalita sa kaunlaran o di pag-unlad ng isang bansa. Hirap sa mga kapitbahay natin, feeling magaling, typical yang ganyang attitude na yan. Hindi lang ako nakapansin nyan, kundi karamihan ng mga banyagang napunta sa bansa nila nagsasabi na hindi sinsero at makatotohanan ang kanilang mga ngiti. Pag talikod mo, tatraydorin ka ng mga yan. Hindi naman lahat pero kadalasan. Kung sila nga mangpula sa Pilipinas sa lengwahe nila kala mo parang basahan lang tayo, pero pag sila na tinitira akala mo kung sinong hindi makabasag pinggan.Nagkakaisa pala ha. Kaya naman pala sa nakalipas na limang taon, parati sila may gulo at pangbobomba.

Pupunta punta yang mga bastos dito tapos mag-impose sila ng kanilang paniniwala. Antay lang tayo at pag namatay ang hari nila bagsak ang bansa nila.

OMG wag lang sila magpunta Google Translate! Yung last statement mo nagtranslate papuntang: "Patient and we killed their king they defeated the country." They might get the wrong impression. Alam ng lahat gaano nila kamahal ang hari nila.

xxxriainxxx

February 16th, 2011, 01:05 PM

OMG wag lang sila magpunta Google Translate! Yung last statement mo nagtranslate papuntang: "Patient and we killed their king they defeated the country." They might get the wrong impression. Alam ng lahat gaano nila kamahal ang hari nila.

eh natranslate mo na eh. and who would want to use Google translate as a credible translation? Those who would use it and base their reactions on it will validate the fact na hindi sila nag-iisip.

Parchie

February 16th, 2011, 02:43 PM

eh natranslate mo na eh. and who would want to use Google translate as a credible translation? Those who would use it and base their reactions on it will validate the fact na hindi sila nag-iisip.

Oi! Mali-mali pala yang Google translate na yan! Try mo kaya nang bisaya riain, malamang walang translation software into English.

filcan

February 16th, 2011, 03:32 PM

Yun na yun! :lol:

Btw, Boracay is featured on the Swimsuit shoot for Sports Illustrated:

Para sa mga mahihilig sa magandang tanawin:

PvqKAMXyak0

^^Saw them on Letterman. This will be the first SI edition that will be available mobile and the iPad. Great "exposure" for the Philippines. :naughty::cheers:

xxxriainxxx

February 16th, 2011, 05:06 PM

Oi! Mali-mali pala yang Google translate na yan! Try mo kaya nang bisaya riain, malamang walang translation software into English.

Bisaya nga in multiple dialects.. Hahaha patay silang lahat.. Hayan na buti nman at kahit papano nakakaramdam ako ng suporta kahit papano.

Next time magbibisaya ako. I am not fluent in Cebuano, Ilonggo or Aklanon na lang. Ano ba yan, sa sarili nating forum hindi tayo malayang makapagsalita!:ohno::ohno:

xxxriainxxx

February 16th, 2011, 05:09 PM

^^Saw them on Letterman. This will be the first SI edition that will be available mobile and the iPad. Great "exposure" for the Philippines. :naughty::cheers:

Buti naman napasaya kita filcan. LOL. Nakuha ko yung link sa Aklan thread, hinanap ko sa youtube, pinost ko sa Twitter, pati si Rico Hizon ng BBC naexcite, nirepost! hahaha

habagatcentral1

February 16th, 2011, 05:19 PM

Oi! Mali-mali pala yang Google translate na yan! Try mo kaya nang bisaya riain, malamang walang translation software into English.

That reminds me of translating "molecule mad" from English to Filipino using Google Translate. :nocrook: :D

xxxriainxxx

February 16th, 2011, 06:07 PM

That reminds me of translating "molecule mad" from English to Filipino using Google Translate. :nocrook: :D

bwahahahaha! tinry ko ngayon lang! :lol::lol::lol:

davaob4now

February 16th, 2011, 06:19 PM

Buti naman napasaya kita filcan. LOL. Nakuha ko yung link sa Aklan thread, hinanap ko sa youtube, pinost ko sa Twitter, pati si Rico Hizon ng BBC naexcite, nirepost! hahaha

yun, all these days i keep on asking myself if pinoy ba si rico hizon..so pinoy nga siya...

^^Saw them on Letterman. This will be the first SI edition that will be available mobile and the iPad. Great "exposure" for the Philippines. :naughty::cheers:

saw it on letterman too :okay:

DaVz

February 16th, 2011, 06:44 PM

That reminds me of translating "molecule mad" from English to Filipino using Google Translate. :nocrook: :D

OT:and also try "i love you so much baby"..:lol:

kalbongdad

February 16th, 2011, 10:05 PM

^^Saw them on Letterman. This will be the first SI edition that will be available mobile and the iPad. Great "exposure" for the Philippines. :naughty::cheers:

bigla akong nalaway.....swerte nman ng mga staff....mukhang puro tulo laway din.......lapad ng mga ngiti..nina kuya oh....ngiting may pagnanasa...:lol: ....

Aerin

February 16th, 2011, 11:59 PM

It seems that environmental record is only a part of it. Human Rights and Social Welfare are also noted..Seems that the legalisation of same sex marriage boosts Uruguay's ranking.

Interesting that the article states that Latin American countries are "top scorers in environmental protection"....but at the same time makes no mention of Uruguay :)

Latin America countries continue to be top scorers in environmental protection. Costa Rica scored exceedingly high in the Environmental Policy Index (EPI), the only developing country—and indeed one of only four countries in the world—to make it into the top “100-85″ scorer category. Chile also scored high, particularly in sustainable fishery and forestry. Argentina continues to impress with its environmental initiatives, particularly an innovative new law designed to protect its glaciers.

Not really sure what to make of this article. For all the noise the authors made about looking up databases, statistics etc (essentially being logical in their methodology) in the end they made their own call about which issues weigh more and are the deal breakers.

Btw Aerin, weren't you supposed to go to Egypt??

Not me...already been there. Someone else is going though (in April?) and was looking for advice. Don't know what would be the state of Egypt by then. IIRC people tried to loot the Egyptian Museum (which houses King Tut's personal stuff among other artifacts) thrice, and the temples as well, taking advantage of the chaos during the protests.

Parchie

February 17th, 2011, 01:19 AM

That reminds me of translating "molecule mad" from English to Filipino using Google Translate. :nocrook: :D

Bastos yan ha? Bawal yan, lalong na kung superlative yang "mad" as in "galit na galit"! Hahahahaha!

Ady001

February 17th, 2011, 04:27 AM

That reminds me of translating "molecule mad" from English to Filipino using Google Translate. :nocrook: :D

You just made my day.

Askal82

February 17th, 2011, 04:35 AM

Yan ba talaga ang translation ng molecule sa Filipino? Ang sagwa! :lol:

xxxriainxxx

February 17th, 2011, 05:16 AM

yun, all these days i keep on asking myself if pinoy ba si rico hizon..so pinoy nga siya...

saw it on letterman too :okay:

Yep Rico is also the head of Good News Pilipinas website (goodnewspilipinas.com) and he is a recipient of TOYM.

Ady001

February 17th, 2011, 05:27 AM

Guys, with so many acts going here, isn't it high time we also promote "Concert Tourism" as well?

Post ko lang 'to:

The Maine, We The Kings, Never Shout Never
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lg572kTNxi1qaa7h1o1_500.jpg

The Maine enjoying the country:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=288612&id=13289810797&ref=mf

Stone Temple Pilots

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5094/5428162396_0f7e011d7b.jpg

Deftones

http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lcotyaTMOn1qz4y7yo1_500.jpg

Aerosmith (April 2 or March 19)

http://www.gig.ph/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/aerosmith1.jpg

Mr Big

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5174/5429631050_b483d2f2cb.jpg

Justin Beaver, este Bieber (ugh... at least may Poreotics)

http://www.justinbieberzone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/justinbiebermanila.jpg

I'd rather promote this than buying CDs, since we're supporting the artists themselves directly (di kagaya ng mga record companies.) Although I could be wrong about this since nagsponsor yung isang adik nating Congressman ng concert ni Usher pero nalugi...

xxxriainxxx

February 17th, 2011, 05:34 AM

^^ You forgot Bruno Mars and Janet Jackson...

http://celebrity.philbuzz.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/5b0ad043a3ackson.jpg.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Q0n_DhH07V4/TUxrBxDwOlI/AAAAAAAACgw/b7ySld9ZlnA/s1600/Bruno+Mars+Live+in+Manila.jpg

Ady001

February 17th, 2011, 05:35 AM

Oh yeah... It's so many I forgot them as well...

xxxriainxxx

February 17th, 2011, 05:38 AM

Oh yeah... It's so many I forgot them as well...

Dito sa bansa ko:

BACKSTREET BOYS.

:lol::lol::lol:

xxxriainxxx

February 17th, 2011, 05:41 AM

Another one:

http://s3.amazonaws.com/twitpic/photos/full/241918457.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=0ZRYP5X5F6FSMBCCSE82&Expires=1297918649&Signature=bvSve0B2TzL%2BjaZxuTt63uupqVA%3D

Askal82

February 17th, 2011, 05:42 AM

xxxriainxxx

February 17th, 2011, 05:47 AM

Askal82

February 17th, 2011, 05:53 AM

For real man! I was laughing my ass off when I heard that.

Oohh the grand old theaters... Hay...YES! But we also need more performing centres and upgrade our existing ones into world class facilities.

The Metropolitan theater renovation looks like a good start.

Bosnyboy

February 17th, 2011, 06:05 AM

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/213206/sports-illustrateds-bikini-models-grace-boracay-beaches

Sports Illustrated's bikini models grace Boracay beaches
02/16/2011 | 06:51 PM
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One of the world's leading sports magazines asked some of the planet's sexiest models to lie around on the Philippines' most acclaimed beach.

Russian model Irina Shayk on the cover of Sports Illustrated's 2011 Swimsuit Edition. Some of the photos were taken on Boracay Island. (Bjorn Iooss/Sports Illustrated)

Boracay is among the exotic locations featured in Sports Illustrated's 2011 Swimsuit Edition.

The highly-awaited Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Edition, which brought fame to several generations of super models from Christie Brinkley to Brooklyn Decker, hit newsstands Tuesday.

The cover features Russian model Irina Shayk on location in Hawaii, but the annual swimsuit issue also shows her and other bikini-clad single ladies in sultry poses on Bora's white-sand playground.

Boracay has long been a favorite frolicking ground for the glamorous. Over the Christmas holidays, actor Mark Salling, who plays "Puck" in the hit TV series Glee, partied in Boracay with Kapuso stars Richard Gutierrez and Solenn Heusaff.

This time, Boracay's beaches hosted models Shayk, Esti Ginzburg, Chrissy Teigen, Kate Upton, and Jessica White.

One photo of Esti Ginzburg also shows a local man wearing a colorful Ati-Atihan costume in the background.

The magazine's website also showed videos of the women. Ginzburg was photographed on one of the island's iconic paraws while Jessica White's shots were taken at the poolside of Shangri-La's Boracay Resort and Spa.

Thai-Norwegian Christine Teigen, who described Filipinos as "ridiculously sweet," was covered only by powdery white sand and shells of the island in some of her photos.

Some of Kate Upton's photos were taken with a bahay kubo backdrop, while others were taken of her on a local fishing boat. In the video, Upton said of Boracay: "It's beautiful! I grew up in Florida so I know what beaches are like but this beach is not like anything I've ever seen."

The women were not aware which of them would grace the cover of the magazine, as it is part of Sports Illustrated's tradition to keep this information under wraps until it is on sale. Shayk only learned about her selection as the cover girl at the taping of Late Night with David Letterman.

It is Shayk's fifth appearance in the magazine, but this is her first time to be on the cover. The 24-year-old model, who was discovered while riding a train to Moscow in 2004, is no stranger to the limelight, being the current girlfriend of football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.

According to Reuters, Shayk is the first Russian model to grace the cover of the swimsuit issue. For the first time, the issue will also be available not just in print but on iPads, mobile phones and even television with new apps for the digital reader.

This year, Sports Illustrated took Shayk and numerous other swimsuit models including Brooklyn Decker, Cintia Dicker, Julie Henderson, Genevieve Morton and Jessica White to famous beaches around the world for their photo shoots. Shayk is seen sitting on the sandy beaches of Maui in Hawaii for her cover picture.

The edition hits newsstands annually in the dead of North America's winter, offering the tantalizing hope to readers that warmer weather -- and the sunny days at the beach that go with it -- is only weeks away. It is one of the most widely-read magazine editions of the year. - OMG/RAF/KY/JVP/HS, GMA News with a report from Reuters

xxxriainxxx

February 17th, 2011, 06:06 AM

The Metropolitan theater renovation looks like a good start.

Yep I was there during the 'soft opening' last year. Met Gemma Araneta... pretty much Alfredo Lim used the occasion to campaign for his candidacy.

Bosnyboy

February 17th, 2011, 06:07 AM

^^ Wow for real? You're a time traveler. :lol:

Manila could be promoted as one of the media and entertainment centers in the region. If they only restore those theaters to its former glory and have plenty of staged plays, it will have the potential to become the Broadway or West End of Asia and it's really fitting given that we do have bits of American and English culture as well. :)

Ok yang idea na yan f only pinoys could be more mature and civil. Basura lang di pa marunong magtapon sa basurahan. And people nowadays seems to have forgotten basic manners and right conduct. Most people these days are morally bankrupt, values have seemed to have disappeared. Theyre willing to do anything, sell their dignity and self respect for a few pennies. I hope we can still consider ourselves friendly and hospitable towards others sa dami ng crimes against foreigners. Just last night another chinese tourist got heldup near post office with a police detachment nearby. Nobody came forward to help and it was 7pm and people are all around waiting for their ride home. And then there are scams that target foreigners only. Then theres the stores which charges foreigners specially westerners higher prices than local buyers. Ayusin muna ugali ng pinoy bago yang theater na yan.

xxxriainxxx

February 17th, 2011, 06:12 AM

Askal82

February 17th, 2011, 06:13 AM

xxxriainxxx

February 17th, 2011, 06:18 AM

I think it's human nature in general. What Philippines need is a sense of order.

We sorely need Pride of Place. If we are proud of our places, we wont do anything to damage it.

Askal82

February 17th, 2011, 06:20 AM

Off tangent yata ang reply mo boss. Hindi naman lahat ng tao ganyan. Hindi rin most. Ive been around the country and I have met a lot of honest people. Even in Manila, Ive met people who are quite honest.

Isa pa, wala namang kinalaman ang basic manners and morality sa pagtayo ng mga performing arts venues.

I agree. Here's one of the sites (http://www.tourism-review.com/top-10-most-honest-cities-in-the-world-news1231) dispelling the myth that Manila people are dishonest. Pero hindi ko lang alam kung kasama doon yung mga nasnatch sa Divisoria. :lol:

Bosnyboy

February 17th, 2011, 06:27 AM

Oh yeah... It's so many I forgot them as well...

You forgot taylor swift. Foreign visitors are coming in jsut for her concert. i heard all are sold out 2 weeks after announcement.

xxxriainxxx

February 17th, 2011, 06:40 AM

You forgot taylor swift. Foreign visitors are coming in jsut for her concert. i heard all are sold out 2 weeks after announcement.

http://www.startupbubble.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/taylor-swift.jpg

xxxriainxxx

February 17th, 2011, 07:16 AM

I am posting this article for one reason:

1. Twitter, Facebook and Tripadvisor were cited as one of the biggest influencers when it come to travel and PHL tourism should cite that. As for us, mere mortals with no government clout, we can utilise these tools to help promote the Philippines. We have an advantage because alot of us have a fairly good command of English and even some other foreign languages. So let us let the world know about us!

Backpackers chase African dream
Travel Reporter Angela Saurine From: The Advertiser February 17, 2011 3:50PM

VIETNAM is on the way out and Tanzania is in - that's the verdict from young, internet savvy Australians who leading the way in the hottest new travel destinations.

New research has found young "influencers'' who are active on social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter and travel review website Tripadvisor are embracing emerging destinations such as China, Africa and Antarctica.

Older, more conservative travellers continue to flock to New Zealand, Europe and "fly and flop'' holiday spots such as Fiji.

While these places were still popular with Australians of all ages, the Overseas Travel Study by research agency TNS found younger people were increasingly looking for the "next big thing'' - and sharing their experience with others.

"We saw destinations such as Vietnam coming up quite strongly in the past,'' TNS director of travel research Carolyn Childs said.

"These destinations were until quite recently reasonably unexplored, then we saw an explosion of capacity coming into the market with Jetstar and AirAsia X opening these routes up.

"Now there's a perception that certain parts of Vietnam may have become a bit mass market so they're moving on to new destinations.''

While the number of Australians travelling to Antarctica was still relatively small, Ms Childs said the people talking about it were young people who are advocates on social media and blogs.

"Africa is quite sexy for this group at the moment - it's a little bit more confronting as a destination and they can fulfil their desire to influence other people's behaviour and be a leader,'' she said.

But the research found the largest single group of Australians are "functional'' online users, who are older, more conservative, less digitally connected, often affluent and highly loyal.

They are more likely to travel to New Zealand, Europe, Fiji and the Pacific Islands.

The research found the USA and Canada have also shown strong growth in visitation thanks to the strong Australian dollar and more airlines flying there.

Ms Childs said travel has been one of the leading categories driving social media, with resorts in the United States such as Vail introducing new social media technology which alerts people where their Facebook friends are if they're skiing at the same resort and share information such as the amount of vertical skied that day on social networking sites.

Source: http://www.news.com.au/travel/world/tanzania-the-new-it-destination-for-young-australian-travellers/story-e6frfqai-1226007668828#ixzz1EC5K2mzX

ricoyan

February 17th, 2011, 02:51 PM

Ok yang idea na yan f only pinoys could be more mature and civil. Basura lang di pa marunong magtapon sa basurahan. And people nowadays seems to have forgotten basic manners and right conduct. Most people these days are morally bankrupt, values have seemed to have disappeared. Theyre willing to do anything, sell their dignity and self respect for a few pennies. I hope we can still consider ourselves friendly and hospitable towards others sa dami ng crimes against foreigners. Just last night another chinese tourist got heldup near post office with a police detachment nearby. Nobody came forward to help and it was 7pm and people are all around waiting for their ride home. And then there are scams that target foreigners only. Then theres the stores which charges foreigners specially westerners higher prices than local buyers. Ayusin muna ugali ng pinoy bago yang theater na yan.

I TOTALLY AGREE. Kawawa mga turista natin, parating na hohold-up. Puro scammers at Ativan gang.:bash:

xxxriainxxx

February 17th, 2011, 02:59 PM

I TOTALLY AGREE. Kawawa mga turista natin, parating na hohold-up. Puro scammers at Ativan gang.:bash:

PARATI? Please qualify your statement sir. What you are saying is tantamount to a logical fallacy called sweeping generalisation. You just besmirched the reputation of all Filipinos who are not thieves and scammers.

Askal82

February 17th, 2011, 04:20 PM

I TOTALLY AGREE. Kawawa mga turista natin, parating na hohold-up. Puro scammers at Ativan gang.:bash:

As if it doesn't happen in other places.

PARATI? Please qualify your statement sir. What you are saying is tantamount to a logical fallacy called sweeping generalisation. You just besmirched the reputation of all Filipinos who are not thieves and scammers.

Exactly. Yan ang gustong makita ng mga kapitbahay natin. Degrade ng degrade sa sarili. Hindi nila alam na mas malala pa sa iba. Pathetic. :lol:

ricoyan

February 17th, 2011, 06:47 PM

5 Policemen Robs German Tourist

Manila - Five Philippine police officers are facing removal from service for allegedly extorting money from a German tourist, a regional police chief said Tuesday.

'The case would be resolved soon,' said Nicanor Bartolome, chief of police forces in metropolitan Manila. 'We have also filed criminal charges against them.'

The five officers allegedly threatened to arrest Daniel Ludwig for illegal possession of marijuana at a mall in the financial district of Makati City on January 29.

The officers let Ludwig go only after he bought six laptops amounting to 222,149 pesos (5,089 dollars) to give to them.
Ludwig sought the help of the German embassy in Manila two days later, which in turn reported the case to the Makati police.

-Deutsch Press Agentur Feb 8, 2011

2 foreigners victimized by Ativan Gang at Rizal Park

Two foreigners who were promenading at what is supposed to be one of the country’s top tourist destinations ended up being robbed of their money.

Yesterday, the two victims lodged their complaint one after another with the Manila Police District-General Assignment Section (GAS), after having been victimized by “Ativan Gang” members, whose mode of operation consists of drugging their would-be victims to sleep before robbing them of their valuables.

Chief Inspector Mar Reyes, GAS head, said the two victims were identified as Kim Chang-Won, 49, a Korean national who is also a professor and presently billeted in a hotel in Mabini, Manila, and Lejandro Gavino Spinner, 34, a student from Spain who is staying in a pension house in Malate, Manila.

Reyes said the two foreigners were victimized in separate incidents. Won, he said, was promenading at the Rizal Park when two men and two female robbed him of P140,000. On the other hand, Spinner told the police he too was befriended by the suspects who later stole his money and even took him around Rizal Park.

In the case of Spinner, he was able to identify the suspects through their aliases as Joel, 34; Mark, 34; Stella, 48 and Edna, 35.
After taking him around, the suspects reportedly brought Spinner to Quezon City supposedly to attend a birthday party and there, he was made to drink liquor until he fell asleep. When he awoke, the suspects were no longer there along with his 250 Euros and P15,400 cash. -Journal Online, Feb 12, 2011

3 foreign students robbed by NAIA Taxi

MANILA, Philippines — "Three foreign students appeared at the Pasay City Police Station and reported that they were victimized by the driver of a taxi they boarded at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Pasay City yesterday morning.

Han Shu Tsai, 20, a Taiwanese, Patricia Amate Nunez, 26, a Spanish, and Phebe Suzane Tempelaars, 21, a Dutch, all studying at National Taiwan University in Taipei, went to the Philippines to spend their academic break in Puerto Galera, Mindoro.

Upon arrival at NAIA at around 3:35 a.m. they slept at the airport for a few hours before boarding a white taxi, telling the driver to bring them to RCCG bus terminal on Gil Puyat Avenue.

Upon arriving at the terminal, they paid the fare and alighted the cab.

But before they could unload their bags containing their books, cash, and other belongings, the taxi sped off."Manila Bulletin January 15, 2011
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KAWAWA talaga mga turista natin. German, Spanish, Korean, Dutch, Taiwanese, and Chinese tourists were victimized recently in Manila.

These thieves are the ones who besmirch the reputation of all Filipinos worldwide.