After Taiwan, we decided to spend two weeks in the Philippines. This was another new country for us, and although we expected some difficulties with internet access and navigating the country, we were excited to explore this beautiful destination. To be clear, this isn’t our normal month-long stay in a place where we work and live alongside sightseeing; this was more like a vacation for us. We planned on moving around a bit faster than we normally do. So let’s jump into how we spent our two weeks in the Philippines!
Manila, Philippines
We both started and ended our trip in the capital city of Manila. This is the natural starting point for most people, as it has the country’s main airport. The gist of what we were told about Manila was essentially “don’t bother”. Even some of my old coworkers basically told me to skip Manila. However, we still wanted to see it for ourselves. And though we only spent a very short time there, Manila wasn’t for us. Though I’m sure there can be some really great things to see and do there. But to be fair, we’re not big fans of big cities anyway, and this one is especially chaotic. That being said, here are some of the things we did (which happen to be the most popular things to do).
It was late when we arrived, so we decided to get dinner and take a walk around. We ended up going to a delicious pizza place called Crosta Pizzeria (I would highly recommend it). Then we walked toward the Greenbelt Mall. There’s a lovely little park with an interesting church (Sto. Nino de Paz Greenbelt Chapel).
Fort Santiago, Manila, Philippines
The next day (our only full day in Manila), we visited Fort Santiago. This is one of the most important historical sites in the Philippines. Originally built by the Spanish in 1571. Fort Santiago was subsequently used by various occupying forces (Spanish, British, American, and Japanese) as a fort throughout its history, and it served as a prison. After being destroyed in 1945 during the Battle of Manila, Fort Santiago was then used by the US Transportation Corps as a depot before being turned over to the Philippine government in 1946. It’s also notable because the Filipino national hero, Jose Rizal, was imprisoned there before his execution in 1896.
The admission price is 75 PHP (~$1.30 USD) per person. Be aware that there may be people trying to offer tours. We did end up getting a guide as the price wasn’t bad for an hour tour. While I wouldn’t recommend it, the guide was friendly and provided a lot of information I didn’t know. I just think you can save the money and get the information on your own.
Minor Basilica and Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (The Manila Cathedral)
After visiting Fort Santiago, we walked around the Intramuros (inside the fort walls). There, we came across Manila Cathedral. It’s a beautiful building, but since neither of us is religious in any way and we’ve seen a lot of beautiful religious sites, we only spent a few minutes there.
Rizal Park, Manila, Philippines
From Manila Cathedral, we just kept walking until we arrived at Rizal Park. It’s a huge 57-hectare park featuring lawns, gardens, and a monument to hero José Rizal. I can see the park being a great spot to relax, see an outdoor event, or have a picnic, but it was very hot and humid while we were there. Because of that, we basically just walked through.
SM Mall of Asia
Needing to cool down from the sweaty walk through the park, we got a Grab car to the SM Mall of Asia. Apparently, it’s the second largest mall in Southeast Asia, and it is absolutely gigantic. You can find anything you need there (shopping or food). What we discovered is that Manila has so many chain restaurants from all over the world. Bonchon? They got it. Chili’s? Yup! Din Tai Fung? You bet! Jollibee’s? What kind of question is that? Gongcha? Totally! You get my point. The point is this: we actually stumbled upon a Nathan’s Hot Dog, and since it had been forever since we had a hot dog, well, that’s what we ate for dinner.
Cebu
The next destination of our two weeks in the Philippines: Cebu. Or more accurately, Moalboal. We stayed at BerNi’s Hostel in Moalboal, and they offered us a private car pick-up from the airport for 300 PHP (~$5 USD) total for a 3 to 4-hour drive. The hostel was lovely. The people running it were very friendly and also provided us with laundry service. Though it was only about a 10-minute walk into the main area of Moalboal, the 10 minutes felt more like 20 if you’re not driving. The roads are not the best to walk on, and it was grossly hot and humid. Regardless, we managed it. And it can be more easily done if you’re willing to haggle for a tricycle ride (which we hate doing). Anyway, here is what we did while in Moalboal.
Snorkel
Moalboal is known for its snorkeling and diving. One of the reasons we were drawn to it in our two weeks in the Philippines was that it’s known for having a huge sardine run. We bought a wet/dry bag and rented snorkels for 100 PHP (~$1.75 USD) per person, then went snorkeling in the morning. We were hoping getting to the beach by 7 am would help us beat the crowds, but I guess all the tour companies had the same idea.
Though the crowds of people in the water could get really annoying, swimming with the huge group of sardines was incredible! And we finally got to swim with sea turtles. The first glimpse of one, unfortunately, came with the tour guides following it and people surrounding us. At one point, I was even trying to swim away from the group following the turtle, when the turtle turned and started swimming toward me.
After about an hour or so in the water, we decided we were pretty much done and just wanted to walk the beach. As we were standing on a cliff overlooking the water, I saw a turtle pop its head up, and no one was around. I decided to go back in—while Sean stayed out—to see if I could find it. This was one of the best moments of my life. I happened upon a huge sea turtle just munching on some seaweed. Just floating over the top of it, I could have easily touched it if I reached out a bit. Instead, though, I did my best to quietly observe and not disturb it, all while I silently screamed in joy.
Canyoneering Kawasan Falls
The next thing we did in Moalboal with our two weeks in the Philippines was to go on the canyoneering trip. We booked this through Klook for about $75 USD per person. It’s about a 5 to 6 hour day that includes travel to and from the canyon, as well as lunch. At the beginning of the tour they also have an option to take the zipline to the start of the canyon, but that’s an additional cost. Everyone in our group just opted to hike the 45 minutes.
You basically don’t bring anything with you. Sean brought his cellphone in the waterproof case and I brought my sunglasses that I could place into a pouch in my life vest during the times we jumped into the water.
The tour was both fun and frustrating. You basically hike through the canyon for 3 hours and at times get to jump off cliffs, slide down rocks, and get pulled through the water by the guides. The canyon is absolutely beautiful but it’s hard to take in the beauty of it when you’re moving quickly through and need to watch your feet the whole time so you don’t stub toes or slip on rocks.
I only opted to do the first cliff jump, which was the smallest one. Even that though made me anxious and I didn’t enjoy it. But I’m proud of myself for fighting a fear to do it anyway. Sean, on the other hand, did almost all of the cliff jumps and even did the rope swing near the end. I just don’t particularly enjoy jumping into water. I did, however, enjoy swimming near the waterfall at the end of the trail.
At the end of the trip you get lunch, which was actually quite delicious, and then you get dropped back off at your hotel or hostel. Overall, it’s definitely worth the money and a really enjoyable day in an amazing canyon.
El Nido, Palawan, the Philippines
From Cebu, we flew to Puerto Princesa on Palawan Island in the Philippines. Now getting to El Nido either requires another flight from Puerto Princesa or a 5 hour van ride. We opted for the van as it was $12 per person (booked through Klook) as opposed to more than $100 per person. And, weirdly enough, the flight was also around 5 hours since it has a stupid layover in Manila despite El Nido and Puerto Princesa being on the same island.
Anyway, I had read some pretty horrible things about the van ride and we were a bit nervous about it. But, overall, it wasn’t as bad as anticipated. The ride there was very cramped and uncomfortable. But it was on time, we stopped for bathroom breaks and lunch, and arrived on time.
We stayed at Spin Designer Hostel in El Nido. This place has great reviews, but was actually one of the worst places we’ve stayed. The first room we were in, the bathroom completely leaked out into the main room. They were nice enough to move us and that room was a bit better. But both rooms were run down and have the feel of a prison cell (all concrete with little sunlight). We also had the problem of ants everywhere, even after we mentioned it to the staff. While we can be pretty flexible with places we stay, this one just bothered us more seeing as how it was about $40 a night. For somewhere it Southeast Asia, that price seemed too high for what you get.
Anyway, enough complaining. Let’s talk about the things we did in El Nido.
Island Hopping Tour
By far the most popular thing to do when in El Nido is the island hopping tour. There are several packages available and you can’t walk 10 feet without someone offering or selling a tour. We, again, booked this tour through Klook. Though you can go through local providers, we just find it easier to book online. We do not enjoy being hassled every minute.
Again, we were nervous because I had read some pretty negative reviews of the company we were going on the tour with. Many people talked about how the tour started 1 or even 2 hours late, forcing them to sit in the hot sun until the start. There were other reviews that mentioned food poisoning (definitely something we want to avoid!).
Despite the negative reviews, we had a wonderful day. The weather was the best that whole week, the tour started right on time, and we did not end up with food poisoning (though we avoided eating the meat). The beaches and water were breathtaking every island we went to, especially the last one. So worth the $20 USD per person!
Canopy Walk
This one isn’t like a must-do or anything but we had some extra time in our two weeks in the Philippines. So in-between working and just relaxing, we did the canopy walk. It only takes about 20-30 minutes but you get a wonderful view of El Nido Town. We just did the hanging bridge and view deck for about 400 PHP (~$7 USD) per person. You get a guide, helmets, and harnesses. They clip you into the suspension bridge to walk across.
It’s a bit scary, especially if you’re like me and afraid of heights. But I was able to do it no problem. Being clipped in to the harness helped make me feel safer. While the hike up is fairly short and easy, be prepared to be sweaty as it is very humid in the Philippines.
Final Days of Our Two Weeks in The Philippines
To return back to Puerto Princesa, we took the van again. This ride was much better as there were only 5 of us in it so much less cramped. However, he stopped less for bathroom breaks. We spent one night in a guesthouse in Puerto Princesa before flying back to Manila.
Back in Manila, we didn’t really have anything planned to do as we only had the one night. We did, however, go to a restaurant called The Filling Station, which was an American-style diner. But if someone took a diner and pumped it full of steroids. It was huge and every wall, including the ceiling, was covered in memorabilia.
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