The Philippines: A Journey Through Turquoise Dreams

Cebu Island

Emerald jungles hugging limestone cliffs, waterfalls that spill into pools of impossible blue, and coastal towns where time slows to match the rhythm of the waves. Cebu is the adventurous heart of the Philippines, raw, vibrant and shaped by the elements. This is an island of canyon rivers, coral reefs, warm smiles, and tropical scenery.

Moalboal

Moalboal is Cebu at its most joyful and free-spirited, a seaside town where the pace is slow, salty and sun-kissed. Snorkel, dive, or simply float, it’s magical either way. This is the best place to base yourself for the waterfall adventures that await!

Inambakan Falls

Tucked deep in the jungle, Inambakan is a waterfall that feels untouched and ethereal. A tall veil of water plunges into a turquoise basin framed by lush greenery and moss-covered rock. The moment you arrive, the soundscape shifts, water roaring, birds calling the forest breathing around you.

Climb the trail alongside the river and you’ll find more pools and cascades upstream, each one quieter and more intimate than the last. Swim beneath the main fall, float in the cool blue water, or sit barefoot on warm stone and let the mist settle on your skin.

Inambakan is refreshingly wild and unpolished, a place that makes you exhale.

Dao Falls

Dao Falls is a journey as beautiful as the destination. The trail begins on a narrow footpath through a thick green canopy before leading you into a limestone corridor carved by centuries of flowing water. Pale aqua pools appear one by one as you follow the river upstream, every turn revealing a new pocket of serenity.

The final waterfall is tall, slender, and impossibly graceful, canyon walls rise steep and smooth around it, creating a natural amphitheatre of stone and water.

Kawasan Falls Canyoneering

Canyoneering at Kawasan is the Philippines’ ultimate thrill, equal parts adventure, beauty and pure adrenaline. You will hike, swing, slide and jump off ledges as high as 10 metres through seven waterfalls and canyons. The journey ends at Kawasan Falls, a multi-tiered wonder where water crashes into limestone milky-blue pools surrounded by jungle. This is nature at its cinematic best. I highly recommend @ph.kawasancanyoneering!

TWB Tips for Cebu

• Getting around: Hire a driver for longer days or rent a scooter for short coastal trips. Jungle roads can be steep and slippery, go slow. We found having a driver made our trip much more relaxing.

• Best time to visit: December to May offers dry conditions and ideal water clarity. Avoid canyoneering after heavy rain.

• Adventure breakdown: Moalboal for marine magic, Inambakan for jungle waterfalls, Dao Falls for canyon serenity, and Kawasan for heart-thumping, blue-water adventure.

El Nido

Limestone cliffs rising like ancient cathedrals, lagoons glowing jade beneath the sun, beaches that feel like they’ve been carved out just for you. El Nido is a place where every boat ride feels cinematic and every sunset seems painted for an audience of one.

From palm-fringed surf beaches to tiny coves guarded by towering rock walls, this corner of Palawan is wild, warm and unforgettable.

Lio Beach

Lio Beach is El Nido at its most effortless, breezy, relaxed and super pretty. A long stretch of soft golden sand framed by palm trees, boutique hotels, beach bars, and that slow island rhythm you slip into the moment your feet hit the shore.

The atmosphere is gentle and open. Sunsets paint the entire bay in watercolor pastels, and evenings come alive with acoustic music drifting through the warm air. Swim, nap, wander between cafes, sip fresh juice, to me it felt very “Byron Bay”.

Lio is the perfect starting point for your El Nido journey: calm, beautiful and wonderfully welcoming.

Corong-Corong

Corong-Corong is the island’s sunset stage. Just south of El Nido town, this peaceful bay looks unassuming by day, but as afternoon fades, it transforms. The sky ignites in shades of gold, peach, and rose, silhouetting the jagged limestone islands scattered across the water. Boats sway softly in the shallows, and the entire world feels bathed in warm light.

Duli Beach Surfing

Duli Beach feels wonderfully remote, long, wild, and rugged in the best way. The drive out passes through coconut groves and small villages, and when you arrive, you’re greeted by a wide-open coastline backed by jungle and mountains. The surf is beginner-friendly most of the year. Grab a board from one of the local vendors and paddle out. Finish off the day with a low key lunch on the sand.

Boat Trip to Seven Commandos Beach

Seven Commandos is the stuff of island-dream postcards: powdery sand, leaning palms, and turquoise water. Accessible only by boat, it’s often included in El Nido’s island-hopping tours, and it’s easy to see why.

The moment you approach the bay, the limestone cliffs rise like guardians around the soft arc of beach. Snorkel with colourful fish, sip fresh coconuts or float lazily in the shallows as the world slows down. It’s a stunning slice of island paradise.

Malapacao Island

Malapacao Island is where El Nido becomes otherworldly. Crystal water laps against limestone walls, and the shoreline is fringed with jungle that reaches right down to the sea. Spend your time snorkelling along vibrant coral, exploring hidden coves, or simply lying under the shade of a palm tree listening to the island breathe.

TWB Tips for El Nido

• Getting around: Tricycles are everywhere, and relatively cheap!

• When to go: November to May offers clear skies and calm seas ideal for island hopping.

• What to expect: Lio Beach for gentle beauty, Corong-Corong for sunsets, Duli for surf and solitude, Seven Commandos for the classic tropical postcard, and Malapacao for island serenity.

Coron Island

Jagged limestone cliffs plunging into glass-clear water, lakes shimmer like crystal and shipwrecks rest silently in the deep.Coron is raw and dramatic, yet calm in spirit.

Kayangan Lake

Often called the clearest lake in the Philippines, Kayangan is a world suspended between reality and dream. You climb a short, steep trail through limestone spires and when you reach the top, the viewpoint opens into one of the most iconic scenes in the Philippines: jade water winding between towering karst cliffs.

Descend to the lake and swim… the water is unbelievably clear, so clear you can see the limestone formations beneath your feet. This spot gets ridiculously busy, I felt that ruined the beauty somewhat.

Twin Lagoon

Twin Lagoon is Coron at its most magical: two emerald pools separated by towering limestone walls and connected by a narrow opening you swim or climb through. The water here shifts between warm and cool, a gentle thermocline that feels like silk brushing your skin. The cliffs close in tightly, their dark walls dripping with green vines, and the lagoon glows beneath them in mesmerizing shades of teal and sapphire.

Shipwreck Diving

Coron’s shipwrecks are legendary, ghostly, majestic relics from WWII resting quietly in the deep. These sunken Japanese vessels now bloom with life, transformed into underwater cathedrals of coral and shadow.

Descending toward a wreck is a surreal experience: the outline emerges slowly from the blue, vast and still, like the bones of a sleeping giant. Soft corals ripple along the hull, schools of fish drift through rusted passageways, and light filters through broken metal in long, shimmering beams.

Whether you’re weaving through cargo holds or simply hovering beside these historic giants, the feeling is the same, mystery, reverence, wonder. Few places in the world offer wreck diving this accessible, this atmospheric, and this full of story.

TWB Tips for Coron

• Getting around: Boats are essential here, join a small-group tour or hire a private banca for quieter, more intimate moments.

• Best time to visit: November to May brings clear skies and calm seas perfect for lake days and wreck dives.

• Must-experience: Kayangan Lake and Twin Lagoon for serene beauty, and Coron’s shipwrecks for a dive into history.