The 3 Best Islands in the Philippines in 2 Weeks

MABUHAY, PHILIPPINES!!!

We booked this exact trip for March 2020. Booked, paid for, and bags were packed. We were leaving in two days, and then the president of the Philippines shut down the country because of Covid. So we finally made the trip that we had been dreaming about for quite a while, in March 2024!! We had decided on three islands…. Cebu, Coron, and Siargao. Why those three? Read on….

FIRST STOP- CEBU

Cebu is one of the 7000+ islands that make up the Philippines. We chose Cebu as one of our 3 island destinations for this trip because of all the awesome activities you can do there. Most famously—  the Sardine Run (right in Moalboal) and Kawasan Falls Canyoneering! (A short 15 min drive from where we stayed). We stayed at the Villa Alessandra Homestay in Moalboal, which was incredibly inexpensive (about $35USD per night), completely clean and very comfortable, included breakfast, and was the perfect location between the main costal street Moalboal, and Kawasan Canyoneering. You can stay on the main strip in Moalboal, but while we visited it daily for dinners and the sardines (and a fabulous $6 hour massage!!), we were very glad we didn’t stay there, because it is extremely touristy, crowded, and can get loud.

Kawasan Falls Canyoneering!!

It’s a 2.5 hour guided trek through waterfall-laden canyons, where you climb, swim, and cliff jump your way to the ultimate destination of the beautiful Kawasan Falls. Our two guides, Litoy and Jefrey, of the Company Kawasan Canyoneering, were phenomenal! They took photos and videos of us the entire time, without us even asking, so that we could just fully enjoy this epic experience!!! And they were so sweet, friendly and smiley. I loved them!!

To begin the experience, you have a choice of zip lining about a kilometer or trekking through the jungle for about a 20 minute hike. The zip line was about $10, and entirely worth it. There is plenty of hiking throughout the canyon, especially in the beginning, so this was a nice alternative way to get to the start of the canyon, and see the jungle from above. Highly recommend it!

As for the canyoneering itself…

There was scrambling, small jumps, slides, and swimming through cave-like rock formations. The highest jump was about 35 feet, and while I was 💩 myself a bit, looking down, I ultimately (and literally) took the leap! Cisco of course was a pro— even while we slid down waterfalls backwards and flew through the air on rope swings. 

I cannot recommend this experience enough!! It was a combination of unbelievably stunning landscapes and a hyper adrenaline rush!!! For those who are less adrenaline-adventurous, you always have the option of climbing/hiking down instead of cliff jumping or rope swinging to get to the next lower level. Even for the lesser adventure-inclined, the landscape is so stunning throughout, that you should not miss this activity. You do have to be in pretty good physical shape though, as you will be hiking, climbing steps, and swimming for a total of 2.5 hours.

We used the company called Kawasan Canyoneering and give them 11 stars out of 10! They provide all safety gear, and also a wonderful lunch after the Canyoneering, that we thoroughly enjoyed! They also have showers for afterwards, and lockers to store your regular clothes and bag before you head into the canyon. For the tour itself, we just wore swimsuits and water shoes. I would get ones that have a bit more of a sole, since you will be walking/hiking/climbing rocks quite a bit during the trek. These are my favorites! 

I brought my (waterproof) iPhone, and Cisco brought his GoPro. But our guides held onto my phone the entire time (never getting it wet), and took amazing photos and videos of us throughout. They have airtight waterproof bags with them for when we are in the water, so you can also carry some cash with you, which was useful halfway through the trek, when we came across locals selling some delicious fresh mango and other yummy items in the middle of our adventure. 

And an important note: if you go, try to be the first ones in the canyon— it pays to be early! We did the first tour at 6:00am, and we had the canyon mostly to ourselves! And ask for Litoy & his brother, Jeffry! Tell them Daphne & Cisco sent you. 

Last of Cebu—

Although Kawasan Falls canyoneering is probably one of the most popular activities in Cebu, we also did something else that is world famous— the sardine run. A sardine run is basically a huge bait ball of thousands of sardines swimming tightly together in uniform to have a better chance to escape predators. The first image is not ours (I took it from the internet), but it’s just to show how incredible it can look. 

Moalboal in Cebu is one of the only places in the world where you can swim through these incredible sardine formations. And unlike South Africa, where the sardine run exists only six months out of the year, they are here in Moalboal, 365 days of the year, and just 50 feet off shore, so they are completely and easily accessible to everyone! And it’s free.

Cisco and I brought our own snorkels to the Philippines, so we just rented fins for the day ($6) and hopped in the water! We immediately saw a sea turtle, about 30 feet offshore, and just barely past that, you begin seeing the sardines in their awesome formations, when the depth increases a bit.

We stayed 4 nights in Moalboal to give us 3 full days to explore the area. The are tons of awesome looking waterfalls all along the western side of the island, just south of Moalboal. After researching all of the falls in the area (accessibility, beauty, distance from Moalboal), we had planned to visit 3 other falls by ourselves– Dao (or Dau) Falls, Inambakan Falls, and Binalayan Hidden Falls, but my knee was giving me issues, so instead we opted to take it easy our third day, get a massage, and visit the easily accessible and famous Mantayupan Falls. Easy parking, no hike, and not at all crowded at the end of the day before closing.

And while on Cebu, we enjoyed these restaurants the most: Herbs Guesthouse (not too easy to find but the ambiance and food were great!), Hungry Monkeys (fun, lively atmosphere, big menu), The Three Bears (awesome burgers!), and The Little corner Restaurant ($3 two-for-one Happy Hour drinks 😂, and an amazing sunset view!)

We also each got a $6 hour massage at Panagsama Relaxing Massage & Spa (up the stairs in the alley). It had gotten good reviews for being clean & comfortable, and we both loved our massages. And how can you beat an hour of sheer relaxation for $6???

A NOTE ABOUT TRANSPORTATION

Getting to Moalboal: We landed into Cebu Airport and had decided to rent a car and drive ourselves to Moalboal– we usually like to have our own wheels wherever we travel, to have the freedom of mobility whenever we need it, but honestly, this time I would have opted to use a private car service & then have renter a scooter in Moalboal, or taken taxis/trikes to our destinations. The road to Moalboal was sketchy, especially since we landed at 11:30pm. The roads were narrow and curvy with no lights, and it was a 3 hour drive! A private car transfer would not have cost too much and would have been much more comfortable. Plus, there are lots of places to rent a scooter once you have arrived (your hotel/airbnb/homestay can even arrange it for you), or if you are only planning to go to Moalboal town each day & Kawasan Falls, the taxi prices are inexpensive.

CORON & THE FLOATING HOUSE ON CORON ISLAND!!! –

We didn’t know if it truly exists, but it does. PARADISE. And we had finally made it! I’m talking about Paolyn Houseboats— an unbelievably special place and exclusive accommodation (and the only one allowed) within the stunning Coron Island.  This island is the ONLY place in the entire world where the country’s government awarded ownership of land AND surrounding sea to the native tribe of the island, the Tagbanua.  The Tagbanua tribe of Coron is one of the oldest tribes in all of the Philippines. They were given this Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title for more than 54,000 acres of both land and sea so that they preserve the right to manage their land and resources as they please, which is important in maintaining their traditions (like fishing, etc), that have sustained their people for centuries. 

The creator and manager of Paolyn Houseboats, is Paolo Grazzini, a native Italian who enjoyed sailing around the world on his sailboat. In one of his voyages, he happened on this paradise, fell in love with a local girl, April-Lyn, decided to stay, got permission from the Tagbanua tribe to build a small houseboat in the lagoon for him and his wife, and made this their home. Eventually they invited some friends to visit, and soon, a modest AirBnB was developed, with the tribe’s consent. He has now, with the blessing of the tribe since the get-go, built several more houseboats to accommodate more guests, and employs over 200 local Filipino’s (about 90% of them from the island tribe), paying them about 3 times the normal local wages here in Coron. 

It is the only place to sleep and eat within Coron Island, which is not only the ancestral domain of the Tagbanua, but also a National Park, Marine Reserve, and Unesco Biosphere site.  There is a full-fledged floating restaurant, serving up Italian and Filipino specialties, (only accessible to guests staying in the houseboats), and room service comes daily to clean the rooms and also deliver any food or beverage you’d care to order from the main restaurant. 

The various houseboats are spread out over multiple lagoons, so you feel very private and secluded, but are equipped with kayaks for mobility/exploration. But the main house will come and pick you up for any and all excursions/ transport to the main area & restaurant. 

Best part is, it is entirely eco-consciously built and maintained, using only solar power and batteries to run all electricity throughout all houseboats. There are hot showers, and marine toilets, and the waste boats come daily to remove and properly eliminate all waste to sanctioned disposal facilities on another island.  We were able to charge all of our cameras and devices, and each houseboat has Starlink, so while you are enjoying blissful seclusion in the middle of nirvana, you are still able to FaceTime your kids and send important work emails whenever needed at fast speeds. Cisco even managed to make a trade or two, in between our kayaking adventures and day tour excursions. 📈😂

There were no bugs, and we could leave the glass doors of our floating home open all night to hear the sound of the gently lapping water and the occasional fish jumping. 

You can choose between various priced and economy or more luxury accommodations. There is a bamboo houseboat with four separate rooms, a luxury, full glass houseboat, or a half glass houseboat, which was plenty spacious for two people, with your own private bathroom, deck, alfresco eating area, and kayak, for your use only. 

It was beyond incredible, and leaving this slice of heaven was the most difficult part.

To get there, we flew from Cebu to Palawan, and were met at the airport by Paolyn staff for our transfer ride to the port, where we took a speedboat (complete with english-speaking guide who explained everything about the island to us), to our final destination of Coron Island & Paolyn Houseboats.

We stayed 4 nights. Because if we have a perfect, secluded paradise, without kids and other distractions, we wanted to make the absolute most of it! Some people come for just one night, which I think is not nearly enough to discover all that this beautiful area has to offer.

What we did while we stayed in the houseboat: 

CORON ISLAND DAY 1 TOUR—

On our first full day we opted to do a full day private boat tour of all the surrounding lakes, coves, secret beaches, and snorkel spots.  The main reception area can organize any and all chores for you. You can do a full day or half day tour (they have lots to choose from!), and they will either bring you back for lunch in between, or they will pack lunch for you if you are doing a farther-distance full day tour.

But the great thing about doing the tours directly from the houseboats, is that you can start very early in the day and reach these spots before tour boats from the mainland Coron arrive. So you have these experiences mostly all for yourself, which was awesome!

We started at Kayangan Lake, which is one of the only two lakes that the local tribe has granted public visitors access to. It has incredibly clear water & an amazing view at the top of the steps. 

But much more impressive in our eyes, was our second stop— Baracuda Lake. No baracudas, just incredible underwater limestone cliffs that extend down about 120 feet. Baracuda Lake is the other lake that has been permitted by the local tribe for public visitation. This crater lake is brackish— with about a 20% fresh water section floating above salt water. It was warm and comfortable and the visibility is crystal clear for about 60-100 feet down from the surface! Cisco and I spent over an hour here, snorkeling, diving down, and testing our breath-holding/bubble-ring-blowing skills. 

We snorkeled at four different spots, our favorites being Siete Pecados & Atwayan Coral Garden. Cisco and I have never seen underwater landscapes like this!! The coral gardens are phenomenal! Bright colored, unusually shaped coral, and gorgeous little fish. 

We stopped in to see the pretty Vivian Beach, Skeleton Wreck & beach, Banol beach, and finally ended at Smith Beach to watch the sunset. 

It was an incredible day!!

Day 2– TWIN LAGOON, CORON:

We had been waking up early still because of the time difference, so we grabbed our private kayak and headed out to Twin Lagoon, which is a short kayak away from the houseboat, to see the sunrise light & get there before other visitors, to drone & swim & play. (Good thing it wasn’t too long of a paddle, because I ‘inadvertently’ made Cisco paddle the entire time because I couldn’t stop capturing every moment! Thanks, babe! 💪🏼) 

You can get from one of the twin lagoons to the other, using the steps that ascend & descend over a small little ridge connecting the two bodies of water, or, if it’s low tide, and only then, you can try to get your kayak under. We barely made it. It was so pretty exploring the area that we came back again before sunset.

CORON ISLAND DAY 3 TOUR—

Our last full day in Coron, we did another full day, private boat tour, but this time to four different small islands in the neighboring area….

• Bulog Dos Island
• Banana Island 
• Ditaytayan Island 
• Malcapuya Island

We left early and were the only ones on small Bulog Dos Island for the whole time we were there. Cisco and I had so much fun, droning and playing on the sandbar, and collecting shells. 

Banana island had no bananas, lol, but more swings everywhere than we could count, and we had fun strolling along the secluded coastline, and testing every swing we could find.

Ditaytayan island is known famously for its long sandbar. We got there around noon, and it was already quite crowded. Our boat captain set up lunch for us here in a shaded area wth picnic tables and a canopy. It was food that we had pre-ordered from the menu at Paolyn. And it was served with cold beers, soda & water. And despite it being crowded, you can still find some spots that are not….

Lastly, was Malcapuya, which they call ‘Mini Boracay’, because of its long stretch, white sand beach and unbelievably blue water. We walked through the palm groves, and then along the coast, and then took a nap under the palm tree, before it was time to head back to our floating bed for the night.

Coron was truly so, so magical! But we were also excited for our final island, Siargao!

SIARGAO, PHILIPPINES!!

Our last island destination in the Philippines— Siargao! We were there for a week, and truly got to relax and enjoy the very laid back surf town called General Luna, where we stayed for our entire stay. It is home to the World famous surf break called Cloud 9– and the reason this island has always been on our (Cisco’s) radar! 😆 It reminded us so much of the North Shore (on Oahu), with a super chill vibe, and both tourists and tons of locals headed to the beach to watch and catch the world-class waves. 

We rented a Bristol classic motorcycle for the week from Rent-a-Gao (you can book it on Facbook), and took the time to head out of General Luna to see the Magpupungko Rock pools. It is about an hour and a half ride on the motorcycle, so if you plan to go, plan for that length of a ride. Also, make sure you check the tide, as the pools are only visible during low tide. We went in the morning, and arrived around 9:30am, and there were already quite a few people there. But most of the people stayed at the first pool, and did not venture past it to the more picturesque, and definitely more secluded second pool with the giant boulder overlooking it. We had it to ourselves for about two hours, and had fun swimming, floating, and flying the drone.

On our ride back from the Magpupungko Rock pools, we stopped for a bit at the famous Coconut Trees view point to drone and snap a few photos. It was also fun to watch the local ‘photographers’ snap fun insta-shots of tourists using fun perspectives. So, if you want some photos of yourself there, that are not just selfies, you are guaranteed to find some willing locals to help you out for a small fee!

We ate lots of açaí bowls, had lots of matchas and coffee and just enjoyed the slower pace, and crazy moped scene. 🤪 One of the best evenings, was when we got lost on the bike trying to find a spot to watch the sunset, and wound up in a tiny local town, with not a single tourist, where all the kids from the town were outside playing any games they could come up with. We watched them play make-shift volleyball, and then they all gathered around when I flew my drone, and we left having made so many cute new friends!!! It was awesome! 

Siargao is a special place!!!

SOHOTON COVE-

A sanctuary of thousands of stingless jellyfish, an emerald bioluminescent grotto, and a secret stalactite cavern with a cliff jump at the end— Sohoton Cove is a hidden cove of fascinating caves and lagoons, nestled in Bucas Grande Island off of the slightly larger island of Siargao. 

To get here, Cisco and I had to first take a 30 minute tuk tuk drive from General Luna, a two hour wooden boat ride (complete with ‘earmuffs’ to muffle the sound of the boat’s loud engine), and another 10 minute smaller boat ride under a shallow rock opening with stalactites spearing downward, inches from our heads, to reach the clearing of the enclosed cove. 

Our boat captain, who whizzed us through the compressed aquatic cavern at a mind bending speed, told us that this was the only way in and out of Sohoton Cove. Thankfully, he was an expert navigator, and we kept our skulls intact. Once through, it was dream come true!!! And the reason I so wanted to come here! … Swimming with jellies. 

I’ve always been fascinated by jellyfish. They move so beautifully and effortlessly. But at the same time, I’ve always been frightened of the sting. And some jellyfish, like the box jellyfish, well, their stings can be fatal. So it was without a single worry, that we were to be able to swim in a lagoon of thousands of beautiful stingless jellies during this adventure.

After the caves and the jellyfish lagoon, our captain brought us to a beach where lunch was set up for us. It was an amazing spread, and far too much for us, since we did a private tour, but our guide assured us that the workers at the cove would definitely enjoy it and finish it off.

At this beach, you have some downtime to swim, laze in hammocks, and jump off the high platform into the azure water. But we were there in low tide, so the water level was waaay to low to jump. So after relaxing, we droned a bit at this stunning location, and waited for our boat to pick us up. I found the perfect resting spot too….

Where we stayed in Siargao…

I couldn’t leave it without giving a shout out to the amazing property we stayed at in Siargao— Isla Cabana. It’s not the cheapest accommodations in Siargao for sure, but it truly was amazing in every way, and you certainly get a huge bang for your buck! 

What made it the absolute best was the incredible staff. Everyone in the Philippines has been so warm, friendly, and lovely, and the staff here went out of their way to make us feel at home and so welcome. We left with new friends, and they are fully expecting us to return one day with our kids!

In addition to being an absolutely stunning and meticulously maintained oceanfront property, he rooms are very spacious and comfortable, it has two beautiful pools, a wonderful restaurant, where we had some of the best food that we ate in all of Siargao, and it is in what I believe is the perfect location! As quiet and peaceful and far removed as this oasis feels, it’s literally smack in the heart of bustling General Luna, which is a very lively and fun surf town. When you walk outside the front doors, you have tuk tuks and scooters whizzing by, amidst all the cute cafés, bars, and little shops.  And it is just a short five minute ride to famous Cloud Nine.  And the sunsets from the resort, are gorgeous!

Cisco and I absolutely loved our stay here, so if you are thinking about heading to Siargao, definitely give some good thought to Isla Cabana! 

All in all, Siargao was the perfect way to end our two weeks– it combined a little adventure and surf with some very relaxed downtime and super chill surf-town vibes. And one week there was the perfect amount of time to enjoy it all!

Aloha, Philippines! Until next time……

DAPHNE’S MUST HAVES FOR A TRIP TO THE PHILIPPINES:

Below are some of my must-haves for for my Philippines trip, but you can also visit my SHOP page to see some stylish travel musts.

1. Ipanema Sandals I do not leave home without these, when traveling pretty much… anywhere! They are super cute and stylish and go with anything, from swimsuit & jean shorts, to a romper, to a nice maxi dress for the evenings. They are also incredible comfy- I walk MILES in them, and they are rubber, so they can get completely wet or dirty, and you can just rinse them right off & they dry immediately. I know what you’re thinking- how can rubber shoes be stylish? Just take a look! They are!
2. Sun Hat!!! It’s hot & sunny in the Philippines, and you’ll be happy you have a cute one! This straw hat is pretty, wide-brimmed, foldable!! and is adjustable on the inside to fit your head perfectly
3. Beach Cover-up – You’ll pretty much be living in your swimsuit for most of the time, if you visit the Philippine Islands, so this is nice to throw over if you’re going into a restaurant to eat, or for walking down the street to your next beach spot. This crotched, low back cover up dress is sexy and sweet at the same time- I love it! I wore it all over Greece too!
4. Beach Bag – Besides my cameras, which I carry in a small backpack, I love brining a stylish, durable beach bag that I can throw everything in easily. This is a great option.
5. People ask me all the time what cameras I use when I travel. The two I used for Philippines were the Sony A7III and the ultra compact, pocket-sized Sony RX100 V. Both deliver amazing quality photos for FAR less of a cost and weight than a full-sensor mirrored DSLR.
6. My drone is the DJI Mavic Pro. I’ve had ot for years and it still works great. But the newest, bestest model is the DJI Mavic Mini 4 Pro. It takes incredible photos and 4K video and has amazing capabilities.
7. Travel towels – Chances are, if you are staying at a hotel or resort, they will give you bath towels. But these are bulky, and take up a lot of room, and you don’t want to be hauling them around on your beach or boat outings. I use Anaskela travel towels on all my trips. They are soft, beautiful, dry quicker, fold up super small, and are made from recyclable plastic bottles (wha?!?!?), and will last you forever. I take mine everywhere.