Beaches & Scuba Diving in the Philippines
Happiest people in the world!
Filipinos seem so happy all of the time, even if they don’t have enough food on their table or if they are living under a cardboard box. They are thankful for what they have even if they don't know where their next meal is coming from. No, this is not the case for everyone and there is a bit of money in the Philippines, but for a big portion of the population, this is reality. But, in the end, they just want to smile, laugh and see you happy too!
My friends and I were walking down the road after our dive lesson and a family invited us to their "feast". They didn't have much and like many parts of the world, they could have assumed we were rich, but that didn't stop them. The more the merrier.
Food is great pretty much everywhere with super fresh seafood. They have vegetarian options and are happy to customize any order.
One thing to learn about the Philippines: Flights are NEVER on-time. Plan accordingly.
Happy to be home in my own bed and with clean clothes! But I really do miss the perfect weather; shorts and tank tops day and night. Great vacation, I would do it all over again!
Itinerary
9 days total, not including flights.
Manila (1 day), Cebu (4 days), Boracay (4 days)
What We Did / Where We Went
Manila, Cebu, Scuba Diving, Snorkeling, Boracay, Boating, Relaxing on the beach
Manila
There is one reason to go to Manila, history. There are a few historical locations outside the city. There are supposed to be clubs and a great nightlife, however, we never really felt safe in the city and wanted to leave ASAP. Dingy and dirty is probably the best way to describe this city. Keeping in mind that I was there for one day, spending half of it in the airport trying to leave earlier. Enough said.
Cebu
The city is much better and more industrialized; you can find all your westernized amenities. One of the popular locations to visit is Ayala Center Cebu. Its a giant mall and looks like it came from anywhere in the US or Europe. All westernized stores.
Our first night, we stumbled upon a street festival when our taxi couldn't get us to where we wanted to go. We ended up partying in the streets and meeting some amazing people.
The real jewels fo Cebu is on the smaller islands within close proximity. They are great places for diving or just hanging out on the beach (Mactan, Olango Island). We stayed on Mactan to get our Open Water and then Advanced Open Water Scuba Diving certification. Two days for Open Water, two days for the Advanced Open Water. It was fabulous to spend so much time on the water! We did night dives and diving with the whale sharks.
Big Problem / Warning: They feed the whale sharks in the Philippines.
Boracay
Family vacation spot by day, dance party by night. If you need a family vacation spot this is a great place to go. Safe, tons of other kids, lots of water activities that will keep everyone entertained. However, around 11pm all of the ‘adults’ come out to play. You can do a pub crawl all the way from one end of the beach to the other end. Night clubs and bars every half-mile.
We joined a group called Boracay Pub Crawl where I ended up wining a beer drinking contest! Why? Because everyone else cant handle their beer! Thank you, San Diego! Absolutely loved Boracay, its completely worth the long journey by plane and then by boat. Pack lightly.
