A Walk in the Park: Philippines' National Parks

In a country where there is a bounty of natural resources, it is expected that there would be numerous national parks nestling within. National parks are built specifically for conservation of wild nature for the future generation and as a symbol of national pride. Visitants are allowed to enter, under special conditions, for artistic, informative, cultural, and recreation purposes.

Travel agencies in the Philippines have the full list of the national parks, however, they do not offer travel packages to all since some are hardly accessible. You can still reach them, however, endurance and perseverance are required. 

Caramoan National Park, to cite, can be found in the Caramoan Peninsula in Camarines Sur. The park has antres, limestone formations, white sandy beaches, a underground river, making it popular to excursionists. It is accessible by riding a rented van from the town of Caramoan or neighboring towns. The locals have already established footpaths in the park for visitors.

Also, a few hours away from Caramoan, another national park can be located. The Libmanan Caves National Park, located in Barangay Sigamot in Libmanan, is nestling in the center of Culapnitan Cave, the tenth longest cave in the Philippines. Stalactites, stalagmites and huge pillars of extremely delicate designs and formations fill the caves. Seeing bats emerge in the cave is a rare spectacle but not a frightening one. This is not for the faint-hearted though. 

If you are the faint-hearted though, you can visit a less frightening national park such as the Hundred Islands National Park in the province of Pangasinan. The islands, 124 during low tide and one disappears during a high tide, are known to be two million years old. The Governor Island, Quezon Island and Children's Island were the only islands developed though. You can island hop to other island by renting a boat and snorkel in the azure surrounding body of water. This is also a good place for people who are inclined to fishing. Locals can help you out on where is the best spot to drop your anchor. Feeling unlucky? Just enjoy the captivating view and plunge into the pristine ocean. On the other hand, if you still want some adventure, they have this activity called Spelunking. Basically, you, with a tour guide would be exploring caves. A flashlight should come handy so that you can see the limestone formations inside the cave. 

For a more organized tours in the National Parks, we strongly suggest you inquire in one of the travel agencies in the Philippines before hopping on to a plane. Also, keep in mind that National Parks are meant to conserve a part of nature's treasures. So when you visit one, be sure to respect and follow the rules set by the management.