Before coming to the Philippines, my perception about the country was mixed: On the one hand, I heard about its stunning scenery and some of its world-famous dive destinations; on the other hand, being a Hong Kongese I still recalled the 2010 hostage incident in Manila, and was paying close attention to the travel warning for the southern Philippines. I hesitated over whether backpacking solo in the Philippines is a good idea.
Yet, after spending a week in Cebu, Panglao, and Bohol, my experience was nothing but positive: People are friendly and language barrier is non-existent. There were plenty of people at Alona Beach in Panglao all the time and even walking at night seemed perfectly safe. There was no shortage of top-notch experience: Taking the old local buses to go places in Cebu, spending all day riding the motorbike to explore Chocolate Hills, diving with sea turtles at Balicasag Island, and swimming with whale shark in Oslob. Having experienced all these, I came to realize that I have only visited a very small portion of the country. The Philippines definitely has a lot to offer and is one of the few countries that I want to come back in the future.
Chocolate Hills. There are 1200+ of these hills spreading over the area. These green hills turn brown (like chocolate) during dry season, hence the name.
@Bohol
Chocolate Hills. There are 1200+ of these hills spreading over the area. These green hills turn brown (like chocolate) during dry season, hence the name.
@Bohol
Buses in Cebu are very colorful. There are many variations – Even buses with the same bus number come in different shapes and forms. $7 Peso ($0.13 USD) for a ride.
@Cebu
Buses in Cebu are very colorful. There are many variations – Even buses with the same bus number come in different shapes and forms. $7 Peso ($0.13 USD) for a ride.
@Cebu
Buses in Cebu are very colorful. There are many variations – Even buses with the same bus number come in different shapes and forms. $7 Peso ($0.13 USD) for a ride.
@Cebu
Buses in Cebu are very colorful. There are many variations – Even buses with the same bus number come in different shapes and forms. $7 Peso ($0.13 USD) for a ride.
@Cebu
Riding a motorbike to explore Chocolate hills is probably the funniest thing I did in the Philippines. My hostel was in the Alona Beach area in Panglao, while Chocolate Hills was up north in Bohol, about 2.5 hours motorbike ride away. I ended up riding the motorbike all day and saw the tarsiers as well.
@Bohol
Riding a motorbike to explore Chocolate hills is probably the funniest thing I did in the Philippines. My hostel was in the Alona Beach area in Panglao, while Chocolate Hills was up north in Bohol, about 2.5 hours motorbike ride away. I ended up riding the motorbike all day and saw the tarsiers as well.
@Bohol
Chocolate Hills. There are 1200+ of these hills spreading over the area. These green hills turn brown (like chocolate) during dry season, hence the name.
@Bohol
