From November to February each year, the Philippines enjoys a warm climate with temperatures between 25-28°C, making it the most comfortable season and the peak tourist period. With sunshine, beaches, waves, tropical rainforests, diverse colonial-style architecture, azure waters perfect for diving, and a dazzling array of tropical fruits, embark on an island journey filled with tropical charm. The enchanting island scenery of the Philippines attracts a steady stream of tourists and immigrant families every year who choose Philippine immigration and settlement.
1. Boracay (BORACAY)
Boracay is a small, narrow island, 7 kilometers long and 1 kilometer wide. Boracay boasts the best white sand beach in all of Asia; its powder-like fine sand and clear, turquoise waters are its signature features.
Overall assessment: High level of service, many activities, and relatively noisy. It is particularly suitable for tourists traveling with children and the elderly, or large groups of friends, and is also ideal for couples on their honeymoon.
Local transportation: The main mode of transport is the TUKTUK; there are no cars. You can hail a TUKTUK on the MAIN ROAD (the island's main thoroughfare) for 7-10 pesos per person; if you take a TUKTUK from a designated stand, the price ranges from 50-100 pesos per vehicle. Station 1 is located at the north end of the island, and a ride from Station 2 costs about 150 pesos. Because the island is relatively small, walking along the beach is a great way to get around.
Commercial maturity: Fully commercialized, with all kinds of hotels, restaurants, and entertainment facilities. There are supermarkets, banks, numerous shops, and various stalls and street vendors.
Restaurants: There are various flavors of Chinese and Western food available at all price points. The best fruit on the island is the MANGO. The D'Talipapa seafood market on the island is a favorite among tourists! Compared to prices in China, the cost of large crabs and shrimp is extremely low and great value. Shrimp weighing about 50g cost about 3-4 yuan each, and a large crab weighing about 800g costs about 45 yuan. Seafood prices fluctuate with the number of tourists. There is a row of small shops next to the seafood market that can cook your purchases in various styles.
Seawater: The water is beautiful, and everywhere you look, you see green seawater.
Beach: The best white sand beach in all of Asia, with 4 kilometers of powder-fine sand, which is Boracay's most famous scenery.
Snorkeling: Boracay is suitable for snorkeling. It is generally done during island-hopping tours at depths of about 5-10 meters. The water quality and visibility are both very good.
Diving: There are many tourists doing DSD (Discover Scuba Diving) in Boracay. DSD usually involves diving to about 7 meters, and underwater photography is available. As for deep diving, the underwater world of Boracay is average, but the seabed near Crocodile Island is very beautiful. Other activities: Water sports are diverse and varied, including JET SKI, SAILING (including non-powered and crewed island-hopping options), parasailing, go-karting, etc., at reasonable prices.
Language convenience: English is the primary language. With the increase in Chinese tourists, many vendors can speak some Chinese and can bargain with tourists in Chinese.
Travel advice: Stay in Boracay for at least three days, walk along the beach every day, participate in some water activities you enjoy, and then indulge in eating, drinking, and shopping.
2. Bohol (BOHOL)
Bohol is the tenth largest island in the Philippines, 70 kilometers away from Cebu Island. The beach, formed by crushed coral washed up by the sea, is not fine sand like flour, but the beach is snow-white, reflecting the seawater in distinct layers: shallow green nearby and deep blue in the distance. Panglao Island is connected to Bohol, and the famous ALONA Beach is located at the southeast corner of Panglao Island.
Overall assessment: ALONA Beach is suitable for vacations, with beach, sea, island-hopping, snorkeling, and diving all available. However, its features are not particularly outstanding. The white sand beach is inferior to Boracay, the seawater is not as good as Coron, and the underwater world is inferior to Dumaguete and Malapascua.
Arrival/Departure: First, fly from Manila to Tagbilaran, then take a tricycle for 35-40 minutes to reach ALONA Beach. Alternatively, take a speedboat from Dumaguete to Tagbilaran Port in Bohol, a journey of about 1 hour and 40 minutes; or take a speedboat from Cebu City to Tagbilaran Port, which takes about 2 hours, then take a tricycle for 35 minutes to reach ALONA Beach.
Local transportation: In the ALONA Beach area, walking is the main way to get around. ALONA Beach is far from the city center; common transportation to the city includes TUKTUK (300 PESO/trip), renting a car (500 PESO/trip), or Jeepney (25 PESO/trip, but less frequent).
Commercial maturity: The city center has complete commercial facilities, including hotels, restaurants, and various entertainment facilities, as well as several large SHOPPING MALLS. ALONA Beach has small shops, restaurants, and currency exchange points (though the exchange rate is average, and the RMB exchange rate is extremely poor), with fewer supporting facilities than the city center.
Restaurants: There are various flavors of Chinese and Western food. At night, there is a variety of seafood available for BBQ, including large crabs, shrimp, and grouper, at medium-to-high prices. The size of the crabs is almost comparable to those in Boracay, but the price is much more expensive than in Boracay.
Seawater: Mainly light green, dark green, and light blue. The seabed along the beach is full of seaweed, and seaweed can be seen everywhere on the way from the beach to Virgin Island, which affects the visual effect of the seawater.
Beach: ALONA has about 2 kilometers of white sand beach with fine sand. The nearby Virgin Island is very famous; the island's shape is beautiful, and the white sand looks very good, but when you step on it, you feel that there are many stone particles in the sand, which is a bit uncomfortable.
Snorkeling: Suitable for snorkeling. It is generally done during island-hopping tours, usually to Balicasag Island, where water quality and visibility are both good.
Diving: Diving is mainly done near Balicasag Island, where there are small schools of fish and many corals.
Language convenience: English is the primary language. Because of the increase in Chinese tourists, many vendors can speak some Chinese and can bargain with tourists in Chinese.
Travel advice: You can stay in Bohol for two or three days. In addition to island-hopping, you can take a one-day tour of Bohol (including the Chocolate Hills, Tarsiers, etc.), or take a slow walk along the beach. Suitable for family trips with the elderly and children.
3. Coron (CORON)
Coron is located at the southeast corner of Busuanga Island in the northern part of Palawan Province, Philippines, and is known as an undeveloped virgin land. To be precise, Coron is not an offshore island. The green mountains and clear waters of the islands around Coron are famous, and Coron's shipwreck diving is even more renowned.
Overall assessment: Coron is in the early stages of commercial development, with good service levels and average supporting facilities. Coron's beauty is all on the sea, with jade-green seawater, islands with karst peaks, and even more wonderful is the underwater world.
Arrival/Departure: Fly from Manila to Busuanga, then take a VAN (minibus) for about 45 minutes to reach Coron town.
Local transportation: Coron town is not big; you can walk or take a TUKTUK. Taking a TUKTUK generally costs 10 PESO to reach the town and slightly further places. Island-hopping around Coron is mainly done by outrigger boats, which come in large (10-12 people) or small (4-6 people) sizes.
Commercial maturity: The commercialization of Coron town is average. Basic facilities such as small supermarkets, banks, shops, and post offices are available, but they are relatively small in scale. When exchanging money at banks or exchange points in town, you can only use US dollars; Euros, RMB, etc., are not accepted, and there are no ATMs with UnionPay logos. There is also a relatively large market in town where you can buy fresh crabs, fish, and other seafood.
Restaurants: The number of restaurants and the level of cooking are average, with few choices. Seafood bought at the market can be cooked in small restaurants, usually with two or three flavors to choose from, and the processing fee is not high. You can also prepare your own seafood during island-hopping tours and ask the boatman to cook it for lunch. Usually, the boatmen have good skills, but guests need to prepare all the ingredients and charcoal for cooking and pay the boatman a processing fee.
Seawater: The water around the various islands reached during Coron island-hopping tours is very beautiful. The emerald green seawater is like jade, intoxicating, making you want to scoop it up and hold it. The seawater is very clear and breathtaking. In Coron, there are freshwater lakes connected to the sea, which can provide an extraordinary experience. Malcapuya and Banana islands are about 2 hours by boat from Coron town, and the seawater there is called "four colors," which is not inferior to the Maldives.
Beach: There is basically no beach in Coron town, and the surrounding islands usually only have a small stretch of white sand beach, but the sand is fine. The more distant Malcapuya and Banana islands have quite good white sand beaches.
Snorkeling: The distant Coral Garden (located near GUN BOAT) has excellent snorkeling results. In addition to high water quality and visibility, the scenery is superb, with dozens of types of corals stretching for several kilometers blooming on the seabed, in various shapes, some resembling blooming roses. Snorkeling around the islands near Coron is average. Perhaps verifying the saying "clear water has no fish," the seabed near many islands is only sand, with no fish. CYC Island has better snorkeling results. Here, each island charges a 100-200 PESO entry fee for snorkeling; of course, if you don't go into the water, you don't have to pay.
Diving: Shipwrecks are the must-see attraction of Coron. There are several ships sunk during World War II in Coron. Because they were supply fleets, the shipwrecks are mainly cargo ships, but there are also warships. Coron's shipwreck diving has been famous for many years due to its long history, numerous ships, and rich variety of ship types. After experiencing shipwreck diving in Coron, it is hard to find another place like it!
Language convenience: English is the primary language, and there are very few locals who can speak Chinese.
Travel advice: Stay in Coron for four or five days, you can go island-hopping or diving; or lie in a hammock at a hotel facing the sea, listen to music and enjoy the scenery; or go to a hot spring near sunset to spend a comfortable day. Suitable for tourists who like island-hopping, snorkeling, and diving.
4. Dumaguete (DUMAGUETE)
Dumaguete is the capital of Negros Oriental province in the Philippines. It is also the "University Town" of the Philippines. A small city with a population of 120,000 has 4 universities, with a strong cultural atmosphere and an elegant urban environment. Many international students from Europe, the United States, Japan, and South Korea study here. The DAUIN area and APO Island in Dumaguete are among the famous diving paradises.
Overall assessment: The city center has complete facilities, and the suburban DAUIN area is quiet and suitable for vacations. Dumaguete is a place for divers, and small creatures and drift diving are the favorites of divers.
Arrival/Departure: Fly from Manila to Dumaguete, then take a tricycle for 15 minutes to reach the city center, or take a VAN (minibus) for about 45 minutes to reach the suburban DAUIN area. Alternatively, take a speedboat from Bohol to Dumaguete, a journey of about 1 hour and 40 minutes. Or take a speedboat from Cebu City to Dumaguete.
Local transportation: Tricycles, JEEPNEYS, and taxis are all available. Among them, JEEPNEYS are cheap and high-quality, with excellent cost-performance, and the price is the same for locals and foreigners. In the city, 8 PESO can usually get a JEEPNEY to any location, and it only costs 18 PESO/person to get from the suburban DAUIN to the city center.
Commercial maturity: The city center has complete facilities, and various commercial facilities such as banks, SHOPPING MALLS, post offices, currency exchange points, and supermarkets can be easily found. The exchange rate is better than in the nearby famous tourist area of Bohol. The suburban DAUIN has very limited facilities, but you can find a local market within a ten-minute walk.
Restaurants: There are many restaurants in the city center with different flavors to choose from. There are few dining options in the suburban DAUIN area, and you can only dine at nearby resorts.
Seawater: The seawater is clear, mainly light blue and dark blue.
Beach: A typical black sand beach, originating from the volcanic eruption on the seabed near APO Island. The black sand beach is not dirty, but the visual effect is not good.
Snorkeling: You can snorkel near APO Island. From December to February of the following year, there is a chance to snorkel and see the whale shark, known as the "gentle giant," in the north of Dumaguete.
Diving: The currents around APO Island and the tiny creatures in the DAUIN area attract countless divers. Sometimes the current at the COCONUT dive site on APO Island is extremely fierce, with impacts from six directions, which is very challenging and exciting. The DAUIN area has a rich variety of small creatures, including several types of sea slugs and patches of eel forests.
Language convenience: English is the primary language, and there are basically no locals who can speak Chinese.
Travel advice: Suitable for divers or people who like snorkeling.
5. Malapascua Island (MALAPASCUA)
Malapascua Island is named for its shape, which resembles a loofah stem. This narrow island is known for its primitive, quiet, and diving opportunities. Because it is primitive, it is quiet, and because it is original, it is rarely visited by tourists and is almost unpolluted. Malapascua Island is not big; it only takes about 3 hours to walk around the island.
Overall assessment: A quiet and peaceful island, suitable for long-term stays, with tranquility, peace, white sand beaches, clean seawater with distinct layers, simple islanders, no disturbance from vendors, and no strong commercial atmosphere. Except for the inconvenient transportation and few dining choices, everything is perfect. If you compare Malapascua with islands visited before, Malapascua is most similar to Perhentian Island in Malaysia.
Arrival/Departure: The journey to MALAPASCUA is harder than going to other islands. Fly from Manila to Cebu, then take a taxi (three hours) / public bus (four and a half hours) to MAYA Port, and then take a boat for forty minutes to reach the island.
Local transportation: Transportation on the island is by walking. Island-hopping around the island is mainly done by outrigger boats.
Commercial maturity: Commercial facilities are pitifully few. Apart from small shops, there are no other facilities on the island. You must exchange cash before going to the island, as it is difficult to find places that accept credit cards on the island.
Restaurants: Eating on the island is relatively difficult. Apart from Italian food and local food, there is basically no choice.
Seawater: The seawater is layered, light green, dark green, light blue, and dark blue. However, sometimes green seawater appears again after the dark blue. Under the blue sky, the color of the seawater is particularly outstanding.
Beach: There are more than twenty beaches of various sizes on the island, the largest of which are BOUNTY Beach and LOGON Beach. The sand is fine and looks like it has some small gravel, but it feels very comfortable to step on. In the eastern part of BOUNTY Beach, the fine sand seems to have no support at all, making it extremely difficult to walk on.
Snorkeling: Usually snorkeling around Malapascua Island, or going to CALANGEMAN Island (the one-way journey is 1.5 hours). The scenery is mainly coral and fish.
Diving: Malapascua Island has its must-see attraction: Thresher shark, and night diving (Mandarin fish). 90% of tourists who arrive at this island are divers. Thresher sharks are not only found on Malapascua Island, but Malapascua Island is the most convenient place to see them. The elegant tail of the Thresher shark and its clown-like mouth make divers linger.
Language convenience: English is the primary language, and locals basically cannot speak Chinese.
Travel advice: Stay on Malapascua Island for four or five days or longer, get up early to see the Thresher sharks, go island-hopping or diving during the day; or lie in a hammock on the beach, listen to music and enjoy the scenery; or take a sunset photo or go for a night dive near sunset, and have pizza while listening to music on the beach for dinner, spending a pleasant day. Suitable for divers who like Thresher sharks, or tourists who like tranquility and are willing to enjoy a vacation.