Watercation in the Philippines 🇵🇭

I flew over night from Dhaka to Manila and had decided to spend the weekend there and then take my time flying to the islands. One of the reasons for this was also the regularly delayed flights that would have made me late for any connecting flight.

I tried my best to do good research on Manila and ended up booking this apartment hotel in Makati with a massive pool. That's where the good parts ended and I have to say that Im not too fond of Manila especially coming from Dhaka. It's very difficult to find vegetarian food and the whole city is busy and dirty. The lovely part is that many museums are free and I visited the anthropology and the natural history museums which were okay.

I flew one hour from Manila to Cebu with Air Asia which was a big plane and decent flight. It was pouring down when I landed in Cebu but I had a friend waiting and we got some decent street food (or he did since apparently meat on a stick is a specialty and I magically found a tofu shop and ate some poppers from a plastic cup for dinner).

The next morning we had a lovely 5.30 wake up to catch the ocean jet to Bohol (2h ferry ride). The ferries are super handy and easy to use. We had out hotel organised tuk tuk waiting at the pier to take us directly to a countryside tour around the island.

We started at the tarsier sanctury. They are the smallest primates in the world, nocturnal and super cute. The sanctuary is quite small and you do this quick walk to spot a couple of them in the trees but they are very cute so its worth it (entry tickets were only 150 pesos).

Then we drove off to the chocolate hills that was quite surprising. You don't actually get to climb the hills, you get driven up this viewing hill where you can see the chocolate hills spreading around you. In the village, you can find some excellent coffee and smoothies which was very much needed.

We were stopped over for a local lunch before we headed to the Pangan waterfalls. It was stunning and also very necessary on such a long hot day. We definitely cheered up and enjoyed our day in the water.

We continued our journey to the man-made forest which was beautiful but we didn't really understand and then to the ha ging bridge which is cute and you can take a moment to stroll across it and enjoy the beautiful greenery.

We finally checked into our little riverside three house which was brilliant and peaceful. At sunset, we rented paddle boards and headed out to the river in the dark to look for fireflies. We were lucky to also catch the Eid moon which was absolutely stunning with a sky full of stars. Fireflies flock to specific trees and light up the whole tree in the most magical way. Sitting on a paddle board under the stars watching fireflies in the night has to be one of the most breathtaking experiences I've had.

The following morning we had yet another super early wake up call and we drove an hour to the harbour to watch dolphins at sunrise. We had a beautiful private boat for 5000 pesos for the day and we headed out in a beautiful orange sunrise. We did manage to see schools of dolphins and it was a great way to wake up. The looking was done in a respectful way which we really appreciated.

We were then dropped off at the Pamilacan island for some snorkelling. They have a cute cafe and three snorkelling sites which we got to explore. First, we visited the sea turtles and managed to see three of them. Next we visited the coral garden and then we stopped at the shore for a local lunch. Lastly, we headed to the water sanctuary where we had loads of time to just enjoy the water and explore around.

I appreciate how the Filippinos attempt to protect the sealife by, for example, charging a conservation fee at all shores and by limiting the number and access of tourists.

We loved the firefly watching so much so we did it again that night even though we were so tired and had yet another 4 am wake up call the next day to drive across the island to catch a ferry to Oslob.

There's only one ferry to Oslob from Bohol which doesn't leave from any of these big piers but this little nook south of the island where you get to your ferry by this little dingy. The ferry ride was just over an hour and we had booked all our ferry tickets online in advance.

Once you arrive to Oslob, the pier is packed with drivers to just take you to the whaleshark spot and then carry on with your journey elsewhere. However, we booked a couple of nights in Oslob so we headed out for brunch and then our hotel. We chilled for the afternoon and then explored the town in hunt for some dinner. I think Oslob is a cute place and should be explored outside the whalesharks as well.

The next morning, we went snorkelling with the whalesharks. We hadn't quite realised the extent of how large of a tourist operation it is and how it's set up so it's definitely not like seeing some sharks in the wild. The beach is a concentration of cute cafes and shops (both of which had been hard to find until then) and it's packed with all sorts of tourists. You don't have to have any ability to swim to see the whalesharks. You join this massive queue for snorkellers and then when it's your turn, you hop onto a boat with eight other people all with waterproof camera cases and life vests. Of our boat, we were the only two who could swim which was a massive advantage. There are about ten passenger boats in a line and then the feeding boats that roam in front of you. Most people hang from the winds of the boat and then when called, they push below the surface as the whale passes so that the guide can take the ''perfect photo''. Some people even just stay on the boats to watch.

Swimming and diving is definitely an advantage because it gives you a little more space from the chaos but the water is still quite shallow, full of boats and people, you aren't allowed to wander off and then the divers are right below you. The positive thing is that they supervise that nobody touches the animals and they are only being fed for a couple of hours in the morning and then left in peace after.

We rented a scooter for the rest of the day and went searching for waterfalls which there are plenty! This was super easy and fun and we had a great day touring the island. You'll notice that Cebu is actually a massive island so casually riding around on a motorbike will only show you a small portion of it.

Feeling like the snorkelling experience was very chaotic, we did want to see the whalesharks from below and go diving with them so we booked a scuba dive for the morning. My friend had never been scuba diving and they just told him no problem, we will take you down and do all the regulating and guiding for you and you just keep breathing. I have never seen scuba diving quite like that but it was clear in the water that this is quite a common practise; all diver except me and another guy in our group were being manhandled by a master who did all their buoyancy for them and held on for the entire time. So even if you don't know how to swim or dive, you can still get the experience... I have to say, diving with the whales was epic, amazing, once in a lifetime brilliant and I loved it.

We went back to a seaside bar we found to witness another epic sunset and then continued on to a seafood restaurant that had become a regular for one last brilliant night together. The next morning, my friend headed for the airport and I continued on to the other side of the island to Moalboal. I had one night alone, I went for two more epic sea turtle filled dives in the morning and then I was joined by another two friends who used to live in Dhaka but moved to Bangkok last year.