⌛ Top 5 Personal Favorite Destinations

Looking back through several years of "other Philippines travel, I do not see a list like this, although lots of reviews of individual destinations. Where are your top 5 destinations in the Philippines for rest, recreation, or just hanging out?

 

Mine are the follows:

1. Puerto Galera ( Mindoro ) - It may be as not be as Crystal Clear White Sands of Boracay but the prices for room and meals are affordable. Imagine, you can get a room for 500/day on the beach side and a meal for 250 ( gried chicken/squid/soda/rice/dessert). Party all night for any beach bars. Hmm, beers at 45/PHP each. Sparkling at 200 pesos per head got a chance to go to the other inhabited island. Banana Boat at 200PHP/per ride. A two and half hour ride from Makati to Batangas pier (its where you'll cross to Puerto Galera. )with no bumpy road via express way. For me this is an alternative choice for an affordable beach bum trip.

2. Coron Island (Palawan) - What can I say it's "amazing" -untouchable ! I could always say "WOW" when I do island hoping there.

3. Bantayan Island (Cebu )- Simply amazing but I don't like the road going to the tip of Cebu for some bumpy ride and kinda far, it takes me 5 hours to travel and a small boat takes me more than an hour ride to the island but worth the trip if you want a quiet beach.

4. Apo Island (Negros Oriental) / Malapascua Island (Cebu ) - This two islands are good for diving, nothing more to say. Speaking of Malapascua Island, they have more beaches than Apo Island. I would considered calling it a Virigin Island. People describe it right, it's the past version of Bora- Bora Island, not crowded.

5. Boracay Island (Aklan ) - A world class Island. No wonder Shangri-la's Boracay Resort Spa is now there operating. An Awesome beach! Perfect crystal clear water and white sands! But it's too crowded. If you don't mind how much money you'll gonna spent and party party...Go for Bora- Bora island.

 

Thanks Newbie,

There are so many worthwhile places to see, but for those of us with limited time to visit the Philippines, it helps to have an idea of where to go. The popular travel guides usually have some kind of must see or personal favorites list, but I doubt if they have the same level of expertise as people who actually live in the Philippines. I usually stay in the Cebu/Dumaguete/Siguijor corridor when I visit so this helps me get an idea of where else to go. Thanks so much!

 

By the way Newbie,

I was sort of assuming you live in Dumaguete or the Philippines, and that may be totally wrong. But I get the impression that the Forum has many members who do live there or who are regular visitors! I hope this is not an already discussed topic--at least specifically. If so, it would be nice to know how recently and which thread it is under.

 

From the website itself, dumagueteinfo would tell which place I am attach with recently. Happy to be back here, its my 6 months of staying here as returnee. Speaking about the way I answered, it was based on my experienced traveling around the archipelago called Philippines.

 

I am happy to report that one can now fly scheduled service from Mactan Cebu to Bantayan with 3 flights daily for only P1500...35 minutes of scenery instead of five hours on bumpy road!

http://www.midseaexpress.com/main/Schedule.html

They also fly to Tagbilaran if you don't like the OceanJet...

 

Derivative Guru,

I am with you on the flying preference. Thanks for that. I take it Bantayan is also on your top 5 list. Any others you care to mention?

 

Puerto Galera ( Mindoro ) sounds like a very pleasant place to visit. It's hard to wrap my head around how inexpensive it is to visit some of these places.

 

sugar beach off of sipalay...nice swimming beach...quiet and secluded...friendly inexpensive resorts

 

DG,
generally a great option. Did you actually fly with them?
I know 2 people where the flight never happened. There are some of that tiny "air-taxi" companies in the PI, most without fixed schedule. I am always slightly skeptical with those "pilots-by passion" companies. Well, they all come down ... somehow.