Travellers Pursuits

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Moal Boal

I first heard about Moal Boal on my first round of travels around the Philippines. I had gone to the usual tourist route – Siquijor and Siargao; everyone seemed to really like this one spot in Cebu – Moal Boal. The one spot where you could see the sardine runs – millions of sardines all grouping together to feed on the rich corals and plant life by the shore. Sea turtles are also common visitors among the bunch as they enjoy the abundant food sources.

This quaint little area is a mecca for backpackers. It has everything one would need: accommodation, activities like diving, snorkeling and beach bathing, restaurants, cafes, bars and more.

Personally, I think its quite touristic. The main strip is just one section of the road right before Panagsama beach. Here you’ll find diving companies, tour operators, local sellers, rentals, food, accommodation and entertainment. We stayed about 4 nights right where all the activity is. We rented a motorbike for about 375Php/day It was very nice to be close to everything; it was all just a walk away.

However, being so close to everything also means its busy all the time. The infrastructure when we visited was still very primitive. On a visit, one might notice a truck with totes of water patrolling the streets. This is how businesses receive their water and a loud pump sound can be heard often. As the town wakes, music can be heard from different sources. Traffic start to fill the small road both with vehicles and pedestrians. Basically, its a pretty busy spot to be in. If you prefer somewhere quieter, the outskirts of the strip or staying in secluded resorts is highly advised.

All things considered, we really enjoyed our time in Moal Boal. Yes it was loud at night and yes it was busy but it all eventually dies down at around 9-10pm ( except on saturdays where it lingers a bit until 11pm). Renting snorkel equipment was cheap and hassle free. Hiring a guide was not necessary but is readily available. The restaurants were all delicious (our favorites were JP’s Burritos and Mila’s Restaurant as they were both fantastic and fairly priced). Best of all: we did not have to get out of our way to see the main sights – the wonderful sea life. The beach was mere steps away and we could snorkel whenever we wanted to. The locals were a bit forward with getting business but never harassed us. Everyone was cheerful and the vibe was great. I would highly recommend a visit to Moal Boal.

Siquijor

Known for its mysticism, shamans and voodoo amongst the locals; with stories of exorcisms, possessions, mystic medicines and mysterious creatures. However, to tourists, Siquijor is the island paradise untouched from modern and urban overdevelopment and dense crowds. With its white beaches, great weather, balete trees, historical sites and amazing waterfalls, Siquijor is slowly becoming a prime backpacker destination.

My first time visiting Siquijor, I was surprised with how many backpacker foreigners on the ferry from Dumaguete. To us, natives of the neighboring island of Negros Occidental, Siquijor was known for voodoo-ism and other mystical arts. My sister in particular was very keen and interested in these types of things so we decided to check it out. Instead what we found was a beautiful island getaway: just under developed enough to still be an authentic experience and touristy enough to be full of beauty, adventure and wonder.

Renting a motorbike and exploring all over the island is my favourite thing to do. For an island so small, there is so much to do and see. Beautiful white sand beaches dot the coast and the ocean is always just a little ways away. If waterfalls is more your vibe, there are plenty all around the island with lugnason falls being my favourite. Checking out the ancient, massive balete tree is also a must.

Overall, Siquijor stands as one of my favourite islands to visit in the Philippines. Its slowly up and coming but even on my second visit, it is still genuinely beautiful and an experience worth having. It feels like everyday is a choose you’re own adventure and there’s always something to see and do. In my last visit here, I have seen a lot of development compared to how it was two years prior. I hope that the island inhabitants benefit from all this money coming in and that the beautiful nature of Siquijor is preserved and protected.

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Siargao

As the surfing capital of the Philippines, Siargao‘s reputation precedes itself. With its new found fame, it has quickly developed to be one of the country’s most popular destination to visit. I found it’s allure impossible to ignore and I eventually gave in and booked my flight. Along many others, I found Siargao’s true nature.

I had not done any more research than needed. I did not want to set expectations on myself and I wanted to see what Siargao was all about. So I booked a last minute stay at the cheapest hostel I could find right in the middle of General Luna‘s tourist area. To the left of my stay was a restaurant. In front was more bars and shops. Right below was another bar. Suffocated by all the activity, I was not surprised to see the whole place come to life as the sun set. Everyone was out and about looking to spend the young night away. I was the only poor soul looking to sleep.

Despite the weird, loud and busy first night I headed out to a new hostel in great spirits. I walked with my packs across the beach, across the jungle and across neighborhoods throughout the early morning. For some reason I was too cheap to pay the 40PhP tricycle and instead I got a great walking tour of the area. I ended up staying in Sinag Hostel and made some life long friends and memories. I’d highly recommend them if you’re looking for a community hostel.

The surfing in Siargao is also quite nice. During my stay there, I never surfed Cloud 9 as it never really turned on. Maybe I was in the wrong season. Instead I spent most of my surfing days driving the curvy road up to secret beach. The waves were nice but it could get crowded.

Overall, I think Siargao provides the ideal environment for those open to fun. There’s just something in the air that makes it so easy to say yes to adventure.

check out our article about a secret gem spot in Siargao

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Negros Occidental/Oriental

As my place of birth, I have a natural bias for this island. Situated right next to Siquijor and Cebu, it is often an overlooked spot and a highly underrated gem in my opinion. If you’re looking for a genuine Filipino experience, I’d highly recommend giving this island a visit.

Dumaguete is the southern jewel and is usually known for being an expat’s retirement paradise and the gateway to the island of Siquijor. What we’ve found instead is a vibrant, joyful city with some amazing pizza, great nightlife, shops and plenty of beauty to see. Our personal favourite is Neva’s Pizza as they have some of the most authentic tasting, woodfired oven-baked pizzas we have ever tasted in the Philippines. An additional bonus is their great prices and when we visited, there was some great live music being played on the upper level which we thoroughly enjoyed.

Mag-aso Falls is one of the best waterfalls I have ever been to. Just a mere hour away from my hometown, we visited this place on an early morning on a weekday. Arriving at the resort where it is situated at we proceeded to pay our fees and tackle the dozens of stairs down to the falls. It was quite easy and the revelation of the falls bit by bit, stair by stair was quite an exciting ordeal. The sounds of the water start as a mere whistle in the background. Just a drip from the slow flowing river. The more stairs we conquered the louder it got. The whistle turns into a hum. The hum into a yodel. Before we knew it, the roar of the falls was all we could hear.

Mag-aso means “to smoke” – probably a reference of how much mist the falls puts into the air thus looking like it was smoking. There are plenty of places to pick and sit by the falls. We also enjoyed dipping our feet by the stream and the little lakes around. Better yet is the massive pool of water right where the water falls onto. It is deep and the current is strong. There are also plenty of opportunity of jumping into the pool from nearby rocks. There are also some safety precautions taken – there is a floating bamboo shelf and a lifeguard donut by the pool. There was also a man looking after the area, making sure no one is getting hurt and giving ample warning to the visitors. He had encouraged me to enjoy the falls but warned me not to swim directly underneath the water fall streams as it is quite powerful and there is sometimes small rocks falling.

It is vital heeding the warnings of the locals when it comes to these things as they know best.

We proceeded to have a great morning here enjoying our time in the waterfalls alone. There is also a swimming pool at the higher level and places to eat, hangout and enjoy the day. I’d heavily recommend exploring the area and seeing the gardens, smaller falls in the upstream and the campsite.

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As nothing short of a miracle, I was able to convince Ana to wake in the early hours of 4:00am one day to drive our scooters to Hermit and Bambi Falls along side my cousin Julvenne and his friend John Paul. Seeing the sunrise in the sugar cane fields as we climbed the mountains of Negros Occ. was amazing. I will always remember the view as we waited to cross a bridge on a terrible dirt road full of rocks the size of a watermelon. We were waiting because a sugar cane truck towing the workers at the back was making the trek before us. We patiently waited as I worked hard to plaster the view of Mt. Kanlaon in the background into my memory forever. The sun was just rising and each of the individual crease and wrinkle of the volcano was just starting to be highlighted by the sun as a carabao enjoyed a morning breakfast by the stoney river with his day’s work ahead of him. I wish we stopped to take a picture.

As we continued to climb the mountains, the view eventually cleared up and we left behind the endless view of the plains, the fields and the ocean. In front of us are dizzying mountains with green lush folds. Every turn around the corner was a different view and the further we went, the more we were surrounded by the mountains. We stopped at a lovely hillside restaurant. I would highly recommend checking this place out as it is an amazing rest stop and has an ample view of the sights all around.

We drove further on and we finally stopped and parked our bikes on the last sign of a concrete. When we had visited (2024), a new road was still in development further into the area and closer to the waterfalls. We found ourselves walking and hiking through packed dirt, muddy trails and what appeared to be landslides. Our journey to the falls took us probably around 30 minutes but it seemed so short when we were accompanied by a local tour guide: a very cute, loyal and well mannered white dog who took us all the way to the falls, waited for us to finish and guided us out.

The falls itself is everything I could hope for. We could start to see its stream from the top of the mountains from far away but only up close did we realize its true height. Hiking through its streams, entering its shallow pools and showering in its gentle touch, I found it hard to want anything more in life. Though the water source is from a dizzying height, it falls into a rock wall at the base and decreasing its power. This results in a relatively shallow pool and a very soft shower. We had this all to ourselves for hours. I did not want to leave.

Coron

Another must-do in Coron is reaching the top of Mt. Tapyas. The more you explore the town, you’ll notice a sign up high above on the peak of a mountain. The sign is a constant reminder of where you are. The sign is also a finish line signifying that you’ve reached the best viewpoint in town. The start of the climb is infront of Good Grind coffee, by a basketball court. During the day it is usually empty save for some people loitering about. As the afternoon starts to wane, this place comes alive as dozens of visitors try to reach the top. Here you’ll see some vendors selling snacks and drinks, some pearls and some offering you a ride into town. Here, visitors also start their challenge of over 700 steps to the summit

The climb itself is very challenging, but very rewarding as the views start opening up at the very start. Small glimpses of the bay can be seen throughout but at around the 500th step, the view absolutely opens up and each glimpse behind you is a constant encouragement as to why you’re putting yourself in this physical torture in the first place. I’d definitely recommend doing this challenge at least once on your visit as the view as absolutely mind-blowing. I’d also recommend to bring yourselves drinks and snacks to share and to spend some time at the top to see the spectacular sunset.