Moving back to Australia at the end of 2021 put Asia at the top of my travel bucket list.
The Philippines had always been on my radar, but I’d never got around to visiting.
That’s until I had dinner with a Filipino friend early in 2022. I mentioned how I had always wanted to go, and he said “Why don’t we go?”. And so we did.
We got to planning fairly quickly. He suggested we should do a Tao island hopping trip.
The trips last for 5-7 days and hit up a dozen or so of the Philippines’ pristine islands.
Before long, we’d recruited another Filipino friend, and then eventually some other friends decided to join too.
We settled on a 6 day sailing trip from Coron to El Nido on Palawan.
We then figured if we were going all that way, we should try to see something before or after.
Before long, we had a 26 day itinerary planned.
In close to a month, we planned to visit Manila, Bohol, Siargao, Coron, El Nido, Cebu and Boracay.
We’d also planned a handful of day trips to maximise our time in the country.
| Wednesday | 11th | Sydney-Manila | |
| Thursday | 12th | Manila | |
| Friday | 13th | Manila to Bohol | Bohol Inland Tour |
| Saturday | 14th | Bohol | |
| Sunday | 15th | Bohol-Cebu-Siargao | |
| Monday | 16th | Siargao | Siargao Island Tour |
| Tuesday | 17th | Siargao | Naked, Guyam and Daku Island trip |
| Wednesday | 18th | Siargao-Cebu-Coron | |
| Thursday | 19th | Coron | Calauit Safari and Black Island tour |
| Friday | 20h | Coron | Ultimate Coron Island Hopping Tour |
| Saturday | 21st | Tao sailing | |
| Sunday | 22nd | Tao sailing | |
| Monday | 23rd | Tao sailing | |
| Tuesday | 24th | Tao sailing | |
| Wednesday | 25th | Tao sailing | |
| Thursday | 26th | Palawan | |
| Friday | 27th | Palawan | Island Hopping Tour A |
| Saturday | 28th | El Nido-Puerto Princesa-Cebu City-Moalboal | |
| Sunday | 29th | Moalboal | |
| Monday | 30th | Moalboal | Kawasan Falls Canyoneering Adventure |
| Tuesday | 31st | Cebu | |
| Wednesday | 1st | Cebu-Boracay | |
| Thursday | 2nd | Boracay | |
| Friday | 3rd | Boracay | |
| Saturday | 4th | Boracay-Manila-Sydney | |
| Sunday | 5th | ||
Eventually, the 11th of January rolled around and we hopped on our Philippine Airlines flight PR212 from Sydney to Manila.
The flight wasn’t cheap – coming in around $2300 return, each.
Nothing is cheap post-pandemic so we sucked it up and set off on our way.
The flight left at 1145 and landed in Manila, thanks to the time difference, just after 5pm.
We sorted ourselves with a couple of local Sim cards at the airport and set out to find out how to get into town.
I ended up going with SMART. I think it cost around 2000PHP or $50 and had something like 80gb of data and was good for a month.
My friend got a similar deal with Globe.
We picked up a taxi outside the airport and ended up paying PHP 1300 which was about $35. We were tired and over it at the time and didn’t mind paying, but we later worked out we’d overpaid.
By the time we got out of the airport it was 1800 and with traffic it took us an hour to do the 10km from the airport to our hotel Seda Bonifacio Global City(BGC).
I was sort of overwhelmed when researching where to stay but a few friends recommended staying at BGC and so we just went with it.
The area was a bit soulless and catered to rich Filipinos and expats, but it was clean and safe and easy enough to get around.
We got freshened up and went for a wander in seek of something for dinner.
We settled on Manam which was a pretty good introduction into Filipino fare.
1872 php in $51 aud
Around 2200 we went back to the hotel, ready to relax after a long, long day.
January 12th
We’d been tossing up whether or not to stay in Manila for a day. I’d been before and knew it was a dump. But Lauren hadn’t and so we decided to just go for it, and have a slow start to our trip.
We wandered down to Wild Flour in BGC for breakfast which was decent but expensive (like western prices) and the service was appalling. We paid 1671PHP which is about $45 dollars.
After brekkie we called a Grab to head into town to do some sightseeing.
It took us about an hour and so it was already midday, and scorching and humid by the time we arrived at Rizal Park.
The Grab cost us 453PHP or about $12.
We had a bit of a wander through the park before heading over to the Intramuros.
We spent a couple of hours wandering around the old town, checking out the churches and Fort Santiago before stopping at Ristorante delle Mitre for a drink and a snack.
We had a couple of drinks and a cake and it came out at $13 but we were happy just to sit and have some reprieve from the heat.
Around 1500 we got another Grab and headed back to the Hotel to chill and get freshened up for dinner.
The Grab costs 545PHP or about 15 bucks and took a little over an hour from the Intramuros back to BGC.
We spent some time relaxing and checking out the hotel gym and pool, before heading to Mataki for dinner.
We had planned on going to Raffles for a cocktail before heading somewhere else for dinner, but the traffic was so bad that we decided to just stay at Raffles and have some snacks with our cocktails.
The Grab to Mataki was 300PHP or about $8 and took us 30 minutes to complete the 5km trip.
We were up for an early flight, so decided not to have late night.
We were in a Grab by 0500 and at the airport by half past. It cost us 316PHP or $8.50, a bit cheaper than our first trip in a taxi.
Check in was a breeze and it wasn’t long before we were waiting at the gate for our 0725 AirAsia (Z2 350) to Tagbilaran (Bohol). The flight cost us about $172 for the two of us, or 6326PHP.
We arrived at 0855 and had a driver collect us from the airport.
I can’t remember exactly where I found the driver – I think in a Trip Advisor forum. I got his number and text him on Whatsapp. He was attentive and offered a reasonable price (2500PHP/$68)
He collected us from the airport and then took us sightseeing before dropping us off at the hotel.
We had him all day and he took us to the Chocolate Hills, Man Made Forest, Tasier Sanctuary. Bohol Butterfly and Lemur Park, the Blood compact, Baclayon church and Loboc floating restaurant.
Our first stop on the tour was the Blood Pact Shrine which Wikipedia will tell you is a historically significant place where Miguel Lopez de Legaspi and Rajah Sikatuna performed a blood compact on March 16, 1565. This gesture supposedly signified peace and friendship between the foreigners and the natives of Bohol.
It’s just a statue and a photo op and not really anything special, but it’s on the way, so why not.
Ten minutes down the road we came to the Baclayon Church. It’s not much to look at from the outside, but inside (if you pay the 150PHP/$4 entry fee) is an OK museum and, more impressive – the beautiful frescoed ceilings of the church. We only zipped through, but I think it was worth it.
Next up was the Bohol Lemur and Butterfly Park. It’s sort of random and not super interesting for us, but again, it’s on the way and so why not.
It was only 100PHP or about $2.70 to enter.
Next up we were supposed to go to the Loboc River and have lunch on a floating restaurant, but apparently there’d been a lot of rain and the rivers were swollen and so the restaurants were closed.
Instead we headed north to the Tasier Sanctuary with a quick stop off in the Bilar man made Forest.
That’s a two two kilometre-long dense Mahogany Forest. It’s apparently the result of a reforestation project which started 50 years ago. Again, it’s interesting to experience the quick change in temperature and to see the trees but it’s nothing special.
Next up was the Tasier Sanctuary.
I think that was the highlight of the day. It was 140PHP or about $3.81 each to enter, plus we paid a little bit more in tips to get some epic pictures of the little critters. Definitely worth the effort.
About 40 minutes further north, we arrived at the Chocolate Hills. The weather was pretty average, but we still climbed up the highest hill and got some OK shots.
Entry to the site was 100PHP or about $2.70. There are also extras like quad biking and ziplining etc but we weren’t really interested in any of that.
Also got my drone out for a big of a play.
We had a quick snack there, before the long journey back to Panglao Island, to find our hotel.
We decided to stay at La Sirenita, which was just a run of the mill “dive hotel” but did the trick.
It was clean and comfortable and right on the beach.
It was already 1530 by the time we arrived at the hotel and it had been a long day, so we had a bit of a chilled afternoon before walking along the beach to find something to eat.
We went to Pyramid for a seaside, sunset cocktail and ended up staying for dinner.
Saturday 14th
After a long, busy Friday, we decided to have a low key Saturday.
We got up and decided to venture up to the main road for breakfast.
One of the places that kept getting a mention was Shaka and so we decided to give that a go. It wasn’t cheap – 1220PHP or about $33 for breakfast but it wasn’t didn’t break the budget, either.
It was about midday before we decided to hit the road – crossing Panglao Island for Hinagdanan Cave.
We took a Tuktuk about 20 minutes and it cost us 250PHP or about $7.
Entry to the cave was the same. So about $3.50 each.
When you get there it’s somewhere between cool and scary. There’s a steep, wet set of stairs that disappear deep, down into the darkness.
Mind the bats as you descend deep into the ground, until the tunnel opens up into a big cave.
We spent an hour or so swimming and carrying on before heading back up into the world.
We found another TukTuk and made a Bee-Line (see what I did there) to the Bohol Bee Farm.
It’s sort of a resort and a restaurant right on the water with fab views.
We just wanted to have a bit of lunch and to relax.
It wasn’t cheap – lunch cost us 1628PHP or about $45 – but the setting and atmosphere was great.
Finally, around 1530, we decided to call it a day and head back to the La Sirenita.
We wanted a bit of time to head down the beach and have a swim and enjoy the dying hours of the day.
We hadn’t yet realised, but Bohol is (in)famous for its starfish. Hundreds of them. Right there, about waist-deep in the water.
We had spent a bit of time inspecting them, and wandering up and down the beach, before heading home to get ready for dinner.
We decided to check out Garadas – which was a bit of a way out, but the food was decent. The atmosphere was a bit lacking. It’s a big wedding venue-esque place about 15 minutes from the town. It was pretty empty when we went there – so a bit quiet, but it was fine.
Dinner cost us 1310PHPP or about $36.
When we left, we couldn’t find a taxi, or Tuktuk back to civilisation, so one of the guys from the restaurant was kind enough to take us back into town. When we tried to offer him money he refused which we thought was pretty nice.
We grabbed a quick shaved ice and mango dessert at Cafe Snow Park before heading home to bed.
Sunday 15th
We were up early for a long day of travel today.
We grabbed a quick breakfast back at Pyramid before jumping into a taxi for Tagbilaran ferry port. The hotel orgainsed the taxi and it ended up being 800PHP or around $22.
We arrived around 0930 giving us plenty of time to check in for our 1040 ferry to Cebu City. We booked through 12GO and ended up going with OceanJet – for no other reason than the timing was good. It cost us $51.40 for the two of us. We also had to pay a port fee which was 60PHP or about $1.65 for the two of us.
We also had to pay 200PHP or about $5.50 for our bags.
About two hours later we were sailing into Cebu Pier.
We’d heard (and experienced) a lot about the terrible traffic in the Philippines so I decided to organise a driver to meet us at the pier seeing as though we only had a couple of hours before our flight to Siargao.
We sorted the car with Klook. It cost us $20. The driver was waiting for us and I think we were at Mactan Airport in about 30 minutes.
We arrived around 1330 giving us plenty of time to try out Jollibee for lunch.
We were back on Philippine Airlines flight PR2382 for our 1530 flight to Sayak Airport in Siargao.
The flight was 4698PHP for the two of us, or about $129.
We landed at 1630, paid our 20PHP (55c) port fee and went outside to find our car.
We had decided to rent a car for Siargao so we had more flexibility and time to explore. It cost $341 which I think was a bit rich, but divided by the four of us, and spread over the three days, I thought it was worthwhile. It also meant we didn’t have to pay for return airport transfers.
In the end we went with Coastal Reef Adventure.
It was 1730 before we arrived at the hotel and so after a quick freshen up in our family room – we decided to head out to dinner.
At Siargao we decided to stay at Romantic Beach Villas in General Luna which cost us $476 for the three days, including breakfast.
The loft-style room wasn’t massive, but it was fine for the four of us, especially considering we were only there to sleep.
The hotel is right on the beach and had a nice pool, and the gardens were pretty nice.
The Wifi was mediocre in the room, but it just meant we had to spend more time out enjoying the common areas.
We decided to go to La Mesa for dinner for a low key dinner with some nice Filipino fare.
We grabbed a quick ice cream dessert at Ice&Roll, Baby, before heading back to the hotel.
It’d been a long day so about 8pm we went back to the room to relax.
Monday 16th
Today was all about exploring Siargao.
We got up early to catch the sunrise at the pool, before checking out the hotel breakfast.
Around 8:30 we set off on our adventure – first stop – the coconut viewing deck. It took us about 45 minutes to get there, made worse by the fact that there had been flooding and some of the main roads had been flooded.
There’s not a great deal to see but it’s worth a stop to stretch your legs and take in the vast swaths of coconut trees.
Just a few minutes down the road we came to the Maasin Bridge River.
I thought this was just going to be a photo stop, but when we arrived we discovered you could rent little boats and go up the river to the secret pool.
It cost us 1180PHP or about $33 dollars for the three of us – which basically included entry (?) plus a guide and canoe trip up the river to the secret pool.
We all had a really good time and I’d definitely recommend it.
After we were done fooling around in the pool, we headed back to the bridge and spent a couple of hours playing on the makeshift diving boards.
Around 1130 we hopped back in the car and headed north to the Magpopongko Rock Pools and Flats.
The weather was pretty bad and the tide was still high (make sure you check the tides.) so we decided to go back and check out Tayangban Cave Pool while we waited for the tide to go down a little more.
The cave is on private land and you have to pay 100PHP or about $2.75 for entry and the mandatory guide. And you need it.
We descended deep, down a wet path before having to enter the chest-deep water and swim into a submerged cave.
It’s fun, but not for the fainthearted.
It eventually opens up and there are a couple of outdoor pools to explore.
The experience took us about 45 minutes and so around 2:30 we were back on the road, headed back to Magpopongko Rock Pools.
When we arrived we decided to have lunch in one of the beach shacks, before heading over to explore the rock pools.
The water was still high, but we were able to hop in and enjoy the pool.
We stayed for a couple of hours before heading back to General Luna to check out the Cloud Nine boardwalk.
Entry was 400PHP or about $11 for the four of us. And it’s a total scam. The pier was badly damaged in Cyclone Odette and so you’re basically paying to walk along a bridge.
It was sunset by the time we got there, and so we got some snaps and then headed back to the hotel to get ready for dinner.
We decided on Kanin Baboy Siargao dinner for dinner and we weren’t disappointed. All the different types of pork.
We went back to Ice&Roll baby for a quick dessert before heading back to the hotel for an early night in preparation ahead of our day trip the following day.
Tuesday 17th
We had a lazy morning, enjoying breakfast at the hotel, before grabbing a TukTuk down to the port to get a boat.
The Tuktuk cost 300PHP or about $3.30 for the short trip into town.
We opted for a private boat which set us back 2500PHP or about $68 for three islands. We also had to pay 100PHP each as a port fee.
First stop was Naked Island – basically a big, sandy island in the middle of nowhere.
We had a swim and a bit of a wander around the island before hopping back on the boat for our second destination: Daku Island.
We had to pay another entry/environmental fee (160PHP or $4.40) and then we were free to roam the island.
Daku is much bigger. There’s a little village there and a couple of little restaurants – or at least kitchens that can cook lunch for you.
We paid 2155PHP or about $60 for lunch – which was a total rip off for a bit of fish and chicken, so I’d BYO or make sure you organise a tour with lunch included.
It was still a bit rainy and miserable but we decided it was time to get back on the boat and head over to our final destination: Guyam Island.
Guyam is tiny – it only takes a minute or so to walk across the Island.
There’s not a great deal to do, but after a busy day we were happy to chill for a while.
Entry to the island/the environmental fee was 160PHP $4.40. When we got there we had a walk and a bit of an explore, before swimming and playing on a set of submerged swings.
The island was fairly busy, but we still managed to enjoy our time there.
Around 1500 we decided to call it a day. We had a 30 minute trip back to General Luna and a short, Tuktuk trip (120PHP or $3.30) back to the hotel.
We went to Cafe Luna for dinner before calling it a night.
Wednesday 18th
We were up at the crack of dawn for our 8am flight to Coron.
We left the hotel around 0500, giving us plenty of time to fill up the car and return it, and get to the airport.
The flight wasn’t cheap – 4551PHP or about $125 for Siargao-Cebu-Coron.
At 720 we boarded PR2375 en route for Cebu City.
We arrived at 0820, and seeing as though we had a good four hours before our connecting flight to Coron, we decided to head into town for a bit of breakfast and a look around.
We found the airport luggage (900PHP or $25), dumped our bags and got a Grab into the city. Half way into town we decided to get something for breakfast before our express visit. We Googled around and ended up at Bicester Cafe.
The Grab cost us 460PHP or $12.60 and took about 30 minutes.
After a quick bite we were back on the road (Grab:275PHP), making a bee-line to Fort San Pedro (entry: 120PHP) which was smaller and sort of less impressive than I had thought it would be.
Next up, we had a quick stop at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral it’s nothing special, but worth a look if you’re in the neighbourhood.
Continuing north, we hit the Heritage of Cebu Monument which was pretty epic.
It was stinking hot, so we grabbed a couple of drinks before hopping back in a Grab to the airport.
We were back around midday giving us plenty of time to grab our bags, check in and find our gate.
At 1310 we hopped on our connecting flight PR2680 to Coron.
We landed at 1435, paid our island tax (200PHP each) and hopped in a shuttle to our hotel – Jai-Cob’s Suites hotel.
We spent $717 for four rooms for three nights. It wasn’t cheap but we thought we should give ourselves some space seeing as though we were going to be spending seven days and nights together on the Tao sailing trip.
It took us about 45 minutes from Francisco B. Reyes Airport to Jai-cob Suites, and so we rolled in around 1630.
We organised a transfer through the hotel and it cost us 1000PHP or $27.25 for the four of us.
We had a quick freshen up and then decided to take advantage of the afternoon to check out the Maquinit Hot Springs.
We paid a guy 1000PHP or $27.50 to take us to the springs, wait for us, and bring us home when we were done.
The trip was only about 20 minutes but it was a pretty bumpy ride.
Entry to the springs cost the same (1000PHP or $27.50) for the four of us.
We spent an hour or so soaking in the hot baths, chilling, and exploring the complex before getting changed and going out to find our driver.
For dinner we went to Levin Eatery – high up on the rooftop of one of the buildings on the main street. The food was good and the staff (who all seemed to be ladyboys) all seemed cool too.
Thursday 19th
We had a spare day before our friends arrived and wanted to do a day trip.
We’d already been to a couple of islands, and were about to do a seven-day island hopping adventure, so we decided to do an island trip – which would take in Calauit Safari Park, and Black Island.
They collected us from the hotel at 0830 and we were on the way.
The drive up north was a rough one, and took us about 2 hours.
You also have to get on a little boat for a short trip across to the peninsula.
Once we arrived, there was a bit of stuffing around signing disclaimers and then like, but before we knew it we were on the back of our safari jeep, heading off in search of the critters.
We spent about three hours at the park and got some epic photos with the Giraffes and zebras.
They also had a heap of creepy crawly reptiles that we could poke and prod.
I’m not generally into zoos and the like, and having been on safari a couple of times. I wasn’t totally sold on the tour, but the experience was great and you really got to get up close and personal with the animals.
When we were done harassing the animals, we were back on the jeep and the boat, headed back for the mainland.
About ten minutes down the road we stopped at Buluang Fishpond Restaurant for lunch.
Around 1430 we were back on the road headed for New Busuanga to take our boat to Black Island.
I’m not sure what any of us thought Black Island might be like, but we were all impressed at our first glimpses.
A small white beach skirted round the island with huge black, jagged limestone cliffs jutting out of the centre. The water was beautiful and clean and best of all, we basically had the entire island to ourselves.
We spent a few hours exploring the caves on the island, inspecting its huge lizards and swimming in its crystal clear waters.
I even managed to get the drone up for a while.
Eventually it was time to say goodbye, and start our long journey back to Coron Town.
We met our friends and ended up at Trattoria Altrove for dinner.
And then there were six.
Friday 20th
I was up before 0500 (probably still jet lagged) and so I decided to hike up Mount Taypas for sunrise
It’s not the easiest climb – there are more than 700 steps to the top of the 210 metre mountain – but it’s pretty straight forward.
I caught the sunrise and got some cool shots before heading back to the hotel by 0730.
An hour later the driver arrived to take us to the port for our tour.
We’d opted for the Ultimate Coron Tour and decided to get a private boat, seeing as though we were now a group of six.
The tour cost us 14420PHP or about $393 and we paid an extra 1500PHP/$41 for a Kayak we hardly used and 900PHP/$24.50 for snorkeling gear.
First stop on the tour was a very busy Kayangang Lake.
Next up, the Twin Lagoons.
We also stopped at Sunset Beach for lunch.
I probably would have liked to have gone to Barracuda Lake because people rave about it but I think we ran out of time. I guess it was probably more of the same anyway.
We got back to civilisation around 1600 have a quick freshen up before heading to the Tao headquarters for our briefing.
We met all the other people on the expedition, had a drink of their infamous jungle juice and then headed off into the night.
For dinner we try another one of the Philippines’ infamous fast food outlets: Andox Chicken.
Saturday 21st
We left the hotel bright and early and headed down to the port to meet our crew and fellow adventurers.
The next five days were a bit of a blur of islands, unique Tao Camps, snorkeling, swimming, sunbaking, eating, drinking and chilling.
I’ll write a separate post about the Tao experience here.
Thursday 26th
About 1600 we sailed into El Nido, unloaded all our stuff from the boat, and headed into town.
The Tao HQ is here in Corong Corong. It’s about 10-15 minutes from the main town. There are a few chill hotels and restaurants on this side of the island, but it definitely feels like the action is closer to El Nido town, along the beach.
We decided to stay at Amos Portside Inn which was pretty basic but was in a pretty good location close to the action.
We got freshened up and headed back to Corong Corong on the other side of town for dinner and to meet the other guys from the Tao trip – at Bella Vita El Nido.
After dinner we ended up at Tribu Kuridas for a few (too many) beers.
Dinner turned into drinks and we went into town to Tribu Kuridas for a few (too many) beers.
Friday 27th.
We got up early and had a bit of breakfast at Brunch El Nido, before heading back to the Amos Portside Inn to wait for our guide.
The weather was a bit miserable, but we’d decided to go on the TOUR A El Nido island hopping adventure.
The guide collected us around 0905 (despite the 0830 pick up time) and transferred us to the tour office to sign our now familiar disclaimer.
They then transferred us to the beach to wait for our boat.
There was a lot of waiting and stuffing around, but eventually, around 1000, we waded waist-deep into the water to climb on the boat.
I wish I remembered the name of the tour company, because I wouldn’t recommend it, but it’s what it was.
The tour took us to the super busy secret lagoon which I’m not sure was worth it. There was a line to climb through a small hole and into an enclosed cesspool filled with tourists.
The nearby Jiji’s beach was pretty nice though.
Next up we continued to the Big and Small Lagoons.
We rented a couple of kayaks for the big lagoon, and despite the waves and the weather, it was pretty epic.
The Kayak rental was 600PHP/$16 (for two kayaks). It wasn’t only worth it, but probably essential. I’m not sure we could have got into the Big Lagoon otherwise, considering the waves and the weather we experienced.
We also had a couple of opportunities to go snorkeling. We decided only to rent a pair of snorkels and share them between the four of us. That set us back 200PHP/$5.50.
Next up, we stopped at Shimizu Island for lunch, or off the beach, in any case.
Finally, we had a quick afternoon stop at 7 Commando Beach, before braving the waves and the weather on our way back to El Nido town.
The weather was pretty average and the water was rough, but we managed to somehow get a bit of sunshine each time we stopped at one of our destinations.
We survived the tour and got got back to the beach and then the hotel around 1700.
We got warmed up and changed before heading out in search of dinner.
We ended up at Wilnags Resto.
Saturday 28th
I had planned to get up early to climb Taraw Peak for sunrise but I couldn’t seem to find a guide to take me. No one was replying and I guess because the weather was foul, it probably would have been unsafe anyway.
Instead, around 0730 we headed down the road for a bit of breakfast at El Nido Boutique Artcafe.
At 0930 the driver arrived, and we all bundled into the van for our long trip to Puerto Princesa.
We paid 6000PHP for the private transfer, which is about $165. The trip took us five hours with a couple of stops.
We arrived at the airport around 1500 and seeing as though we had a bit of time before our 1845 AirAsia flight (Z2546), we decided to check out bags then hop back in a taxi and head out to find some food.
We ended up at Jollibee again for a quick snack before heading back to the airport.
We arrived at Cebu at 1800.
The flight cost us about $60 each.
We’d organised another transfer – this time to Moalboal. I organise that on Klook and it cost $110 and took us three hours.
It was a bit of a hairy drive, mostly in the dark, but we were so tired by this point we didn’t mind.
We rolled into Pescadores Suites Hotel around 2300 and pretty much went straight to sleep.
Sunday 29
After a long day of travel we decided to have a pretty chilled today.
We had a decent breakfast at the hotel before heading down to check out the water.
The hotel had free snorkelling gear and I think we got a voucher for 15 minutes free use of the clear kayaks.
The hotel is fairly big and was very obviously kid friendly. But it didn’t seem to bother us too much. The rooms were big, bright and clean. The only downside, I guess, is the location. It was a good 10-15 minutes into town, which was a bit of a drag when we were tired and wanted to grab something for dinner.
We also had all sorts of drama paying due to their system. There was an ATM on site but I preferred to pay on my card, which I eventually managed to do.
There’s a peppering of restaurants along the way, so there are plenty of choices if you are too lazy to go all the way to the main street. There’s also the option of investigating transport I suppose.
Moalboal is famous for its sardine runs and turtles which are just off the shore.
We decided to swim up from our hotel and it wasn’t long before we were swimming through thick clouds of fish.
The coral was pretty decent too.
We only managed to see one turtle, but that’s better than none.
After we’d had our fun, we swam back to the hotel and got washed up for lunch.
We ended up at Smooth Cafe which clearly catered to tourists and was probably overpriced, but it wasn’t terrible.
In the afternoon we had a bit of a chilled afternoon, including a massage, before heading back into town for dinner.
This time we ended up at Betsy’s diner.
Monday 30
We got picked up at 0730 by our driver to start our Kawasan Kanyoneering adventure.
Around 0800 we arrived at the Beltram canyoneering “office” and signed our lives away before getting kitted up for our big adventure.
We got bundled into our fancy yellow people mover and taken up the mountain to park office.
We had to fill out more paperwork and pay the 4200PHP entry fee ($115 for the three of us). We also decided to pay the 1800PHP/$50 dollars (for the three of us) to zipline into the park.
You can choose between ziplining and doing a 45 minute walk along a path to the entry, but we wanted to be quick and efficient, and try out zipline.
It wasn’t long before we were clambering over rocks, jumping into the Gatorade blue rockpools and swimming under waterfalls.
We finished up around 1230 and after the team gave us lunch we were on the road again – this time for Osmeña Peak.
The drive took us about an hour and a half which may or may not have been longer than usual because apparently there had been a landslide and one of the main roads was closed.
We arrived around 1430, and paid our 50PHP entry each + 50 more for parking and 150PHP for a guide ($4).
It was super cloudy and windy but we made our way up the mountain in about 30 minutes and tried to take advantage of any clearing of the clouds to take pictures.
Around 1500 we were back on the road for Casino Peak. It’s only about 20 minutes up the road and probably offers similar views to Osmeña Peak but is less busy. It’s also a shorter but steeper climb.
Casino Peak also cost us 50PHP per person plus 150PHP for a guide.
The drive back to the hotel took us about 1.5 hours but we didn’t mind too much because we were all wrecked after all the day’s activities..
The driver for the day cost us 4500PHP or about $123 for the three of us. We organised it through the driver who brought us from Cebu to Moalboal on the Saturday evening.
We got back to the hotel around 6pm and after a bit of time relaxing, we wandered into town for dinner at Hungry Monkeys.
Tuesday 31
We’d organised another driver on Klook to take us back to Mactan Island.
He arrived around 0900 and after a quick stop at a shopping mall (to try to buy a replacement drone) we arrived at the hotel on Mactan Island around 1300.
The car cost us $110.
We had lunch at the hotel’s Sunset Bar and then went to the pool for some much needed time to relax and recuperate.
Dusit Thani Mactan Cebu Resort Cebu City cost us $487. That’s for two double seaview rooms. It’s more than we’d usually pay but we wanted a bit of lux after moving around and slumming it for so long.
Around 1900 we hopped in a taxi to head off to what everyone said was the premier lechon restaurant – Rico’s Lechon.
The pork was just OK in my opinion, and I don’t know whether it was lunch or dinner, but I ended up getting pretty sick, in the end.
The taxi to the restaurant was about $10 or 400PHP each way.
We had an early-ish night, before our early flight to our final island – Boracay.
Wednesday 1st
We were up pre-dawn for our flight from Cebu-Boracay.
We hopped in a taxi at 0630 for the airport.
It’s only about 10km from the hotel to the airport but the trip took us 40 minutes and cost us 500PHP or $14. We had to get two taxis because of all our luggage.
About 0720 we arrived at the airport which gave us just enough time to sort ourselves for our 0815 flight. We took Cebu Pacific flight 5J134 to Caticlan.
The flight cost us around $65 each. It was only an hour and a half so we were there around 0930.
It’s a bit of an ordeal to get from the airport to the island – involving a bus, a boat and another bus, but it’s all very well organised.
We ended up organising a transfer from the airport, but for our return trip we did it through the hotel. It was cheaper and a bit more lux because the hotel had its own shuttles and speedboats.
The shuttle from the airport to the port was 15 minutes. The boat took us 20 minutes from Caticlan Jetty Port to Boracay Jetty Port. And the shuttle from the port to the hotel was 10 minutes more.
We arrived at Henann Regency Resort and Spa at 1030.
The hotel cost $705 for the three of us, for three nights. Again, it was a little more than we’d been paying thus far, but it was the end of our trip and so we were up for a little bit of luxury.
The hotel had a gym and a couple of pools and was in a great location in District two.
A decent buffet breakfast in the hotel’s super busy restaurant was also included.
Only one of our rooms was ready when we arrived so we dropped off our bags and went out to check out Boracay.
The hotel is right on white beach, smack bang in the middle of all the bars and restaurants.
We decided to grab some breakfast and ended up at Bilicay along the beachfront.
We spent the day swimming, sunbaking and relaxing at the hotel before heading out for our sunset sailing adventure around 1700.
The experience was only an hour or so but probably all we needed. We got a private sailing boat for the four of us and had a nice time and it was definitely worth it.
After the trip we had a bit of a walk along the beach to enjoy the rest of sunset and to find something for dinner.
We ended up at Dos Mestizos for some traditional Filipino-Spanish snacks.
Thursday 2nd
After a leisurely breakfast at the hotel, we decided to find a driver to take us on a bit of an adventure around the island to explore a little.
We started off on the northeast corner of the island checking out Boracay NewCoast and the Rock Window.
Further north, we arrived at Puka Shell Beach – a big, white beach with small waves.
Finally, around midday the driver dropped us off at Diniwid Beach.
We had a swim, sunbake and a bit of an explore, before wandering back to the hotel.
The walk was only about 20 minutes around the rocks and along the beach.
Around 1730 we headed back out for a couple of sunset cocktails.
We ended up at Boracay Mandarin Island Hotel – just next door to the Henann.
We ended up having Mexican at Muchos for dinner.
Friday 3rd
After breakfast at the hotel we decided to cross the island to explore Bulabong beach on the eastern coast of the island. I don’t know if it’s always the case, but it was super windy. There were heaps of windsurfers out and about. The weather was pretty miserable and grey.
Back on the west coast – (about 100 metres away) the sun was shining and the water was glistening.
We had a couple of swims before deciding to get a pedicure. It was 1200PHP or about $32 dollars for the three of us.
We had some stacks from Potato Corner and Chow King before heading back to the hotel to relax.
Around 1730 we wandered up White Beach for some sunset drinks and dinner.
We ended up at Percy’s Seafood Restaurant . Food and drinks were decent, and the views were fantastic.
Saturday 4th
We had a pretty low key last morning in Boracay.
After breakfast at the hotel we had some time relaxing at the pool and the beach before packing up for the long trip home.
We managed to squeeze in one more pedicure (two in two days – living the life!!) before heading back to the hotel for our pick up.
Around 1430 the hotel shuttle arrived and transferred us to the hotel’s VIP suite at the Boracay Ferry Port. We hopped on the hotel boat and then in a van at Caticlan port for the short trip to the airport.
We got to the airport around 1500 which gave us plenty of time to check in for our 1830 Cebu Pacific Flight DG6246 to Manila.
The flights were $254 for the three of us.
Seeing as though we were so early, we managed to get put onto an earlier flight – meaning we arrived at Manila around 1740 – or around two hours early.
We landed at Terminal 3 and took the three shuttle for Terminal 2 for our Philippine Airlines flight to Sydney.
It was only 1900 and we still had plenty of time before our flight to Sydney and so we decided to check in before heading back out into the world to find something for dinner.
In the end we ended up going to Newport Mall.
It’s a big Casino resort mall-esque complex with heaps of restaurants.
The taxi cost us 548PHP or around $15 and took about 20 minutes.
We ended up at Parmiagiano – an Italian restaurant – which felt a bit like a chain but was pretty decent.
One of the owners was there and spent the time to go around and talk to all the diners.
We had a bit of a walk around the area before calling a Grab back to the airport.
The taxi back was only 258PHP or about $7 for the three of us.
The 5km trip took us 30 minutes – traffic is the worst in Manila.
We arrived back at the airport around 9pm, giving us just about two hours before our Philippines airlines flight – PR 211 at 2245.