Philippines
In 2008 Rich travelled around the Philippines for two months and still maintains that it's his favourite country, so we were both very excited to come and travel it together. It's somewhere I've always wanted to go, but we were not sure if we would have enough time on this trip to fit it in. After a hectic and tiring few days in Taiwan, relaxing on some amazing beaches was exactly what we needed. With over 7000 islands, we knew we wouldn't be able to see a huge amount of the country, but were of the attitude that doing at least a tiny bit is better than doing nothing. Even in such a short space of time, I have quickly realised why Rich loves it so much and I am so glad we made time to squeeze it in.
We flew into Manila, the capital city of the Philippines, but decided not to spend any time there, so we had a connecting flight booked that would take us to Cebu City. We were just desperate to get to the beach and knew Manila would be like any other crazy Asian city, and we were not particularly bothered about spending any real amount of time there. We did, however have a few hours before our connecting flight so instead of doing nothing at the airport, we decided to check out one of the famous Filipino shopping malls in the city. One of the first things I noticed was how Christmassy it felt. Up until that point I hadn't felt as though Christmas was just around the corner at all, but Christmas starts in September in the Philippines so it was hard not to get in the mood when at the mall. It was very pretty and was quite obvious that as a Catholic country, Christmas is a big deal.
From Manila, we flew to Cebu City on Cebu Island and stayed for one night, purely as somewhere to rest our heads after a long day, knowing we were keen to move on the next morning. We headed for the island of Bohol, which was exciting for both Rich and for me, as although Rich spent a lot of time in the Philippines before, he did not make it to this island, so it was nice for us both to be experiencing new places. This was our goal from the beginning; that we would try and go to places he'd not already been, even if he'd previously been to the country itself.
The main thing that attracted us to the island of Bohol was the world famous Chocolate Hills. Rich was desperate to see them and after what he'd told me, I was excited too. We checked into a really nice little Eco guesthouse in Panglao, where we were staying in a tree house and had our own private hammocks. The place was very sweet and they had a lovely garden area, where they grew their own produce and served us wonderful food. The staff were so amazingly friendly and welcoming and we felt as though it was a home away from home. Unfortunately, a storm was heading our way and on our first proper day there, it poured it down with rain relentlessly, so we did not venture very far from our accommodation. A lazy day was actually just what we needed as we both felt exhausted after our manic time in Taiwan, so we went spent the day swinging in our hammocks, eating and generally not doing very much. It was a perfect start to our Philippines trip, but we were keeping everything crossed that the storm would pass over us the next day, so we could go out and explore the island. One day of laziness is fine but we knew we'd have to get out and about before we went too crazy.
We were lucky that the next day the storm had indeed passed (even though they'd had a weather warning about it getting worse), and it looked as though it was going to be a glorious day. We hired a motorbike from our guesthouse and set off around the island in search of the Chocolate Hills.
Riding all day gave us very sore bottoms indeed, but the sights and the Chocolate Hills were very much worth it. To finish off a lovely day, we made it to Alona Beach for dinner and beer just as the sun was setting. We were thinking about spending more time at Alona Beach the following day, but actually one evening there was enough as it seemed very touristy and a party central and we fancied something a little quieter and more relaxed.
Before setting off on the ferry to the next island, Siquijor we went to visit the cave that was a short walk from our accommodation. We were asked if we'd like to swim in the cave lagoon, which of course we said yes to but were unprepared and didn't really know what we were signing up for. When we got inside, it was very dark and slippery and I quickly changed my mind about swimming in a lagoon I could barely see. I was a little nervous about what was lurking under that water and wasn't sure if I'd go ahead and do it. We got talking to a man from Singapore and he was very keen to get into the water. Seeing him in there put me at ease and I decided to go for it as like he said, it would be a shame to go to the cave and not swim in the lagoon. I'm actually so glad we met that man as if it had not been for him, I don't think I would have gone ahead and swam, but seeing that it wasn't as dodgy as I thought it was, really made me relax. He let me borrow his prescription mask so that I could swim around and actually see something (as I'm blind as a bat without my glasses!) and the water was beautiful and so clear. There was definitely nothing to worry about. It was a little creepy swimming in a lagoon in the near dark, but also very peaceful as we were the only ones in there. We could hear even bats overhead; it was rather eerie!
Travelling around the Philippines seemed to be relatively easy. Rich joked that nothing ever goes to plan or leaves on time in the Philippines, but actually our experience of island hopping was very easy and everything seemed to run smoothly. We managed to get our ferries without any problems and it's great to be able to just turn up on the day and pay for your tickets as you go. The only thing that didn't go to plan was a website telling us there was an evening ferry to Siquijor but actually the only time the boat makes the crossing is at 10.30 am daily, so we'd already missed the one for that day. We rejigged our accommodation plans and set off to Siquijor the following day.
Siquijor was such a beautiful island and we had a fantastic few days enjoying the sunshine and packing lots of fun activities into our days. We were staying at a lovely hotel right on the beach and for its very reasonable price, the place was amazing for us as backpackers on a budget. The accommodation we have been staying in throughout our trip has been very good, with only the odd place being a little basic and grim (and booking these was out of our control). We decided right at the start of our travels that rather than stay in the dirt cheap hostels or guesthouses, we would opt for mid-range accommodation instead. We both decided we wanted to save money as much as possible but equally we wanted relatively nice places to sleep. So most of our guesthouses and hotels have been nice, but quite basic. The place in Siquijor felt like absolute luxury in comparison. We had a pool, a private beach and a nice restaurant overlooking the ocean, which all felt amazing to us. It's quite a nice feeling when you come to appreciate the little things, that perhaps you have taken for granted previously. These kind of things come as standard when you book a hotel, but not so much when you book basic and cheap guesthouses, so we felt quite lucky that we'd found such a nice place that was a bargain and so nice.
We spent the afternoon checking out our private beach that was quite literally on our doorstep. What an incredible feeling to step out of your door onto the beach and to hear the waves crashing at night as you lay in bed. The beach was beautiful and we were the only people there; it felt like no one else was around for miles. This was exactly what we wanted. We came to the Philippines for beaches and relaxation and I feel that is exactly what we got. The crystal clear sea was so warm and shallow and we had a little play around in both the sea and our pool, before taking to the restaurant for a bite to eat. It turned out the restaurant was pretty much ours as well and we sat and ate our food and drank cocktails whilst the sun set around us, creating a dramatic and beautiful backdrop. We felt like we were in paradise and we couldn't stop saying how wonderful it all was.
When we checked in, the receptionist gave us a map of the island and pointed out all of the things to do. There were a few that took our fancy, so we decided to rent a motorcycle the next day and go and check out a couple of the main attractions. Our first stop was Salagdoong Beach on the northeastern side of the island. The crystal clear water in the beautiful little cove immediately took our breath away and we didn't waste any time getting into the sea for some snorkelling. The coral was so colourful and amazing and the visibility for snorkelling was perfect. Whilst in the water I remember thinking that I felt like I was in paradise and just in that particular moment I felt so happy and lucky to be in that beautiful place.
We had some lunch and got back on our bike and headed for the next beach on our list: Kagusuan Beach. It was very pretty, but we were too distracted by a tiny little stray kitten to really take in where we were. The kitten was so cute and it pulled at our heart strings as she was clearly injured and hungry. We noticed she had injured her foot and we could actually see the bone, the poor thing. We gave her some water and she gratefully gulped it down. We went off for a swim and a sunbathe and decided that if the poor kitten was to get any better, then we needed to take her somewhere like a restaurant so she could at least be fed scraps and hopefully be in a better position that she was already in. We went back to find her so we could rescue her but she was nowhere to be seen. We felt so sad for her, but equally she was such a tiny kitten, she may have still been with the mother cat and we didn't want to separate her if that was the case. We keep thinking about her, even now and just hope that she was OK. There wasn't much we could do for her really as we couldn't have realistically taken her on the motorbike, but we were just so desperate to help her. There are stray cats and dogs all over Asia and none of them really pull at my heartstrings, but if they're injured and look like they're poorly and hungry it just makes me so sad.
There was one more destination on our Siquijor bucket list we wanted to cross off before the day was over and the sun was quickly starting to set, so we accepted we were unable to help the kitty and moved on to Cambugahay Falls, which was a lovely little waterfall with a rope swing. We got there about half an hour before they closed for the day and it was amazing because we were the only people there. It was so relaxing swinging into the lake, swimming around the falls and floating around in the pristine water. It had been a beautiful day exploring the sights and we hopped back onto our bike to ride back through the mountains, taking in the countryside and the local rural life. Everywhere we went we were greeted with waves and smiles from the locals. The children in particular were so excited when they saw us riding past on the motorbike; waving, cheering, high-fiving and shouting 'hello!'
As Rich is massively into Scuba Diving we decided that we'd quite like to dive together. We hadn't managed to do any diving at all throughout our trip and we thought it was about time we gave it a go as we've never actually dived together before. There was a dive shop as part of our hotel so we got chatting to the guy and organised a dive for the following day. I felt very nervous as I completed an Open Water Diving Course, but that was three years ago and having not dived since, I'd forgotten everything I'd learned. Thankfully Rich is at the Divemaster level of scuba diving so he very patiently took me through all the basics and we had a little practice in the swimming pool of our hotel. Feeling very nervous, but at least a little refreshed of the basics, we took the plunge into the blue.
The first dive didn't really go too well; Rich said he really had his work cut out for him! I came back up to the surface very frustrated and upset because I was finding it difficult to equalize my ears and I felt like generally everything had gone wrong. I had decided I didn't want to go down again for a second dive but Rich and the instructor persuaded me that I really should try. I am so glad I decided to give it a go as after the second dive, I felt much more confident and found a way to equalize my ears that suited me. I felt as though all of the pressure and nerves had melted away and I was just finally able to enjoy the diving and relax. The coral was like nothing I've ever seen before. It was so beautiful and colourful and utterly amazing. I've only ever seen dead coral before and it's always so sad, but this was incredible. It was like stepping into a different world under that sea and I remembered why I had loved diving. It was my first dive in three years and it felt like I was brand new again, but forcing myself to go again was the best thing I did. I now feel confident under the water and I can't wait to do some more diving with Rich. It was so amazing to dive with him, enjoying a hobby together that he absolutely loves.
The next day we got a ferry over to the island of Cebu. One last thing we wanted to do before we left the Philippines was to snorkel with whale sharks, which we'd heard you could do in a little town on Cebu called Oslob. We stayed the night and got up very early the next day to go and snorkel. The whale sharks were incredibly beautiful but the whole thing was very disorganised and a little chaotic. Hundreds of tourists were queuing up to go and have a little swim with the amazing creatures, so to cater for the amount of people there were a lot of little boats floating around near where the sharks were being fed. Everyone jumped off the boats at the same time and we were instructed not to get too close to the sharks so trying to keep your distance and avoid all of the boats and people was a little tricky. It was all a little busy and not the most relaxing of snorkels but it was still a wonderful experience to see the whale sharks.
We then headed to Moalboal on Cebu Island for a few days relaxing on yet another beautiful beach. We spent the last few days of our time in the Philippines enjoying a lovely guesthouse with another private beach and generally just chilling out before our flight to Bali to meet my sister.
I feel as though I was not ready at all to leave the Philippines, given that we'd been to only four of the 7000+ islands. Even after visiting for such a short amount of time, I immediately fell in love with the country and the people. It was so beautiful and we had so much fun. It's true when they say, 'it's more fun in the Philippines!' I was so excited to visit the country that Rich had been raving about and to see for myself somewhere he loves. It was a great experience and so nice for us to go to some of the islands that Rich had not been to before. It was a fantastic place, with beautiful crystal clear water and some of the best beaches in the world. We absolutely HAVE to go back to the Philippines; it's now up there with one of my favourite countries in the world.
