Extreme Philippines Tour

Thursday 25th March – Manila

• Arrive at your convenience into Manila, the capital city and most populated city in the Philippines which is well connected from many countries.
• Self-transfer to the hotel in Ermita
• Pre-tour meeting will be held at the lobby of our Ermita based Hotel at 6:00pm to discuss the tour itinerary and to meet your fellow travellers and YPT guides
• Dinner at our favourite Korean BBQ restaurant, here you cook your own food at the table and get to know your fellow travellers before the journey ahead.
• For those inclined we’ll head out for some drinks in Ermita – this district has some of the best bars in Manila.
• Overnight in Manila.

Friday 26th March – Manila – Angeles: Good Friday!

Morning

• Meet and gather in the hotel lobby for breakfast at 5:30am
• Board our private air-conditioned vehicle for a 2 hour drive north to the San Fernando Area of Pampanga
• On arrival we head directly to the Cutud Lenten Rites Festival – one of the largest and most spectacular festivals in the Philippines.
• The event starts with devoted Catholics self-flagellating themselves which slowly builds up. Here’s a good opportunity to explore the area and follow the journey of the penitents to the mounted crosses – where you can get right into the action.
• The peak of the demonstration is when Jesus is captured by the Cohors I Sebastenorum (Roman Legion) and taken to the crucifixion site. This continues until around 3:00pm. We arrange your media press pass for the event so you’re able to get up close to the action.

Afternoon

• Our vehicle will be well positioned for a cool place to grab water and a picnic lunch
• Continue onwards to Angeles City to check into our hotel located just off of the legendary “Walking Street”. Here you can either relax by the pool, or join us for a night out/ Angeles City is a former US military base but is equally infamous as a city of sin and the culinary capital of the country; we head out for dinner, followed by the legendary Angeles Walking Street Bar Crawl
• Overnight at Angeles City.

Saturday 27th March – Angeles – Baguio

Morning

• This morning we’ll take things more leisurely, especially after the festival. For breakfast, we have a real treat for you and when you’re in the Philippines you have to try out Jollibee!
• Next we’ll set off for the four-hour drive to Baguio – known as the summer capital of the Philippines due to its much cooler climate (you may even need a jacket at night). We’ll take breaks along the journey and take in the beautiful scenery.

Afternoon

• Once we arrive, we’ll drop our bags off at the hotel and head straight out for lunch at a quirky restaurant serving traditional Filipino cuisines, what makes this restaurant so fun is that you’ll  be surrounded by your favourite Disney and Pixel characters.
• Once we’re ready we’ll explore the city on a walking tour, stopping for some liquid refreshments before things start to get weird.
• The Philippines is not only famous for its religious devotees but also how very superstitious they are – so let’s go on a genuine ghost- hunting tour at an abandoned haunted site.
• Our tour will lead us to a wonderful pilgrimage site high up in the city which offers stunning views of the city. Here we can relax and enjoy the sunset overlooking Baguio.
• For dinner head for a fancy meal at the haunted “White House”, before walking back to the hotel through the night market which offers a great street food selection.
• Overnight in Baguio

Sunday 28th March – Baguio – Sagada: Easter Sunday

Morning

• Enjoy breakfast at the hotel, with a variety of items to choose from the buffet, including locally sourced fresh fruits.
• We’ll set off for a 5-6 hour drive to Sagada, one of the most famous places in the Philippines. The journey is filled with rice terraces along the way, and we’ll also pass through the highest highway system in the Philippines. What makes this journey so fun is that there are little remote shops selling local produce which you can snack on along the way.

Afternoon

• On our journey to Sagada, we’ll stop and have lunch. Our local restaurant serves traditional Filipino dishes while you wait, check out next door’s thrift store, which has plenty of second-hand retro/antique items.
• Once we arrive in Sagada, we’ll be met by our local guide and head out for a day of hiking around this historic town, with the main focus being on witnessing and photographing the Hanging Coffins, which are unique to this part of the Philippines. Our local guide will give a full explanation and answer any questions we might have, as this is one of only three places in the world where you can see hanging coffins.
• We’ll also visit the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, which was built by American missionaries in 1904, before we explore the small town. This is a perfect opportunity to buy gifts or just relax in a coffee shop that serves local wine.
• Dinner in Sagada at our favourite restaurant, Yoghurt House. It serves more than just yoghurt!
• After a busy day, we’ll check into our rural homestay. With the cooler climate, we’ll enjoy some of the locally produced wine in the courtyard and share our favourite travel or ghost stories.
• Overnight in Sagada.

Monday 29th March – Sagada – Buscalan – Banaue

Morning

• Home cooked breakfast at our homestay in Sagada, which is a real treat.
• We then begin the 3-hour journey to Buscalan via the pretty town of Bontoc, where we will stop for refreshments. The whole journey is picturesque and we’ll stop for photos along the way.
• On arrival in Buscalan, we meet our local guide and then you have the choice of either taking the zipline or the 40-minute hike up to the village.

Afternoon

• Here we will have a chance to explore the village, take in its amazing views, or of course get a tattoo!
• While it can never be guaranteed that a 110-year-old woman will be available or indeed alive to ink us, coming at this time of year greatly increases our chances. Whang Od now does the famous three dot signature, with regular tattoos done by her female bloodline in the traditional “bamboo tap” fashion. These cost from as little as $20 and are relatively quick. Drinks, snacks, and places to rest are available in the village.
• We then hike or zipline back down before embarking on the scenic journey to Banaue, with a proper meal stop on the way, arriving in the late afternoon/early evening.
• We then spend the night at our hotel overlooking the rice terraces of Banaue, with its fabulous bar.

Tuesday 30th March – Banaue Rice Terraces

Morning

• Breakfast in our hotel before we head out to explore the rice terraces. This will involve us taking private jeepneys (which we can ride on the roof of), some light hiking, before we end up at the most famous viewpoint and restaurant related to the terraces.

Afternoon

• Lunch in Banaue Viewpoint.
• Now we head to the Banaue Rice Terraces, our principal reason for being here! We will see lots of sites still in use today, as well as get a detailed explanation from our local guide. Here we offer different levels of hiking, or you can simply relax with the view and enjoy a drink and a massage. All abilities and needs are catered for.
• Visit the Museum of Cordilleran Sculpture, which has over 1,000-year-old historical artefacts.
• We then head to the famous viewpoint for what should ideally be a perfect sunset.
• Dinner and, of course, drinks in Banaue town.
• Overnight in Banaue.

Wednesday 31st March – Banaue – Laoag

Morning

• Breakfast at the hotel before we head off for the next part of our trip: the 5–6 hour drive to the beach paradise of Laoag. This is one of the most scenic journeys we take, with plenty of photo stops to see rice terraces and mountain scenery, we’ll even stop for a break at Vagina Falls (note: this is a photo stop for the sign).

Afternoon

• In the afternoon, we’ll stop in Vigan and sample some of its famous street food, this is where you can try a variety of local dishes.
• Vigan is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, known for its Spanish colonial-era churches and streets. We’ll have a short walking tour with our expert local guide. You’ll then have time to explore at your own pace before a stop for cocktails or coffee before the journey continues.
• Once we’re ready to leave, we’ll head to Laoag, where our beautiful hotel has a large swimming pool for relaxing after dinner nearby.
• Overnight in Laoag.

Thursday 1st April – Laoag – La Union

Morning

• We’ll take the morning to relax and enjoy breakfast before heading off to Batac.
• Once we arrive, we’ll do a city tour of Batac. This city is the birthplace of Ferdinand Marcos, a powerful dictator who ruled until he was deposed in 1986.
• Our visit wouldn’t be complete without visiting the Marcos Museum about Ferdinand and Imelda. Unfortunately, his embalmed body is no longer here, but it is fascinating and insightful nonetheless.
• Batac is famous for its local sausages and empanadas, and we know the best market spot to enjoy some.
• We’ll also check out a few other places such as Marcos University and Malacañang Palace of the North, the former home of the Marcos family. Ferdinand is still held in high regard here, hence the city’s nickname, “home of great leaders.”

Afternoon

• Lunch at a local restaurant overlooking Malacañang Palace. What’s great about this location is that it’s near Ferdinand’s very own private abandoned golf course, and we may attempt to explore it.
• Next, we’ll head to Paoay town for a break. The beautiful town boasts Spanish-era architecture, including Paoay Church, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Once we’re ready, we’ll head to the beach. For those inclined, we offer optional ATV driving on the sand dunes (extra charge).
• We then take the next part of our journey: the 4-hour drive to the surfing beach town of La Union, with breaks along the way.
• Our hotel will be located on a very private beach, so we’ll make the most of it by arranging a Filipino-style BBQ on the beach.
• Overnight in La Union.

Friday 2nd April – La Union – Manila

Morning

• For those early risers you can go for a swim in the sea followed by breakfast before we head out for our final leg of the journey – the 4 – 5 hours journey back to Manila, we’ll make stops along the way to stretch our legs and pick up refreshments.

Afternoon

• Along the journey we’ll have lunch at a popular local buffet restaurant they have a great variety of Filipino dishes and can cater for any dietary needs.
• Manila might well be the centre of wealth, business and government in the Philippines, but it is very much a tale of two cities, with the slums that culminate in the rubbish collectors of Smokey Mountain living in abject poverty. We take a very sobering slum tour of Manila with our local guides, who will give a very in-depth explanation about their lives. Here we suggest bringing gifts such as books and
pencils, which will be greatly appreciated by the NGO we work with and the children that they look after
• We then take a short drive that almost takes us to another universe by visiting the Manila Hotel – the oldest and most deluxe hotel in the city – that also happens to serve great coffee and cocktails.
• We’ll check back into the hotel, where our journey began – there’s time to relax and freshen up before we head out for dinner.
• On our last night we’ll have dinner in Burgos Street followed by a trip to Ringside Bar to watch midget boxing, where fresh contenders are welcomed to compete again two or three.
• Properly experience the nightlife in Manila for our grand farewell.
• Overnight in Manila.

Saturday 3rd April – Manila

• Relaxing breakfast at the hotel.
• End of tour, with YPT able to offer further transport services or further extension to Brunei – watch this space!
• Board our flight and extend your adventure with us to Brunei and experience why we don’t agree when others call this a boring country!