Escorted Tours 2023-24 1st Edition

Day 6: Banaue to Sagada B/L/D Embark on a scenic drive inland on the mountain trail of Mount Polis, snaking through a narrow highway for our first Bontoc village stop in Bay-yo. View the picture-perfect mosaic of vegetable and rice terraces built close to the crystalline waters of the Chico River. Visit the Bontoc Museum for an insight into the lifestyle of the Igorots, the native settlers of Bontoc. Continue onwards to Sagada, best known for its unique burial practices, where the dead are placed in pine coffins and buried in caves or lodged between ridges of limestone cliffs. Witness the Lumiang Cave, a sacred burial ground where the ancient pinewood coffins can be seen. Drop by the Sagada Weaving House to learn about hand-loom weaving and products made by local women. Day 7: Sagada to Vigan B/L/D After breakfast, travel through high mountain passes to reach Cervantes. Continue towards Bessang Pass, once the site of one of the bloodiest battles of World War II. Experience the coastal settlements by the Luzon Sea and grey sandy beaches lined with coconut and mangrove trees. Enjoy a visit to the village of Santa Maria and explore the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Church of the Assumption, before arriving in Vigan, a town famous for its cobbled street of Mena Crisologo, old colonial houses and horse-drawn carriages called ‘calesas’. Day 8: Vigan to Manila, via Laoag B/L/D Today, travel north towards Paoay stopping en route at San Augustin church and Malacanang of the North, a former presidential residence overlooking Paoay Lake. Next, visit the village of Marcos and the Marcos Museum & Mausoleum before a drive towards Laoag. Upon arrival, explore the Museo Iloko, housed in the old Tabacalera where government-controlled tobacco was stored in colonial times. Pass by the Abolition of Tobacco Monopoly Monument and pause briefly at St. Williams Cathedral. Proceed to Laoag Airport for your evening flight to Manila. Day 9: Manila to Bohol B/L/D After breakfast, fly to Bohol. Visit the Philippine Tarsier Foundation, a refuge for the smallest primate in the world, the Tarsier. Observe these rare, nocturnal creatures in their natural habitat. Proceed to Baclayon, visiting a centuries-old stone church housing a museum containing a collection of religious art, ecclesiastical vestments, as well as librettos of church music inscribed in Latin on animal skins. Pass by the man-made forest of Bilar, a thick undergrowth of towering mahogany trees grown on the fringes of the highway leading to the Chocolate Hills, the country’s geological wonder. Hike up to the viewpoint for a bird’s eye view of the surrounding area before moving on to Loboc River for a cruise downstream. Day 10: Bohol B/D Enjoy your day at leisure to explore the island or relax at the beach. Day 11: Bohol to Cebu B/D After breakfast, catch a ferry to Cebu. Upon arrival, check-in to your hotel before your evening meal. Day 12: Cebu B/L Start your day with a tour of a mango processing factory and taste the best mangoes in the world. Admire the scenery and flower farms nestled in a beautiful valley between the barangays of Babag and Bonbon as you drive up the mountain. Stop at the Adlawon Vacation Farm. Enjoy a late lunch, then proceed to Eco Mountain Resort West 35 for a picturesque 360-degree view of the Balamban Mountains from the resort’s view deck. Day 13: Cebu to the UK B Enjoy your day at leisure to explore Cebu before your flight back to the UK, via Doha, or continue on to your chosen extension. Hanging Coffins Bohol Tarsier Chocolate Hills Vigan Meal plan: 11 breakfasts, 8 lunches and 10 dinners Accommodation: Manila, 4 H The Manila Hotel Banaue, 3 H Banaue Hotel Sagada, Masferre Inn Vigan, 4 H Felicidad Hotel Bohol, 4 H Amorita Resort Cebu, 4 H Maribago Bluewater Flights: London Heathrow to the Philippines with Qatar Airways (via Doha). Regional flights available, please see page 168-169 Tour pace: Challenging Departures & from prices 30 Oct 23 £2,899 13 May 24 £3,199 27 Nov 23 £3,099 10 Jun 24 £3,099 15 Jan 24 £3,499 9 Sep 24 £2,999 12 Feb 24 £3,399 7 Oct 24 £3,299 11 Mar 24 £3,299 4 Nov 24 £3,399 15 Apr 24 £3,199 25 Nov 24 £3,499 • Tipping paid locally $90 pp per tour Extend your tour Cebu beach stay, 2 nights, 4 H B&B from £229 or 5 H from £279 79 East Asia Hundreds of escorted tours are available on our website www.mercuryholidays.co.uk