Iloilo Philippines

"Iloilo is the Philippines’ Heritage Haven of Panay. This is because it is popular for its gentry living as displayed by its majestic and colonial mansions and churches scattered throughout its beautiful landscape. This beautiful province is set in a graceful and refined repose between Batiano and Iloilo rivers forming the shape of a nose. Hence, it was given the name Iloilo from the word Ilong-Ilong, which means “nose-like”.

Iloilo City

Castle Hotel in Iloilo CityIloilo City is a living testimonial of the rich cultural heritage of the province. At its city proper, the popular landmarks include: Muelle Loney, Museo Iloilo, Plaza Libertad, Arevalo, Jaro, and Fort San Pedro. Arevalo boasts of its 19th century mansions, flower nurseries, and looms that weave piña and jusi. Jaro is the province’s residential center of the rich and elite who, to this day, have maintained their grand ancestral homes in impressive and tip-top condition.

Iloilo Towns

Jaro Iloilo CathedralEach town that lies along the city’s west coast possesses centuries-old churches. Guimbal shines brightly with its yellow sandstone, Tigbauan is proud of its Baroque façade, while San Joaquin boasts of its white coral. However, the most impressive of all is the Miag-ao Church, which is included in the World Heritage List. On the other hand, the eastern towns of the city lead to the town of Estancia, which will take you to the beautiful cluster of islands off the northeast Panay.

Iloilo Festivals

Iloilo is a host to a number of festivals people from different places not only in the country but also from around the world visit. The most popular of these festivals are: Dinagyang Festival, Ati-Atihan Iloilo version, Our Lady of Candles Feast, Paraw Regatta, Festival of Bulls or Pasungay, and the Carabao Race.

Iloilo Travel Destinations – Places to Visit


Iloilo has more to offer than grand churches and mansions. When you set your foot on this beautiful Panay province, you will never run out of destination. Below are just some of them:


Bucari - Iloilo’s little Baguio is located in the town of Leon. It is a popular summer destination in this hot spot of the Philippines.

Water Park
Westown Hotel’s El Dorado Waterpark - This is the newest addition to Smallville, the very popular entertainment and dining center of Iloilo. El Dorado features an elegant South American inspired pools and poolside rooms. This place has also become Smallville’s daytime attraction for those who want to spend a fun and refreshing time with family and friends.

Panay Beach in Iloilo with tourist Iloilo’s Beaches – The place to be when you want to be wet and hot. The island of Panay is blessed with beautiful islets and coasts teaming with diverse marine life and fantastic seascapes just like other islands in the Pacific. Iloilo is definitely no exception; however, it has many exceptional beaches with great potentials to become the next top tourist destination in the Philippines. From Iloilo’s northern to southern tips, you will definitely enjoy a lineup of beautiful beaches where you could get wet or be hot anytime of the year.

How to get to Iloilo

If it is your first time to visit Iloilo, you may opt to take the easy route by taking an airplane. Major cities in the Philippines have daily flights to Iloilo. However, if you are after a great adventure, you can take a long but wonderful route from Cebu City to Iloilo City via Negros Occidental. If you will be coming from Manila, you should first go to Cebu, then to Negros. Moreover, you can enjoy an overnight boat trip from Manila or Cebu. Indeed, Iloilo is the place to find refuge if you want to escape from the hustle and bustle of the busy life in the city. It offers a peaceful, quiet, and calm haven to anyone who needs a more laid-back holiday. While it is a city where you can hear the birds chirping and smell the fresh fragrance of flowers, it is also a city where you won’t miss the convenience offered by a well-developed city. So, what are you waiting for? Book a trip to Iloilo now!"

Alona Palm Beach Resort Bohol

"An ideal island get away for those who want total privacy, comfort, topnotch service and lots of coconut trees for that perfect tropical atmosphere. The pristine beachfront that’s but a short stroll away would access you directly to Panglao Island’s beachside hub. So it’s paradise away from the maddening crowd and yet not far away at all, should you yearn for some island action. Enjoy any of the holiday packages that suit your fancy. The Island Hopping Special if you simply cannot resist getting some serious doses of beach fun.


The Dolphin & Whale Watching package if you want to try a different kind of island delight; watching these sea creatures in action in their own habitat! Or you can take a Countryside Holiday. After all, what’s a Bohol trip without getting the chance to climb one of the Chocolate Hills! Better still; pick the best selling All Out Package that’s guaranteed to make this Bohol experience one that you’ll always remember and smile."

Puerto Galera Dive Sites

"Puerto Galera is one of the popular diving destination here in the Philippines and also is known worldwide because of its world class diving and snorkeling. Puerto Galera is located on the northern shore of Mindoro Island just 130 kms South of Manila and 14 nautical miles from Batangas.


Puerto Galera Best SunsetPuerto Galera has numerous beautiful and marvelous dive sites to offer and these diving sites are very accessible. Snorkeling is usually good just offshore. The depth of the diving sites are from 5 meters to 40 meters and the water temperatur is between 26 to 29 degress centigrade. The currents of these diving sites are oftern brisk and unpredictable and this create a challenge to novice divers. Snorkeling is usually good just offshore.

Puerto Galera is rich in marine life and it has many to offer to the divers. Puerto Galera is also a divers paradise because you can see different exotic marine life species. Big fishes like White tip Sharks, Barracudas, Tunas, even Eagle Rays, Turtles can be seen on selected dive sites like the popular Canyons, Shark Caves, Boulders, especially so on a drift dive during big tide exchanges.

Not only that, you will also experience the presence of thriving fish life like batfish, angelfish, surgeonfish, wrasses and butterfly fish. Aside from rarely seen exotic fishes like Spanish Dancer, harlequin ghost-pipefish and at least 5 different colors of camouflaged frogfish, fire gobies and blue-ribbon eels.

Puerto Galera has has so much to offer to marine biologists and underwater photographers because of the beautiful and enchanting varied species of soft corals, gorgonians, crinoids, colorful sponges and turnicates, crustaceans, shrimps and the most popular the "NUDRIBRANCHS".

Puerto Galera holds the reputation as the best diving area in the Philippines and Asia because of the great ecological complexity and the abundant of exotic marine life species that experts come here to study the ecostructure of micro-organsims, marine life, animals and plants.

How to get there


2 hour drive to Batangas pier. 2 hours by boat to Puerto Galera

"The Calamian Group of Islands, Palawan Philippines"

"Calamian Group of IslandsExtending southwesterly toward the direction of Palawan Island from Mindoro Island is the Calamian Group of Islands or Calamianes. It is said to be a concentrated version of the rest of Palawan where you can find all the attractions of the island-province packed into a much smaller space: white-sand beaches, great adventure activity sites, private islands, dense rainforest and comfortable resorts. In addition, the islands boast of several attractions that cannot be found in the rest of Calamianes PhilippinesPalawan, including the crystal-clear lakes of Coron Island and some of the best wreck diving sites in the world. The Calamianes is an adventure-sports paradise where one can go snorkelling and diving in the shipwrecks littering the bottom of the pristine Coron Bay, mingle with the local Tagbanua people— who gather swallows’ nests from the islands’ limestone caves, and go kayaking around towering limestone cliffs and saltwater lakes where one may even chance across an endangered Philippine dugong, a close relative of the manatee. The island group is also a birdwatchers’ paradise as its vast Dipterocarp forests are home to a number of endangered and endemic birds including the Tabon bird, talking Mynahs, Palawan Peacock pheasant, Philippine cockatoo, Palawan Hornbill, the Palawan Flowerpecker, the Yellow Throated Leafbird, the White Vented Shama and the Blue Paradise-Flycatcher.

Calamianes Island Palawan PhilippinesThe Calamianes consists of 98 islands spread out in an area totalling 1,750 sq km (680 sq mi). Of volcanic origin, it is largely mountainous and forested, but has fertile areas yielding rice, sugarcane, tobacco, and tropical fruits. Important industries in the islands are cattle raising and fishing. The archipelago is recognized as one of the last unspoiled marine Calamines Palawanenvironments and animal habitats in the world. Fortunately, the area has begun to benefit from public and private environmental preservation efforts.

Easily accessible from Manila, flights from Manila to Busuanga, the main island in the Calamianes, take just 65 minutes."