Discover Visayas

Beautiful white beaches, great diving opportunities, jungles and friendly people have made the Visayas one of the most famous and loved areas in the Philippines. On this trip we are going to visit four different islands. If you want to combine culture with beach life, this trip is for you. You will also have the opportunity to learn diving or if you are a diver, dive at several different places you can read more about diving at the end of the initiary.

Day 1 Arrival Manila

We meet up at our hotel in Manila, capital of the Philippines, with about 15 million inhabitants. In this big city you will find shopping malls, street restaurants, and numerous of cars and people on the streets. The most famous areas are; Luneta or Rizal Park a green heaven for stressed city people, Intramouros the old city witch was build during the 15 century and Eremita, Phillipines equivalent of Wall Street. If you arrive early, our tour
leader will give you suggestions on what to do during
the day. In the evening we have a welcoming dinner.

Day 2 - 4 Sipalay on sugar island

After breakfast we will take the plane to Baclod on Negros. Negros is called “Sugar Island”, because the island is the largest producer of sugar cans in the Philppines. From Bacolod we will go by car to the small village of Sipalay. We are going to stay at a small white beach outside the village. Here we can relax on the beach and enjoy our holiday. Those who would like can go snorkelling or diving. One day we will go on a tour in the areas around Sipalay, with a local guide. We will, among other things, visit a cave and also go into the jungle and visit the local market.

Day 5 -7 To the island of healers - Siquijor

After breakfast we will go by van to Dumaguete, the biggest city on Negros. The trip will go over mountains with a spectacular view outside our window. On the way we will make a stop to enjoy the lunch we brought. From Dumgugete we are going to take the ferry to Siquijor. This is a beautiful little island on the south part of Visayas. The island is mostly known for its healers and witches. We will stay in a nice resort by the sea. You will have plenty of time to spend at the beach. One of the days we will make a trip around the island and visit a beautiful waterfall with turquoise natural pools and also one of the oldest churches in the Philippines.

Day 8 Beach or life in the jungle?

You will now have the option to choose between staying at the beach in Alona or do some minor adventure in the jungle at Loboc River.

After breakfast we will take a traditional “banka boat” from Siquijor to Alona Beach on Panglao Island. The trip to Alona takes 3-4 hours. When we arrive on Alona we eat lunch
together. Those who choose to stay on Alona check in at the hotel and have the afternoon
free for their own activities.

Those who choose the jungle excursion will take a van to Loboc and Nuts Huts, (the trip takes about 2 hours). At Nuts Huts we stay in simple but charming Nipa huts built in local style. All huts have mosquito nets, toilets and shower facilities. In the evening we will try our physic by walking the 110 steps up to the restaurant where we have dinner. We will also get briefed about tomorrow.

Day 9 Alona Beach / Nuts Huts

Those who stay on Alona Beach relax on the beach. Alona has everything you might expect from a tropical holiday, a beautiful beach, great diving, seaside restaurants and bars. Those who stay in Nuts Huts are in for an early breakfast before we make a trek though the jungle up the hill to some really beautiful caves. Do not forget good hiking shoes and lots of water (it can get really hot). The hike will take us about 5 hours. Back at Nuts Huts we recommend a massage. Why not try a most unusual herbal sauna. Nuts Huts is famous for its good and healthy food, a place to remember for the rest of your life.

Day 10 Trip around Bohol

Today the group will meet up again. Those on Alona take a van to Loboc where the others are waiting. We will continue together to visit the mysterious Chocolate Hills, an area consisting of more than 1000 almost identical small hills (up to 120 meters high) and the Tarsier centre, where efforts are made to save the endangered tarsier. We are also going to visit some other historical places on the island and if you like we can also visit a local market. We will eat lunch at Nuts Huts.

Day 11-13 Alona Beach

We are now going to have 3 whole days on Alona Beach. One of the days we will make a snorkelling trip to Balicasaq, a small village about 40 minutes by boat from Alona. Here you will find excellent snorkelling and diving sites. If you like you can also take a short walk to a small fishing village nearby. Lunch will be a BBQ on the white coral beach. Alona Beach has more than just sunbathing and diving to offer. If you like you can take a “banka boat” early in the morning and go dolphin spotting or why not to go Bohol Bee farm, which is an ecological farm. Here you also find a pleasant restaurant whit a great buffet. You can also shop for presents. Our tour leader will help you find activities at your choice.

Day 14. Back to Manila

We leave Panglao Island and Alona Beach and head for the airport in Tagbilarian on Bohol where we will take the plane back to Manila. We arrive around lunch. In Manila you will have time for shopping in some of the big malls or you can visit Intramours or the Chinese cemetery, a truly remarkable experience. We will have dinner together at a traditional Philippine restaurant.

Dag 15 Going home

Going home. If you want to extend your holliday in the Philippines we can help you with planing and bookings.

Diving

If you would like to dive we can offer several different options. We work together with Prosafari Divecenter on Alona Beach, a PADI certified dive enter where you can do everything from try scuba diving to dive master education. If you already are a certified diver you can also dive in both Sipalay and Siquijor. If you want to do an open water course we would like you to let us know this, when you make your booking, so we can make you an offer. The ideal thing if you like this is to book additional days on Alona Beach. You can read more about diving and courses at www.padi.com .