Every September 5 of each year, General Santos City commemorates its cityhood with a week long Tuna Festival. It became a city on September 1958 and its people celebrate the day by paying homage to the industry that brought General Santos into spotlight. For this reason, the city earned the monicker “Tuna Capital of the Philippines” Most facilities that can and process tuna are located here generating jobs for people and earning millions annually. It was the tuna industry that turned GenSan into an industrial giant. The Tuna Festival celebrates the hardwork and determination to develop of the city’s flagship industry. The celebration is marked with illuminated tuna float replicas parading the streets with music, dancing, and the art during the annual celebration. People converge in the main avenue to watch the parade and for some merrymaking. The Tuna Festival started as a spontaneous event organized by the Tourism Association in 1998 until it evolved into an annual tradition. In celebration of Gen San’s 30th anniversary as a city, they decided to celebrate the event with a tuna cuisine through contests and exhibits. AIt marked the beginning of the annual celebration of the Tuna Festival. During the week long Tuna […]
Airports have the heavy burden of being the first thing that travellers experience when they head to a new country, and as such, it’s of paramount importance that airports are kept in tip-top shape. Following being named the World’s Worst Airport, the Philippines’ Ninoy Aquino International Airport has announced that it’s finally being renovated to fit the current standards of airports all over the world. Michael Beer, Vice President of Asia Pacific Transportation and Infrastructure at Citi Equity Research, has said that “we believe Manila is at a significant disadvantage as a result of the constrained airport and failed/delayed infrastructure initiatives meant to alleviate bottlenecks…” By contrast, Hong Kong and Singapore each have world-class international airports, and these countries enjoy a steady stream of tourists and international travellers, which also mean boosts in their respective economies. But even the airports that have, in the past, been lauded for their innovation and superior customer service have seen the importance of improving their facilities and providing a better experience to its passengers altogether. Such is the case of London’s Gatwick Airport. According to the Gatwick Airport page on Parking4less, the airport services more than 30 million passengers a year, making it the […]
Once in a while, we all dream of dropping everything and heading off on an aeroplane to experience the holiday of a lifetime. But few of us actually do it. We stick to the holidays that we know, in destinations that we’ve visited a thousand times before. But wouldn’t it be refreshing to meet people from different cultures and experience unfamiliar places? Well, to give you the little extra ‘push’ that you need, we’re going to inspire you with three awesome and unique holiday ideas. 1. Backpacking A backpacking holiday is a good option for all you people of the slightly restless persuasion. It’s a great way to experience the culture of a place, and it offers a sense of freedom that’s incomparable to any other type of holiday. However, it’s not a holiday for the faint-hearted. So, if you’re somebody who likes their home-comforts, you’d be wise to avoid a backpacking holiday. But if you’re willing to ‘rough it’ a little bit then, the whole world is your oyster. You can choose to backpack across Europe, or explore Australia on foot. If you’ve got plenty of time to spare, why not take a trip across the vast expanse of […]
Recently hailed as one of the New Wonders of the World in 2012, the Puerto Princesa Subterranean Underground River is one of the many attractions that the city has to offer. At approximately 8.2 kilometers, it is the longest navigable underground river. Developed as a National Park in 1971, it recently became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. What To See Both local and international tourists will be awed by the attractions in the Puerto Princesa Underground River. Its most unique feature is its winding path through a long cave. From Sabang Wharf, you will drive a motor boat while viewing the picturesque Ulugan Bay. Be astonished with the view of Karst Limestone Mountains where you will see stalactites & stalagmites. The Elephant Cave is where Italian scientists discovered animal fossils dating back to 20 million years ago. The whole trip to the cave will take less than one hour. But the duration of a complete tour is approximately 8 hours. How To Get There First of all, make sure that you book your trip in advance as there is a limit of 900 visitors a day. From the main city, make your way to Sabang Wharf where boats can […]
The Amazon Rainforest covers majority of the Amazon Basin in South America. Of the 7 million square kilometers of the basin, 5.5 million square kilometers is covered by rainforest. It encompasses the territory of nine countries. Majority of the rainforest is within Brazil at 60% followed by Peru and Colombia at 13% and 10%, respectively. It represents half of the planet’s remaining rainforests and the largest and most biodiverse stretch of tropical rainforest with 390 billion individual trees belonging to 16,000 species. The Amazon Rainforest has a bevy of activities that you can indulge in. Here is a look at some of these activities that can make your time at the forest a truly worthwhile one: 1. Go piranha fishing We all know that piranhas are carnivorous fishes. This time around, you will be the one to feast on them and you will find out how delicious they can be. Some tour agencies offer this activity. The Tamschivacu Tahuavo Reserve is one place where you can do this. Just be careful of your fingers when catching them. 2. Visit Macaw Clay Licks The Amazon Rainforest is home to the brightly colored parrot species macaw. There are lodges with clay licks […]
Situated at a 260 hectare piece of land, the Hydropolis Hotel Dubai is set to become the first luxury hotel in the world once construction is finished. The land where the hotel is being constructed is owned by General Sheikh His Excellency Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Prince of the land of Dubai. With the backing of the Prince, around 150 companies are currently involved in the finishing of the project. The initial concept for the construction of Hydropolis was inspired by Hauser’s passion for water and sea. The project is more than just constructing an underwater hotel. It puts an analogy between architecture and the composition of man. The gaps located within the basin will serve as function rooms such as bars, restaurants, theme suites, and meeting areas. They symbolize the functions of the organisms of a man namely the motor functions, heart, and the nervous system as well as the sinus loop which symbolizes the beat of all lives. The ballroom, located in the nerve center, can be accessible through ramps, staircases, and lifts. The petal-shaped retracting roof provides a great venue for staging open sky activities. Catering areas will have receptions and banquets. The Land Station […]
Tubbataha Reef is an atoll coral reef located 98 nautical miles southeast of Puerto Princesa. It derived its name from two Samali words which means “a long reef exposed at low tide.” Declared a World Heritage Site in 1993, the site is under protective management by the Department of National Defense and supervised by the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Here we will look at the reasons for visiting the Tubbataha Reef. 1. The two atolls Tubbataha Reef is composed of two coral atolls separated by an eight-kilometer wide channel. The smaller South Atoll is five kilometres long and three kilometres wide. The North Atoll, on the other hand, is 16 kilometers long and five kilometres wide. 2. The corals The corals make up two-thirds of the reef and its waters serve as a refuge for various forms of marine life. Its diverse ecosystem is comparable to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef with 300 species of corals and 400 species of fishes. 3. The diverse marine life Aside from its corals, the Tubbataha Reef also serves as a marine sanctuary. Among the animals that make the reef its home include manta rays, lionfish, […]