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The Hidden Valley

Northeast-Luzon is a land of rugged mountains, rough seas- and a deep peaceful river valley.

The remoteness of this region makes it the keeper of some of the country's best and most exciting secrets. Northeast Luzon provides venues for a surprising variety of action sports, many of them of high quality and offering unique experiences.

Rough and Rugged

The pacific Ocean and the Cagayan River from natural borders that isolate this corner of archipelago with its rugged mountains, thick forests and panoramic coasts. Rising out of the country's longest mountain range- The Sierra Madre- the Philippines; longest river, the Cagayan flows northward 350km to the Babuyan Channel. Mostly limestone karts  the Sierra Madre range crosses nine provinces from Cagayan to Bicol down to Luzon's eastern flank, averaging heights of 1000m. With its rugged, forest clad slopes, it remains largely unexplored to this day.

Besides being the water shed for the Cagayan, many of other rivers of Luzon start life here, fed by hundreds of smaller streams and tributaries that flow down the western slopes of these mountains. The eastern slopes face the ocean and in many places they tumble quickly  and spectacularly down to the surf below, meaning that settlements here are usually few in number and generally tend to be a smaller size.

Scuba Diving In The Philippines

Subic bay and its wrecks area magnet for scuba divers in the northwestern Luzon. At least 19 have been discovered in the bay, and half a dozen are regularly visited by recreational divers. Subic's accessibility form Manila is another major attraction.

various dive sites north of Subic bay are interesting for their historical significance and geological oddity. Unfortunately, much of the coral reef, which one covered almost the entire northwest coast at the 18m mark, is now only notable for the destruction wreaked upon it by illegal fishing and pollution  but in the areas where dive centers have long been established, the reefs have been relatively protected. Subic bay is the best example.

Subic Bay

definitely the best all-around diving along the coast, Subic also has the best infrastructure and facilities, with the major pull being the wrecks. The star attraction is the USS New York, a battleship scuttled during the World War II, to keep her 17in main guns from falling into the hands of the Japanese. A rare fine example of an 1899 dreadnought, she lies on her port side in 27m of water, cannons intact.

A standard dive starts at the stern withg a swim around the propellers and up to the aft gun emplacements. You enter the wreck amidships for a check around the vast mess room, exit again, then re-enter the bow section for another spell. There is a abundance marinelife in and around the wreck and tis combined  with the clearly defined structure of the vessel, makes it a truly unforgetable diving experience.