The Philippines 2024

More travel, more haiku.

Bohol

Cocks cry, ziplines zip
Back to green chocolate hills
Slow ferry, fast change

Siquijor

After hills, we swim
Through a blue waterfall cave
On birthday island

Ronda

Zipline shortcut to
Kawasan Falls, canyoning.
Long walk, rocks, long drops

Where we stayed

• Paradox Hotel, Clarke Quay, Singapore
• White Sands Resort, Lapu Lapu, Cebu
• Villa Kasadya, Alona Beach, Bohol
• Nakabalo Guesthouse, Siquijor
• Les Maisons D’itac, Ronda, Cebu
• Bluewater Maribago Beach Resort, Lapu Lapu
• D’Resort, Singapore

The Chocolate Hills, Bohol

The Chocolate Hills are Bohol’s most famous look out point. We stayed at Nuts Huts – a cool hidden jungle guesthouse 40 mins away in Lobok. It’s a little worse for wear after October 2013 earthquake, but there’s still half a dozen bamboo treehouses, a flock of tame goats, and a shangri-la style bar on stilts. Best of all you get to arrive adventure style, via dugout canoe.

Pic of the week; Alona Beach, Pangalao

Peach coloured sunset from the balcony of the Charlotte Hotel, Alona Beach – Bohol’s ‘Mini Boracay.’

Malupascua, The Philippines

A flight to Cebu. 3 hour drive to the port of Maya. A midnight sail in a outrigger boat by moonlight…. But where else in the world can you wake up at 4.30am to dive with thresher sharks?

Everything else is classic Philippines; San Miguel, cockerels, dogs, Bruno Mars ringtones, hammocks, an annual village barrio fiesta, Tanduay rum.

What makes Malupascua extra special is that it’s still defined by the above, and not it’s near devastation in typhoon Yolanda only 6 months ago. Support it with your tourist dollars, it’s an amazing place.

Where we stayed: The family run Aabana Beach Gorgeous beach bungalows with breakfast served on your own huge veranda. It’s also right next door to the best dive school on the island: Evolution Where we ate: The amazing Angelina Italian and inland budget shack JinJins.

Pic of the week: Thrills in Manils…

A guy in Starbucks making dreamcatchers on road named Jupitor Street. Cosmic. In Makati City, Manila.