- Active and athletic
- Meditative rest
- Top 3 beach resorts in the Philippines
You will find the Philippines on the world map southeast of China and slightly north of Indonesia. Spread over several thousand islands of all shapes and sizes, the tropical maritime climate of the country provides three distinct weather seasons.
The ideal time to go on vacation to the best resorts in the Philippines is spring. In March, dry and hot weather sets in on the islands, which persists until the last days of May. In winter, in the resorts of the Philippines, it can be a little cool, but the air temperature, even in January, rarely drops below + 22 ° C. Summer in these latitudes begins the wet season and beach holidays in the Philippines can be severely complicated by daily rainstorms, strong winds and even hurricanes.
Active and athletic
Philippine resorts are especially loved by tourists, for whom the most important thing is the opportunity to have a varied and active vacation. In this sense, the islands, washed by the South China and Philippine Seas, which belong to the Pacific Ocean basin, can offer the active traveler a lot of interesting things. The best diving, according to the experienced, awaits fans of underwater walks on the islands of Mindoro, Mactan, Palawan and in the vicinity of the Philippine capital.
Mindoro is able to win the heart of even the most sophisticated submariner. The sea off the coast of the island is very clear and visibility under water reaches 30 meters. You can dive in Mindoro in fifty places, and each site offers amazing underwater formations and guarantees an unforgettable experience. On the coast in the Puerto Galera region, the Shark Caves and Canyons are famous - sites with strong underwater currents, but also a particularly diverse flora and fauna. The Pink Wall, on the other hand, is perfect for beginners: this site is the most photogenic in Mindoro. Sharks of various species and giant mantas live on Apo Reef, and thousands of sea snakes gather in Binangan Falls in summer - an unforgettable sight!
As a dive site, Palawan is more suitable for wreck diving enthusiasts. At the bottom off the coast of the island rest ships that sank in different years and turned into reefs. The ships are home to a variety of marine life - from small tropical fish to very impressive barracuda. The reefs around Palawan are inhabited by sharks of different species: nannies, white-tailed and black-tailed sharks. The depth in the Jesse Beasley reef area can reach half a kilometer, and the visibility under water - more than 30 meters. Another popular dive site near Palawan is Tubbataha Reef, next to which the wreckage of a ship rests, and motley fish coexist here with sea turtles and corals of a wide variety of shapes and colors.
It will take several hours to get from Manila to the dive sites, but the venture is worth it. At the bottom of La Union Bay, for example, huge moray eels live. They are home to the tanks that were sunk here during the last world war. Northwest of the capital of the Philippines, in Subic Bay, at different times, several ships sank, which eventually became real sea attractions. Wreck divers dive to the wreckage of a military destroyer, a Japanese passenger ship and other ships that have found their last berth at sea in the Philippines. An underwater cave in Nasugbu in the waters near Treasure Island is the habitat of octopuses and cuttlefish. Here, novice divers can hone their skills by diving to the remains of a Spanish galleon.
A list of the best resorts for active travelers would be incomplete without Mactan, a small island in the Philippines with dozens of dive sites. The most serious skill level is required for a diver in a channel off Hilutangan Island, separated from Mactan by a small strait. The underwater walls here reach three hundred meters in depth, and the strength of the currents does not allow inexperienced athletes to dive in these places. Hotel reefs, on the other hand, are lightweight and require little skill. There are also sunken equipment in the waters near hotels - ships and planes. Over the years, at the bottom of the ocean, they have turned into full-fledged reefs, which have become home to hundreds of species of marine life.
Diving opportunities in the Philippines are highly regarded by the global diving community. Some dive sites in the country are only reachable on a dive safari. Such tours are offered by local dive centers, guests can only stay on board the vessel from which the dives are made.
Snorkeling is another popular outdoor activity in the best resorts in the Philippines. In the dry season, snorkelling is possible absolutely everywhere, and the underwater beauty will be perfectly visible in the clear water. But the best snorkeling in the Philippines is on the island of Apo. Its beaches have everything you need to learn to dive and enjoy it. Hotels on Apo are inexpensive, sports centers offer all the necessary equipment for rent, and the variety of the underwater world in the sea around the island will impress both the novice and the seasoned diver.
You can surf almost everywhere in the Philippines, but the best resorts for conquering the waves are Catanduanes Island southeast of Luzon, beaches northwest of Manila, Balabog in Boracay and, out of competition, Shiragao Island. The last spot is suitable exclusively for pros: dangerous reefs make Cloud9 beach on Shiragao unusually dangerous for inexperienced conquerors of the sea. The best surfing season in Shiragao is the first half of the calendar fall, when the island hosts the World Cup.
Meditative rest
If you are too tired to be active at work, on vacation you may need silence, solitude, and even a break from civilization. Within acceptable limits, of course. The opportunity to briefly forget the password from email and social networks in the Philippines will be presented to you, because some resorts here do not even see electricity around the clock.
El Nido in the north of Palawan Island seems to be the end of the earth. Most of the benefits of civilization are not here, and even bank cards are not accepted almost anywhere, except for hotels. But El Nido has magnificent sunsets and for the sake of them fans of beach holidays in the Philippines come here. By the way, the beaches at the resort are also very peculiar: the shallow water stretching for several hundred meters does not allow professional swimmers to turn around, but lovers of simply splashing in the sea water and little travelers feel themselves in El Nido with a plus. The most secluded part of the resort is Las Cabanas Beach, where there is practically nothing and no one.
The Alcoy resort on the southeastern tip of Cebu is the perfect place for a relaxing and slightly wild getaway. Wild, in the sense of the lack of special beach infrastructure. Of the amenities in this part of the island of Cebu, there are only a few local cafes serving grilled fish and national rice dishes. It won't be easy to find sun loungers, but you can throw a towel anywhere and absolutely free. Alkoy is an ideal place for meditation at sunrise, but you can't count on noisy entertainment here.
The island of Negros is an ideal option for those who want unity with nature, but do not dare to completely cut off the connection with the mainland. Its beaches are covered with volcanic sand and look very exotic. The dark sandy strip turns into a sea of perfectly turquoise color - pure and transparent, like everywhere in the best resorts of the Philippines. Snorkeling and diving are popular on Negros, and from the "civilized" entertainment - tennis, golf, dancing in nightclubs and shopping. All this can be found in Dumaguete, the tourist capital of the island.
Top 3 beach resorts in the Philippines
The economy of the Philippines is developing very intensively, and tourism plays a significant role in its dynamic growth. Every year the best resorts of the country are visited by thousands of fans of relaxation in the bosom of unspoiled virgin nature. Fans of diving and surfing, adherents of fascinating trekking among the mountains and emerald valleys, and simply connoisseurs of quiet moments spent in a tropical paradise far from civilization, fly to Manila to see the amazing end of the earth with their own eyes. The lists of the best resorts in the Philippines are accompanied by incredibly beautiful photos taken on the beaches and in national parks.
- Boracay is known for its amazing views of the White Beach, which stretches along the western coast of the island for as many as four kilometers. The northern part of the beach is ideal for a family vacation: in this corner of the coast, the sand is the finest and cleanest, the entrance to the sea is gentle, and the depth begins at a distance of several tens of meters from the coast. In the north of the White Beach, there is no too noisy entertainment, and the hotels are very comfortable with their own access to the sea and free sun loungers for their guests. To the south begins a more noisy area with nightlife restaurants and discos and a variety of resort infrastructure - diving centers, shops and sports clubs. In the south of the White Beach, there are inexpensive hotels - usually hostels and guesthouses. The process of sunbathing in Boracay can be diluted with excursions to sights - man-made and natural. The island's restaurants offer travelers not only traditional local cuisine, but also food from various regions of the world. Yet the most important thing about Boracay is its magnificent landscapes. It is not for nothing that the most beautiful beaches of the island regularly occupy the highest lines in world rankings.
- Cebu is in no hurry to compete with Boracay, because this Philippine island has many advantages of its own. The best beaches and resorts in Cebu are located in the south and west of the island. They are usually well equipped with beach furniture, fresh showers, changing rooms and toilets. You will have to pay for the entrance to the equipped beaches in Cebu, but the price includes the use of sun loungers, and on the beaches of some hotels - also towels, drinks and food. The beaches of Cebu Island are a great place to spend time actively. The sports centers on the coast offer jet skis and boats for rent. There are also quite wild beaches on the island, where there is no special infrastructure, but there are few tourists, and the sea is perfectly clean, and snorkeling in such places is thriving. You will find solitude and peace on the small islands that surround Cebu. Among other advantages of remote beaches are beautiful landscapes and the ability to arrange a photo session without prying eyes. Cebu can be safely included in the lists of the best resorts in the Philippines because of the rich excursion program. Travelers are offered walks around the administrative center of the island, where there are many architectural monuments of the last few centuries. Natural masterpieces in Cebu include cascades of majestic waterfalls in a mountain gorge, a marine reserve and an amusement park located in a protected area, offering visitors horseback riding, rock climbing, jumping and ATV safaris.
- The small archipelago of Palawan is popular not only among divers, although diving enthusiasts find their personal paradise here. Naturalists also like Palawan, because the protected area in the north, called El Nido, is home to a huge number of birds, among which there are many endemics. There are also preserved virgin forests, where hundreds of species of exotic flora grow. The underwater world is also luxurious in Palawan, and snorkelers can appreciate its diversity almost anywhere on the coast of the archipelago. Palawan is suitable both for wealthy tourists who can rent a room in the fashionable resort of Dos Palmas, and for poor backpackers who prefer cheap hostels in Puerto Princess. Active tourists explore underground caves in Palawan, forming a dense network that literally enmeshes the island. The caves are under state protection and excursions to the Saint-Pauls-Subterranien River National Park are a must-see item of the educational and entertainment program of Palawan's guests.
When choosing the time to travel to the Philippines, for your own safety, exclude the possibility of encountering typhoons. They hit the islands from July to October and at the same time there are heavy rains, the number of which reaches, at times, record values.
