Exploring the Philippines
Natalie Lewis February 29th, 2008
I have just returned from a trip to the Philippines. It is four years since I was last there, and I had forgotten just what an enchanting country it is. I got out of Manila as quickly as possible (the traffic and pollution were just too much); and went on to explore some of the other islands of this diverse country. Firstly to Boracay where the white sand beaches have enticed a number of new hotels to open up along its shores. My favourite was the Discovery Shores - a new five star option, and the best on the island until the Shangri-La opens at the end of the year.My next stop was Bohol, and after taking seven different modes of transport to get there, I finally arrived a little weather beaten and rumpled. This small island is home to the tarsier monkeys and the chocolate hills, but no sightseeing for me this time. I inspected four different luxury resorts - each with less than forty rooms, and each offering something different for the discerning traveller. Bohol is a great place to base yourself for diving, snorkelling, or even whale and dolphin watching. The island also has a large number of preserved buildings from the Spanish colonial times, and a couple of days of sightseeing are a must.
The thing I love about Bohol is that it has a really laid back feel to it. Especially on Panglao where most of the hotels are located. There is not much traffic, and the roads are lined with chickens and goats minding their own business, children walking to and from school, and the occasional roadside stall selling a few mangoes or whatever fruit is in season at the time.
From Bohol I took the ferry to Dumaguete - a new island for Audley, although Vanessa, our Malaysia & Philippines Senior Specialist, had been there when she lived in the Philippines as a dive master. Dumaguete is a university town on the island of Negros. It is a peaceful place with a sea front promenade and a good reputation for conservation. The university runs a marine laboratory and a biological and zoological garden - and both places are committed to the preservation of endangered species in the Philippines. Any trip to Dumaguete would be combined with a day trip to Apo island where there is a marine park. I am not a huge fan of being underwater, but I stayed snorkelling here for over an hour - there was such an abundance of sea life and coral. The accommodation on Apo Island is basic, so I wouldn’t recommend staying here, but there are some good options on the black sand beaches of the mainland, which is only 45 minutes away in a bancas boat.
The final stop on my tour was Siquijor. When I told people I was going there I was normally told not to be scared, which puzzled me somewhat. And still does! Apparently the island is famous for witchcraft, but you do have to go looking for it. You need to watch out for people telling you that you are beautiful apparently as that is their way of putting a curse on you! Luckily no one said that to me, so I was able to enjoy my tour of the island without worry. We visited a church and convent, a beautiful beach, an enchanted tree and a swimming waterfall. Unfortunately, due to ferry times, we didn’t have long to explore, but this would be the perfect place to spend a few relaxing days.
My trip was over all too soon and I still haven’t been to even a fraction of the 7,000 islands, so I have the perfect excuse for going back again in the future! Keep an eye on the Philippines pages of our website as all the new product is added.
- Southeast Asia
- Comments(0)