Nayong Pilipino Park / A Philippine Village....

Near the airport is another favorite tourist haunt; green and spacious Nayong Pilipino Park or Philippine Village, open daily from 9am to 6pm, next to the Philippine Village Hotel.

Nayong Pilipino Park is the only cultural park in the country that serves as the country's miniature. Its aim is to provide tourists an idea and view of the country's famous landmarks as well as a showcase of the rich natural and cultural heritage of the Filipinos.

Inside the 46-hectare park are six sections representing replicas of 6 regions comprised of Tagalog, Bicol, Visayas, Cordillera, and Ilocos. There are regional houses reflecting the architectural style unique to each region, it also highlights Filipino creativity in arts and crafts.

The Tagalog Region boasts of the historical Aguinaldo House and the Tagalog Pavilion, which is a venue for social and political gatherings from the early Spanish period up to the present.

The Bicol Region shows off Mount Mayon, the mountain known for its perfectly symmetrical cone, and the Cagsagwa Ruins, both are a must see spots inside the park.

The replicas of Cebu's most famous historical landmark, Magellan's Cross, and Bohol's picturesque Chocolate Hills aptly represent the Visayan Village.

A Datu's House, Moslem Mosque and Samal Houses can be found at the Mindanao Sulu Region.

The Banaue Rice Terraces, one of the Eight Wonders of the World is the principal attraction of the Cordillera Region.

An authentic Vigan House, one of the remaining vestiges of three hundred years of Spanish Colonization highlights the Ilocos Region.

On top of the instant trip to all the replicas of the must-see places in the Philippines and a glimpse of the cultural past, Nayong Pilipino also serves as a perfect site for bonding either with families, relatives, officemates, or friends. It has a wide grass area where visitors can sit or lie and enjoy an open-air picnic; enjoy a banca ride and view the beautifully decorated Samal houses; go fishing at the lagoon; or rush to the souvenir shops and buy souvenir or handicraft items.

That's why my husband and i didn't missed the chance to go and see this famous park, even we have to travel from Laguna to Manila. We leave the house on early morning and inside the park there's a lot of small canteen where we ate our lunch together. We bought also an extra camera film coz we know that we will take a lot of photos on this place. And before we come home, we drop by on one of their souvenir shop to buy a small jeepney model matchbox for our baby boy.