De meest onmisbare bezienswaardigheden van de Filipijnen: Natuurwonderen, stranden en culturele parels

De Filipijnen, een archipel van ruim 7000 eilanden verspreid over de Stille Oceaan, zijn een topbestemming voor reizigers die op zoek zijn naar tropische stranden, ongerepte natuur en unieke culturele ervaringen. Van de beroemde Chocolate Hills op het eiland Bohol tot de turquoise wateren van El Nido op Palawan, biedt het eilandengras de wereld een spectaculair landschap dat weinig gelijkaardigs kent. Deze reisgids richt zich op de meest opvallende bezienswaardigheden, gebaseerd uitsluitend op de beschikbare bronnen, en biedt een gedetailleerde, feitelijke aandacht voor de meest populaire en weinig bekende plekken die zeker op de reisplannen moeten staan.

De iconische natuurwonderen van de Filipijnen

Geen reis naar de Filipijnen is volledig zonder een bezoek aan één van de nationale symbolen van het land. Het meest herkenbare landschap ter wereld is zonder twijfel de Chocolate Hills op het eiland Bohol. Deze meer dan 1.200 kegelvormige heuvels, die zich uitstrekken over een oppervlakte van ongeveer 50 vierkante kilometer, zijn een uniek natuurverschijnsel dat alleen op de Filipijnen te vinden is. Hun naam danken ze aan hun kleur: tijdens het droge seizoen, meestal van februari tot mei, worden de heuvels donkerbruin, wat een visueel effect geeft dat op een grote zee van chocolade lijkt. Het precieze ontstaan van de Chocolate Hills is nog steeds onderwerp van wetenschappelijk onderzoek, maar de meest gangbare theorie is dat ze zijn ontstaan tijdens de laatste ijstijd, toen zeevlakte in het binnenland door aardverschuivingen en erosie veranderde in heuvels van kalksteen. De combinatie van zonsopgang of zonsondergang boven deze kale, ronde heuvels creëert een sfeer die weinig gelijkaardigs kent en maakt het een van de meest gefotografeerde plekken ter wereld.

Voor degenen die meer willen dan alleen een kijkje nemen, biedt het eiland Bohol ook een unieke dierenwaarneming. In het hart van het eiland ligt de Tarsier Sanctuary, een beschermd gebied waar de Filipijnse tarsier, een van de kleinste en meest merkwaardige primaten ter wereld, in zijn natuurlijke leefomgeving te zien is. Deze nachtlevende dieren, bekend om hun gigantische ogen en rustgevende houding, zijn zeldzaam en worden beschermd door wetgeving. Hoewel ze overdag rusten, kunnen bezoekers ze tijdens het daglicht in kleine groepjes observeren, vaak in veilige omgevingen binnen het reservaat. Dit biedt een unieke kans om een dier te zien dat zelden buiten de natuur wordt gezien, en biedt inzicht in de biodiversiteit van het eiland.

De rijkdommen van de rijstterrassen op Luzon

Terwijl de Chocolate Hills de meest begeleefde natuurwonderen zijn, zijn de rijstterrassen in de provincie Ifugao op het eiland Luzon een voorbeeld van menselijke vaardigheid en duurzaamheid uit de vroegste tijd van de menselijke beschaving. De Banaue rijstterrassen, ook wel de “Aziatische zegel van de wereld” genoemd, zijn al minstens duizend jaar geleden, mogelijk al in de 2e eeuw voor Christus, met de hand aangelegd door de Igorot, een etnische groep die al lang voordat de Spaanse kolonisten arriveerden, hier leefde. Deze opvallende terrassen zijn opgebouwd langs de hellingen van de bergketen in de Cordillera-gebergte, waar het water uit het regenwoud via een ingewikkeld irrigatiesysteem langs de hellingen geleid wordt. Het resultaat is een levend landschap dat zowel een bron van voedsel als een kunstwerk van ingenieursvaardigheden vormt.

Een ander even indrukwekkend, maar minder bekend geheel van terrassen is gelegen nabij het dorp Batad, op ongeveer drie uur rijden van Banaue. Deze rijstvelden zijn opgebouwd in cirkelvormige structuren die zich op een manier tegen de berg aansluiten alsof ze een natuurlijke versie van een Romeins amfitheater vormen. De sfeer hier is rustiger dan in Banaue, met minder toeristen en meer lokale bewoners die hun landbouwactiviteiten uitvoeren. Bezoekers kunnen hier wandelen langs de paden boven de velden, genieten van het landschap en zelfs de nacht doorbrengen in een lokale herberg, wat een diepere verbinding met het lokale leven mogelijk maakt.

Beide locaties behoren tot de Philippine Cordilleras en zijn in de periode van mei tot eind juli het meest groen en levend, wanneer de rijst in volle groei staat. Dit is het ideale tijdstip om de terrassen te bezoeken, wanneer het landschap in een levendige groene kleur is gekleurd. Vanwege het gebiedsgebonden klimaat is het belangrijk om rekening te houden met regens, die tijdens het regen seizoen (meestal van juni tot oktober) vaak voorkomen.

Strandparadijzen op Palawan en de naburige eilanden

Tijdens een reis naar de Filipijnen is een bezoek aan de stranden van Palawan, vooral in de regio’s rond El Nido en Coron, onmisbaar. Deze eilanden worden vaak beschouwd als de parel van de Filipijnen, en met goede reden. De stranden zijn gekenmerkt door zacht, wit zand, helderblauw water en een zeldzame zuiverheid die zeldzaam is in de regio. Een van de meest begeerde plekken is Vanilla Beach, gelegen nabij El Nido. Dit strand is een combinatie van rust, schoonheid en toegankelijkheid. Het ligt op ongeveer 15 minuten met de scooter van het centrum en wordt vaak gekozen voor ontspanning, zwemmen en het genieten van een koele fles bier van een lokale strandtent. De zee is ondiep en vrij van zeewier of afval, wat zeldzaam is op veel eilanden in Azië.

Een ander hoogtepunt is het strand Paliton op Siquijor, een klein eiland dat zich ten zuiden van Bohol bevindt. Hoewel Siquijor kleiner is dan veel andere eilanden, is het een topbestemming voor reizigers die op zoek zijn naar rust, ontspanning en lokale sfeer. Hier ligt op het eiland het Ocean Bowl Bistro, een klein kraampje dat wordt beschouwd als een parel van het eiland. Het biedt een eenvoudige, maar heerlijke maaltijd zoals een vegetarische ‘curry in a hurry’ met mango, voor een betaalbare prijs van 180 peso. De echte ster is echter de zonsondergang, die vanaf het strand een spectaculaire achtergrond vormt en het ideaal maakt om te genieten van een drankje of een moment van stilte.

Voor degenen die meer willen dan alleen een strandbezoek, is er een uitgebreid aanbod aan activiteiten. Een populaire optie is de expeditie van Coron naar El Nido, vaak aangeduid als de “ultieme route” voor 4 weken reis. Deze reis is beschikbaar via reisbureaus zoals Big Dream Boatman en omvat meerdere dagen reizen met een boot die door de eilanden vaart. Reizigers kunnen genieten van onderwaterwandelingen, snorkelen in kelpbossen, ontdekken van grotten en avonden doorbrengen op de boot. De combinatie van natuur, cultuur en avontuur maakt dit een onvergetelijke ervaring.

Luxe verblijf en nachtleven op de eilanden

Voor reizigers die een luxe verblijf zoeken, zijn de hotels van de merk Funny Lion in Coron een echte aanrader. Deze boutique hotels zijn verspreid over verschillende locaties op de Filipijnen, maar het centrale element van elk hotel is hetzelfde: een combinatie van stijlvolle inrichting, privacy en toegang tot een rooftopbar met jacuzzi. Het hotel in Coron is beroemd om de zonsondergang die vanaf de rooftop te zien is, en vele bezoekers kiezen ervoor om alleen een toegangskaart voor de jacuzzi te kopen (voor 250 peso, ongeveer 4 euro). Dit is niet alleen een geweldige manier om het uitzicht te genieten, maar ook een unieke ervaring om in de zuidelijke lucht te zitten terwijl je een cocktail drinkt.

Niet minder opvallend is het nachtleven op de Filipijnen, waar muziek en gezelligheid een belangrijk onderdeel van de cultuur vormen. Hoewel karaoke niet traditioneel wordt beschouwd als een bezienswaardigheid, is het in de Filipijnen een nationale sport. Van straatbars tot strandtenten, overal wordt gezongen. De passie voor zingen is zo groot dat zelfs op een bootreis via de eilanden het geluid van een karaoke-apparaat vaak klinkt. Populaire plekken om te zingen zijn de Fayeyeh Bar op Siargao, de Reggae Bar in Port Barton of de Pangolin Bar in El Nido. De lokale bevolking is gastvrij en streeft ernaar om reizigers te betrekken in deze avonturen, wat de ervaring nog levendiger maakt.

Toegankelijkheid, duurzaamheid en reisadvies

Hoewel de meeste bezienswaardigheden van de Filipijnen toegankelijk zijn, zijn er bepaalde factoren waar re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re re 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