adventures off the beaten path.
The Philippines
The Philippines is incredibly easy to love. Between the warm weather and even warmer hospitality, what’s really not to love about this archipelago of 7,641 islands? #lovethephilippines
Omg the beauty of the Philippines! 🇵🇭 I’m seeing my mother’s homeland with new eyes. I’ve only been here to visit family members but this was the first time exploring it on my own - well, with the help of the Philippines Tourism Board and EVA Air who flies straight to Cebu via Taipei. This is my first time visiting the Philippines as a tourist, or at least as a guest of the Philippine Tourism Board. I’m usually in the Philippines with my mom’s family and my grandmother so what that meant for me was a visit to the Philippines was all about church, eating and giant malls and also BIG family parties. Filipinos love huge family parties - the more, the merrier!
Here’s a video from my grandmother’s 75th birthday party!
My Lola Norma's Birthday Party
Coming here only to visit my family meant I really didn’t know much about how to promote The Philippines as a travel destination so when the Philippines Tourism Board invited me, I jumped at the chance and with this most recent visit and I didn’t see a single family member. Although they did want to visit me, my itinerary was so jam packed with so many things to do and see that there simply was no time!
Getting there
We left JFK on an EVA Air flight from JFK departing for Cebu at 1:25 AM to Taiwan on Tuesday (but of course that means you have to get to the airport the night before) with a short stopover in Taiwan.
EVA Air not only flies to Cebu but also to Clark and Manila from Taipei, with daily flights to Cebu and Clark, three flights a day to Manila. For all travelers, EVA Air will be a great choice to fly with!
Before the flight, Business Class passengers can enjoy priority boarding and baggage handling.
Business Class passengers can relax in EVA Air’s luxurious lounges, which offer a variety of amenities, including free Wi-Fi, shower rooms, and gourmet food options.
If you have a long flight like me, you will greatly appreciate your choice.
It’s a long flight - 15 hours and 50 min hours to Taiwan, but thank goodness for the EVA Air business class and premium economy leg room!
Business Class seats are arranged in a fully lie-flat reverse herringbone design, providing comfort and privacy.
The appetizers look fantastic! Passengers will also receive an amenity kit by the luxury brand Giorgio Armani and pajamas designed by Jason Wu.
Of course, if you have budget concerns, Premium Economy could be a great option for you as the seats are still quite comfortable.
Not only will you have extra space, but EVA Air also provides passengers with a brand collaboration overnight amenity kit, and the Premium Economy Class exclusive menu will enhance your flight experience.
Premium Economy offers loads of extra leg room space and provides an overnight amenity kit.
I’m also an awesome plane sleeper… I fall asleep right after the first airline meal and then I wake up in time for breakfast and within a few hours of landing. And yes, even when I have to, I am able to upright sleep… like a vampire.
We stopped over in Taiwan Taoyuan International airport(TPE) for what I think was too short of a layover. I really should come back to explore Taiwan more!
In Taipei, we had access to the EVA Air lounge which was awesome. It had showers, a lot of yummy Taiwanese veggie food options and it also had make your own boba tea station - my favorite! Highly recommend.
Cebu
From Taipei City, we fly 2 hours and 50 mins right into Mactan-Cebu (CEB) International Airport, which is very nice and way less crowded than Ninoy Aquino (MNL) in Manila. Here, we receive the warmest welcome - both in terms of the weather and in the form of warm hospitality by the local Filipinos.
Cebu City from the plane!
Bohol
Not long after we touched down in Cebu, we took an Ocean Jet ferry to Bohol, specifically Panglao island, which took about 2 hours. After we arrived to our hotel, Blue Water Panglao, I promptly passed out after the longest travel day ever.
Blue Water Panglao has cosy rooms with the nicest bathrooms - a bit off the beaten path from the main strip of the island and ideal if you want privacy. There is no long white sand beach here but there is a strip of rocky shore that a boat can come pick you up at for your snorkel/diving excursions.
The next morning, I woke up early jetlagged AF at 5:15am to catch the sunrise….
It’s only 5:30am and it’s already so bright out!
Tarsiers
The famous tarsiers of Bohol… these little guys are one of the main attractions of the island. But of course, we need to visit them ethically. That’s why we went to the Tarsier Sanctuary to learn about one of the world’s littlest primates found only in Southeast Asia.
Nocturnal, these animals should only be visited in the daytime, when they are supposed to be sleeping. Otherwise, they are incredibly quick and very hard to spot.
Tarsiers measure only about 9–16 cm (3.5–6 inches) long, not including their tail. We aren’t supposed to go near them or touch them as they have suicidal tendencies if they are stressed.
The cutest little Tarsier on a 200 peso banknote. Also, those chocolate hills on the bank note are totally real. Check out the hills in the photo below!
Chocolate Hills
The beautiful chocolate hills, a geological formation of approximately 1,260 to 1,776 hills spread over an area of more than 50 square kilometers. The dome-shaped hills are grass-covered limestone that vary in size from 30 to 50 metres (98 to 164 ft) high with the largest being 120 metres (390 ft) in height.
Visiting a Local Farm
We also visited local farmers, Rogelio & Martina Labrador, and got the chance to try some local homemade goodies - local bananas and coconut wine!
The Labradors & Martina’s homemade super intense coconut wine.
The coconut wine was super intense and tasted more like a hard brandy or whiskey! So happy that we were able to pair it with this homemade banana rice cake wrapped in banana leaf.
We also got a chance to try milling rice by hand, which is not as easy as it looks! It was quite a workout though!
Lunch on a Riverboat
Lunch on a beautiful boat cruising down Loboc River, one of the most beautiful rivers that I have ever seen. We had a delicious buffet lunch and also great entertainers along the way - as Filipinos are! We floated, we ate, we danced with locals.
We also stopped to dance & sing with some locals - songs in Visayas - the language of my grandmother that I wish I could understand!
So much fun learning the songs of the local people who were incredibly inviting and warm.
Swimming with Turtles at Balicasag Island
We were picked up early morning from the shore of our resort, Blue Water Panglao by a small boat and brought over to a larger traditional Filipino fishing boat called a banka and went to Balicasag Island where the water was crystal clear.
Beautiful day & we were lucky enough to see dolphins frockling about.
The water is so clear that you could be on the boat and still see turtles and corals.
I swam right by a turtle over these gorgeous corals on the way to the shore.
The beaches of the Philippines… I am taken aback by their beauty and don’t understand why more people don’t visit here.
I really loved this off-the-beaten path island of Balicasag where Earth Explorers Philippines, a pinay-woman owned tour company took us on an adventure.
Super gorgeous beaches, clear waters, the nicest people but also the the hot AF weather. A swim is awesome but be careful you’ll get sunburned in a jiffy.
A rash guard will help with the sun and also help with the sea lice. Yes, that’s a real warm water issue…
Chasing the turtles was super fun! We boarded a smaller banka and paddled after the turtles. It’s hard to keep up with a sea turtle. We found one turtle and chased it until we got some gorgeous photos.
At one point we had so many people chasing the little guy. I’m sure the turtle was wondering what all the hub-bub was about. I’m super happy with these photos we got with the turtle!
Chocolate Queen of Cebu
Filipinos are proud of their traditions. One of in Cebu includes a traditional chocolate drink, Sikwate (Filipino Hot Chocolate).
In Cebu, we learned more about local Filipino chocolate traditions at The Chocolate Chamber (TCC) - a chocolate store founded by Raquel Choa aka the Chocolate Queen, a world class Philippine chocolate sommelier and ambassador of Philippine cacao. After a tasting, Hannah Choa, the Chocolate Queen’s daughter, taught us the traditional way to make Sikwate (Filipino Hot Chocolate) - which is basically pure cacao, water, and sugar.
Hannah showed us the old fashioned way to make make this drink - in a tsokolatera or chocolate pot and use a batirol (a wooden whisk) to make this drink frothy.
When we complained about how it took 10 mins to make the concoction, Hannah shared with us about how her mother crossed three rivers (each way) to get to school. That shut us up quick. In this world of fast fast fast, we need some slowing down to keep us grounded. Making this drink, even if it takes 10 mins, feels meditative.
Apparently a tablea a day keeps the doctor away so I bought some to take home. It’s still sitting on my kitchen counter and I’m trying to find 10 mins of my time to do some frothing.
The Reef Resort on Mactan Island
A peaceful Miami-esque boutique hotel on Mactan Island with a gorgeous infinity pool. A relaxing place to see the sunrise.
Hand Crafted Guitars
The guitar making industry plays an important role in Cebu's economy. Guitars, or "gitaras" as their known locally, were introduced during the Spanish Era. Spanish friars brought their "kitaras" with them to the Philippines and when their stringed instruments wore out, sending them to their country of origin, Mexico, for repairs was impractical so they asked locals from Lapu-Lapu to repair and replicate their instruments. Savvy locals then saw this as a good opportunity to start a business and thus, started one of the oldest industries in Cebu and Lapu-Lapu City.
Using traditional techniques, Guitars and other stringed instruments, such as ukuleles and banjos, are not just popular locally but globally, exporting to the UK, US and other parts of Asia. Currently, the demand for these guitars and other stringed instruments in the country and abroad continues to increase.
These award-winning Cebu-made guitars are unique & special not just for their melodious tones, but also for their intricate designs, materials used and the meticulous way the skilled luthiers make them. Mahogany, acacia, and mango wood is used for pieces that will be sold and used locally, while spruce, cedar, rosewood, and koa wood is used for pieces that are meant to be exported. Imported wood is used so that the guitars are able to withstand the hot and cold temperatures abroad.
I don’t play the guitar, but if I did, I would definitely get one of these award-winning hand-crafted ones from Cebu!
Philippine National Hero - Lapu Lapu
There is a 20-meter brass statue (approximately 65 feet) on Mactan Island of this handsome warrior as he’s famous for killing Ferdinand Magellan - Portuguese explorer and conquistador. And of course, this is a source of pride for Filipinos.
He is so popular in the Philippines in fact that the City Government of Cebu annually holds an event on April 27 called Kadaugan sa Mactan (kadaugan means free-for-all) to commemorate the victory at the Battle of Mactan – reenacting the battle between Magellan’s army and Lapu-Lapu’s tribe.
In honor of Lapu Lapu’s victory, this statue was erected on Mactan island, and the town of Opon in Cebu was renamed Lapu-Lapu City.
Even after the centuries of violence and colonization that followed, Filipino locals proudly honor the man who first rallied them in a fight for control of their own destiny - to this day, Lapu-Lapu stands as a symbol for independence in the Philippines..
The Philippines is a country that is fiercely proud of their rich history and identity. I hope that you get to one day explore this beautiful country! And this is only 2 of their collection of 7,641 islands beautiful islands.
Do you want to travel with me to the Philippines? Scroll down to the bottom and send me a message to enquire about upcoming group trips and retreats! Looking forward to showing you my mother’s homeland!
PHILIPPINES
Fly into Cebu-Mactan International Airport (CEB)
MUST STAY
Blue Water Panglao
The Reef Mactan Island
MUST DO
Tarsier Sanctuary
Chocolate Hills
Visit a Local Farm
Lunch on a Riverboat
Swim with Turtles in Balicasag Island
Learn to Make Sikwate at The Chocolate Chamber
Visit Lapu Lapu’s Statue
Get a Hand Crafted Lapu Lapu Guitar
This trip was booked through Earth Explorers Philippines, a female owned, pinay-owned tour operator
MUST EAT
Sikwate (Filipino Hot Chocolate)
Thank you EVA Air and the Philippines Tourism Promotions Board & The Philippine Department of Tourism for inviting me on this trip!
If you want me to book this trip for you or a very similar trip, please definitely reach out!
As a Luxury Travel Advisor, I can get you special VIP amenities that you can’t get yourself online! Send me a note on the form below, check out my Travel Agent profile or email me at patricia@freshtraveler.com
