text:
The Star Wars Trilogy | Re-live The Release of the Star Wars Special Editions - part 2
<< Star Wars: The Magic and the Mystery | The Making of Harmy's Despecialized Edition >>
30. May 2013 05:31 by jedi1 | 0 Comments
As I'm sure you recall, the gamble paid off and the Star Wars Special Editions were a huge box office sensation.
"Twenty Years ago Star Wars was the number 1 movie in the country. Last weekend, History repeated itself as millions of people joined the celebration and made it the number 1 movie all over again. Star Wars: The Special Edition. Now playing on the big Screen."
Download this file (Right click the link and choose 'Save Target As...')
A week after the release of Star Wars: The Special Edition, Fox Television celebrated the re-release of the three legendary films by airing Star Wars: The Magic and the Mystery.
That same week, Entertainment Weekly examined the success of the Star Wars Special Edition:
'STAR WARS' $36 MILLION SECOND COMING HAS HOLLYWOOD FEELING THE FORCE OF RERELEASE
Truth is definitely stranger than fiction--even when the fiction involves a seven-foot, gun-toting space ape named Chewie. The proof could be seen last week as thousands of moviegoers, many of them channeling the Force, lined up once again to see Star Wars. "There's a fine line between fan and fanatic," said Joshua Cordes, 21, who waited outside Manhattan's Ziegfeld Theatre on opening night dressed as Luke Skywalker and waving a plastic lightsaber, "and I crossed that line a long time ago."
By Monday morning, Cordes (who was only a year old when Wars first premiered in 1977) and his fellow War-riors had given George Lucas' newly enhanced sci-fi classic the biggest January weekend opening ever: $35.9 million. "We knew it was going to open, but nobody knew how it was going to open," says an ecstatic Tom Sherak, chairman of Twentieth Century Fox Domestic Film Group. "Now we're all like kids in a candy store."
Of course, the only ones indulging their sweet tooth are Fox executives. Wars' phenomenal showing means that it (and its soon-to-be-rereleased sequels, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi) will likely rule the box office through March, throwing a serious monkey wrench into the schedules of rival studios. Universal, in particular, has to be concerned, considering it has an estimated $115 million invested in the lava-fest Dante's Peak, which opens Feb. 7. Peak is now clearly in danger of losing its own event potential and will probably open light-years behind Wars, also the likely fate of Sony's Absolute Power (also Feb. 7) and Disney's That Darn Cat (Feb. 14).
And there will be other consequences of the Wars aftermath. "You're going to see a lot of older pictures brought back in big campaigns," says Tom Pollock, chairman of the American Film Institute and former head of Universal Pictures. Paramount has already booked The Godfather for a limited rerelease March 21; and this fall, Columbia will send another sci-fi hit from 1977, Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind, back to the multiplexes. Says Columbia's head of distribution, Jeff Blake, "Certainly Star Wars does make you pretty bullish."
Speaking of Spielberg, with Wars now certain to overtake E.T. as the top-grossing film of all time (see chart), speculation has already begun that the competitive DreamWorks chief, and close Lucas pal, may rerelease his 1982 extraterrestrial smash. But according to Spielberg's spokesman Marvin Levy, there are no immediate plans for E.T. to reappear. And even if it did, there's little chance of duplicating the Wars phenomenon. Says Levy: "It's a different film. They're not going to yell at the screen when he says, 'E.T. phone home.'"
Of course, the biggest winner of this newfound Force frenzy--other than Lucas--is Fox, the studio that bankrolled the film the first time around. With the success of the rerelease's marketing campaign, Fox has got a running start at winning the distribution rights to the Wars prequels--what Levy calls "the brass ring"--due from Lucas beginning in the summer of 1999. "My guess is now it's theirs to lose," says one movie executive. Even Spielberg's DreamWorks, which many once thought had the inside track for the prequels, has to be reeling.
Well, at least Spielberg can still say he's got the top-grossing film in history. For a few more days.
TOP-GROSSING FILMS OF ALL TIME
#1. E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial $399.8
#2. Star Wars $358.9
#3. Jurassic Park $357.1
#4. Forrest Gump $329.7
#5. The Lion King $312.9
Domestic grosses in millions. Source: Exhibitor Relations
By CHRIS NASHAWATY
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY GREGG KILDAY AND DAVID POLAND
EDITED BY MAGGIE MURPHY
Copyright © Time Inc., 1997. All rights reserved.
[Source: Entertainment Weekly, 2/14/97, Issue 366, p6]
U.S. News & World Report gave it a favorable review:
SPIFFIER SHIPS AND A SLUG THAT SPEAKS
Reviews of the day hailed the 1977 film Star Wars as a "customized cinematic hot rod." But by today's standards, says special effects guru Dave Carson, the rebel X-wing fighters pieced together from model tank and plane kits seem "a little stiff."
For the 20th anniversary re-release on January 31, Director George Lucas asked Carson to help change a few bothersome scenes. Much of the 4 minutes of new footage features computer graphics in the outer space dogfights. Now the ships look less like they're held up by string and have more fluid trajectories than the old fighters. Jabba the Hutt, the alien loan shark, was cut from the original Star Wars when Lucas didn't think he looked exotic enough as portrayed by a Scottish actor in a fur vest; in 1997 he appears as a slithering, speaking, computer-animated slug. And Mos Eisley, the desert city, is closer to the gritty, chaotic burg that Lucas envisioned, with a computer-animated skyline, ratlike creatures, and traffic jams. Price tag: $10 million.
Despite the spiffed-up scenes, nostalgia buffs needn't worry: The clunky charm of '70s state-of-the-art has not vanished. "When the Millennium Falcon comes out of hyperspace, it's still a little cheesy-looking," notes Mark Altman, editor of Sci-Fi Universe magazine. "And Han Solo's sideburns are vintage 1977--that's never going to change."
By Anna Mulrine
Copyright 1997 the U.S. News & World Report, L.P. All rights reserved.
[Source: U.S. News & World Report, 2/3/97, Vol. 122 Issue 4, p91]
And Time Magazine reported:
CINEMA: THE FORCE IS BACK
According to one person who helped work on it, the most famous opening title in film history nearly began "A long, long time ago in a galaxy far away..." Not that that's so different from "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..." It's just that Star Wars has become such a cultural given that it almost seems as if the film had been channeled from the pop ether fully formed and perfect, like a melody entering Paul McCartney's head. With all the hoopla surrounding the current rerelease, it's easy to forget just how dicey a proposition Star Wars was in 1977 when it opened not on 2,104 screens around the country, as it did last week, but on only 35--which itself suggests an entirely different era of moviegoing. No one associated with the film expected it to be a hit, not even writer-director George Lucas. "I thought it was too wacky for the general public," he claims today. "I just said, 'Well, I've had my big hit [with American Graffiti], and I'm happy. And I'm going to do this kind of crazy thing, and it'll be fun, and that will be that.'"
Of course, as pretty much anyone old enough to read this knows, that wasn't just that. Despite a comparative lack of hype, even by 1977's standards, Star Wars was an instant line-around-the-block sensation, raking in then unprecedented repeat business to become the highest-grossing film of all time (until it was knocked off the pedestal by E.T. five years later). Star Wars also launched an armada of ancillary merchandise that has far outstripped the actual film and its sequels in revenues (roughly $4 billion, vs. a mere $1.3 billion).
Which isn't to underplay the movie's aesthetic triumph. With its unprecedented blend of narrative innocence and stylistic sophistication, of pseudomythic solemnity and high-tech kick, of abject weirdness and cunning familiarity, Star Wars helped set the standard for what a modern commercial movie can be at its best (ingenious, kinetic, exhilarating). Unfortunately it also provided a template with which countless imitators have since shown what a modern commercial movie can be at its dreariest (mind numbing, mechanical, pointlessly assaultive). For good or evil, Star Wars has been to the past two decades of American moviemaking what Ronald Reagan was to the past two decades of American politics: defining, unavoidable, but hard, in the end, for even detractors to hate.
Certainly no other movie has ever been rereleased with the kind of fanfare that 20th Century Fox and Lucasfilm Ltd. have drummed up for Star Wars' reappearance in theaters a few months in advance of its 20th anniversary (notice you didn't see Vertigo cups at Taco Bell on the occasion of that film's rerelease last year). Not only has Star Wars had its negative restored and its sound track digitally remastered--the normal course of events for such updating--but outtakes have also been added, original scenes spruced up and new elements worked into old footage to take advantage of 20 years' worth of progress in the effects trade. Similarly enhanced "special editions" of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi will blow into theaters sequentially over the next few weeks, freed for the first time in more than a decade from the cinematic coffin of home video. Besides helping to wring a few more dollars out of the old movies, the refurbishment has also served as pre-preproduction for a new Star Wars movie that is scheduled to start shooting this fall for a 1999 release, the first of the long-awaited trilogy of prequels to the extant films.
Is it just a happy coincidence that renewed enthusiasm for Star Wars has been steadily growing the past few years? That's what the skillful imagemakers at Lucasfilm claim. The renaissance began in 1991 with the publication of Heir to the Empire, an original Star Wars novel continuing the adventures of Luke Skywalker and company; it spent a total of 29 weeks on various New York Times best-seller lists. Like a trip wire on the zeitgeist, the novel provided the first glimmer of the public's fresh hunger for a franchise that had largely lain dormant since the mid-'80s. Indeed, Lucasfilm had pretty much stopped licensing Star Wars merchandise, although that quickly turned around: since 1991, hundreds of new Star Wars products have entered the market, from the usual action figures and trading cards to video games and high-end items like lithographs based on original production art or a 6-ft.-tall storm trooper ("made of pristine fiber glass" and available for only $4,995). As Star Wars Insider, an official fan-club publication, puts it: "There is more nifty stuff to buy [than ever before] if that's how you choose to express Star Wars-ness." Throw in a $2 billion marketing agreement with PepsiCo, and Star Wars-ness is arguably more potent a force than ever before.
Given all that, it's easy to lose sight of the fact that this phenomenon sprang from the imagination of a single man (even Walt Disney needed help from the Brothers Grimm). Lucas' offices, as well as many of his filmmaking facilities, are located on Skywalker Ranch, 3,000 mostly pristine acres in the farther reaches of Marin County, 425 miles north of Hollywood. Given the comparative remoteness and Lucas' image in the press as an elusive personality, not to mention the reverential way in which his colleagues and employees often speak about him (one hears a lot of talk about what "George likes" and what "George wants" and how one must go about achieving "George's vision"), a melodramatic visitor might be forgiven for imagining himself as Martin Sheen traveling upriver in search of Marlon Brando in Apocalypse Now (a film, by the way, that Lucas originally developed, and that he intended to direct before ceding it to Francis Coppola).
In person, Lucas turns out to be neither bald nor insane nor T.S. Eliot-quoting. Instead he is low-key and unpretentious, a serious but not uncheerful man who seems used to having things his way, in a manner probably not unlike a lot of other millionaire Northern California entrepreneurs (though at 52 he is something of an elder statesman). His ranch's high-tech facilities are disguised by tidy vineyards and lovingly detailed re-creations of turn-of-the-century Northern California architecture: even the luxe employee gym in this better class of Disney World has Arts and Crafts-like lighting fixtures. Clearly this is the domain of a man with a strong vision, one for which he has just as clearly been remunerated many times over, so it's hard to know precisely what to think when he claims, "I'm just working on the fringes here in San Francisco of what is aesthetically acceptable." Is he joking, fighting old battles, or indulging in a bit of wishful thinking?
Probably all three. He cites the non-narrative, almost abstract films he made as a student at the University of Southern California 30 years ago as touchstones for the kinds of films he'd really like to make--pure cinema--and plans to make once he's done with what he calls "this theatrical thing" or "this theatrical immersion." That's a reference to his 25-year career as a commercial filmmaker, which he makes sound as if it were merely a phase he's going through, like a teenage girl shoplifting nail polish. Some phase: after writing and directing Star Wars, which was his third feature and one he has described as unusually draining to make, Lucas stepped back to take an executive producer's role--albeit an unusually hands-on one--for Star Wars' almost as successful sequels. He did the same for the Indiana Jones trilogy. All told, he's responsible for four of the 20 highest-grossing movies in film history. Not that all his films have been smashes: Lucasfilm was responsible for the infamous Howard the Duck, as well as the more recent and not quite as spectacularly awful Radioland Murders, a postmodern screwball that Lucas describes as "an experiment in really fast-paced comedy. It failed," he readily admits. "But I like doing that--I like pushing the language of film to see where the limits are."
"George is actually quite a small filmmaker," insists Rick McCallum, the producer of the Star Wars special editions as well as the prequels. "I think he's been kind of embarrassed by the huge success of both Indiana Jones and Star Wars." If so, he's an ingrate. Back in 1977, he used the clout he had gained from American Graffiti's unexpected success to renegotiate his contract with Fox for directing Star Wars--not for more money but for exclusive rights to sequels and licensing, evidence that he must have had some faith in the movie. And since licensing in the mid-'70s wasn't the huge profit center for studios it is today--Star Wars helped create that too--Lucas' deal was arguably even more farsighted than the resulting film. Today he is as much a businessman as he is a filmmaker: his shrewd skill in reinvesting his profits (among other things, he owns Industrial Light & Magic, the premier special-effects house, and LucasArts, one of the nation's top four cd-rom makers) has enabled him to become sole owner of what is essentially his own ministudio. "I think what drives him as a businessman is control," says McCallum. "Control over his work. That's primary."
His company's orchestration of the special editions has been sublime. Early projections for Star Wars have it doing record-breaking business for a rerelease--possibly taking in as much as $30 million for the first three days. The original plan had been to celebrate the 20th anniversary simply by showing Star Wars in a few cities around the country in the style of an old-fashioned road show. But once Lucas saw how much work was going to be involved in restoring the film's deteriorated negative (it's not just movies from Hollywood's Golden Age that suffer from this problem), he decided, he says, to seize the opportunity--along with $15 million worth of financing for the whole trilogy, mostly from Fox--to go in and touch up sloppy special-effects shots that had always bothered him. "I was tired of people saying, 'What do you think of the movie?' and I'd say, 'Well, I was unhappy with the final result, because I only achieved 50% or 60% of what I wanted and I wish it would be better.' And everybody would look at me funny and say, 'What do you mean? It was successful.' But every time I saw it, I'd think, 'Oh God, that's so awful, I can't watch this.'"
The opportunity to rework the film has maybe soothed some of that old pain. Outdated special-effects shots have been tidied up. (Lucas complains in particular about a "fuzzy Vaseline blob" beneath Luke Skywalker's land speeder.) Computer-generated creatures (Rontos and Jawas and such) were added to the backgrounds of previously static scenes. Extra spaceships with keener moves now flesh out some of the climactic battle scenes. A scene has been restored between Han Solo and the reptilian loan shark Jabba the Hutt that was discarded when Lucas couldn't figure out a satisfactory way to concoct Jabba (he finally appeared as a mammoth rubbery puppet in Return of the Jedi; he's computer generated here). "One thing leads to another," says Lucas. "You paint part of the house, and then you say, 'Well, gee, this room looks great, but now the rest of the house doesn't look so great.'" One of the trickiest aspects of the process was getting the new shots to fit with 20-year-old images and film stock. "We had to degrade them a little bit in terms of the resolution," Lucas explains. "Most of the shots that we're talking about, which are the space battle shots at the end of the movie, were actually done on a Macintosh, the kind of thing that almost anybody can do." All told, about a third of the first movie's special-effects shots were worked on, producing roughly 4 1/2 minutes of new footage--or at least "new" in the sense that Free as a Bird was a new Beatles song.
To eyes less keen than Lucas', the changes may appear to be more of a marketing tool than a genuinely significant embellishment of what was still a perfectly enjoyable film. Lucas now claims to be happy with "about 80%" of Star Wars--and annoyed with purists who resent his mucking about with a classic. After all, Star Wars is his movie. "The only thing I joke about now is it would be fun--and we can't do this for another 10 years or so--to go back and digitize the entire movie and clean it up. But that's such a subtle, subtle thing." Perhaps then he'll be able to do something about Mark Hamill's Shaun Cassidy-esque haircut, not to mention the doughnuts on the side of Carrie Fisher's head.
Back in 1977, long before politicians made careers out of demagoguing the issue of Hollywood's supposed lack of "family values," Lucas said his "main reason" for making Star Wars "was to give young people an honest, wholesome fantasy life, the kind my generation had." Today, as a divorced father of three children (two of whom he adopted on his own), Lucas takes seriously the notion that entertainers have an obligation to promote positive moral values in their work. He talks earnestly about what artists "teach" with their creations--and with a little prodding he even criticizes himself for the scene played for laughs in Raiders of the Lost Ark where Indiana Jones drops his bullwhip and casually guns down an Arab swordsman. In fact, one of the changes to Star Wars modifies a gratuitously violent encounter in the cantina scene during which Han Solo shoots one of his creditors, a green anteater-like thing named Greedo. In the new version it's made clear, thanks to an added blaster shot that ricochets around the room, that Greedo fired first and that Han killed him in self-defense--perhaps a small victory for Hollywood's moral scourges, but a victory nonetheless.
But despite his evident sincerity about his work, Lucas strikes an oddly dispassionate tone when asked about the content of his movies, or why he thinks Star Wars endures so splendidly. "The only thing I can think of is the fact that it's based on ideas and themes that have been around for two to three thousand years when you get down to it." Storytelling does not, apparently, come easy to Lucas; he says it has been more of a learned, or willed, talent (critics might say that shows in Star Wars' comic-book derivativeness). After an initial burst of inspiration, writing the screenplay for Star Wars became an almost "academic" exercise in refashioning ancient myths for modern audiences (at the time--no surprise--he was reading a lot of Joseph Campbell). In this vein, Lucas' most memorable invention was his notion of the Force--"an energy field created by all living things," as Obi-Wan Kenobi puts it. "It's a distillation of a lot of mythological religious teachings," Lucas says. "Not that I'm promoting a particular idea or anything. I believe in God, and I guess that's reflected in the movie, but that's about as far as it goes." A Judeo-Christian God? "I wouldn't go that far. My spiritual perspective, I think, is broader than the Judeo-Christian. But I hate to get into putting a label on it, because I think what I feel hasn't been labeled yet, at least not to my knowledge."
As the prequels will make even more clear by telling the story of Darth Vader's youth and eventual fall to the Dark Side, Star Wars, like most religious texts, is ultimately a family saga. (The prequels end with the birth of Vader's son Luke, who fights and ultimately redeems him by the end of the current trilogy.) Which begs the question of Lucas' relationship with his own father, with whom he had a break when the budding director went off to Hollywood instead of enlisting in the family stationery store. ("George never listened to me. He was his mother's pet," George Lucas Sr. told TIME in 1983, eight years before his death. "George was hard to understand. He was always dreaming things up.") Obviously, fighting with your father over career paths isn't quite the same thing as having him cut off your hand during a light saber duel, as happens to Luke in The Empire Strikes Back, but armchair analysis sees a connection--one that Lucas shrugs off. "There's a lot of pop psychology on Star Wars, believe me. Some of it is extremely amusing. But I haven't found too much of it that's relevant."
One thing that does get Lucas riled is criticism that dismisses Star Wars and some of his other films as mere popcorn or adrenaline movies, thrilling and technically adept but soulless. This line of thinking also lays blame at Lucas' door for the even more soulless likes of The Rock, along with responsibility for the so-called blockbuster mentality that currently plagues Hollywood. By way of a response, his publicists have even compiled statistics showing that Hollywood's ratio of "art films" to "blockbuster-type" movies has actually increased since 1977.
Not that Lucas is defensive. "I like things fast," he says. "That's the way I am, personally. But I still enjoy other kinds of movies a great deal. I like movies that are, you know--I like Last Year at Marienbad. It's just that my talent runs in a different direction." As for Star Wars: "If it was just an adrenaline-rush movie, it wouldn't be here 20 years later. There are other things going on that are more complicated and psychologically satisfying. It's like sex and love. Sex is a rush for a short period of time, and then it goes away. If you only have an adrenaline movie, then it's more like having sex. Whereas if people are still interested and fondly thinking about your movie 20 years later, it was either the best sex they ever had in their life, or it's romantic love, which means there is more to it than just the adrenaline rush. I don't know if that's a great quote, but anyway..."
During a photo shoot for this article, Lucas seems locked into a dour pose. "What are you so glum about?" the photographer kids him. "You've got the best toys in the world and a full head of hair." And yet there does seem to be a certain burden to being George Lucas. His workdays, when he's not at home writing the scripts for the prequels, seem murderously overscheduled. In his role as the sun at the center of the ever expanding Star Wars universe, he signs off on all the various new projects--"They ask me if they can do a book where Yoda tap-dances, and I say yes or no." He claims he has no time to play the video games, and offers an abrupt "No comment" when asked if he reads the novels. Maybe he really is embarrassed by the demands of his creation's success.
Lucas has always insisted he is a filmmaker first and foremost. And he does get passionate when talking about his craft, and his coming return to the director's chair for the first prequel (now that new film technology has made the job less onerous). "There was a cinematic innovation in the first Star Wars film that made people say, 'Gee, I'd never seen that before,'" he says. "I have the opportunity to do that again with the prequels. The fun part for me is to say, 'You want me to come back and do that for you? I can do that. I'll do it. Here.'"
AN EVEN LONGER TIME AGO...
George tries to keep us calm in production meetings, but the scope of this thing is a breakthrough in and of itself," says Jim Morris, president of George Lucas' Industrial Light & Magic special-effects firm. He's talking about the first of the Star Wars prequels, which will begin shooting this fall with Lucas himself as director (no one has yet been cast). The plan, Morris says, is to make unprecedented use of digital filmmaking technology. Not only will there be computer-generated characters, but there will also be digital environments, props, costumes. Lucas says he's aiming for a more epic, David Lean-like look in the new movies. Morris talks about weaving a richer "tapestry." A new scene created for the rerelease of Return of the Jedi, a stunning shot of a skyscrapered alien cityscape teeming with crowds like those in Times Square on New Year's Eve, is a taste of what they're talking about.
The prequels explain how young Anakin Skywalker succumbs to the Dark Side and becomes Darth Vader. "They're much more down," says Lucas. "Commercial logic would say, Don't do that." Uh-huh. Movie studios are nevertheless panting for the right to release the Lucas-financed films. But that question won't be decided until the last minute.
By Bruce Handy
OUR CRITIC RIDES A TIME MACHINE
On June 3, 1977, I officially got old. Just back from the Cannes film Festival, I'd been told by my editors at New Times magazine to catch up with Star Wars, which had opened to phenomenal business. And from the moment of the opening crawl, I was baffled. All these dense factoids about Galactic Empires and Death Stars--it was like some nightmare of a pop quiz in a course I hadn't taken. The sets were Formica, the characters cardboard; the tale had drive but no depth, a tour at warp speed through an antiseptic landscape. I admired George Lucas' attention to detail, his Tolkien-like industry in creating a host of alien life-forms, but I remained unmoved. Peering at Star Wars through the telescope of my disinterest, I made this fearless box-office prediction: "The movie's 'legs' will prove as vulnerable as C-3PO's."
That was eons ago, in pop-cultural terms. Records were still on vinyl; CDs, VCRs, video games and home computers were barely dreamed of; and films were shown in theaters or, years later, on broadcast TV. Before Star Wars, a blockbuster movie was one that everybody, of every age, wanted to see once. The big hits of the '70s--Airport, Love Story, The Godfather, The Sting, Jaws--were broad based, reflecting the audience's demographic democracy. Star Wars devised a novel equation: here was a film every teenage boy wanted to see a dozen times. Lucas spoke, from his bionic heart, to the American boy's love for shiny gadgets, spiffy uniforms, authoritative-sounding technotalk and a hot rod that shoots really cool laser blasts. The film certified a new wisdom: megamovies were now the province of the young male.
Twenty years later, much has changed, including Star Wars--not the few minutes of noodling by Lucas and his effects mavens but the way we look at the film. Nothing ages so quickly as yesterday's vision of the future, or of the technologically advanced past that Lucas imagined. Today we can wallow in the film's sleek retro-kitsch; even the opening logo has acquired the classic blockiness of a '56 DeSoto. One can find endearment in the lame badinage of C-3PO, in Carrie Fisher's bagel-like hairdo, in the whining and bickering of the lead characters, in the varying pronunciations of Obi-Wan Kenobi and the planet Alderaan. The invocation to "trust your feelings" seems a woozy echo of the '67 Summer of Love, not the '77 summer of Wars, but Alec Guinness carries himself with the majesty of a Jedi knight and an acting peer. The climactic dogfight, copied in a quillion arcade games, has thrust and logic; it's the clearest, most potent narrative section of the movie.
By the end, with starsurfer Luke and antihero Han Solo and all the pudgy, pasty-faced rebel pilots finally functioning as a team, Star Wars has declared its intention: to be a celebration of communal subversiveness. The Jedi Force is itself a kind of cosmic team spirit. So it's appropriate that the movie come back into theaters to give kids of all ages the communal kick of a big-screen experience. Some early viewers have applauded the new material; others (the true believers) have booed it. But all cheer when the Millennium Falcon zaps into hyperspace; it is a video game a thousand people can play at once, and a time machine into movie memory. Who wouldn't enjoy being in a huge theater with a familiar friend from long ago and far, far away?
In 1997 I'm still old. The Star Wars generation is middle-aged. But Lucas' epic has got younger. Innocence will do that to a movie.
By RICHARD CORLISS
[Source: Time. 2/10/1997, Vol. 149 Issue 6, p68-75]
acea115d-197c-48d9-904f-1fa1a226f321|0|.0|96d5b379-7e1d-4dac-a6ba-1e50db561b04
Permalink | Categories: Archives , magazines , Original Trilogy , Special Editions , Star Wars , TV , video | Tags: Special Edition Hype | Comments
Re-live The Release of the Star Wars Special Editions - part 1Using archival magazine articles, part 1 of TheStarWarsTrilogy.com's "Relive the Release" series tak...Star Wars Insider Best Buy Exclusive Collector's IssueWhen the original Star Wars Trilogy (Special Editions) were finally released on DVD in September 200...1987 Lucasfilm Fan Club Magazine 1This is the 1st issue of The Lucasfilm Fan Club Magazine. After Issue #22, the magazine would became...


This production was a lot of fun. It is a musical about a musical composer working in television who has a brain condition. It is fast-paced, witty, and is filled with warped humor. The dominant element in the set design is a single window in the middle of a revolve. The revolve rotates 180° , so that the double-sided window is always in the same position. It is a projection screen, and throughout the show presents a pertinent view or image or animated media. The set design also included many round islands of playing space, and the entire space was painted with a dayglo green grid on a deep blue base, all high-gloss. The projected media for the show was elaborate.
This show made great use of a principal for projections wherein a small screen can be lit very very brightly using an older, less-bright projector. When the lumens involved are not spread very far out. the image can be kept very bright. Part of the the trick is to design the smaller screen into the set so that it looks appropriate.


B Test Wise Driving Instructors was set up by ex Driving-Testers to help you pass the driving test.
Driving Lessons: Professional Driver Tuition for the learner driver under the supervision of an ADI / RSA Approved Driving Instructor. Lessons can be conducted in the drivers own vehicle to ensure continuity and increase driver confidence OR in The B Test Wise Dual Control Car.
B Test Wise covers Cavan and Meath Driving Test areas.
At B Test Wise we understand that all driving lessons are stepping stones to a life skill to enable the learner to drive safely, legally and confidently.
Our approach is that all driving lessons will be conducted in a professional / positive and friendly manner.
Lessons can be conducted in the learners own vehicle to ensure continuity and increase driver confidence OR in The B Test Wise Dual Control Car.
I changed instructor to Brendan at B Test Wise because of his reputation for helping people pass their test. His knowledge and experience as an ex Driver Tester, along with his comprehensive instructions made all the difference and I passed my test.
Brendan from B Test Wise was extremely helpful and easy to understand. He was friendly but professional and made passing my test first time a reality.
A big thank you from me!
What a difference lessons with B Test Wise has made to my driving. A very positive and informative experience. Thanks again.
The driving lessons and pre-test you gave me really prepared me and gave me the confidence to pass my test. Thank you so much.


Get into the exciting world of online trading and learn its basics with the Forex Beginner Strategy in 5 simple steps. The rules of the Beginner Strategy are pretty straightforward and easy to learn, and you can use it as a basis on your way to developing your own strategy or trading style.
The first part of the course contains all the elements you need in order to get started with trading the Beginner Strategy. By taking this course and learning how to apply this simple concept in the real markets, you will learn how important it is to formulate clear rules and follow sound money management.
In the second part, which serves as an extension to the basic version of the strategy, you will be introduced to some advanced concepts and techniques that can help you become a more efficient trader. You can apply these to the Beginner Strategy or your own strategy.
This course was designed for anyone who's new to any kind of online trading, including those whose primary interest may be outside the Forex markets.


text:
Q: Need help in aligning pictures with text I have coded a website using, HTML, CSS and Jscript. In this website, in the footer section, I have placed the social site links, such as- facebook, twitter, youtube, google+, as follows:

As you can see, the icons are not aligned with the text; I am asking for help in aligning them.
HTML:

Find us @

CSS:
footer                  {
                        color: white;
                        width: 100%;
                        font-family: Arial, sans-serif;
                        font-weight: bold;
                        font-size: 10px;
                        background-color: black;
                        height: 30px;
                        text-align: center;
                        }

footer img              {
                        padding-top: 5px;
                        padding-bottom: 0px;
                        }

A: Add vertical-align:middle; to your image CSS:
footer img {
    padding-top: 5px;
    padding-bottom: 0px;
    vertical-align:middle;
}

Note that you may need to adjust your padding.

A: Use vertical-align to align the text and icons. In addition, if you remove the height from the footer but give it padding you'll no longer the need to mess with the padding in order to balance it.
See this jsFiddle or the snippet below. Try changing the image height to see how the vertical centering is maintained:

footer {
    color: white;
    width: 100%;
    font-family: Arial, sans-serif;
    font-weight: bold;
    font-size: 10px;
    background-color: black;
    /*height: 30px; < Remove the height, let the content hold it open and adjust it with padding*/
    text-align: center;
    padding:5px 0; /* < Add some padding here instead of on the images */
}

footer img {
    /*padding-top: 5px; < Remove this padding */
    /*padding-bottom: 0px; < Remove this padding */
    vertical-align:middle; /*< Add vertical alignment */
    height:20px; width:20px; /*< This is just for testing because the sample images dont exist. Change the height to test the verticle alignment */
}

Find us @

Alternatively you could consider using an icon font instead of images. https://icomoon.io/ is a great resource for these. Here's an example of how you might use an icon font to achieve this:

@font-face {
 font-family: 'icomoon';
 src:url('https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1025963/icomoon/icomoon.eot?3t0141');
 src:url('https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1025963/icomoon/icomoon.eot?#iefix3t0141') format('embedded-opentype'),
  url('https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1025963/icomoon/icomoon.woff?3t0141') format('woff'),
  url('https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1025963/icomoon/icomoon.ttf?3t0141') format('truetype'),
  url('https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1025963/icomoon/icomoon.svg?3t0141#icomoon') format('svg');
 font-weight: normal;
 font-style: normal;
}
footer {
    color: white;
    width: 100%;
    font-family: Arial, sans-serif;
    font-weight: bold;
    font-size: 10px;
    background-color: black;
    /*height: 30px; < Remove the height, let the content hold it open and adjust it with padding*/
    text-align: center;
    padding:5px 0; /* < Add some padding here instead of on the images */
}
footer a {
    font-size:20px;
    color:#eee;
    text-decoration:none;
    vertical-align:middle;
    transition: all 0.3s ease;
 font-family: 'icomoon';
 speak: none;
 font-style: normal;
 font-weight: normal;
 font-variant: normal;
 text-transform: none;
 line-height: 1;
 /* Better Font Rendering =========== */
 -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;
 -moz-osx-font-smoothing: grayscale;
}
footer a:hover {
    color:red;
}

Find us @
    f
    t
    g
    y

A: One way to solve this: your text should have the same line-height with your icons size. Hopefully, your code is inside a wrapper, like this:

Find us: @

In case your icons are, lets say, 16px in height, the CSS for this one will be
.some-wrapper {
    line-height: 16px;
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
The Jiefang CA-30 is a military truck used widely by the Chinese People's Liberation Army. It is a licensed-produced Soviet ZIL-157 6x6 army truck, and looks similar to original, except that it has square fenders rather than round fenders as on the Soviet-produced ZIL-157.

History
Throughout the 1950s, the Soviet Army helped China to build up their heavy industries. As part of this plan, China established the First Automobile Works (FAW) in Changchun Northern China. Soon after, in July 1956, they introduced the Jiefang CA-10 4x2 army truck, a copy of the Russian ZIS-150. In 1964 the first 6X6 CA-30 lorries for the People's Republic of China army were introduced and made by the then called FAW Jiefang company.

 The FAW JIEFANG CA-30 its full name, like the Russian ZIL-157, had excellent cross-country capabilities and was available in a variety of configurations, such as cargo transport or tractor-trailer. Both the CA-10 and CA-30 were used extensively by the People's Liberation Army up until the 1990s, when they were largely phased out of service. Today, few remain in private hands. Later they specialized in off-road dump trucks and construction vehicles, most of these inspired by other Soviet designs. Iveco of Italy have since acquired the Jiefang Motor Vehicle Company. The manufacturer has since changed its name, now called FAW First Auto Works this company active since 1956.

In 1973 the firm designed and produced an all new 60 tonfi (empty) original dump truck model called the Jiefang CA-390; much of it was inspired by former large Russian dump trucks such as the largest BELAZ and MOAZ models of the 1970s. The then large Jiefang CA-390 was powered with a Chinese Chingfa C2956 V12  diesel engine that produced enough power to match several other similar dump trucks at that time. Its production was targeted as a quarry and mine vehicle, these are designed to carry 105 tonnes of material. Its use was widespread in China during the 1970s and 1980s. This was also the biggest original road vehicle ever made in China at the time. Production ended some time in the late 1970s; some were still in use in the mid-2010s.

Later FAW JMC or also known as Jiefang Motor Company also manufactured under licence from the Mitsubishi Motors of Japan, the former original Japanese Mitsubishi Fuso F-Series heavy lorry 1980s-1990s model range with some minor changes but powered by modern Chinese made running gear & mechanicals for the Asian/Oriental market and it is now one of China's most important and successful heavy vehicle manufacturers and JMC has cooperated and worked closely with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries or MHI of Japan ever since.

Specifications
Seating (cab): 1+2
Configuration: 6X6
Weight (empty): 12,015.19 lb/5,450 kg
Maximum Load: 9,920.8 lb/4,500 kg (on road), 5,511.56 lb/2,500 kg (cross-country)
Length: 21.93 ft/6.684 m
Width: 7.595 ft/2.315 m
Height: 7.74 ft/2.36 m
Wheel Base: N/A
Track (front/rear): N/A
Ground Clearance: N/A
Top Speed (road): 40.39 mph/65 km/h

Operators

Former Operators

notes

References

Jiefang vehicles
Military trucks of China
Military vehicles of the People's Republic of China
China–Soviet Union relations
Military vehicles introduced in the 1950s

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
black and white identical twinslotto number reduction system
black and white identical twins
"Black and White," it reads, under the portrait of the twins. Different IQ tests were used from those in the earlier 1976 report, but they were still approximately 10 years out of date. The twins, who were born within a minute . 21K Views 7 4. Kylie Hodgson, of Nottingham gave birth to blonde, fair-skinned Remee and twin sister Kian, who is black, in 2006. Barcroft Media/Landov Story highlights UK twins, one white and one black, have had to fight to prove. Daniel and David Omirin were born just minutes apart. These beautiful twins share the same cheeky smile but Kian Hodgson's skin is dark and she has black hair while her sister Remee is blonde with pale skin. The twins were reportedly formed in the same embryo but in different sacs . The twins were no stranger to the disbelief of many of their acquaintances. Appleby said medics "gasped . Parents Donna who is bi racial and half Jamaican and Vince a Caucasian were happy to be expecting their twins in 1997. And Kerry Richardson, of Middlesbrough, Teesside, told of her two-tone twin boys. 31 Marcia & Millie Biggs . These two girls from Gloucester in the UK were born to father Vince, who is Caucasian . The worst things about being a gay twin. Identical twins that do share a placenta can develop what is called, twin to twin transfusion syndrome Identical twins that do share a placenta can develop what is called, twin to twin transfusion syndrome.
The twins' photo appears alongside the headline: "Black and White. The twins, Amelia and Jasmine, both one year old, have different skin tones and eye colours, despite being born from the same egg.
Amelia and Jasmine were born at University Durham Hospital in the year 2014. Jennifer and Matthew Milner have not heard about the genetic phenomenon of biracial twins until they had Jakob and Joshua in March 2020. Follow. Twin sisters, one of which was . In 2006, the Hodgsons gave birth to mixed-race twins. These twin sisters make us rethink everything we know about race." National Geographic Marcia and Millie Briggs, 11-year-old biracial twins, are featured on the cover of the April issue of National Geographic magazine, a single topic issue on the subject of race. Your answer is there, somewhere between the words "have" and "twins." However, ignoring my snarky response there is a way that they can physically look different despite being "technically" identical. They share 100% of their DNA. That's because Daniel and David (whose last name has been withheld) look nothing alike.
Article continues below advertisement Marcia and Millie Biggs landed on the cover of National Geographi c earlier this year for the magazine's race issue. Answer (1 of 12): I would like you to read your question, again, very slowly. A mother who gave birth to twins with different skin colours has spoken of the disbelief she faces about whether the twin boys are both hers. Tasha and Sidra are identical twins! According to articlesofhealthcare.com, the parents of the twins were of different race: the mother, Whitney Meyer, was white, while the father, Tomas Dean, was black. Skin color is believed to be determined by up to seven different genes working together. What makes this family so remarkable is that this happened not once but twice, seven years apart. Browse 25 black and white identical twins stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. In the end, Dr. Stevens said that the case of Amelia and Jasmine being identical twins yet having a different color of skin is unusual indeed. Libby Appleby and her partner Tafadzwa with Jasmine (left) and Amelia Photo: SWNS. Twins Remee and Kian are one in a million. Black 2 & White 2 chapter. Their mom, Whitney Meyer, said she considers the girls a symbol against racism and a sign to "love everyone equal.". Layton is like his dad who is white.
Genetically identical twins with contrasting skin colour are believed to be first "black and white" twins born in the UK. As a result, the adorable twins make heads turn whenever they are in publicDaniel has dark skin and black curly hair, just like his 5-year-old big sister Demilade, and David has shocking white pale skin and golden locks. And, as parents of fraternal twins well know, these same-age bundles of joy can differ from each other in every possible way. from two amniotic sacs) as opposed to Gemelos . SUBSCRIBE for the . Image Source: www.Imgur. Kian and Remee Hodgson also turned heads as biracial twins with different skin colors when they were born in 2005 just minutes apart to Kylee Hodgson and Remi Horder. 'The Vanishing Half' Review: Twins Are Divided By Race In Brit Bennett's Novel Brit Bennett's new novel centers on two light-skinned African American sisters one of whom "passes" for white.The . Their friends were white and a classmate's comment still stings: "'I don't even think of you as Black.' I said . Omg with this black white stuff back in the day you had a quarter black in you you were black get over it we did. They will be the same sex, the same color and may have the same mannerisms as the original but that does not mean they will be an "exact" replica. Monday 2 March 2015, 8:10am. Last modified on Fri 8 Jan 2021 04.54 EST. And when the differences are in the genes responsible for features such as hair color, eye color or. While not appearing as a pair, Hugh's sister's appearance is heavily based on the Twins from Unova, as this is her game counterpart's overworld sprite. The girls were born to mum Libby Appleby, 37, from West Rainton,. You will also find this in identical twins . The Vanishing Half is about African American twins one lives as a black woman, the other "passes" as white. Lucy was born with white skin, red hair and blue eyes whereas Maria was born with brown skin and brown eyes. "These twin sisters make us rethink everything we know about race." The online promotion is even more contradictory: "These . Portrait of happy smiling kids. Two cute little babies. Jan. 26, 201700:51. Before they were born their mum, 37-year-old Libby . 4 World's Heaviest Twins: over 723 lb each. For many people just don't believe that the girls one born white, the other. The boys are twins, but Jakob has blond hair, blue eyes . A striking contrast is created between the identical twins due to this. . "The most negative thing about being a gay twin is that everyone, well a lot of creepy people, think you're a couple," Luc explained. The black and white twins born to mixed race parents. The Daily Mail reports both parents have white mothers and black fathers. Judith Nwokocha, 38, gave birth to her twins in 2016: one black baby boy, Kamsi, and a baby girl, Kachi, who has pale white skin due to suffering from albinism. Lucy Aylmer, left, and Maria Aylmer are twins, despite their radically different appearance. The results showed that adoption had no beneficial effect whatever on the IQs of the black, inter-racial, or white children. Million-to-one miracles. SISTERS Hayleigh and Lauren Durrant are often asked to show ID - but it's usually to prove that they really are twins. Source: Facebook Yes, that's right: TWINS! Born in 1997 to a white father and half-Jamaican mother, the set of fraternal pair were quickly identified as a natural miracle. Mum Claire is white and dad Spencer is of mixed race. People and Culture These Twins, One Black and One White, Will Make You Rethink Race Marcia and Millie Biggs say they've never been subjected to racismjust curiosity and surprise that twins could have such different skin colours. Rare though they are, the German twins do have some company. Parents suffer grief and discrimination because of the medical rarity. A mother who gave birth to twins with different skin colours has spoken of the disbelief she faces about whether the twin boys are both hers. Born in 1997 to a white father and half-Jamaican mother, the set of fraternal pair were quickly identified as a natural miracle. Dark skin, black eyes. The odds of a mixed race couple having twins of dramatically different colors are a million to one. Billy Leon McCrary (1946 - 1979) and Benny Loyd McCrary (1946 - 2001), known together as the McGuire twins, were listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the "World's Heaviest Twins", with 328 kg (723 lb) and 338 kg (745 lb), correspondingly). However, they got the shock of their lives when the twins were finally delivered, one dark skinned and one totally fair. I was under the impression they were of the Mellizo variety, not identical (dizygotic is the scientific term, i.e. A mother has spoken about the disbelief she faces over her twin children, who were born with different skin colours. Alexzandria Wolliston could use a spa day. Their parents Stacy and Babajide, who live in Lagos, are both black, but one of the babies was born albino. Although the very word "twins" calls up visions of perfectly matched babies, the truth is that fraternal, or non-identical, twins are far more common than their identical counterparts. Daniel and David Omirin were born just minutes apart. Non-identical twins inherit different genes as they come from separate eggs but as Kyle carries genes for black and white skin, Anaya inherited one code while Myla inherited another. Maria and Lucy Aylmer are twin sisters who look nothing alike. In humans, a relatively small number of genes are thought to be responsible for human skin color. "I had them through CS, so the doctors were like: 'It seems you are having totally . March 12, 2018 15:25. Despite parents Stacy, 30, and Babajide, 38, both being black, baby David has pale, white skin and golden hair. Unlike fraterna. Like Lucy and Maria, one of their parents is white, the other of Jamaican descent. The twins were no stranger to the disbelief of many of their acquaintances. Non-identical twins are common . The Daily Mail reports that Amelia and Jasmine are the first black and white identical twins born in the UK. "It's like . The odds of such a combination are quite high -but now they've done it again! Despite parents Stacy, 30, and Babajide, 38, both being black, baby . The odds of such a birth are about a million to one . The 25-year-old from West Palm Beach, Florida, just welcomed her second set of spontaneous twin . Born in Hendersonville, North Carolina . Genetic differences between identical twins can begin very early in embryonic development, according to a study that researchers say has implications for . Jul 26, 2016 - Black twins, triplets & more. Mother of black and white twins says people don't believe they are both hers. In 2006, the Hodgsons gave birth to mixed-race twins. These beautiful twins share the same cheeky smile but Kian Hodgson's skin is dark and she has black hair while her sister Remee is blonde with pale skin. Amelia and Jasmine, both one year old, are thought to be the first twins in the UK with different skin colours, despite coming from the same egg. Teachers should have no trouble spotting the difference between these sisters when they start secondary school next week after they were born as black and white twins. And no, it's not because they're fraternal twins - in fact, their parents say they are nearly biologically identical. "You can't look at one and not love them both . . Newest results Twin sisters (12-13) drinking through straws from same glass, (B&W Baby Ultrasound Identical Twins Baby Ultrasound of Identical Twins laying upside down Baby Ultrasound Identical Twins Alison said: "I was shocked when I first found out I was pregnant with twins again . The twins, who were born within a minute of. The inseparable sisters always stood out identical twins from Twinsburg, Ohio, whip-smart students from the side of town with unpaved streets and no sidewalks, excluded from the gifted track because they were Black. The Daily Mail reports both parents have white mothers and black fathers. Lucy, Aylmer, with white skin and straight ginger hair, and Maria Aylmer, with her thick curly hair and darker skin, were both born. The girls' father Tafadzwa Madzimbamuto, is black, while their mother Libby Appleby is white. 1 Rare bi-racial twins born to mixed parentage. Dean Durrant and Alison Spooner of Fleet, Hants, England had twins seven years ago, two girls, Hayleigh appearing black, Lauren appearing white. If a woman is of mixed race, her eggs will usually contain a mixture of genes coding for both black and white skin. Identical twins do not actually share 100% of their DNA although they share very close to 100%. They were born on 27 March 1993, the sons of Alyson and Errol Kelly, who live in south-east London. Therefore when I wrote "twins" in this week's essay, my friend, Marcello Farias, who helps me translate my writings into Spanish asked "What kind of twins were they?". 'The Vanishing Half' Review: Twins Are Divided By Race In Brit Bennett's Novel Brit Bennett's new novel centers on two light-skinned African American sisters one of whom "passes" for white.The . Yes, that's right: TWINS! Both parents were of mixed race. Lucy was born with white skin, red hair and blue eyes whereas Maria was born with brown skin and brown eyes. Two twin brothers born in Nigeria have racked up quite the following on Instagram, thanks to their unique story. And Lucy and Maria are definitely not the only black and white twins. Kalani takes after her mother with her light . By Patricia Edmonds Published 22 Oct 2018, 16:34 BST Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples White Bruins5223 Top buyers of black cohosh from around the world Black cohosh . For example, the spot pattern on a spotted cloned animal, although very similar, may vary due to migration of the melanoblasts that cause coat color. Although, as fraternal twins, you wouldn't expect them to be identical, their appearances are so radically different, that most people don't believe them when they say that they're twins. Smiling toddler boy and girl sitting.
Kylie Hodgson, of Nottingham gave birth to blonde, fair-skinned Remee and twin sister Kian, who is black, in 2006. Speaking to Bored Panda, mom Stacy explained: "We did not know about their differences while I was pregnant, the scan did not show such so it was a huge surprise and the most amazing moment when the first twin [Daniel] came out with black hair and the second twin [David] came out with gold hair. No, not a boy and a girl. According to mom Stacy, the first twin [Daniel] coming out with black hair and the second twin [David] coming out with gold hair was a "huge surprise and the most amazing moment." African american children. Non-identical twins are common . . Both parents were of mixed race. Identical -- or monozygotic -- twins pop up from a single fertilized egg that eventually splits in two and forms two identical boys or two girls.
Kian and Remee Hodgson also turned heads as biracial twins with different skin colors when they were born in 2005 just minutes apart to Kylee Hodgson and Remi Horder. See more ideas about black twins, triplets, twins. Born just one minute apart, strangers can't believe the two are sisters - as one is white and the other black. The odds of having twins of dramatically .
Nwokocha, a photographer from Calgary, Canada . Libby Appleby, 37, was told her unborn babies would look so similar that they. Central. Layton is like his dad who is white. In Luring in a Lickilicky, Twins appear during the Poktch presentation taking place in Jubilife City. Meet the mom who gave birth to 2 sets of twins in 1 year.
A mixed-race British couple has defied the odds twice by producing two sets of twins in which one sibling appears to be black and the other white. Gloucestershire. In another case, pictured above, one parent was white and one was black, and - as can happen with any fraternal twins - Lauren took after her mother, Alison Spooner, while Hayleigh took after her father, Dean Durrant. And Kerry Richardson, of Middlesbrough, Teesside, told of her two-tone twin boys. A mixed-race British mom gave birth to twins recently one of each. These two teenage girls are twins - they just don't look like it. A set of twins named Kalani and Jalani Dean were born in Quincy, Illinois to parents Whitney Meyer and Tomas Dean.
3 July 2019, 7:18 am. Mixed twins are fraternal twins born to multiracial families which differ in skin color and other traits considered to be racial features.. From a biological point of view, the differences in these fraternal or dizygotic twins from two biracial parents are not surprising. And, as parents of fraternal twins well know, these same-age bundles of joy can differ from each other in every possible way. Although the very word "twins" calls up visions of perfectly matched babies, the truth is that fraternal, or non-identical, twins are far more common than their identical counterparts. Mum Claire is white and dad Spencer is of mixed race. 21 Kalani & Jalani. Lucy and Maria Aylmer Credit: Gary Roberts Photography. Deon ArtiAm Thomas says: June 23, 2016 at . Colorful vector illustration on white background. Meet Britain's first 'black and white' identical twins who are often mistaken for step-sisters Amelia Appleby was born with dark skin, black hair and brown eyes, while her sister Jasmine emerged . These siblings are thought to be the first "black and white" twins born in the UK - despite coming from the same egg. Identical twins Amelia and Jasmine are thought be the first black and white twins born in the UK, despite coming from the same egg. Two girls one black, the other white.
Goodwill Jewelry Auction
Rajendra Pensiya Ias Date Of Birth
Custom Platinum Record Plaque
June 12 1998 Nasa Picture
Putnam Superior Court

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Travel Experts Choice: 27 of the Best Tourist Spots in the Philippines
29 October, 2021 by Hannah Lukaszewicz
There are 7,641 islands in the Philippines how do you decide which ones to visit?
We asked 30 travel experts what their favorite place in the Phillippines was and made this list of the best tourist spots in the Philippines. No matter where you go in the Philippines won't be disappointed.
Top Tourist Spots In The Philippines
We've broken the list into the 3 island groups that make up the Philippine archipelago: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Dividing 7,000+ islands into three groups is a very rough sorting, it will serve as a starting point to help understand the tourist areas of the Philippines.
Luzon Islands
The Luzon islands include Luzon itself, Palawan, Mindoro, Marinduque, Masbate, Romblon, Catanduanes, Batanes, Polilio, and surrounding smaller islands. Luzon Island is the largest island in the Philippines, it's 40,541 square miles in size.
You'll more than likely start your Philippines trip here landing at the Manila airport. If you're island hopping in the Philippines via plane most flights fly to Manila and then onward.
*When looking for the best price and biggest selection of hotels in the Philippines check prices on Booking.com, we've found they are the best option and have a great cancelation policy.*
Recommended By: Getting Stamped
There aren't many places in the world that live up to all the hype. When we told fellow travelers we were traveling to the Philippines they all said one of the best places in the Philippines is El Nido. El Nido is the kind of place you could spend a week and never get bored.
Most of your time in El Nido will be spent out exploring the islands on the day tours. We highly suggest Tour A and Tour C if you only have time for two tours. Secret Beach on El Nido Tour C we could spend the beach all day.
Crazy limestone cliffs surrounded by turquoise waters and hidden beaches are what to expect on day tours. After a day exploring the islands El Nido town has a great beach town vibe, with beach bars and happy hour specials to catch the sunset. A great selection of restaurants and hotels for every budget. El Nido is an adventure in itself getting to but it's totally worth it.
If you considering purchasing a drone this is when you'd want one. Sadly on our trip, we didn't have ours yet, it's the perfect place to bust out the DJI Mavic and don't forget to bring a Mavic ND filter.
Related Article: El Nido to Coron Ferry Guide
Coron is a great place to visit in the Palawan and one we'd recommend at least 3 nights unless you're diving then you'll need more time. Coron should be on all divers Philippines bucket list. Many of the dive sites you'll need to be advanced open water certified and if you're not yet it's a great place to get certified. You'll get the certification and see some amazing stuff too.
If you've ever seen a picture of Coron it's more than likely from Kayangan Lake, which is visited on day trips from Coron Town. Like other islands in the Philippines day trips to the surrounding islands will keep you busy during the day and at night you'll head back to "town."
Coron Town itself isn't much of a party town, most tourists are exhausted after a day in the sun so call it an early night. We highly suggest making sure you stay at a hotel with a generator as power outages in Coron happen all the time sometimes lasting all night. We stayed at the Corto del Mar hotel which was great and they had really good food too.
Note: If you're traveling to Coron by plane pick an earlier flight with Cebu Pacific. We had the afternoon flight and it got canceled after a delay because the airport in Coron doesn't have runway lights so all planes much land before sunset.
Related Article: Things to do in the Palawan
Most tourists fly in and out of Manila and never leave the airport. When traveling to a new country it's always good to spend a few days in the capital city and get a glimpse of the local life. We suggest going on a private Manila tour, this one is only $87 and is in a Jeepney the local way to get around in Manila.
We're not going to lie Manila can be rough and it may shock you. We went on a slum tour in Manila to Smokey Mountain that was heartbreaking to see how many people live. Here is our 2 days in Manila itinerary to help plan your time in the city.
We suggest staying in Makati, which considered the cleanest, safest, and nicest area to stay in Manila. It's the country's financial and business hub with shopping malls and skyscrapers and the best hotel options.
Traffic in Manila is bad if you plan on only spending the night then stay close to the airport. Manila's traffic is often ranked in the top 1o worst in the world, Metro Manila has been listed as being the densest city in the world based on population density, hence the traffic.
Related Article: Easiest Way – Manila to El Nido
Sibuyan Island
Recommended by: Nikki and Michelle from Cheeky Passports
Sibuyan Island is one of the lesser-known islands in the Philippines despite its proximity to the more popular Boracay. We went to Sibuyan almost by accident after having to change our plans during Holy Week in the Philippines, when we discovered that the more popular destinations were mostly fully booked.
We had heard about the remote island nicknamed the 'Galapagos of Asia', and the difficulty of getting there due to the few transportation options available. We figured out that this would deter many people from traveling to the island and hoped that we could have it mostly to ourselves! In fact, during the 10 days we spent there, we only saw two other foreigners!
The mountain Guiting-Guiting stands tall in the midst of Sibuyan's vast rainforest, surrounded by the island's (only) ring road. Sibuyan's coast is as stunning as it is rocky. There are no white sandy beaches typical of neighboring Boracay, no fancy restaurants or resorts.
There are instead, spectacular waterfalls, the cleanest river in the Philippines and a wild, untamed jungle. Sibuyan quickly became our favorite destination in the Philippines due to its natural beauty which has not yet been spoilt by any form of mass tourism! We hope it stays that way!
Recommended by: Cat from Walk My World
They may just be the most spectacular rice terraces in the world, and even better they still don't see too many visitors. In the past, that's been down to poor road access, but since I visited the road has been largely paved. Get there quick!
The journey to Batad is an adventure in itself: sitting on the roof of one of the Philippines' famous jeepneys, before a short downhill hike to the terraces.
Nothing will prepare you for your first sight of the luminous green amphitheater. It's a view you could stare at for hours and an amazing area for hiking. Some of the paths are pretty narrow so it's a balancing act to keep from falling in, I had a number of close calls! The whole village feels far from the hustle and bustle of the rest of Asia.
The first thing you'll notice after the taking in the sheer beauty of the area is the silence. How often can you say that in Asia?! It's like stepping back in time, people still work the terraces much as they did 2000 years ago. After spending a year on the continent, I can definitely say it's one of my favorite spots.
Recommended by: Darlene Madrid from Point and Shoot + Wanderlust
Batanes is the northernmost province of the Philippines. Its landscape is often compared to New Zealand, and the like but I must say that Batanes has a charm of its own. From NAIA, there are direct flights to Basco (the provincial capital) once a day, but what makes it harder to go here is usually the price of the airfare. Also, flights are frequently canceled during monsoon season.
My flight was canceled three times before I got to fly to Basco and that's what made my trip even more memorable. The province was very picturesque and I don't think anyone can even take a bad photo here. We got to tour the 2 largest inhabited islands of Batanes – Batan, and Sabtang.
If you have more time, going to Itbayat will surely be an adventure that you'll remember for the faluwa (local boat) ride is a death-defying stunt especially if the waves are strong. Take note that different bodies of water converge here so boat rides can be canceled in bad weather.
Apart from the breathtaking views, the local culture, and history, which makes Batanes even more amazing is how honest the people are. You can sleep with your house unlocked and you need not fear that anything will happen. It's a zero crime rate in the province! One favorite of visitors is the Honesty Café – a shop unmanned and relies on the honesty of the people who will buy there.
Mount Mayon, Albay.
Recommended by: Michael Huxley from Bemused Backpacker
The Philippines is not short of superlative adventure travel or eco-travel destinations, especially ones where the landscape is breathtakingly beautiful, so to say that Albay and specifically Mount Mayon is among the best of them is no mean feat.
The near-perfect cone of Mount Mayon is the centerpiece for a burgeoning adventure tourism industry in Albay. ATV rides, zip-lining, kayaking, trekking and even hiking up this impressive – and still active – volcano.
The mountainous terrain is an adventure-lovers paradise, with the twin peaks of the neighboring mount Malinao and Masaraga giving even experienced mountaineers a challenge, and the surrounding forests offering lush eco-parks for hiking and even an enchanting waterfall or two! All these activities and more are fast making Albay the adventure capital of the Philippines and I love it.
But what makes me really love Mount Mayon is not the scenery or the myths and legends that surround the volcano. It is not even the activities themselves. It is the fact that many of these activities and the industries that support them from accommodation options to restaurants, are locally run, not supplanted by international branded chains. So by having an awesome time on and around the volcano, you are also supporting the local economy.
Recommended by Tom Stevenson from The Traveling Tom
When I first arrived in the Philippines, I had never heard of Sabang. It's located on the island of Palawan, and I still didn't know anything about the place when I got to Palawan! Going to Sabang was somewhat of an afterthought. We had booked a tour to the Puerto Princesa Underground River, which included a morning in Sabang. I didn't even bother to check the place out on Google beforehand!
*Book Underground River tours in advance here for $46, they sell out far in advance*
When we finally got to Sabang, I was blown away. It was absolutely beautiful! The beach was long and golden and virtually unhabituated. It felt like paradise! I kicked myself for not doing some research! After a brief stop at the beach, we went up to the hills surrounding the beach. From there we ziplined over the water, and down to the beach. It was an amazing way to take in the surroundings!
My only regret is that I didn't get long enough to soak in and explore the beauty on offer in Sabang. I will certainly stay for longer when I return to the Philippines!
Batangas, Philippines
Recommended by: Jerny Destacamento from The Jerny
Batangas is a first-class province of the Philippines and its capital is Batangas City. It is bordered by the provinces of Cavite and Laguna to the north and Quezon to the east. Batangas is one of the most popular tourist destinations near Metro Manila, the capital city of the country.
The province boasts many mountains and beaches and is famous for excellent diving spots including Ligpo Island in Bauan, Anilao in Mabini, Sombrero Island in Tingloy, these areas more popularly known as Anilao. With its alluring shores and beaches, Batangas turns out to be a principal player in the tourism of the Philippines both locally and internationally. Batangas is also where Taal Volcano, the smallest volcano in the world resides.
Although attached to the big Island of Luzon, Batangas boasts of flora and fauna that is distinctively theirs and theirs alone. Batangas is also home to the "kabag" (Haplonycteris fischeri), one of the world's smallest fruit bat. Although Batangas has these land flying mammals, marine wildlife remains to be the province's crowning glory. In fact, in the second half of 2006, scientists from the United States discovered that the Sulu-Sulawesi Triangle has its center at the Isla Verde Passage, a part of the province.
Batangas is an all-around destination for adventurous and enthusiastic travelers. You can even enjoy mountain climbing and volcano trekking, stroll around the beaches, bask in the sun, scuba dive as Batangas is rich in marine biodiversity, learn about rich culture and history, and more!
Recommended by: Christine Rogador from The Travelling Pinoys
Tagaytay is a famous summer and weekend getaway destination in the Philippines. Located in the province of Cavite, it sits on a ridge above Taal Volcano which overlooks a panoramic view of the Taal Lake with the Taal Volcano island in the middle. It has always been one of my favorite places in the country due to its colder weather and accessibility from Metro Manila. You can reach the city within 2 hours and enjoy a relaxing weekend or summer.
The city also offers lots of things to do: from visiting organic farms, hiking the Taal Volcano and playing golf in the crater, visiting nearby islands and towns, amusement parks, museums, and historical places.
It is even better if you are a foodie, as Tagaytay has wide selections of good and award-winning restaurants. And if you are a healthy eater, there are organic farms that serve healthy and tasty food options. You can also enjoy a relaxing spa in one of the world-renowned country resorts in Tagaytay. You won't definitely run out of things to do and food to try in this place!
Banaue Rice Terraces
Recommended by: Cal from Once In A Lifetime Journey
The Philippines may be most well known for its tropical islands, but one of my favorite places in this spectacular country is the Banaue Rice Terraces in the northern province of Ifugao. These terraces are often referred to as the "8th Wonder of the World" and for a good reason.
The terraces are said to have been built roughly 2,000 years ago, and from the looks of it, it must have taken a lot of time and effort. Once you take a look at the epic scenery and meet the most wonderful Ifugao people, the long drive you took to get there fades away as you breathe in the calm air of an ancient site.
This is a hiker's paradise as Banaue is actually a conglomeration of four rice terraces. Each terrace is named according to the "barangay" (village, district or ward) in which it is located. You can, therefore, spend the day hiking the different terraces of Batad, Bangaan, Hapao and View Point. Remember to take your swimsuit as there are both hot springs as well as a chance for a refreshing dip by the Tappiya Falls.
Due to its remote location, this is a part of the Philippines that many tourists do not see. So make the effort to get there and you will be rewarded with incredible views of an impressive collaboration between man and nature.
Balabac, Palawan
Recommended by: Katherine from Tara Lets Anywhere
Balabac is one of the most beautiful places in the Philippines, and proof that there's more to this Asian country than listed in popular blogs and television features.
Balabac is a municipality in the south of Palawan. To get here, you need to take a flight to Puerto Princesa, commute via bus or van to Rio Tuba and then take a morning boat to Balabac. There are a total of 30+ islands in this area, including the mainland Balabac where you can book accommodation and several others ideal for island hopping.
One of the reasons I love Balabac are the people. We were welcomed and well taken care of during our few days' stay. Also, the seafood here is cheap and fresh; you can buy shrimps and lobster for a few hundred pesos or ask your guides/boatmen if they can go fishing during island hopping. Finally, there are the beaches.
The beaches in Balabac are blue, clear and definitely magazine-worthy. The sand ranges from chalk white (Punta Sebaring) to pink (Camiaran Island). There are also islands where you can spot sea turtles or groups of starfishes. Lastly, there's the premiere Onuk Island, where you can free-dive to see sea turtles and giant clams.
For us, Balabac represents the ideal that the Philippines has to offer. It's breathtakingly beautiful, it's pristine and untouched.
Recommended by: Megan Indoe from Bobo and Chichi
When you think of the Philippines you most likely think of white sand, azure waters, and tropical islands. But the Philippines actually has more to offer, including the historical Spanish town and UNESCO World Heritage Site Vigan. Located on the west coast of the big island Luzon you can't help but fall in love with adorable cobblestone streets, horse carriages, and gorgeous Spanish influenced architecture.
You will pinch yourself for a moment because you can't believe you're actually in Asia. Vigan is incredibly picturesque and unique because most old and historical structures in the Philippines haven't survived over the years and yet somehow Vigan is perfectly intact from their influences of Spanish colonization dating back to the 16th century.
Don't go to Vigan and miss out on trying their world-famous empanadas. You can easily find the outdoor markets which have one empanada stand after another. The empanadas are orange in color and sort of like a thin taco that has been deep-fried with meat and veggie fillings. For the best experience, dip your empanada in the Ilocos vinegar sauce with onions and chili.
Cagbalete Island
Recommended by: Bren from Bren On The Road
Cagbalete Island is a tiny island off the coast of Mauban, in southern Luzon. It's about a six-hour journey from Manila to Mauban, and once you get to Mauban you'll need to take a short ferry ride over to the island. What makes Cagbalete charming is how unassuming it is. Most people don't even know it's there – it's got a couple of locally-run resorts, a tiny "town" and the local village – that's about it.
Once you get there, however, you'll be spoiled with endless stretches of white sand and crystal clear ocean. The local resorts, which are more than affordable, will pamper you with 3 meals a day of all kinds of Filipino treats. If you avoid Holy Week, there's a good chance you'll have the whole place to yourself too. If you're in Manila and itching for some beach time, this might just be the place for you.
Lake Taal
Recommended by: Anne Slater-Brooks from Travel The Globe 4 Less
Lake Taal is spectacular and truly unique. This stunning lake is not actually a lake but a volcanic crater that houses a delightful surprise – another volcanic crater. Like a Russian doll, the smaller crater sits within the larger crater and is a sight to behold.
It is an adventure just getting to Taal Volcano, especially if you choose to take a DIY Tour. You will need to jump on a selection of buses to Tagaytay, then hire a tricycle, then negotiate a fare for a boat from the outer crater shore, followed by a 40-minute hike up the crater sides to be rewarded with this gorgeous vista.
Along the way, you will catch the occasional whiff of sulphuric fumes belching from the underbelly of the hillside, and all-around your eyes can feast on sublime views of densely forested peaks rising from the waters. The memories of reaching the top will stay with me for a long time!
The Mindanao island group is named after the largest island Mindanao and made up of several other smaller islands in Southern Philippines. To island-hop around Mindanao, you'll want to fly into Davao City, the largest city in the region.
Cebu Pacific usually has the best-priced flights and they often have really cheap promotion fares. There are tons of tourist spots in Mindanao from scuba diving, beach resorts, outdoor adventures, surfing, and much more.
Recommended by: Aleah Taboclaon from Solitary Wanderer
The Philippines is chock full of wonderful destinations to visit, but (one of) my favorites is my home province of Surigao del Sur. Down south in eastern Mindanao, it doesn't get as many tourists as the other top spots in the country, but it has a lot to offer for nature lovers.
There's one of the cleanest rivers in the Philippines, for example – the Enchanted River, which, true to its name, is said to be a home of spirits. There's Britania Islands with turquoise waters and fine white sand, and numerous waterfalls including the spectacular Tinuy-an Falls.
Surigao del Sur also has a lot of caves and some roadside springs like Libuacan Cold Spring that is unbelievably clear and clean. Because of its relative distance from the Philippine capital, it's not on the usual list of places to visit by foreign tourists. Indeed, for an off the beaten path in the Philippines, Surigao del Sur is hard to beat.
Recommended by: Kay Rodriguez from Jet Farer
Located just south of Bohol, Camiguin Island is one of the Philippines' most beautiful hidden gems. Upon first glance, the terrain is craggy and mountainous since it's a pretty small island made almost entirely of volcanoes and their surrounding land.
The most unique thing about visiting this island is that, instead of miles of white sand beaches and big resorts, Camiguin's true splendor lies in is its waterfalls, hiking opportunities, and access to unspoiled beauty.
I've visited Camiguin several times because my grandmother lives there, in a home located in the bustling town of Mambajao. Whenever I visit, I try not to spend too much time indoors. On the island, visitors can go swimming in cold springs, hot springs, and soda springs, where the water is naturally carbonated.
There are several waterfalls, the most notable being Katibawasan Falls and Tuasan Falls. Along with a local guide, you can hike to the crater of one of the island's many volcanoes, including Mount Hibok-Hibok.
If the water is more your thing, there are many scuba diving opportunities, as well as day trips to small islands like Mantigue Island and sandbars like White Island nearby. If you're looking for a more rugged, off the beaten path outdoor adventure, Camiguin is a stunning natural playground worth a stop on your Philippines itinerary.
Recommended by: Erica Villas from Girl Unspotted
Known as the surfing capital of the Philippines, Siargao is one of those islands that remains in the middle of a hidden gem and a popular find. Not too elusive that it's nearly impossible to get to, and not too popular that the authenticity is on the verge of disappearance, Siargao is that perfect find. If anything, Siargao is one of the most authentic islands I've seen in the Philippines.
Although the western world has graced its influences here such as the surfing culture, Aussie smoothie bowls, and modernized hotels, the tropical Filipino island culture isn't lost at all. Exploring the island can be quite mesmerizing as you lose yourself within the labyrinth of coconut tree plantations and the breathtaking beaches that will take you a world away.
Island hopping around Siargao is also an incredible way to pass the slow mornings and it's best done with the local tours as they will arrange it complete with a fresh grilled lunch that I can assure you just might be one of the best you've ever had.
Whether you're a surfer or not, Siargao is one of the places you should absolutely consider as it's perfect for anyone looking for a legitimate island getaway. Easily one of the Philippines' best, I suggest going now before it gets too known.
Samal Island
Recommended by: Nicole Sunderland from Eat Live Drink Travel
Touted as the "beach island of Davao" – Samal Island is just a quick 10-minute boat ride from the hustle & bustle of the big city. Further down the coastline (about 45 minutes from Davao) there is the only 5-star luxury resort on the island called Pearl Farm Beach Resort, which has overwater bungalows offering 360-degree views of the pristine turquoise water.
This nearly untouched area of the island will wow you with its gorgeous grandeur, unparalleled hospitality, sensational dining, perfect spa treatments, and give you that moment of being in a true paradise.
One of the major attractions here is the giant clam sanctuary. You can take a tour out on the water to get to the clams and then you snorkel out to see them. The clams are protected and some of them are as big as 150 feet! No trip to the Philippines would be complete without stopping by Samal Island for a mix of luxury and adventure.
The Visayas is the group of islands, some small some large, in the central Philippines. The largest of which are: Panay, Negros, Cebu, Bohol, Leyte, Samar, Siquijor, Biliran, and Guimaras. Cebu is a big hub to travel around the Visayas. When looking for flights to the Philippines the cheapest option would be to fly to Cebu or Manila.
The sardine run in Moaboal, Philippines.
Recommended by: Ivy Ko from Kollecting Koordinates
Located on the west coast of Cebu, Moalboal is one of our favorite destinations in the Philippines. We stayed at a B&B facing the sea, where we enjoyed the beautiful sunsets every evening. It is here where we witnessed the underwater phenomenon of the sardine run. Imagine swimming with hundreds of thousands of sardines in the open water, literally right in your backyard!
A paradise for divers, Moalboal is within minutes to the world-class dives sites like Pescador Island and an airplane wreck. Even if you don't dive, the house reef is excellent for snorkeling with giant schools of fish and turtles.
Moalboal is the perfect home base for adventure seekers who are interested in canyoneering, chasing waterfalls, and the controversial swimming with whale sharks in Oslob. The beautiful waterfalls of Tumalog, Tanawan, and Kawasan are all in close proximity. You can also get your adrenaline fix by jumping into turquoise canyon waters of up to 50ft!
Pescador Island Hopping with Sardine Run, Dolphins, and Turtle Point Tour Only Online $37
Recommended by: Hannah Canavan from Adventure Travel Family
Boracay has everything you could want from a small island, from spots of quiet solitude to watersports facilities. At just 7km long and half a kilometer wide, it is an ideal holiday spot for those who want to shun modern transport and explore the whole island on foot or by bicycle.
White Beach, the main strip of dazzling white sand, is 4km long and is a hub of activity. Visitors can enjoy glass-bottom boat trips, kayaking, and scuba diving in the crystal clear waters off the island. As postcard-perfect as the island is in the day, it is enchanting and vibrant at night. Fire dancers twirl on the sand as the sun goes down and live music fills the air. Intrepid explorers can get to Boracay in an hour by airplane from Manila or Cebu.
Those wanting something a little different can visit a bat cave; sit outside and watch the bats fly out to hunt at dusk. Don't forget to check out Puka Beach on the northern tip of Boracay, which is often deserted and is exactly what one imagines a desert island to be. If you're lucky with the tides you will spot locals collecting the 'puka' shells that they use to make the local jewelry that is sold on the island; buy a bracelet as the perfect memory of your trip.
Related Article: Boracay for only $20 a Day
Guimaras Island
Recommended by: Cristal Dyer From Tofu Traveler
Guimaras Island is one of the smallest tourist destinations in The Philippines but it still offers a variety of attractions to the willing tourist. Guimaras' claim to fame is for the sweetest mangoes in the world according to the Guinness World Records. Visit the National Mango Research and Development Centre which produces mangoes for both production and research purposes and try the only mangoes that are served at the White House and Buckingham Palace.
An island-hopping trip including Ave Maria Islet was one of my favorite activities in all of the Philippines. I got the chance to snorkel in some of the clearest waters where there was no need for a mask because you can easily spot the fish, coral, and starfish littered around the tiny island. The shore features fine, white sand and just enough space for maybe 20 people.
Also located just off the island, is SEAFDEC, an intergovernmental body established as a regional treaty organization to promote fisheries development in Southeast Asia. It sounds boring but it was really interesting listening to the passionate staff talk about their current research projects and see what it's like to work and live in such a unique environment. The Station is comprised of four islets and floating cages interconnected by floating footbridges.
Malapascua Island
Recommended by: Miguel from TravelsAuro
Located only eight kilometers off the northern coast of Cebu, the island of Malapascua is one of the most beautiful and laid-back destinations you can find in the Philippines. The island is world-famous for its fantastic diving spots, and there are many dive centers offering courses and day dives. It's one of the few places in the world where you can encounter the great Thresher Sharks, which are present year-round.
The shark experience there is out of this world. These creatures are
found at a 30-meter depth, and not too far from the coast. Dive centers ask you to be a certified diver, and ideally an advanced diver, to join them and enjoy the adventure.
If you're not a scuba diver, don't worry, Malapascua boasts lovely
white-sand beaches, restaurants, and hotels! It's a great destination to relax, have a swim and get a tan. Moreover, it's not as touristy as some of the other
islands. I love Malapascua because it's tiny and easy to walk around. If you walk to the northern part of the island, you'll be able to visit traditional villages and friendly locals, feeling totally
off the
Bantayan Island
Recommended by: Tom Grond from Travel Tom Tom
The way to get to this little island, a short boat ride away from northwest Cebu, is already a stunning journey through the hilly countryside of North Cebu. From the ferry terminal in Hagnaya Port, you reach Bantayan within 1 hour by ferry which is just $2.
The island itself is a truly untouched local experience off the beaten path in the Philippines. Most tourists head to the nearby and much popular Malapascua and that makes Bantayan the perfect island to get off the tourist trail.
The best thing to do is to rent a scooter and explore the rugged coastline around the island. Drive all the way North to get a glimpse of the beautiful Kota Sa Madridejos or take a day trip to the tiny but stunning Hilantagaan Island.
Stay on the Southwest side of the island where you will find a local village with some restaurants, supermarkets, and a couple of nice homestays. This is also where you can find a typical picture-perfect Filipino white sand beach with crystal clear water. Bantayan is a truly local experience!
Recommended by Lisa van den Berg from Scuba Around The World
Dauin is located about 12 kilometers south of Dumaguete on Negros Oriental. This small coastal town offers world-class diving, which is the main reason why we visited. The Philippines' most successful marine protected areas or marine reserves can be found along this stretch of coastline. Nearby Apo Island is one of the oldest marine sanctuaries in the Philippines Because of this the biodiversity is amazing.
The Dauin coast is famous for its excellent muck diving, but also offers some fun wreck dives and drift dives. It's a macro photographers heaven. Along the coast, you'll find a great number of dive resorts in different price ranges. We opted to stay at Liquid Dumaguete Dive Resort, which we really enjoyed. Dauin itself isn't much, but nearby Dumaguete can be easily reached. Dumaguete is a lively town that offers lots of restaurants and a number of bars and nightlife options.
Recommended by: Marianne Rogerson from Mum On The Move
Bohol is famous for its crystal clear waters and abundant marine life and people flock here to take advantage of the endless stretches of white sand and the fabulous diving and snorkeling opportunities. Here you can go dolphin watching, swim with turtles and seek out the famous chocolate chip sea stars.
However, there is more to Bohol than just the beach and ocean, and the countryside is beautiful to explore too. The Chocolate Hills are Bohol's most famous landmark. Unfortunately, they are not actually made from chocolate but named because the grass on them turns brown in the dry season and looks like chocolate. However, with more than 1,000 hills stretching over 50, it is still quite an impressive site.
Bohol is also famous as the home of the tarsier. These cute little creatures with the big bug eyes were thought to be the inspiration behind Yoda, E.T and the Gremlins (before they turned bad) and are endemic to Bohol. With only around 700 tarsiers left on the island, you can hunt them down in a Tarsier Sanctuary.
You should also take some time to explore Bohol by the river. You can take a lunchtime river cruise, go paddleboarding or for an amazing adventure, go firefly kayaking at night.
Recommended by: Abbie Synan from Speck On The Globe
With over 7,000 islands you are bound to find your own slice of paradise in the Philippines. Each beach seems to be more stunning than the next, but one of my favorite places has to be Apo Island. A marine reserve south of Negros Island, this small sliver of land is home to some famous Filipino Sea Turtles and is a great spot for diving.
The water is extremely clear, so the visibility of marine life was not an issue. The turtles are used to seeing people so it isn't difficult to swim with them at a safe distance and observe them without swimming away.
There are a few options to stay on the island or you can visit on a day trip if you are coming from Negros, Cebu or Siquijor. There are only a few beach bars and restaurants on the island, I'd recommend arranging a packed lunch if you are just coming for a day trip so you can spend as much time in the water as possible.
There is no ATM on the island, so be sure you bring enough pesos if you are going to stay for longer than a day. If you're staying on the island, sunrise or sunset climb up to the old lighthouse offers some wonderful views. This is the perfect place to appreciate marine wildlife and see the effects of sustainability helping a species.
Now we've shown you some of the best tourist spots in the Philippines we'd love to hear from you. What's your favorite island in the Philippines or what do you think is the best beach in the Philippines?
Siargao Island Philippines: Everything you NEED to know + Top 20
I am just going to cut to the chase, I love this island. Siargao Island Philippines is one of those places you come for a few days and end up…
El Nido Palawan Philippines | Complete Travel Guide – 2023 Update
El Nido Palawan Philippines has some of the most beautiful scenery we have ever encountered. This cluster of islands is off the tip of the Palawan Island and is full…
Everything you need to know about Coron Palawan – Updated 2023 Guide
The islands, commonly known as Coron, are some of our favorite places in the whole world. We have visited more than 80 countries around the world, but when my mind…
Pin me to come back to when planning your trip to the Philippines.
Categories Philippines, South East Asia Post navigation
The 8 Commandments of Traveling with Your Partner
Where to Stay in Bangkok – Ultimate Bangkok Neighborhood Guide
23 thoughts on "Travel Experts Choice: 27 of the Best Tourist Spots in the Philippines"
Brit on the Move
I've never been to the Philippines and this such a comprehensive list I am now wondering where to! If you had to pick one spot in the Philippines what would be it be? Thanks, Nikki
That's a tough one…we will always go back to the Palawan but there are so many island in the Philippines we want to explore!
This is such an awesome detailed guide to the Philippines! The beautiful places in Philippines are toward the top of my travel list and this is so helpful in breaking down the top spots to visit as it makes things easier. El Nido especially looks and sounds amazing. Would love to dive there someday! Thanks for sharing this!
Glad we could help you pick out some of the best places in the Philippines. There are so many gorgeous islands in the Philippines to choose from it can be tough. El Nido is our favorite place too and great diving.
Aymar
Have you been to Vigan? That's also a great place. It's like a mini Spain. The place is surrounded with old buildings like those you find in Spain. You also have to try Empanada (local delicacy) it's so good. Thanks for replying Hannah!
No we personally haven't been to Vigan yet but we've heard great things about it. We love Empanadas!
There are many beautiful tourist spots in the Philippines. Definitely, El Nido is one of the best if not the best. If only they were extra careful of taking good care Boracay, they would have preserved its beauty. Good thing they are now finally taking action to restore how it's like before. Batanes is also good if you're into scenic landscapes.
Hopefully, Boracay will have a come back in the upcoming years. That will be a good example to protect the other islands in the Philippines. We'll have to check out Batanes too.
19 December, 2017 at 12:38 pm
This post makes me want to return. Much as I loved Lake Taal, I didn't realise there were so many other things to do close by. It's a shame there isn't more time!
I know we too didn't realize we were so close to so many other amazing tourist spots in the Philippines.
Great round up guys! Still so many places I've yet to see. 2018 is looking promising with more new places in mind!
We could easily spend all of 2018 island hopping in the Philippines!
Anna Pauliina Paananen
I am soooo saving this for later. Thanks, guys!
This is such an awesomely detailed guide to the Philippines! The Philippines are toward the top of my travel list and this is so helpful in breaking down the top spots to visit. Coron especially looks and sounds amazing. Would love to dive there.
It's super hard to decide where to go in the Philippines and which islands fit your travel style. The Philippines are amazing and deserve to be at the top of your travel list. Hope you get there in 2018!
I spent 3 months in the Philippines and still missed some of these spots. Can't wait to go back and finish this list 🙂
So jealous you spent 3 months in the Philippines! What was your favorite tourist spot in the Philippines or did you have a hidden gem? We only spent a month there but could have easily spent a year.
Castaway with Crystal
I went to Palawan and I LOVED IT! It's very nature-centric and I stayed on a deserted Island. Was so awesome! 🙂 🙂
The Palawan was our favorite place. Do you know the name of the island you stayed on? We hope to get back soon.
DROOOOOOOOOOOLLL!!!
ive been wondering where i should go when hubby goes for his little mountain trek to PNG in Oct… im now thinking the Philippines thanks to you! Ive been to Boracay but maybe ill check out Coron this time!
You should def head to the Palawan it is WAY WAY WAY different then Boracay. Don't expect any Starbucks on the beach here!
Kumari Sujata
The places you mention above are too beautiful. I am planning my honeymoon tour packages in Phillippines in upcoming month…. I sure visit these places you mention above.
Glad we could inspire you with a few great Philippines honeymoon spots to consider. Let us know if you have any other questions. We honeymooned in Asia ourselves!