The Philippines were a dream! Mind boggling clear waters with an abundance of coral and fish, exciting tricycle and boat rides and we met an awesome bunch of new friends to enjoy it with.
Highlights of the trip were Ariel’s Point (Boracay) cliff jumping, Spider House Resort where we spent an afternoon eating/drinking and swimming, Midnight Sun Tours (El Nido) where we spent three days exploring the greater El Nido region including secret/hidden caves and beaches, swimming with the whale sharks (Oslob, Cebu) and playing around with the Knekt Dome to get some half/half shots.
Above: Simizu Island (El Nido) snorkelling at its finest
Above: Ariel’s Point with 5 metre, 8 metre and 15 metre jumping platforms
We stayed at Ferra Hotel Boracay (the best service/most friendly staff I have ever received throughout all my travels), Spin Designer Hostel in El Nido (more like a hotel than hostel, nice and clean although somewhat damp), and Bayfront Hotel Cebu (amazing value/quality for price). We were slightly apprehensive about visiting the Philippines (as were our parents) but the key was traveling smart, researching accommodation and tours, and not staying out late/walking in quiet unlit alleyways.
Above: Whale sharks in Oslob (Island Trek Tours)
Tips: there were no ATMs/places to get cash out in El Nido and even at banks and airports in Boracay, Manila and Cebu, not all the ATMs would work with our credit cards so better to bring more cash than you think you need to the Philippines.
I would love to visit again and will definitely hit up Manjuyod, Negros and Coron next time 🙂 The sunsets here were amongst the best I have seen (you don’t get the haze like you do in Europe), but I’ll admit it’s not the safest of all travel destinations so be vigilant – play safe play long!
It rained once whilst we were there (the forecast for May was for thunder and rain the whole time so we fared quite well), and we saw a couple/few jelly fish and were stung but they were mild. Do wear water shoes as the coral are sharp! Watch our video below for a more action-packed summary of our trip 🙂