Popular Places to Visit in Leyte Part 7

POPULAR PLACES IN LEYTE

Pristine beaches, stunning infrastructures and captivating panoramic views, find all of these in the beautiful Island of Leyte. A place which will leave you awed and amazed as nature unveils the clearest waters, the white and finest beach sand, the marvelous blue sky, and the calmest and most relaxing ambiance.

Leyte is also home to some of the very important historical events such as the Leyte Gulf which is the largest naval battle of World War II, the Leyte Landing where Allied Forces led by Gen. Douglas MacArthur returned to aid the Philippines against the Japanese invasion and the First Catholic Mass in the Philippines in the shore of the town islet of Limasawa.

An island with people of overflowing hospitality, unbeatable resilience and genuinely beautiful smiles, Leyte is indeed a must-visit to every tourist who wants to be one with nature & experience sincere culture. Once you visit Leyte, you will certainly find serenity. Read More: https://amkortravel.wordpress.com/2016/07/26/find-serenity-in-leyte-20-must-visit-tourist-spots-in-leyte/

MacArthur Landing Memorial

Photo from: http://www.wazzuppilipinas.com/2013/05/douglas-macarthurs-landing-at-red-beach.html

The Leyte Landing Memorial in Red Beach, Palo, marks the spot where American liberation forces of General Douglas MacArthur landed.

The Battle of Leyte in the Pacific campaign of World War II was the invasion and conquest of Leyte in the Philippines by the United States and Australian forces and allied Filipino guerrillas under the command of General Douglas MacArthur and waged against the Imperial Japanese Army in the Philippines led by General Tomoyuki Yamashita from 17 October 1944 to 31 July 1945. The battle launched the Philippines campaign of 1944-45 for the recapture and liberation of the entire Philippine Archipelago and to end almost three years of Japanese occupation.

The Battle of Leyte Gulf, also known as the Second Battle of the Philippine Sea, was the largest naval battle in modern history. It was fought in the Pacific Theater of World War II, in the seas surrounding the Philippine island of Leyte from 23 October to 26 October 1944 between the Allies and the Empire of Japan. Read More: http://www.tourisminthephilippines.com/city/Tacloban/leyte-landing-memorial/leyte-landing-memorial.php

Mahaba Island

Photo from: http://faq.ph/cuatro-islas-leyte-digyo-mahaba-apid-himokilan/

As its name suggests, Mahaba Island is elongated in shape and is the second largest of the group. The island is covered in lush vegetation and barely inhabited with only a tiny village in the northwest. There are beautiful white-sand beaches on the eastern and northern sides. We landed and stayed at the beach on the eastern section which is the longest in the island.

The waters off Mahaba are remarkably clear and crystalline, among the clearest we’ve seen. There are rock formations on the eastern side and a long sand-bar running parallel to the beach. We enjoyed swimming and taking pictures here. We’ve heard that the snorkeling here is very good. The island is actually a protected marine sanctuary and sea turtles have been observed on occasion. The coral reef is several meters away from shore where the sea bottom drops off suddenly to form a reef wall. From previous experience we know that this is where reef fishes abound. In retrospect we should have asked our boatmen to anchor at that point to allow us to snorkel from the boat. Read More: http://shoestringtravelers.com/?q=node/106