Just like the smash K-Pop TV series, crash landing in Leyte province is among the serendipitous experiences even the most jaded travelers will find exciting. Beyond Gen. Douglas MacArthur and the Allied Forces’s legendary return to its sleepy shores during World War II, its countryside charm has an irresistible magnet which can make you say your own “I Shall Return” vow 78 years later.
Your journey begins in Tacloban City, the aerial gateway to Leyte with round-the-clock flights from Manila and Cebu, particularly with Cebu Pacific Air which has the most number of flights.
The urban and transport hub of Eastern Visayas, the city is the first stop in exploring the infinite escapes the region has in store for the unsuspecting travelers.
Hop around the historic wartime spots—the neoclassical old Provincial Capitol, Price Mansion, and Hotel Alejandro which boasts of a veritable photo collection of the Leyte Gulf Landings put together by the Montejo family.
Don’t miss the other spots such as Sto. Niño Shrine and Heritage Museum, the Sto. Niño Church, Calvary Hill’s 14 Stations of the Cross, and the MV Eva Jocelyn’s hull, which was washed ashore by supertyphoon Yolanda.
Ride the sunset onboard the San Juanico Cruises and marvel at the iconic San Juanico Bridge from beneath, and dock at an islet for a different vantage point. The newly-installed Aesthetic Light and Sound Show is a kaleidoscopic and an Instagrammable evening panorama to behold.
Hit the sack at the Summit Hotel Tacloban, a 138-room star-rated business boutique hotel situated within the Robinsons mall complex. The fifth property of the Summit Hotels and Resorts chain showcases a tropical look with its basket-weave walls, coconut-leaf patterns, native stone surfaces, comfy interiors and room amenities.
The hotel showcases the region’s colorful festivals in its suite rooms, while the Patron Casual Dining gives you a bite of the region’s traditional dishes which are largely under-the-radar.
With its strategic location, the hotel is an ideal homebase in exploring the natural wonders and adventure tours of the Samar and Leyte provinces.
Palo town, where Gen. Douglas MacArthur and the Allied Forces made a massive amphibious landing on October 20, 1944, is the new seat of the provincial government and an emerging urban center. MacArthur Landing Memorial National Park, site of the annual Leyte Gulf Landings commemorative rites and tourist promenade is a must-see.
Another must-see is the new spanking and beautifully-landscaped Provincial Capitol Complex which is adorned by elegant tableau and relief sculptures of prominent Angono artist Nemi Miranda, which chronicles Leyte’s landmark events such as the First Mass at Limasawa and World War II.
At the heart of town is the neogothic and majestic Palo Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lord’s Transfiguration, the Archdiocese of Palo, which served as a makeshift hospital during the Liberation period and after Yolanda struck in 2013.
In the evening, you can laze at Samsara restaurant of The Oriental Leyte, a four-star seaside resort hotel which offers delectable international and Asian cuisine. From Fridays to Sundays, guests can feast on a buffet dinner spread spiced up by choreographed dance moves of the hotel staff and capped by a mesmerizing fire dance.
Some 57 kms south of Tacloban is Burauen, an emerging hot spot which underwent a meticulous master plan in recent years penned by internationally-recognized ecotourism specialist Boboi Costas and is now being pushed by the Department of Tourism–Region 8 as a new destination.
The rustic town takes pride in the Mahagnao Volcano Natural Park, a 635-hectare upland reserve situated 30 minutes away from the poblacion. Its centerpiece is the placid Mahagnao Lake, which serves as the recreational playground activities such as rafting, kayaking, and welcome and lunch area for visitors.
A hundred meters away is a vegetable farm overlooking the lake and has the volcano as a backdrop, and the starting point for the 1-hour Tanguile Trail forest bathing. The family-friendly trail is an easy trek into a forest with century-old trees woods where guests will shut themselves off from the outside world and maximize the five senses to commune with Mother Nature.
At various points, the trekkers will be instructed to breathe deeply, touch and feel tree trunks, taste fruits and meditate under a canopy to draw strength from the ecosystem. The trek concludes at with a stunning view of Lake Malagsum, a hill and a wetland park with a wooden sculpture depicting the endemic wild duck.
Burauen also has a series of intriguing Japanese cenotaphs dedicated to the war dead and the aspiration for world peace.
Take a different road back and swing by Dulag which figured prominently during the war, evident in its landmarks—Capt. Izao Yamazoe Shrine, Hill 120, Rawis Airfield, Liberation Park, and the Our Lady of Refuge Ruins.
With the diverse experience you’ll get why crash landing in Leyte can be a similar hit of K-Pop proportions.
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Image credits: Bernard L. Supetran