Philippines - Treks Travels Thoughts

“One doesn't discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time.” -Andre Gide

These serve as taxis, they are smaller, cheaper, and a lot more fun to ride than a traditional one.

Country facts

Official Language: Philipino
Population: ~108 million (2019)
Capital: Manila
Main Religion: Roman Catholic
Currency: Peso (currency converter)
Time zone: UTC +8
Driving side: right
Plug types: Type A, Type B, Type C

Travel Info

When to go

The best time to visit is in the winter (November to March). Outside of that, it is the rainy season.

Cost

I travelled for about 30-35$/day (2019). See my complete travel cost breakdown. For today's prediction visit this website.

How long do I need

It always depends on your travel speed. The Philippines has lots of islands to choose from, plan 1-2 weeks per island.

Highlights

El Nido: Not to be missed
Sabang: Home of one of the new 7 wonders of nature; The Puerto Princessa Subterranean River
Kabayan: Meet the mummies
Batad: Jaw-dropping rice terraces
Sagada: with its giant caves
Taal Volcano Island: If you are a volcano fan

Pictures

El Nido, Palawan: Jaw-dropping limestone coming out from the sea. I was here almost 10 years ago, still as impressive.

El Nido, Palawan: From the town of El Nido there are different island-hopping trips you can do. This site is called the cathedral, a cave carved by the sea.

El Nido, Palawan: Clear turquoise water, colourful reefs, nice beaches, sharp limestone, you don’t need more to forget any worries you might have.

El Nido, Palawan: The protected area of what they call the Big Lagoon.

El Nido, Palawan: The Big Lagoon is not that wide, but still reaches 30m deep!

Sabang, Palawan: A small coastal village home of one of the new 7 wonders of nature... The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park.

Sabang, Palawan: The underground river runs for about 8.3km, you can take a boat for the first 1.5km to experience this wonder of nature. In 2012, a 20 million-year-old fossil was found in its core.

Sabang, Palawan: Sunset at the beach.

Sabang, Palawan: Mangrove forest, where many species of birds and snakes reside. Wait... did someone say snakes!

Sabang, Palawan: A frame made of corals and shells.

Sometimes we have to remind ourselves to slow down. Other times, our surroundings take care of it.

Sabang, Palawan: Some country side

Baguio, Luzon: What they call the valley of colours.

Baguio, Luzon: Tam-Awan Village is known for its cultural and artistic background.

I don’t want to be the one in charge of power lines in the Philippines... Do you?

Betag, Luzon: The view over the town of Betag from Mount Kalugong.

Culture: Jeepneys are colourful small buses that you can flag down anywhere. They can be overpacked though, having literally people hanging out on the outside and sitting on the roof. On this ride, I counted over 45 people.

Kabayan, Luzon: Tinongchol Burial Rock is an ancestral burial site dating 150-250 years. Imagine a huge boulder with about 18 holes which hold about 7-8 coffins each that have actual mummies in it. On the left hole, you can still see some untouched coffins.

Kabayan, Luzon: The museum in Kabayan had a mummy in display. Mummification is a long process that lasted 2 to 10 months. They drained, skinned, smoked, dried the body while leaving it strapped to a chair in front of the house, definitely not for the faint of heart.

Kabayan, Luzon: Kabayan village

Kabayan, Luzon: Opdas Mass Burial Cave is enough to make you feel in an Indiana Jones movie or worst to give you nightmares for the next days (as some locals warned me about). It is said that about 500-1000 years ago a smallpox epidemic killed a large group of people, I counted over 120 skulls in this small cave.

Mount Pulag, Luzon: Vegetable farms on my way up Philippines second-highest peak, Mount Pulag (2928m).

Mount Pulag, Luzon: The half-magical and half-spooky trail through the moss trees.

Mount Pulag, Luzon: A couple of kilometres before the summit, the clouds rolled over the grassland, blocking the final view I might have had over the surrounding peaks. A nice reminder, to enjoy the journey because the destinations don’t always payout.

Culture: Religion is still very strong in the Philippines, so much that I stumbled upon that sign in a bathroom. It is good to know that God is watching me even in the toilet...

Bila, Luzon: Another taste of the Cordillera Mountain Range.

Batad, Luzon: The famous rice terraces of Batad, which are listed in Unesco World Heritage. To get to Batad you have to hike in since the road ends before the village. When your eyes meet Batad Amphitheatre terraces, it is love at first sight, I promise.

Batad, Luzon: Tappiya Falls

Banaue, Luzon: The small village of Banaue with its rice terraces.

Banaue, Luzon: More rice terraces

Sagada, Luzon: The Echo Valley and its hanging coffins

Sagada, Luzon: Saturday market

Sagada, Luzon: On the way down Sumaguing Cave.

Sagada, Luzon: Sumaguing is a giant cave, filled with bats and weirdly shaped rocks.

In the darkest moments, even a tiny light is enough to lift the darkness. Be a light...

Abatan, Luzon: Some countryside

San Juan, Luzon: Known for its good surfing waves and its amazing sunsets.

Tagaytay, Luzon: Overlooking Taal Volcano Island.

Taal Volcano Island, Luzon: You used to be allowed to descend into the crater. With the latest volcano activity, this is not allowed anymore (you can see the smoke coming out of the ground). Taal is the second most active volcano in the Philippines, counting 33 eruptions (since 1572). A good thing to know before getting there...

Taal Volcano Island, Luzon: With the mix of clouds I had and the strong wind pushing them. I had the chance to witness what looked like northern lights on the water.