Ryan: Oops, from Samar you can take an overland route to Leyte and then ferry to Cebu.
Unfortunately I dont have the ferry skeds as well.

Scott: If you’re looking to trek up a volcano then Taal is close to Manila. You can catch a bus to Tagaytay and then get to Talisay and catch a boat across the lake to Taal volcano and climb it all in a day. It is also possible to climb Mt. Pinatubo in a day from Manila.
As for Donsol, That time of year is still a little early to be guaranteed whaleshark sightings.
With Dumaguete, most flights from Manila are usually a bit expensive. I think the cheaper way is to fly to Cebu then catch a bus down to the south and then get a ferry across to Negros. From Dumaguete you can get out to Siquijor by ferry. Sipalay is at 4-6 hours drive from the two airports in Negros. Just north of Dumaguete is Bais City, they have a big white sandbar and dolphin watching. There’s also some nice national parks, waterfalls and mountains in that area too.
From Cebu you can take a ferry to Bohol and then another ferry on to Camiguin, if you’re looking for a cheaper option.
Camiguin is a bit more expensive and many places in Palawan are expensive.
Hope that helps.
Cheers.
Scott

Ryan: Regarding your question, that really depends on how much time and money you have. Some people spend an entire week in Boracay, I know a couple from Sweden who spent 4 weeks in Palawan! Now, see first what visa will you be on here- pretty much for most nationalities, there is a 21 day visa free travel to the Philippines. You have to check if your country is on that list. Some countries has 3 months visa free stays and others require a visa before traveling to the Philippines. Let’s say you are on the majority list of countries with 21 days visa free stay, you can allocate the amount of time spread out in those 21 days. Make sure that you are at the airport leaving the country on the 21st day! Otherwise you may have to file an extension (Check our article on Philippine Tourist Visas by our Expat Writer’s column- Walkabout Pinas).
Check the availability of flights. SEAIR (Southeast Asian Airlines) is your best bet between island hopping. As far as I know, they have a Manila-Cebu-Boracay (Caticlan) – Puerto Princesa (Palawan) which can be connected via road to El Nido (Palawan) – Manila loop. Puerto Galera is another story though. Check their website for details – flyseair.com.
Decently, you can break down your stay like this:
Manila- 2 days
Cebu – 2-3 days plus Bohol – 5 days
Boracay- 3-4 days
Palawan- 7-10 days
Manila – 2 days
Cheers.
Ryan

Ryan: I am not a big fan personally of the “nightlife” in Angeles. It is too seedy for my taste. Last February I went to Clark to do hot air ballooning and wished to stay to rest in one of the motels just before another event, and I get hassled by local trike drivers for prostitutes. I don’t support such kind of tourism however. Manila has a rocking nightlife and if you hang out at the right places you’d be able to mingle with the locals and other expats minus the stain of prostitution.
Okay nightlife wise, Cebu tracks Manila. Cebu’s beauty is more concentrated in its culture, food and many stunning dive spots. It is also a good jump-off for the nearby Bohol province with its over 1,000 Chocolate Hills and white sand beaches and tarsiers. If party is what you really wanted then Boracay is the ultimate island party place in the Philippines. It has one of the most awesome beaches in the world and a pretty good nightlife especially for singles, Don’t forget to drink for your country at Cocomangas – I their infamous 15 shots last December.
I am not a big fan of Puerto Galera although it does have some nice secluded coves, but basically (I know I am going to be crucified for this), Puerto Galera is the poor man’s Boracay. It is cheaper and it is close to Manila and the beaches are definitely inferior than Boracay.
If you really have to streamline your travel. I’d say never miss Coron (Northern Palawan), Puerto Princesas Subterranean River (longest navigable underwater river in the world) and then you can spend some time in Boracay as well as Manila.
Cheers.
Ryan

Ryan: Well some people likes Puerto Galera, but save for some secluded beaches, the place is a bit seedy for my taste. And since it is more readily accessible to Manila, there’s more people there. They do have some great diving opportunities (same as Boracay). Near Puerto Galera is Verde Island with spectacular diving (for advanced divers). It is called the center of the center for marine biodiversity in the world – pretty much like underwater equivalent of the heart of the Amazon. That is of course if you are into diving. :)
Let me know what else I can help you with Boracay – I usually visit that island once a year (though not this year). Last time I was there was December last year and then next time probably would be January 2010 on my way to Romblon. Oh yeah, a friend of mine way back high school days own a cruise ship that sometimes ply the Coron, Palawan to Boracay route. Let me know if you are interested and I can send him a message. He owns two private islands in Northern Palawan as well as a hotel in Boracay. :)
Cheers.
Ryan

Ryan: I think your itinerary sounds okay. Btw the drive from Kalibo to Catcilan is just about 1-1.5 hours. Be careful with flying with Cebu Pacific. Cheap airfares but really sucky customer service. :)
Cheers.
Ryan

Ryan: Sightseeing-wise, and if you only intend to stay in Manila – you could visit these : Old Spanish Walled City of Intramuros (check out the UNESCO Church San Agustin Church and the Manila Cathedral); Fort Santiago; Manila Ocean Park (one of Asia’s biggest aquarium); Libingan ng Mga Bayani (Heroes Cemetery); check out the prehistoric gold collection and diorams of Philippine history at the Ayala Museum; National Museum. These are just some of the things that you can see and do just in Manila. If you step outside of Manila, there’s heaps more to see and do.
Cheers.
Ryan

Ryan: Hi Danni,
Hmmm… When it comes to cultural activities, there would be heaps! The Philippines is a very diverse country and cultural activities varies from province to province (and sometimes within the province itself).
I would definitely suggest the planting rituals and other rituals of the Cordillera region for one- although the schedules vary from place to place in that region. The rituals of the four major highland tribes in the province of Bukidnon as well merits attention. In Quezon, the town of Lucban has that festival where they decorate their houses with colorful leaves made of rice called kiping. Obando, Bulacan has the fertility rituals and the Ati-atihan in Kalibo, Aklan celebrates the dance rituals of the indigenous Aetas and the Malay settlers fused with Christianity.
Let me know which region you are most interested in visiting so I can tell you what to expect.
Cheers.
Ryan

Ryan: Hi there,
As far as I know there is no UNESCO Heritage site in Cebu. The Sto. Tomas Villanueva Church is in Miagao, Iloilo (about 40 kilometers south of Iloilo City). The other UNESCO Churches would be the San Agustin Church in Manila, the Santa Maria and Paoay Churches in Ilocos Sur.
I think you are going to love Intramuros in Manila as well as the Mestizo District in Vigan (the best preserved European colonial town in Asia). The Cordillera is pretty stunning, the cultures, the weaving, the people and the scenery even the food! You must visit the Rice Terraces in Banaue, Batad and Mayoyao as well as the gorgeous town of Sagada in Mountain Province. Apparently, the last of the headhunters still lives in Kalinga (where you can also do white water rafting)..
There are heaps of things to do and see- I am just giving you an extremely short overview. To decently cover the Philippines, it would probably take you at least 2 years. LOL. Trust me, I’ve been to alot of places here but I don’t think I even covered at least half of it.
Cheers.
Ryan

Ryan: Hi Mandy,
Definitely, I am not going to recommend Banawe for your vehicle. From Banawe, you can only go to Sagada via a four-wheel drive or those hardy jeepneys. Although if you have to go through Baguio, the Baguio-Bontoc is mostly paved on the way to Sagada with probably a few parts (near Sagada) which has a very rough parts. I reckon Kia Pregio is similar to a Nissan Urvan right? If it is then yes, you may take your van via Baguio-Sagada. be sure to check the weather conditions if you are heading to Sagada as landslides can occur on your way there. Hope you have a great time in Sagada like we did.
Cheers
Ryan

Ryan: Hi Mandy,
I haven’t tried that route, for one, I am not sure on how to get to Baguio via Nueva Vizcaya, but a quick look on the map and it looks like it is feasible but then again I am not familiar with that route. When I went to Sagada, we went through Baguio. We are going to try the Banawe route in October (get off Banawe and ride a jeepney to Bontoc-Sagada). I also recommend to double-check with the people from SAGGAS (link on my Sagada article) about taking that route. Seems that this is going to be a fun trip for you – Lucena is a bit far too – the last time I was there was a couple of weeks ago when I went to Lucban and Pagbilao. Just don’t forget to get a detailed road map beforehand when you finally decide to go- it is better to be safe than to be lost. :) Don’t forget to come back and let us know of your trip to Sagada – maybe you can drop some tips as well that we could use in our future trips back there. :)
Cheers!!
Ryan

Ryan: Oh btw, I would have to let you know that in Banawe-Sagada route, there is a notorious area there where only a single car can pass. I think it is is in Mount Polis. :)

Ryan: Hi Malini,
For 5 Days, I do not think you would be able to cover a lot in the country. Remember that the biggest island- Luzon, is bigger than the entire Ireland and the second largest island – Mindanao is bigger than Iceland!
Your costs would depend on where you stay and where you go. For airlines, better reserve those tickets as early as possible to get some savings. For 5 Days I would recommend either or combination of these:
1. Bohol – Chocolate Hills, Virgin Island sandbar, Mahogany forest, Tarsier Conservation Centre, Baclayon Church, Dumaluan Beach in Panglao Island, Loboc River Cruise (eat all you can and cheap!) and if you are lucky you can go dolphin watching at Pamilacan Island.
2. Coron – stunning limestone karst everywhere- cheaper alternative to El Nido, stunning secluded beaches and lakes, hot springs as well jungle clad forests.
3. Verde Island Passage, Batangas – If you are an advanced diver, you may want to check this site- it is called as the center of the center of marine biodiversity in the world -the underwater equivalent of the Amazon rainforests.
Other places you may want to check is –
a. Romblon – has the Mount Guiting-Guiting on Sibuyan Island- possibly the most treacherous mountain for climbers in the Philippines, but whose dense forests is a treasure trove of endemic flora and fauna – species nowhere else found in the world. It is dubbed as the Galapagos of Asia.
b. Davao – has the Philippine Eagle Centre but you may want to check their website first if they are open to visitors. Must research more on this.
Unfortunately, diving with the whale sharks in Sorsogon doesnt start until late November so you may be too early.
You may just want to spend a day in Manila if you wanna explore as much as possible and hie off to the other islands. :)
Hope this helps.
Ryan

Ryan:Hi Betsy,
Hmm… 7 Days, that’s a bit of a small time to enjoy the Philippines – for 7 Days, I would probably head out to Coron, Palawan (Check out our Coron guide) for 3 days – it has a lot of places to see in a single area – towering limestone cliffs, hot springs, snorkeling, deserted beaches, beautiful lakes, diving. Then I would head out to Sagada (Check out our Sagada guide) for 4 Days (nice waterfalls, peace and quiet, rice terraces, weaving, GREAT FOOD, awesome culture and people). Manila has great eats as well and nice places – you can do a day tour of the walled city of Intramuros. One of our readers here from Italy did Coron and Sagada in a weeks time as well a few weeks ago. Hope that helps!
Ryan
p.s. Dont forget to allow yourself time for delays, the past couple of weeks seem to be very wet in most parts of the country but that will not stop me from traveling to the beautiful Ilocos provinces tomorrow. :)