PART 1--Philippines Island-Hopping–A Thrilling Experience
PART 1--Philippines Island-Hopping–A Thrilling Experience
Few outdoors activities can be more fascinating than island-hopping if planned right. In this article, I will cover some pointers which will guide you through the maze of Philippines island-hopping and how you and your partner can have a pleasurable time doing it. If you live in the mainland United States and want to do some island-hopping, then that is tough. So, let us take a trip to the Philippines and check out the possibility of island-hopping there.
Philippines Island-hopping is second to none because the Philippines, as an island, is composed of 7,100 islands located in Southeast Asia. What makes Philippine island-hopping in this island paradise even more enticing is that you it will not cost you an arm and a leg. If you are a nature lover, then you will enjoy every minute of your visit and activities: fine white sand beaches, excellent and delectable meals, and breath-taking sceneries. You will also enjoy all kinds of water sports activities: scuba diving, parasailing, surfing, and snorkeling.
How would you answer this question, "What would you do with 7,100 islands in one country?" Exploring some of them could be an obvious response, if time is on your side. At any rate, this is probably what you may be doing during your upcoming trip to the Philippines.
You have decided to go Philippines island-hopping, grab a piece of paper and jot down a plan. Make it real, doable, and flexible. As you will venture out in foreign territories, make sure that you include a plan B within your overall plan because sometimes the ferries run late, the plane may delay, and a host of other unknown factors caused by Mother Nature.
Time is an important factor to consider in your plan. Let us say you want to go to Cebu, a province of the Philippine for island-hopping. Supposedly, upon your arrival from the USA, you stay at a hotel in Manila, the capital city. It will take around 45 minutes to get from Manila to Cebu by air. All things considered, when you arrive in Cebu City, Cebu, you may want to rest a bit and begin your island-hopping journey the next day. In all probability, you need a day to move from one island to the next.
In your journey, you will use domestic flights, small boat, known as bancas for short trip, roro boats, and ferries for longer ones, if needed. On land, you may have to take public transportation, such as buses, taxis, and vehicle-for-hire or hire a private car with driver at very reasonable cost. There will be plenty of food and drinks to satisfy your needs nearly everywhere. These should not be a big concern to you. Make sure that you carry your own potable water or drink water from sealed water bottles only.
You can plan to island-hop the following destinations once you are in Cebu City: Bohol, Mactan Island, Negros Oriental, Leyte, Siquijor, and even more. For the sake of the argument, among these five islands, I will show you how to island-hop Bohol and Leyte only. You can easily do the others based on the first two, if needed, applying the same proceedings and principles.
Let us proceed. Make sure you check the Philippine Calendar for holidays as these could dampen your tour. You should travel very light. Wear comfortable clothes and water-proof shoes. You should carry a light backpack and a water-proof camera, if you have one. Do not rely on ATMs or banks; therefore, you should carry cash or Philippine currency. On an average, you should spend roughly 1100 Philippine currency or pesos or $26 per day on island-hopping or more, and that should cover transportation, food, and miscellaneous.
PART II of this article will follow. I will share with you how to travel from Manila to Cebu by air, from Cebu, how to go island-hopping to Bohol and Leyte, using sea and land transportation means. Stay tuned.
Few outdoors activities can be more fascinating than island-hopping if planned right. In this article, I will cover some pointers which will guide you through the maze of Philippines island-hopping and how you and your partner can have a pleasurable time doing it. If you live in the mainland United States and want to do some island-hopping, then that is tough. So, let us take a trip to the Philippines and check out the possibility of island-hopping there.
Philippines Island-hopping is second to none because the Philippines, as an island, is composed of 7,100 islands located in Southeast Asia. What makes Philippine island-hopping in this island paradise even more enticing is that you it will not cost you an arm and a leg. If you are a nature lover, then you will enjoy every minute of your visit and activities: fine white sand beaches, excellent and delectable meals, and breath-taking sceneries. You will also enjoy all kinds of water sports activities: scuba diving, parasailing, surfing, and snorkeling.
How would you answer this question, "What would you do with 7,100 islands in one country?" Exploring some of them could be an obvious response, if time is on your side. At any rate, this is probably what you may be doing during your upcoming trip to the Philippines.
You have decided to go Philippines island-hopping, grab a piece of paper and jot down a plan. Make it real, doable, and flexible. As you will venture out in foreign territories, make sure that you include a plan B within your overall plan because sometimes the ferries run late, the plane may delay, and a host of other unknown factors caused by Mother Nature.
Time is an important factor to consider in your plan. Let us say you want to go to Cebu, a province of the Philippine for island-hopping. Supposedly, upon your arrival from the USA, you stay at a hotel in Manila, the capital city. It will take around 45 minutes to get from Manila to Cebu by air. All things considered, when you arrive in Cebu City, Cebu, you may want to rest a bit and begin your island-hopping journey the next day. In all probability, you need a day to move from one island to the next.
In your journey, you will use domestic flights, small boat, known as bancas for short trip, roro boats, and ferries for longer ones, if needed. On land, you may have to take public transportation, such as buses, taxis, and vehicle-for-hire or hire a private car with driver at very reasonable cost. There will be plenty of food and drinks to satisfy your needs nearly everywhere. These should not be a big concern to you. Make sure that you carry your own potable water or drink water from sealed water bottles only.
You can plan to island-hop the following destinations once you are in Cebu City: Bohol, Mactan Island, Negros Oriental, Leyte, Siquijor, and even more. For the sake of the argument, among these five islands, I will show you how to island-hop Bohol and Leyte only. You can easily do the others based on the first two, if needed, applying the same proceedings and principles.
Let us proceed. Make sure you check the Philippine Calendar for holidays as these could dampen your tour. You should travel very light. Wear comfortable clothes and water-proof shoes. You should carry a light backpack and a water-proof camera, if you have one. Do not rely on ATMs or banks; therefore, you should carry cash or Philippine currency. On an average, you should spend roughly 1100 Philippine currency or pesos or $26 per day on island-hopping or more, and that should cover transportation, food, and miscellaneous.
PART II of this article will follow. I will share with you how to travel from Manila to Cebu by air, from Cebu, how to go island-hopping to Bohol and Leyte, using sea and land transportation means. Stay tuned.
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