First and foremost, it’s clear that life has grabbed me by the horns and thrown me around a bit since I haven’t taken an extended personal vacation or written on my blog in far too long. Needless to say, I realized it was time for an extended break far away from strong cell service and WiFi networks to disconnect from work and remind myself what is out there in this world.

To be quite honest, I didn’t know what I was getting myself into heading to the Philippines, but it was surely a destination I will never forget which I will tell more about below. In order to get to experience the most pristine waters surrounded by jagged limestone formations with bright green trees on them and bustling marine life, you need to mentally prepare travel on multiple modes of transportation across many miles.

I was fortunate enough to spend a little over 2 weeks in the Philippines. Since it’s not to easiest place to travel to, nor predict weather/mode of transport wise, my girlfriends and I opted for the ‘less is more’ route. Oh, one last thing before I dive in… If you’re a foodie and looking to have mouth-watering meals when you travel, the Philippines cuisine was pretty sub-par, so don’t plan to go there for the food.

First Stop: Coron

Getting there: Plane from Manila to Busuanga

Days Needed: 2 - 3 days

Accommodation: Hop Hostel (Rating: 8/10) - great roof views, clean, great location & had good breakfast options

Food Recommendations: Summer Café and Bar, Full Lotus, Hop Hostel, Hermanos Tapas, Altrove Coron

I didn’t know anything about Coron except the fact that it is famous for shipwreck diving. Since I had such a blast scuba diving in Belize, I knew I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to see some shipwrecks. On my first day, I signed up for a diving trip that stopped at Barracuda Lake, Morazaan Maru wreck, ad Olympia Maru wreck. I went with Corto Divers, and I felt very safe and even lucked out with a personal guide. Did I mention it was about ¼ the cost of diving in Belize? The lake and the wrecks were very different, with the lake being over 100 degrees Fahrenheit under water the deeper we got. Too hot. But, I will say there was some extremely exhilarating about scuba diving through Japanese ship masts and seeing coral life now live on vessels shot down by the U.S. Army in the 1940’s.

Given that I only had 2 full days in Coron, I wanted to make sure I could see as much as possible for the island hopping tours available. For my second day, I opted for the Island Super Ultimate Tour, which was a great way to tackle all the sights in one go and took up a full day. The tour stopped at Barracuda Lake, Kayangan Lake, Siete Pecados, Banol Beach, Skeleton Wreck, CYC Beach, Malwawey Reef, and Twin Lagoons. Every single stop: breathtaking.

I wouldn’t spend more than 3 full days in Coron since it’s an island that doesn’t have clean beaches without traveling by boat and is quite small. As for sunset views, make sure you check out Mt. Tapyas hike or head up to Hop Hostel’s roof.

Second Stop: El Nido

Getting there: Ferry from Coron (be prepared for potential ferry debacles)

Days Needed: 5+ days

Accommodation: Output Hostel (Rating: 5/10) – crazy young party hostel, bad outlets (sounds dumb, but is important if you think about it), poor food and the only real perk is the location had amazing sunset views

Food Recommendations: Happiness Beach Bar, Altrove El Nido, The Nesting Table, Big Bad Thai Bistro and Bar, Bella Vita, Sava Beach Bar, Marimegmeg Beach Bar, The Birdhouse

Tour A, B, C or D? Do I go in order? Or…? After going on Tour A and Tour C (two of the most popular), it’s hard to believe that you could really go wrong with any one of them. The tours are consistent across all providers and you end up with a 9-4 boat day with lunch provided and snorkel masks. They will charge you to rent water shoes, which you will need on any boat tour in the Philippines given the jagged rocks. I will say that doing all four boat tours would feel like a bit of overkill, and 2 was the perfect amount mixed in with beach and island exploration days. Tour A destinations are Three Lagoons at Miniloc Island (Big Lagoon is SPECTACULAR), Shimizu Island, and Seven Commando Beach with Tour C going to Helicopter Island, Secret Beach, Matinloc Shrine, Talisay Beach. It’s hard to have a bad time on the boat tours and you most definitely will get all the most breathtaking photos you could ever imagine.

After one to many cocktails during a night out at Pukka Bar, I needed a day of R&R, and there was no better place to do this than Nacpan Beach. While not the easiest or quickest place to go to from town, it was well worth it. The ride from El Nido town is about 45 minutes in a tricycle (we paid the driver to stay all day which I recommend. It should be around 500 pesos each way.) As the WORLD’s 10th best beach, this destination did not disappoint. Water so clear you can see straight to your feet, and plenty of tasty coconuts to go around. Did I mention it’s empty and you can get an hour massage for $6 USD? The sunsets from Nacpan Beach are like something I’ve never seen before, and if you have the chance to stay here and wake up to a sunrise, I have heard that’s quite jaw dropping as well.

In dire need of changing the color of my corporate skin tone from printer paper white to golden, I opted for another local beach day at Las Cabanas Beach which is spectacular. Very loungy vibes at local beach bars where you can get your swing picture with a daiquiri in hand. The sunsets from this beach are also amazing and if you’re feeling super adventurous, you can do the zipline for $10USD, which I highly recommend because you feel like you have the aerial view of a drone over one of the prettiest places in the world.

Third Stop: San Juan (Siquijor)

Getting there: Flight from El Nido to Bohol then ferry to Siquijor

Days Needed: 3+ days

Accommodation: Tequila Sunset Air B & B (Rating: 9/10) Kel manages the property and is a super laid back Aussie who was extremely helpful, the accommodations were spacious and right on the water.

Food Recommendations: Coco Grove, Baha Bar (Live Music!), Luka Loco

Siquijor felt like a jungle island, filled with moquitos, marine life, and of course many waterfalls. Given that one of the full days I was there was Christmas, I decided to head to Paliton Beach, which was beautiful and had some of the nicest locals. Beware of sea urchins here since the water is filled with marine life that you may not be able to see. For the second full day in Siquijor (and once again due to limited time), I did an island tour which stopped at the famous Balete Tree, The Cantabon Cave, Saladoong Beach and my favorite of all, Cambuguhuay Falls. The island is small and it’s quite easy to get an open air van to drive you around the island, but whatever you do, do not miss Cambugahay Falls – it’s some of the brightest and freshest water I have ever jumped in (for a small fee you can jump off the rope swings into the water!). For the ultimate sunset, head to Coco Grove and snag the sunset IG from one of their hammocks on the beach.

Final thoughts and tips

Don’t forget to pack bug spray, water shoes (no joke), Immodium, and protein bars. Overall, the Philippines is amazing and breathtaking. I have traveled to over 35 countries, including the Maldives. While the Philippines are not the easiest and quickest place to travel around, the environmentally friendly Filipinos know how to keep their islands clean which makes every mile worth it.