Asian Paradises

– 149 – www.paradises.com At Calauit Island, a wildlife sanctuary has been breeding African animals for nearly 20 years. It is home to around 500 animals, including giraffes, zebras and gazelles to name a few. In the Visayas, Bohol is a small island famous for its Chocolate Hills—more than 1000 oval limestone mounds spread throughout the towns of Carmen, Batuan and Sagbayan. In Aklan province in the Western Visayas there are two attractions worth noting: the Ati-Atihan Festival and Boracay Island. Every third week of January, in the streets of Kalibo, locals celebrate Aklan with wild, mardi gras- style revelry. Where to stay The Philippines offers a wide range of accommodation for all budgets. Metro Manila has everything vistors need from deluxe hotels and serviced apartments to hostels and homestays. There are comfortable deluxe hotels in all the big cities, f irst-class resorts in Batangas, Palawan, Cebu, Boracay and Bohol, and Davao in Mindanao. Getting around The variety of bus services running are generally very economical, and departures are frequent, although buses sometimes leave early if they're full. Making a reservation is recommended. There are more buses in the morning, as people try to beat the heat. Roads often have potholes and it takes a while to get anywhere but hire cars, taxis and the colourful and individually decorated jeepneys are easily found. Although jeepneys are the cheapest way to negotiate the traff ic, they do tend to be driven at an alarming and erratic speed and are not air-conditioned. The elevated Light Rail Transit (LRT) system, also known as Metrorail provides the best and most eff icient way to travel from Baclaran in the south to Caloocan City in the north. The Metro Railway Transit (MRT) traverses the length of Edsa and connects Quezon City to Pasay City, passing through the major arteries of Makati's f inancial district. Food and entertainment Filipino cuisine has Chinese, Malay and Spanish inf luences, making dining quite an adventure. Rice is the staple, usually served with meat and vegetables that are fried or sautéed. Soups of every kind are popular, as is the delicacy, crispy pata (deep fried pork knuckle). Adobo—stewed chicken, pork or squid pieces in vinegar—is a national dish, and inihaw (grilled f ish or meat), fresh or fried lumpia (spring rolls), siopao (Chinese-style pork or chicken bun) — P h i l i p p i n e s —

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