Is the Philippines Worth Visiting?

In what was a very spur of the moment travel booking, I recently travelled to the Phillipines in what was supposed to be a 3 Island Escape. It sounded fabulous and even exotic. The group tour with TripADeal promised visits to Mactan Island – Cebu, Bohol and Siquijor Islands. It promised some sightseeing and activities. But what I got was one of the less enjoyable holiday experiences I’ve encountered.

Since returning, many people have asked me the same question. “Is the Philippines worth visiting?” Although there were two amazing consecutive days visiting the island of Siquijor and Apo island, getting there and back involved two full days of ferry travel. This impacted heavily on an 8 day itinerary that had already been partly cancelled due to bad weather.

The Philippines

The South East Asian country of the Republic of the Philippines is in fact an archipelago consisting of more than 7,100 islands and islets. There are 3 major island groups – Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. It’s location in the western Pacific Ocean and proximity to the Equator, gives it a tropical climate with a distinctive wet and dry season.

Boasting so many tropical islands, it can be hard deciding where to travel in the Philippines. The standouts are: El Nido in the northern part of Palawan Island; Boracay for its pristine white sand beaches; Bohol with it’s Chocolate Hills; Siquijor Island for waterfalls and diving; Siargao for it’s laid back vibe and surfing; Coron island with the clear clean waters of Kayangan Lake.

What is a 3 Island Tour of the Phillipines

The TripADeal itinerary described the holiday package as commencing at Mactan Island in Cebu for one night at a beachfront resort. Two nights at Bohol where tours included: observing tarsier monkeys, travelling to the Chocolate Hills and enjoying a relaxing Loboc River cruise. Followed by two nights on Siquijor Island with tours including: Cambugahay Waterfalls, exploring Sambulawan Underground River and some general sightseeing around the island. The second day was a boat cruise to Apo Island snorkelling with sea turtles in underwater coral gardens.

So basically it is a four day itinerary that is doubled due to ferry travel, bus transfers and an agonising last day waiting to catch an evening flight back to Australia. So all in all your holiday is halved with the remaining time spent being ferried around, wasting so much precious time whereby you could be doing more sightseeing.

The logistics of this itinerary is simply baffling. To make matters worse we were unable to catch our ferry to Bohol on the second day due to bad weather. So we were in fact stuck in Cebu for 3 days before we could commence our adventure.

During our time here we were offered no local tours or activities In lieu of our cancelled trip to Bohol. We basically had to fend for ourselves. So 11 of us did decide to hire a mini bus and driver to take us on a city tour of Cebu. On the third day I caught a taxi to a nearby shopping centre on Mactan Island and to a Day Spa to fill in part of a boring rainy day.

Our resort on Mactan Island, although lovely was a fair distance to any local shops, restaurants or activities. You couldn’t even take a beachfront walk as it was fenced off for security reasons. The weather prevented us from partaking in any water activities or swimming at the beach.

Cebu City, did have a couple of interesting attractions, but there was very little to do and see here with three whole days to explore. However, Cebu island does have a lot to offer, that we never got the opportunity to see. There are places like Kawasan Falls in Badian, Oslob for swimming with whale sharks, the white beaches of Bantayan Island, and Moalboal for good snorkelling, to name a few.

All we saw of Bohol was a 30 minute stop on our ferry ride to Siquijor Island. This was extremely disappointing for the group as a whole. For many of us, including myself, this was going to be the highlight of the trip. Whilst I fully acknowledge that bad weather is not the fault of the tour operator, my issue is that there were no reasonable alternative plans offered.

Cebu & Mactan Island

The island of Cebu, is part of the Visayan islands, and is renowned for it’s rich Spanish colonial history, stunning beaches, dive sites and coral reefs. Cebu City is it’s main hub with a busy port and the usual chaos of a South East Asian city.

Some of the main attractions of Cebu City are: Fort San Pedro, Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House, Magellan’s Cross, Sirao Flower Garden, TOPS Lookout and the Taoist Temple. We could have easily been taken to some of these places instead, if our tour operator had been proactive.

I initially found Cebu confronting, as the streets were not only bustling with tricycles and jeepneys, but they were dirty with rubbish everywhere. There were ramshackle shacks made out of wrought iron, and whatever materials the home dweller could find. The waterways were littered with waste – mainly plastic bottles and paper. I felt repulsed by the unsanitary conditions, but then remembered that the city probably doesn’t have rubbish removal facilities or proper sanitation.

When in Cebu City the local delicacy is lechon, the traditional pork dish of the Philippines, which is slow-roasted over charcoal. The skin is crispy and the meat very juicy and tender.

Mactan Island is separated from mainland Cebu by the Mactan Channel, around an hour’s drive from Cebu City. It was an island of contrasts with Lapu-Lapu City, and shanty towns mixed in between luxury beach resorts. It is known as the gateway to Cebu Island Province. But it also has an interesting history, primarily for the historic site of the 1521 Battle of Mactan.

Where to Stay on Mactan Island

Our accommodation was at Costabella Tropical Tropical Beach Hotel on Mactan Island. It was tucked away down a narrow road with a security gate and guard. The hotel boasts 2 swimming pools, a private sandy beach, two restaurants, day spa, gym and kid’s lounge. Our group stayed in the older north wing of the hotel, which I found was not as modern or comfortable as the newer section of the hotel.

There are several upmarket beach resort hotels on Mactan Island to select from. The Shangri-La Mactan Resort and Spa is one of the most luxurious Cebu beach resorts in Mactan. But there are others like the Crimson Resort and Spa, Movenpick Hotel Mactan Island, JPark Island Resort, or The Dusit Thani Mactan that are all 5-star luxury resorts.

Siquijor Island

After an hour bus ride, and 2 hour wait at the busy Cebu ferry terminal, we got aboard our hour-late ferry and cruised to Bohol and then Siquijor Island. We had left our hotel at 10.30am and never arrived into Siquijor until 7pm. We got on another bus and arrived at our hotel at 7.30pm. We were all exhausted from our long trip and lack of food. We had not had a proper lunch as there were little food options offered at the ferry terminal nor on the ferry itself. 

Siquijor Island, so named from it’s Spanish origins, was previously named Isla del Fuego (Island of Fire) because of the fire flies in the molave trees. It is also sometimes referred to as a “mystic island” because of its long-standing reputation for witchcraft, sorcery, and traditional folk healing. It also boasts some gorgeous cold, freshwater springs, such as the popular, free-entry Capilay Spring Park in San Juan.

On our second day, we set off early in the morning after a hearty breakfast. We travelled straight to Cambugahay Fall with incredible turquoise coloured freshwater pools, perfect for swimming in. After tackling the rocky steep stairs to the bottom of the falls we negotiated a narrow bamboo bridge. Some of the thrillseekers in the group swung on the rope swings from a high platform above the falls. Others swam under the falls or soaked in the coolness of the clear water.

If the adventure at the falls wasn’t enough, our next activity was Sambulawan Underground River. Here we were kitted out with life vests and torch headlights to proceed to the cave-opening down numerous stairs and ladders. Once we got underground, we had the opportunity to swim and wade through chest-deep, crystal-clear water inside the cave. It was a surreal experience being underground in beautiful transparent clean water. Our guides took photos and videos for us to capture this amazing experience.

After a delicious banquet lunch at a local restaurant we stopped to take a look at the ancient Lazi Church and Convent. The church is also known as San Isidro Labrador Church, being built in 1884 by Filipino artisans.

Our day was rounded off by a visit to Pitogo Cliff where there were breathtaking coastal views of the towering cliffs. For daredevils, you are challenged to jump off the cliffs into the surging sea beneath. Or otherwise take some stunning Instagram shots sitting upon a huge rock jutting out into the sea. The name Pitogo is after the Pitogo trees that grow in the area.

Where to Stay on Siquijor Island

The hotel, the Salamangka Resort, on Siquijor was very impressive. I felt like I had finally commenced my holiday after 4 gruelling days. I think we all let out deep sighs of relief when we finally made it to the resort. Although tucked away, the resort offered beautifully appointed rooms – mine being poolside; a large swimming pool with a swim-up bar; a private beach; restaurant and bar; a dive shop; and gym.

Coco Grove Beach Resort is probably the biggest and maybe the best resort in Siquijor. But others like the Runik Siquijor, the budget-friendly Lazi Beach Club Resort, The Gabayan Riviera, the remote Paradise Beach in Larena, or the Bangka Beach Guesthouse is another budget-friendly option.

Apo Island

The world renowned marine sanctuary of Apo Island, was our day excursion for day 3 of our visit to Siquijor. Apo Island is located off the southeastern tip of Negros Island. The seas surrounding the island features 650 species of fish and around 400 species of corals. However, the biggest drawcard is the opportunity to snorkel with giant sea turtles.

We jumped aboard a sea vessel that looked like a cross between a submarine and a trimaran boat. It took us around 45 minutes to get to the small island, where we jumped ashore and headed to nearby Apo Island Beach Resort. Here we could use the facilities, leave our bags securely whilst we were snorkelling or swimming. They also provided us with a tasty buffet lunch.

We did two snorkels with the sea turtles amongst the coral gardens – one in the shallower water near the shore and the other we went out on our boat to deeper waters. Both times we saw plenty of sea turtles, some colourful reef fish and marine creatures, and coral. The visibility wasn’t too bad, but the deeper water had better clarity. I hired a guide with a GoPro who shot some amazing videos and photos of both of my snorkel adventures. It was well worth the money.

In between our snorkelling tours we had the opportunity to look around the small village and market stalls. Most of the group came away with a souvenir of their visit to Apo Island. Most souvenirs were understandably turtle orientated!

All in all, the 3 Island Escape of the Philippines wasn’t a total waste of time. Our second day seeing the sights in Cebu City was enjoyable. Otherwise, the big highlight of the tour was definitely Siquijor Island.

From a first-timer’s point of view, I felt that if I were to return to the Philippines I would definitely not try to cram in such a tight itinerary that relied on the availability of ferries. My choice, would be to head to El Nido on Palawan Island and/or maybe to visit Boracay. Purely, due to the fact that the beaches here are alledgedley gorgeous.