Our Philippines adventure: We tracked perfect-cone Mayon Volcano (Legazpi), floated a river shimmering with fireflies (Donsol), met tiny tarsiers (Bohol), explored the Underground River (Palawan), and island-hopped El Nido & Coron. A budget-travel masterpiece with a friend!
We landed in Manila on January 8. Moire arrived in the early hours of the 9th and, after a long shuffle of calls and hotel pick-ups, finally reached our tiny airport triple around 5:30 a.m. We grabbed a quick nap before the next hop.
Legazpi & the Mayon Volcano
That afternoon, we flew an hour to Legazpi to start our whale shark plan (Donsol), but Legazpi stole the first show. Mayon Volcano—perfect, dramatic, and everywhere—frames the city like a painting. People say there are only two perfect cones: Mayon and Fuji. Mayon knows it.
We hired a car for a loop: Cagsawa Ruins, Lignon Hill, Sumlang Lake, and Daraga Church (so nice we went twice). We also rattled into town on a jeepney to the Embarcadero, which was quiet. Menus leaned heavily on meat-and-rice; we learned fast what we liked and missed vegetables a little.
Donsol: Fireflies & (Almost) Whale Sharks
A packed van-bus carried us two hours to Donsol. I bought myself two seats—four Canadian dollars well spent for long legs—and a tricycle took us to a simple waterfront resort still scarred by a December typhoon.
That night we floated the Ogod River. The mangroves pulsed with fireflies, branches sparkling like a shaken galaxy. You can’t really photograph it. Maybe that’s the point.
At sunrise, Nic and I joined a small boat to look for whale sharks while Moi enjoyed the pool. No sightings—the typhoon had pushed them off. We skipped the fed “circus” elsewhere, snorkelled a little, and called the sea breeze a win.
Cebu City & Sinulog Season
We van-shared back to Legazpi and flew to Cebu City, where the city was gearing up for Sinulog. We squeezed in Fort San Pedro and the Heritage of Cebu Monument, then tried lechon by weight. Tasty, though the table beside us seemed to score the better cut.
Bohol: Hills, Forests, & Tarsiers
A ferry to Bohol and a day tour later: Chocolate Hills like a field of giant truffles, the cool hush of the Man-Made Forest, and a butterfly sanctuary with theatrical guides. The highlight was meeting tarsiers in a sanctuary—those ancient eyes blink and suddenly you’re very quiet.
Lunch was a floating buffet on a green river: an easy way to taste through Filipino classics. Our beach place had the perfect location and imperfect plumbing (cold showers and a stubborn sink). We made it work—ocean swims, sandy sunsets, and budget massages.
Back to Cebu (Threading Sinulog)
To avoid road closures on festival day, we booked an early ferry and a car straight to the airport. It worked—we arrived early and stress-free.
Puerto Princesa & the Underground River
We flew to Palawan for the Underground River, one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. The van ride was tight (front-seat drama included), but the cave itself was otherworldly—cool air, cathedral caverns, the soft scrape of oars. Afterwards we chose the coastal zip-line over a mangrove raft. Nic whooped; I spun backwards and arrived fast, mildly whiplashed and fully alive. Moi wisely enjoyed the beach.
El Nido: Island Hopping
El Nido town is beautiful, but no swimming in the bay (high coliform—pretty water, bad idea). So we did what everyone does: island hop. Tour Z gave us four stops, a buffet lunch, and guides who doted on Moire—kayak rides while Nic and I snorkelled, and I squeezed in sandbar volleyball.
We tried Tour C another day—supposedly the best snorkelling. It was fine but crowded, with long swims and some rock scrapes. We also tricycled to a swimmable beach for a slower afternoon.
Coron: Lagoons & Long Days
A ferry took us to Coron during the Chinese New Year crunch. We found a resort with a big pool and dangerously close McDonald’s ice cream. Our “supreme” boat tour promised eight stops, delivered five after a chaotic reshuffle to a larger boat. Good food, gorgeous lagoons, and still we wanted more snorkel time. Nic and Moire knocked off the 750-step viewpoint while I gave my legs a union break.
Discovery Island: Two Nights of Quiet
We moved to Discovery Island by boat call from a restaurant dock. Infinity pool, sunset deck, and the kind of hush that makes you breathe slower. Just two nights, but a needed exhale.
Overnight Ferry & Manila Finale
We closed the loop with an overnight ferry to Manila—eleven hours in a twelve-bed dorm. Not my best sleep, but one night is one night. Our treat: the H2O Hotel at Manila Ocean Park. Our wall was an aquarium; Moire’s window overlooked the marine park. We watched a sea lion show from her room and a sunrise from ours.
On the last morning, we retrieved the backpacks we’d stored at the first hotel, repacked one for Moire to carry home, and officially downsized to one big pack and one small. Hugs at the airport—her flight is a few hours after ours. We were bound for Singapore, then Australia. New chapter loading.
Reflection
The Philippines gave us a bit of everything: perfect cones and imperfect vans, starry mangroves and empty shark sightings, crowded boats and quiet islands. Travelling with Moire softened our pace—more shared desserts, more laughter over seat shuffles, more “good enough” dinners that became stories anyway. If Southeast Asia is a collage, this was our bright blue corner—salt on skin, festivals brewing, boats coming and going. We left lighter—packs and hearts—already plotting the places we’d redo and the ones we’d happily repeat.
