Even among the locals, Tagaytay City is held in high regards as one of the nicest places to have a vacation in. Nice, cool weather, clean air, and spectacular views of Taal Volcano from its high location, all combine to make Tagaytay one of the most pleasing places to be in when you want to get away from the rush of city life. It’s also within easy reach of Manila at just fifty-five kilometers, giving it good access to important functions only available in urbanized cities when you need it.

Geography of Tagaytay

At six hundred forty meters above sea level, Tagaytay ridge, where the city is situated on top of, is the highest point in all of Cavite. You can see all the way to Batangas, and the famous Taal Volcano, a unique geographical feature in the area. This is why there is a strong tourism background in the city, because of the ideal conditions that the city has even just considering location. Technically speaking, Tagaytay City belongs under the province of Cavite, and on the east end of the island, all the way in Laguna, Laguna Bay can be found. On the north, however, Manila Bay is the area you’ll be seeing. Travel to Manila is done mainly by private car or bus, fifty-five km away.

With forty municipalities under it, each with its own distinct experience and tourist attractions, Quezon province offers a great mix of historical touches, tourism, and a laid-back pace of life that can let you relax away from the pressure of all the big urbanized cities. Quezon province is named after the second president of the Philippines, Manuel Quezon. In terms of location, the entire province is situated southeast of metro Manila. The province is famous for the mountains in the Sierra Madre mountain range, as well as mount Banahaw, which gets plenty of visitors throughout the year, peaking during the Holy Week, when Christians make spiritual pilgrimages to the extinct volcano.

Quezon Province’s Geography

Quezon is quite a large province in terms of land area, at eight thousand seven hundred square kilometers. On one side, the northern portion of the province is bordered by the Philippine Sea, and on the other is the Sierra Madre mountain range, and the highest mountain in the province is Mount Banahaw, at almost two thousand two hundred meters. Mount Banahaw is also the one supplying power to the Makban Geothermal Power Plant.

Hailed by many residents in the different provinces surrounding it, it is regarded as the place to go to for a better chance at starting from scratch. This is in hope of rising up the ranks in order to attain a better life. Manila is also one of the places on the short list of a young soul who is just starting out in the real world. It’s one of the few cities in the country that has been classified as a global city, and one of the most populous, as well. In fact, it ranks as the city with the second highest number of inhabitants throughout Southeast Asia, a testament to the massive influx of new residents coming into the city, mainly for work.

Geography of Manila

Cut in half by the Pasig River, a polluted body of water that has for generations past served as the main water supply for homes and businesses, the city of Manila is divided neatly into two parts by the river, and the city is located on the river mouth, at the eastern shoreline of the Manila Bay. Most of the ground on which Manila is standing on are alluvial deposits, soil washed up from the waters of the Pasig River. There are also other cities and municipalities that border Manila, and some workers in the city aren’t residents there, instead they commute daily to and from other cities such as Quezon, which shows the close proximity of the city to other city limits.

Perhaps best known for the Ati-atihan festival during the third week of January, Kalibo is one of the top tourist destinations in the Philippines because of this festival. With this, many people, from those living in other provinces around the country to international tourists, all go to Kalibo to witness and be part of this festival that celebrates the giving of the Santo Niño by the visiting Spanish explorer Magellan to the Queen of Cebu during Magellan’s arrival in the area during the year 1521. It’s such a big and festive event that it has often been referred to as the Mardi Gras of the Philippines, in comparison to the colorful festival of Brazil. But there is much more to Kalibo than just its yearly festival.

Traveling to Kalibo

The main method of coming into Kalibo from other provinces outside of Panay Island would be by plane. To this end the Kalibo Airport, an international-level airport servicing the general area of Kalibo and the nearby provinces in Aklan, and the airport also happens to be the main servicing airport for Boracay Island, another hot tourist destination throughout the year. There are many flights coming into Kalibo, and many domestic carriers have flights coming in around once or twice per day. The flag-carrier Airlines, Philippine Airlines have many scheduled flights for this area.

Located on the western portion of the island of Mindoro, Sablayan occupies the largest portion of Occidental Mindoro, on the western part of the island. To the west of the municipality is the Mindoro Strait, meaning that Sablayan is a coastal settlement. The municipality has a lot going for it, and seventy thousand residents all living and working in the area. Sablayan is one of the first-class municipalities in the country, making it one of the leading in the province.

Sablayan Geographic Conditions

From the local word “Sablay” that the name Sablayan traces its roots from, the nature of the municipality’s geographic conditions has waves crossing paths, coming in from the both the North And South China sea. To the north of the municipality lies Sta. Cruz, its neighboring municipality, and to the south is the municipality of Calintaan. The eastern side is bordered by the Oriental Mindoro province. Baco, Socorro, Naujan, and Victoria are all part of Oriental Mindoro. Sablayan however is part of Occidental Mindoro, which is a distinct province in the island.

Cavite is a nice place to stay in. it’s just thirty kilometers away from the bustling urban jungle that is Manila, making it close enough so you can still commute to work and yet live far enough from the noise and activity of the city, with enough of a relaxing atmosphere to get you by daily. It’s a more family-friendly place as well, with more people coming in to live with their families here instead of living and working all in the Manila area.

Geography of Cavite City

The city land area itself is shaped somewhat in the form of a hook, all the way out into the area of Manila Bay, making the city a coastal area. The total land area is about twenty-one square km, and the resident’s number one hundred and five thousand, which is lower than the residents per land area in other nearby urbanized cities. Traveling by the highway going into Manila, the distance covered will be thirty-five km. Cavite City has five districts, each having eight sub districts in its area.

Calauag Municipality in Quezon has a nice set of contrasts. The coast is on one side of the municipality proper, and on the other side one can also view the mountains looming in on the province like guardians. It’s a nice, laid-back place to stay in, with the sixty-six thousand residents in the province having a calm pace of life compared to the big cities. For a picturesque town one can’t beat what Calauag has to offer. The municipality also has a lot to offer in culture and history, dating far back to the Spanish colonization.

Geography of Calauag

There are forty towns in the municipality, dividing the residents according to their location in Calauag. There is also one city in Calauag, called Lucena, which also happens to be the provincial government seat as well as the provincial capital. The total land area occupied by Calauag amounts to forty-two thousand hectares and the municipality is located around two hundred and thirty kilometers in the southeast direction of Manila.

One wouldn’t expect such a small state to be so packed with attractions, historical monuments and buildings, and a bustling modern economy all in one place, at the same time. Yet, Penang, located on Peninsular Malaysia’s northwestern coast, has all of these, making it one of the few cities in the world that successfully melds old and modern times, and a place where you’ll discover something new at every turn. It’s known as the pearl of the orient, and for a good reason: the state has much to offer to its residents and visitors, so you’ll have no shortage of fun while you’re here. Penang is the best place to go if you want to have a new adventure every time.

Two Portions of Penang

The state of Penang is divided into two halves by its land area: the first would be Penang Island off the main coast, which is nearly three hundred square km large, and the second is Province Wellesley, part of the main island. It’s seven hundred and sixty square km large, and the Malacca Strait sits on the western side, with the mainland surrounding the rest of the province.

On the northern part of Borneo sits Sabah, also known as the land below the wind, owing to its location just below the region in the Philippines, another country, which typhoons frequently occur. The state of Sabah is also the second largest in Malaysia, and the control of the area has passed from the Sultanate of Sulu and back to Malaysia during the formation of the Federation of Malaysia. Sabah is rich in history, culture, and bustling economic activities.

With only eight hundred square kilometers in total land area, the Malaysian state of Perlis qualifies as it’s smallest, and the number of people here is also evenly matched with the land area, just above two hundred thousand people at last count. The state of Perlis is situated on the northerly side of the western coastal area in Malaysia. There are two provinces belonging to Thailand to the north of Perlis, namely Satun and Songkla.

The state has plenty of charm to keep you delighted when you stay in the area, with nice villages, breathtaking scenery and a relaxed pace of life, perfect for getting away from the rush of city life. There are also plenty of attractions to be found in the state, with a snake farm, Gua Kelam, and Perlis State Park, which has much to offer to its visitors and Wang Kelian Sunday Market, situated right on the border of Malaysia and Thailand. While you’re out shopping in the market, you’re actually crossing the boundary into Thailand, which is one unique part of the whole experience, aside from the many Malaysian and Thai wares up for sale there.

With the highest GDP among all the thirteen states of Malaysia, Selangor is the richest among these states, as well as being the second highest when it comes to GDP per capita. Not only is Selangor rich in revenues, but it is also a historical marvel, with origins dating back to the fifteenth century, and its role in helping the whole of the country evolve into what it is now is widely regarded. The state of Selangor is the most fully-developed among all the states in Malaysia, also the most urbanized and with the most industrial developments. It’s a true haven for modern businesses with its industrialized environment.

Demographics of Selangor

Selangor has the highest number of residents among the other states in Malaysia, at almost five million residents in the state. The largest ethnic group in Selangor would be those coming from Malay descent, at over half of the population, and Chinese descendants coming in second highest. Indians make up the last of the large ethnic groups, and those coming in from other ethnic backgrounds filling up the remainder. The central position of Selangor in Peninsular Malaysia has made the state a hub for industry and transportation routes, giving rise to a demand in migrants coming into the state for work. The population growth in Selangor is also the highest among all other states due to the added impact of illegal migrants coming into the city, not the least of which are aiming to go into Kuala Lumpur, the Federal Capital.

Right along the southernmost tip of the province of Palawan in the Philippines you can find Balabac, a small island cluster and home to some of the richest ecosystems you can find anywhere. The marine life in this area is truly amazing, and there are lots of coral reef systems you can explore, and is truly a must-see for diving enthusiasts. If you’re looking for a quiet place with a laid-back atmosphere, you’ve come to the right tropical paradise. Balabac is a sleepy municipality, and you can really get away from the bustling city life that got you yearning for another place.

A Small Island Population

Only twenty-six thousand people are residents of Balabac Island. They’re staying under the administration of just twenty Barangay systems, which is basically a sub-division of the municipality into smaller clusters for easier monitoring and administration duties. Balabac is classified as being a third-class municipality, which mean’s its far from urbanized cities like Makati City in the Greater Manila Area. The pace of life here goes slowly, with the people mainly engaging in small-time businesses like farming, fishing, and the like. It’s a nice place to go if you don’t want urban congestion ruining your day.

Geography of Balabac

The island of Balabac is located at the very southwestern area of the country, south of even Palawan, which is pretty far itself. It’s around thirty kilometers away from the tip of Palawan, and less than sixty kilometers away one could already reach the shores of Borneo. Maximum elevation in the island would amount to almost six hundred meters, and coral reefs are the main draws for visitors in the area, just off the coast of Balabac.