Destination: Philippines

LONELY PLANET'S OFFICIAL ITINERARY INFORMATION

Itinerary: Doing Time Island Style

ONE MONTH

Cut a swathe through the Visayas, enjoying superb diving at Moalboal and around Dumaguete and the beach resorts of Sipalay and Boracay. Sample the nightlife at Dumaguete and Iloilo City, or retreat to the peaceful islands of Romblon or Sibuyan. The total distance is 900km; allow at least a month.



If you have a month to spend in the country, then an island-hopping tour of the Visayas is certainly one of the better ways to spend it, particularly if you’re a diver or beach-lover. Fly into bustling Cebu City, ‘Manila Minor’, but don’t linger too long. Take the first convenient bus to the dive colony of Moalboal. Once you’ve dived and partied to your heart’s content, jump on another bus and check out the stunning coastal scenery on the road to Bato, the closest port to Negros. In Negros, enjoy the nightlife of Dumaguete, and sample the many dive resorts just a short bus trip out of town. Then brace for a gruelling – but utterly worthwhile – six-hour bus journey to the remote beach retreats of Sipalay. Leave some slack in your itinerary at this point because you’ll probably want to stay an extra week.

From Sipalay, it’s four hours by bus (along a paved road, thank God) to Pulupandan, from where the boat departs for Guimaras, a gem of an island for lovers of postcard-perfect little low-key resorts, as well as mountain bikers and mango connoisseurs. If you can muster the energy to leave, Iloilo City, the second city of the Visayas, is a short ferry hop away. Take some time out for the happening music scene and gorge on the beachfront seafood buffets before grabbing an express van north to the white sand, mixed drinks and Olympics-like offering of water sports at Boracay, the Philippines’ answer to Cancun and Phuket.

Before long you may be inspired to seek permanent-residency status, but if you find the beach-bum lifestyle too taxing take a vacation from your vacation by catching a ferry north to the island of Looc and then to either of the island retreats of Romblon or Sibuyan before returning to civilisation via Cebu or Manila.