Sipping Cocktails In The Philippines

Tired of overcrowded Thailand? Been to Bali? Then do what Sybrand Mostert did and try the Philippines – a beautiful tropical destination travellers are slowly discovering.

- Sybrand Mostert

My wife Linda and I do a lot of home exchanges, where people from overseas stay in your home and you stay in theirs. We’ve found it to be a fun, inexpensive travel option. But when the offer of a house swap landed in our inbox from Manila in the Philippines, we were sceptical. We didn’t know much about the country and it seemed very far away… But after a bit of research and discussion we thought, why not? Let’s try something different!

Much of the Philippines is what Bali and Thailand were like 20 or 30 years ago – a largely unspoilt place that is only now being discovered by tourists.

Our home exchange was in the capital Manila – remember the Thrilla? – so that would obviously be our first stop. From Manila, we wanted to explore some islands but boy, how to choose? There are more than 7 000 islands in the greater Philippine archipelago, and they range widely in terms of development, facilities and attractions. You could say that beaches – and scuba-diving and snorkelling – define the Philippine island experience. Beaches surround almost every island and many are small, isolated and untouched.

In the end, we decided to go to Palawan – a long, thin island south-west of Manila. We’d explore Bacuit Bay on the northern end of Palawan, then spend a few days at an eco-lodge on a tiny island called Small Bamboo in SouthEast Culion Bay.

Capital chaos

We landed in Manila and made our way to the upmarket mini-city of Makati, where our house exchange was located. If you ever visit Manila, I’d suggest you also stay in Makati since the rest of the capital is rough. The traffic is bad and it’s dusty, chaotic and hot – 31° C in mid-winter.