Tena sa Bocaue! was the tourism slogan of the town where I live which means "Come on to Bocaue!" to invite people to come to our place specially during this season where the spirit of giving and love was all over the atmosphere. So if it happens that I have to welcome a guest for a tour, I already have the list of the the spots where they could experience of the outmost hospitality that our town could offer for our visitors.
- 1st spot: St. Andrew Kim Shrine
As a majorly Catholic nation, churches in the Philippines possesses unique architectural designs and covers for a lot of cultural and historical value but among the many churches in the Philippines, the Shrine of St. Andrew Kim Taegon was among the ones that really stands out. As the name implies, St. Andrew Kim Taegon was a Korean born priest that was sanctified by Pope Pius XI. This church was then built and named after him to commemorate his stay on the town and what makes this place unique is the mixture of Catholic and Korean aesthetic which surprisingly mixed really well so whether you are religious or a fan of Korean culture, this place is a must have when visiting the town.
- 2nd spot: The Garden at Philippine Arena
Life on major cities and countries could be very hectic and stressful to many people so when visiting another place, they want a place to relax and unwind so for our next spot, we will go to The Garden. As the name implies, this place cultivates different flowers and plants but what's amazing is that covers 4.4 Hectare of land or around 35 Olympic size swimming pools so be sure to bring lots of water because it will be a very long sightseeing. This place is a good place to relax and reconnect to nature that also has its own planetarium and animal attraction. With an entrance fee between 2-4$, guest have the access to this very big place that is starting to get its popularity as a venue to take engagement photos and this was just besides Philippine Arena which is known as the largest indoor arena in the entire world.
- 3rd Stop: Karilangan Stevia Farm and Cafe
After exploring The Garden, we will most likely to get hungry for exploring such a wide area so for our next spot, I will guide the guest to Karilangan Stevia Farm and Café which is like about 10 minutes ride from my home. There are many place in town that serves delicious food but why I prefer this place to eat is that the food that is served in this place uses the Stevia plant as an ingredient to their food which is an alternate to sugar which makes the food not only delicious but also healthy and the café is located on the same farm that the Stevia is cultivated so the air is also very fresh.
- Final spot: Cotaco's Christmas House
Now that we were able to fill our stomach with delicious and healthy food, were going next to the Cotaco's Christmas House which is a family residence owned by the Cotaco family that they decorated with lots of Christmas lights and decorations during the Christmas season and was best to visit during the night where the lights shine the most. Despite it being a residential home, the owners of the house have chosen to open the place to the public without any fees for people to fully enjoy the scenery and to feel more the spirit of Christmas so this is just to finish my tour with my guest.
Oh and finally after I tour the guest to the best place in the town, there is one last place that although was not a tourist spot, was a good place to buy some souvenirs to bring back to his home and that is to visit the Barangay of Turo in Bocaue where people can buy different types of fireworks and firecrackers, enough to get the place its name as the "Fireworks Capital of the Philippines" so that they can bring the joy of the season back to their homes.
That was all from me. Thank you and see you at the next one.
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