With so many beautiful islands to visit, we completely skipped visiting Manila. We’ll just be there for our flight to Vietnam, and get the complimentary potato chips 🤡
Ok, I confess, I’d prepared this post in advance just so I could place this most hilarious pun. It turned out slightly different.
So after two days in lovely and quiet Port Barton, we headed back to Puerto Princessa, one day ahead of our flight to Manila, because Mary had heard of an underground river that could be visited there. But after further investigation, the underground river seemed very much an expensive tourist trap where we’d be spending the whole day in transfers and sitting in a boat. So we ditched this and went back to what we do best: waterfalls and beach sunset, on a scooter!
In Puerto, the waterfall was farther away from the beach than usual so it was still quite a bit of driving, but at least we could bathe.
We went to the Talaudyong beach, on the west coast, a fantastic white sand beach and barely anyone there.
The only problem with sunsets is that after them, it gets very dark! And this time it started to rain, and we had two hours drive back to town, in the night and with the rain slapping our faces.
We drove carefully and arrived completely drenched at a restaurant where we each ordered a hot tea to warm us up.
This morning we woke up at 4am to catch our flight to Manila. We reached at 9am and -like in LA- we had most of the day to kill before our evening flight to Saigon. So we left our luggage in storage and headed to the old town for a little cultural stop.
We learned about the Spanish rule in the 16th century, who are praised for bringing the smallpox vaccine to the country. We learned about the Americans replacing the Spaniards after 1850’ish, and their failure to protect the country from the Japanese invasion during the second world war. The Japanese then occupied the country for 3 years and massacred over a 100,000 Filipinos before the liberation by the Americans at the end of the war. Only in 1946 did the Philippines become independent, when most of the decolonisation started.
So much culture after 3 weeks of waterfalls and sunsets! 😅
Once, in Dubai, Rita had introduced us to Dampa: a Filipino restaurant chain serving delicious seafood, and Leo fell in love with it. Mary kept it a surprise to the last moment that we were going to Dampa for lunch today. When we reached the restaurant, Leo was jumping in joy! We had a feast of crab and prawns and mussels.. then it was time to get back to the airport.
And that’s it. 3 weeks in the Philippines flew by so fast! We’ll have to come back here, it’s lovely, it’s clean, it’s safe, the nature is fantastic, the people are polite and friendly, and, well, for us indeed, it’s cheap!
Good bye Philippines, we had a blast! We’re now off to Vietnam!
Hiking to waterfalls Manila cathedral In memory of the violent japanese occupation Moat of Fort Santiago
Leo and I couldn’t wait to begin our Asia leg. Although Latin America was absolutely lovely, we were tired of the food there and were missing our vegetables.
After 3 stopovers we reached the Philippines! Arjun’s guitar had to be checked in when we stopped over in LA. China airlines refused to listen to us, citing some stupid policy and promising us that fragile goods are treated with TLC. In Cebu, we were shocked to find the guitar completely cracked open. TLC for China airlines meant “totally lacking care”! We were in Cebu city and super tired after almost 2 days in airports. The food in the malls were frankly disappointing and so I had a mango milk shake to feel better. Big mistake! I now know that the Philippines does not have fresh milk and imports mostly from the USA. The mango milk shake was mixed with milk powder and filtered water. It tasted odd and I wondered if we’d ever get to eat well. Luckily, the street food was cheap and delicious. We tried some barbecued meat and fish. Several stalls sell Balut which is a fertilized developing egg embryo that is boiled or steamed and eaten from the shell with a sauce. We weren’t adventurous enough to try that!
Moalboal is a scuba diving and snorkeling destination. On our 1st day there, we started enquiring about initiations in scuba diving. Arjun quickly reserved the session for the 3 of us. As you probably know, I have a phobia of deep waters. Still groggy in the morning, I didn’t have time to think and just went along. Before I could say hell no, I found myself in a wetsuit with an oxygen cylinder and a guide gently tugging me on the sea shore. When realisation struck, I politely told the guide that I had changed my mind. However, he wasn’t in the mood to listen and kept telling me that it’d be fine. We can come up to breath and relax whenever I’m scared. Arjun’s been pestering me to do this and I thought that he’d be off my back if I do this just once. If I die, he’ll regret this and not pester anyone else. My life would have a purpose. So I went ahead in spite of being sh.. scared. Once in the water, it was magical. I saw stunning coral reefs, a school of sardines and other brightly coloured fish 🐟 🐠 The next hour, I was switching between extreme fear and awe. I probably made the guide take me to the surface thrice to breathe. It was a frightening yet fascinating experience. I wouldn’t do this again in spite of it being so so gorgeous. I was very close to a panic attack 😳 The next day we went canyoning at the kawasan waterfalls and this meant diving in the turquoise blue water. It looked spectacular! I had a lifejacket and Arjun held my hand 💓 So I just jumped because I knew that I’d come up with the lifejacket. The next hour we’d wade through narrow passages, jump in the water, glide backwards while admiring the beautiful rock formations and the waterfalls. I had such a great time. We then went to Osloab to swim with whale sharks. By now, I felt comfortable in deep waters as long as I had a lifejacket. So we booked the trip and left to see the whales. We were given tokens and I saw hundreds of people seated to wait their turn. There were almost 50 small boats close to the shore. We were told not to touch the sharks and not wear any sunscreen. Our guide told us that we’d be given snorkeling gear. Once in the boat, we were given masks and no snorkeling gear. There wasn’t any choice now and we found ourselves with several boats and hundreds of people in the sea. A lot of fish feed was being tossed in the sea so the sharks could come and get it. We then saw the magnificent shark. It looked amazing! After a while I felt something stinging me and it was all over my body. I jumped into the boat with Leo. On the shore, we showered and learnt that we were stung by tiny jellyfish or had a reaction to plankton. We applied vinegar but it wasn’t placating the itchy sensation. The next week was a nightmare! I had a rash on my legs and they were sooooooo itchy. I had to put on the stinky Mexican cream to soothe myself. I hate these mass tours! We then went to Bohol, hired a bike and just went around. The chocolate hills are a strange formation and shelter the smallest primates in the world – the tarsiers. We didn’t see any and the tour was rather lame. We had to climb a few steps and have a look at the chocolate hills. While it looked amazing, it just felt like something for lazy tourists who don’t like to walk. While having lunch we had a chat with a drunk South African farmer who has been living on the island for years now. He encouraged us to take the bike around the chocolate hills. He also told us that he got a lot of snakes to bring down the rat population. Apparently the local Filipinos weren’t very pleased with the snake population. We rode around following his advice and then we decided not to listen to drunk people anymore. The road was really bad and Leo & I had to keep walking or wading through muck while Arjun struggled to move forward with the bike. We were tossed around in the bike like eggs being flipped on a pan. Also, isn’t there any government control on foreigners living in the Philippines? Are they allowed to experiment like the Australians did? From Bohol, we went to Siquijor and I fell ill from switching between the warm weather and the icy cold AC rooms. The next 2 days were spent in bed with Leo and Arjun exploring the island. It was then Leo’s turn to fall ill and Arjun went out alone. We loved Siquijor and its beautiful waterfalls. Mind-blowing! The beaches were equally fab with white soft sand. It’s a quiet, lazy island full of friendly people – a true paradise. Sadly, it was time to leave plus Arjun’s turn to fall ill 🤒🤧
We went to El Nido in Palawan because everyone kept recommending it, only to be in the midst of a town buzzing with tourists. Once there, we wanted to go back to Siquijor. We still went ahead with the classic boat tours that take you snorkeling around various islands and beaches. Despite being crowded, we thoroughly enjoyed them. We were mesmerized by the marine life. We were supposed to go to Coron but by now wanted to avoid crowds, so we went down south to a quieter place called Port Barton. We did a similar boat tour here and the experience was very different. It wasn’t rushed, the groups were waaaaay smaller and we felt much better. We also went to a waterfall close to our guest house and a really peaceful beach 🏖️ with literally noone! It was time to go to Puerto Princessa and stay there for a day before flying to Manila. Initially we wanted to take a subterranean boat tour which was recommended by many and we almost booked. When we learnt that it was a whole day trip of sitting in a van and then a boat for a half hour ride in caves, we changed our mind. Instead, we hired a bike and went to a waterfall and then our last sunset in the Philippines which was soooooooo breathtakingly beautiful. On our way back to the guesthouse there was a rainstorm and were soaking wet. I was worried about Arjun who had to put up the helmet visor to be able to see the road in the dark but had rain water literally pelting his eyes 👀 Leo was shivering on the bike and I couldn’t wait to shower and hop into bed.
Walking around the different islands in the Philippines, we felt super safe and secure. We walked around late at night, travel anywhere, leave our helmets on the bike, not worry about our phones, purses, camera etc. This was a welcome change from Latin America. The Filipinos are extremely friendly, kind and protective. The islands are not polluted or noisy. Filipinos love soft romantic numbers. 80s and 90s English pop songs are played everywhere! One of the strange thing I noticed in Philippines were young and pretty girls who were invariably with much older and not very good looking Caucasian men. All kinds of people can be attracted to all kinds of people but these men really looked like sugar daddies!
Our last day was in Manila. We had a day to spend at the airport and it was my turn to pester Arjun so we could have a quick look at the city. We left our bags at a locker within the airport and left to see the historical centre. Philippines has a bloody history with the Spaniards, Americans and the Japanese fighting for their land and wealth since the 16th century. The intramuros dungeons had a dark story and literally left me in tears. The Filipinos were finally independent in 1946 – a year before India. Most Filipinos complain about the corruption in their country. I don’t know what they have to say, now that the Americans are coming back to have their military base here 🤷🏾. Before we left, we stopped at the Dampa seafood grill to have some Boodle food – Leo’s favourite!
I love you Philippines and the lovely Filipinos. I’ll be back!
Pork lechon – a Filipino delicacy Chocolate hills Leo and Arjun climb up to dive into the water Luxury residence for the hensThe bumpy ride Sunset in Siquijor The kids near the waterfall asked Leo if he wanted a ride on their buffalo BalutSiesta time It was jelly fish season The star and the starfish Last sunset before leaving the Philippines 😔
First thing first, after landing at the Cebu airport, I collected my guitar that the stupid staff in LA forced me to check in.. I had objected of course but they assured me that the many “fragile” stickers would ensure careful handling, and anyways I didn’t have a choice! Well, what was bound to happen .. I got my guitar back with the body cracked open!
Anyways, more on this later.
Here we are in Asia, where the food has vegetables in it!!
It’s like a new beginning and barely 2 days here, Mary suddenly no ik j CV c overcomes her greatest fear of all! And twice in a row!!
Mary loves to be in the water. In shallow water only. As soon as there’s no floor beneath her feet, she panics.
First morning in Moalboal, we book a scuba diving initiation! Mary follows, somewhat reluctantly, and she manages!! I never thought she would ever try this, but she did!
Moalboal is famous for its schools of sardines just near the shore, and indeed it’s quite magical to swim in the swirl of sardines glittering all around you.
The next day -we’re on a roll!- we book a canyoneering excursion in the Kawasan falls. And again Mary manages to come along and jump in the water from 4 metres high! And this time she even enjoys the experience! (Ok, maybe not the jumps as such, but overall)
Knowing her fear for so long, I was very impressed that she managed to do this with us!
The next thing we did was to rent a scooter to explore a bit on our own. Indian style: the whole family on one scooter! Again, Mary was initially not reassured. But it went well, and we’ve been doing this ever since.
We found the Inambakan falls very beautiful. And the local kids showed me the scary slippery spot where you can jump from 10m high, so that was fun 🙂
On why waterfalls are so much better than the sea:
– it’s fresh water and not yucky sea water that makes you sticky
– there’s always shade, whereas beaches just let you burn to death
– no sticky sand all over you
– there’s always a jump spot or a cave to explore, or you can walk up the stream
Anyways, in the Philippines, you don’t have to choose, there’s always both within a few kilometres !
So that’s mostly what we’ve been up to: exploring waterfalls, then back on the beach for the sunset. Not a lot to write about though, which is why I’ve been running late on the blog!
Every other day, I still had to call Air China to fight and try to get a compensation for my broken guitar. They initially offered me 60usd in compensation for a guitar worth 600usd! After much arguing they raised it to 100usd. I said it was still unacceptable, they told me to check with LA to see if I can get more from them, I argued it was not my job to manage their internal communication and chase every agent in the company… etc etc… eventually I know the poor agent on which I yelled so much did everything she could. She managed to get the blame on the agent in LA who wrongfully forced me to check in a guitar in a soft case, the agent now had to pay 150usd from his own pocket!
So in the end, I get 250usd -not half the price of the guitar- the LA agent gets fined for trying to apply unclear rules, and Air China breaks luggage and gets away clean for a cheap 100 bucks!
After a few days in Moalboal, on the Cebu island, we took a ferry to Bohol, an island close by.
Bohol is most famous for its « chocolate hills », a strange geological formation with hundreds of round hillocks. The hills are very nice indeed, but they charge you to climb a few stairs up to a concrete platform overlooking the panorama, which we found a bit boring Here again we liked waterfalls better and we visited some by the Loboc river.
I had a hard time remembering the name of the main port town, Tagbilaran, so I kept calling it Tagliatelle !
From Bohol, we took another boat to Siquijor, a smaller island on the western side.
And we loooved Siquijor! Very quiet, friendly and with the most beautiful waterfalls ❤️ Unfortunately, Mary and Leo didn’t feel well for a couple of days so I went exploring on my own, and then I took them back to the spots I had found. One of the waterfalls had big swing ropes to jump in the water and that’s pretty much all we did. I even learned to do a backflip from the smaller one. It only took me 500 failed attempts where I would constantly land flat on my face! But perseverance had it eventually !
From there, we returned to Cebu city to catch a flight to Puerto Princessa, on the Palawan island, further to the east. Everyone kept telling us about the lagoons in El Nido, so we headed there. 5 hours in a van, directly after landing.
El Nido is a very touristic place, with an armada of boats leaving every morning to take hordes of tourists to the famous lagoons. We were rather put off by the crowd and felt caught in a tourist trap. But we took the tour anyway, because that’s the thing to do here, and indeed, the lagoons are mind blowing! Sharp black rocky spikes emerging straight up from clear turquoise waters. It’s very hard to render in photo (especially since i couldn’t wet my camera), none of my attempts give justice to the place. That’s typically where you need a drone.
We also went exploring some waterfalls of course. Nothing comparable to what we had in Siquijor here, but very refreshing nonetheless when it’s so hot in the day.
Last but not least, I climbed the Taraw cliff this morning. I did this alone since I had to wake up at 4am to reach the top by sunrise and neither Mary or Leo wanted to do it. It’s a very steep climb in complete darkness on razor sharp rock blades: not really a walk in the park. Of course the early morning view from the 1745m peak over the bay is stunning !
Most of the tourist crowd continues to Coron island, which is supposed to be a paradise for divers and snorkelers. But we decided to get away from the crowd this time, so we’re headed in the opposite direction : Port Barton will be more quiet.
First sunset on the Philippines Scuba diving for the first time!Canyoneering in KawasanThe Inambakan waterfall in CebuKids under the waterfallOn the stairs to see the chocolate hillsPosing in front of the chocolate hillsChess game in Tagbilaran (pronounce Tagliatelle!)Countryside of Bohol, while looking for waterfalls Pahangog falls in BoholLeo playing with the sun in SiquijorLeo jumping in Lugnason falls, SiquijorGiant swing on the beach in SiquijorMagical sunset in SiquijorBoats at sunsetTourist pose at our favorite spot: Cambugahay falls in Siquijor Swimming in the underground river in Siquijor The big lagoon in El Nido, PalawanClimbing Taraw cliff at 4amSunrise over El Nido from Taraw cliff
Here again we liked waterfalls better and we visited some by the Loboc river.
Raahi - A traveling family 