The Philippines was always part of the plan, and I had researched surfing in the Philippines. The original idea was to fly straight from Mexico and meet my boyfriend there, but finding affordable flights from Mexico to Manila is its own adventure, and while I was struggling to sort that out he’d already moved on to Vietnam and then Sri Lanka. So we pulled the trip forward, met in Sri Lanka on a whim, and kept the Philippines as our next stop. Same destination, different path to get there. That’s kind of how the whole Asia trip went.
What I’ll tell you upfront, because I wish someone had told me before I went: book your flights in the Philippines ahead of time. It’s an archipelago of over 7,000 islands. To get anywhere meaningful you fly. And unlike most of Southeast Asia where you can figure out buses and trains on the day, here the flights are the bottleneck — and last-minute prices are brutal. A $50 flight becomes $250 if you wait. We learned this the hard way and it cost us in both money and missed destinations. Plan ahead or pay for it.
Manila: Bar Food, Karaoke, and Getting Your Bearings
We landed in Manila and booked a couple of nights to decompress and figure out our next move. Neither of us are city people, and Manila is a lot of city, but it served its purpose. There’s a mall basically everywhere you look — Filipinos love malls and once you’re there you understand why, they’re air-conditioned and have everything — but mostly we just wanted to sit somewhere normal for a minute. We found a bar, ordered nachos and mozzarella sticks, and ate bar food like it was the greatest thing we’d ever tasted. After weeks of rice and curry it kind of was.
One night we wandered into a tented outdoor bar area — it might have been a Friday — with live music and karaoke. We got beers and ended up talking to three local guys from Palawan who were living in Manila for work, doing construction, sending almost everything they made back home to their families. They told us there was no work back on the island. They were sharing a small apartment, three of them, living simply, and they were genuinely happy to talk and curious about us. We were an obvious anomaly — tall, white, clearly American — and they found that as interesting as we found them. Those conversations are one of the things I travel for. The reminder that the world is enormous and most people in it are just trying to do right by the people they love.
Baler: The Wave You Don’t Forget
Baler is a surf town on the northeast coast of Luzon, known as the birthplace of Philippine surfing — Apocalypse Now was filmed nearby and the crew reportedly introduced surfing to locals in the 1970s. To get there from Manila you take an overnight bus, which is an experience unto itself.
We found the bus station after a metro ride and about a twenty to thirty minute walk with full bags in the dark — not ideal but manageable. The key is finding the specific bus company running the Baler route, because the station has multiple operators and you have to track down the right one. The bus leaves around 10pm and arrives around 5am, which is both the blessing and the curse: you sleep through the mountain roads you’d otherwise be gripping the seat through. I slept on and off in the AC blasting cold and woke up as we pulled into a quiet fishing town with the beach still dark and our Airbnb not ready. We found a breakfast spot with WiFi, contacted our host, downloaded offline maps, and waited for sunrise. Standard arrival protocol.
The town is small and simple. Not a lot of tourism infrastructure, a handful of restaurants, locals going about their mornings. We got into our place, slept a few more hours, and then went looking for boards.
In the center of town there are a few spots to rent boards we walked North on the beach a bit and found a smaller shop, local guy renting boards near the beach and paddled out. The waves weren’t doing much that day — the paddle out was rough and we caught a few things but nothing memorable. As we were returning the boards he told us the swell would be better tomorrow. We said we’d be back.
The next day we came back and he was already heading out. The waves had filled in — big, gentle rollers, the kind that carry you rather than throwing you. Everyone in the water was local except us. I got into position and he looked over at me and just said go. A wave came, I went, and I caught it. One of those rides where everything lines up — the timing, the wave, the feeling of just being carried by something that big and that smooth. I was laughing by the time I kicked out. We stayed out for two or three hours. Nobody aggressive, nobody dropping in, just a group of people happy to be in the water on a good day. That morning in Baler is one of my clearest memories from the whole Asia trip.
Baler has more food options than you’d expect for a quiet beach town — it’s a popular enough surf destination that you won’t be stuck eating at the same spot twice. Many of the hotel restaurants have great views and are worth stopping into just for that.
A few spots that stood out: The Shack had authentic Indian dishes and hummus that was genuinely one of the better things I ate the whole trip, all at a very reasonable price. And if you want a treat-yourself meal, Kubli Bistro delivers — great vibe, delicious food, and a perfect post-surf date night spot if you’re willing to spend a little more.
Before leaving Baler, the Zabali Hanging Bridge is worth the detour — a suspension bridge a short walk through quiet local streets, and a good reason to get off the beach for a few hours.
We took bus back to Manila, the bus station in town is called Genesis Bus Station — its daytime bus to return, which meant seeing the cliff-edge mountain roads we’d slept through on the way in. Legitimately terrifying in the best possible way.
Cebu, a Super Bowl, and the Flight That Turned Around
Cebu was always part of the plan. We flew there from Manila specifically because the Super Bowl was on and we wanted to be in a city where we could find a bar showing it. We got beers, bought some squares, and watched Philadelphia lose to Kansas City at whatever ungodly local hour the game was on. Not the outcome we wanted but a genuinely good memory — one of those moments where you realize sports creates the same communal experience no matter where in the world you are.
From Cebu city we took a bus south to Moalboal, a small beach town famous for diving. We found an Airbnb just outside of town that came with a scooter rental, which turned out to be the right setup — we’d ride down into town for dinners and to explore rather than being stuck walking distance from everything. The town is quiet and unhurried in the way diving towns tend to be, full of people who came for a week and stayed for a month.
We’d signed up for a waterfall experience that got cancelled by rain, which became the theme in Moalboal — the weather just didn’t cooperate. But the Airbnb was comfortable, we had good internet, we had the scooter, and we found solid dinners in town. Sometimes a stop is less about what you do and more about having a place to land and breathe. If you go on a better weather week than we got, the diving is supposed to be exceptional and the waterfalls are worth the trip.
After Moalboal we headed back to Cebu city and made our move toward Siargao — Cloud 9, the famous reef break in the southern islands, had been the goal the whole time. We booked the flight, got to the airport, and the flight was cancelled. We rebooked for the next day and checked into an airport hotel. The next morning we got on the plane, flew most of the way there, and got turned around before landing. Weather.
That was the breaking point. We were done. We’d spent money on two attempts, two nights we hadn’t planned for, and had nothing to show for it. We went to the airline, pushed for refunds, and eventually got them to work with us. They redirected us on a flight out that same day. The agent asked where we wanted to go. We said where do you recommend. She said Boracay. We said book it.
Boracay: The Accidental Honeymoon Island
Boracay is beautiful and it knows it. White sand, clear turquoise water, the kind of beach you see in photos and assume is exaggerated. It’s primarily a couples and honeymoon destination — not the surf-and-hostel vibe we’d been running on — but we had not planned to be there and sometimes that’s exactly the right way to arrive somewhere.
One thing to know: Boracay requires proof of accommodation to board the ferry to the island. They don’t want people showing up without somewhere to stay. We did not know this. We had to find a restaurant with WiFi at the port, book something on the spot, show the confirmation, buy ferry tickets, and then cross. It was fine but give yourself extra time and ideally book ahead before you get to the ferry.
We found a nice little hotel — a step up from our usual — and settled in. Good food, gyms to work out in, cafes to sit in and think. We extended our stay and eventually moved to a more remote accommodation on a quieter part of the island, further from the main tourist strip, where going to the beach felt almost private. We walked markets, ate well, and took a beat after the chaos of getting there. Sometimes the unplanned stop turns out to be exactly the right one.
Palawan: B&R Hostel and Nagtabon Beach
From Boracay we flew to Palawan, which had been on our list from the start. The famous spots in northern Palawan — El Nido, the limestone karsts, the snorkeling tours — were overbooked and expensive by the time we tried to sort them out. Another lesson in booking ahead. We’d missed our window on the marquee destinations so we adapted.
We found B&R Hostel and Bar near Nagtabon Beach, about forty minutes north of Puerto Princesa. Family-operated, known for a social atmosphere and strong reviews. The owner had overbooked and we were originally planning to stay in dorm beds — which would have been fine — but he upgraded us to one of his private bungalows to make it right. A small wooden hut with a porch looking out at the jungle. We paid a little extra to stay for almost a week and never regretted it.
The surf at Nagtabon Beach was not cooperating that week — flat and inconsistent — so we pivoted to exploring. The owner rented us a scooter and we spent days just driving around Palawan, heading north for hours at a stretch, finding small restaurants by the road, discovering little beach access points, stopping wherever looked interesting. The island is mostly undeveloped once you get away from Puerto Princesa, which makes it perfect for that kind of aimless exploring. You feel the size and the wildness of it.
The hostel bar became our evening spot — simple food, cold beers, good conversation with whoever happened to be staying there. The owner was funny and generous and the kind of person who makes a place worth staying. B&R is a genuine recommendation. If you’re going to Palawan and want something with character over polish, this is it.
One logistical note: getting to Nagtabon Beach from the city involves a local bus or van situation that gets creative. You’re heading into very rural territory and the transport options reflect that — ask the hostel directly for the best current way to get there.
Leaving the Philippines
We left the Philippines not having gotten to Cloud 9. That’s the one I still think about — the famous reef break at Siargao, supposedly one of the best waves in Asia, and two flights that couldn’t land there. Weather. Not our fault. Still a small ache.
But Baler gave me a wave I’ll remember longer than any famous break would have. Palawan gave us a week of scooter roads and jungle bungalows we never would have found if we’d done the tourist circuit. Boracay happened entirely by accident and was one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever sat on. The Philippines has a way of rerouting you toward something better than what you planned, if you let it.
Book your flights in advance. Download your offline maps. And if an airline agent asks where you want to go — say yes to whatever they suggest.
Practical Notes
Flights: Book domestic flights early. Last-minute prices are significantly higher and popular routes to surf spots and islands fill up fast. This is the most important planning note for the Philippines.
Manila to Baler: Overnight bus from Manila, roughly 8 hours. Find the correct operator at the bus station — give yourself time to locate it. Bus departs around 10pm, arrives around 5am. Return bus leaves around 10am.
Boracay ferry: Proof of accommodation required to board. Book somewhere before you get to the port.
Palawan / Nagtabon Beach: B&R Hostel and Bar in Bacungan, Puerto Princesa. Women-run, social atmosphere, on-site bar and restaurant, close to surf. Ask them directly for current transport options from the city.
Cell service: Spotty outside major cities. Download offline maps before leaving WiFi. Most accommodations have WiFi for messaging and rebooking as needed.
Money: Reasonable by any standard. Accommodation, food, and local transport are cheap. Flights are the main expense — hence the book-ahead advice.
Medical: If you need basic medical attention in Manila, it’s more accessible than you’d expect. I walked into a clean, well-reviewed urgent care clinic, got a tetanus shot, paid around $100, and was out in an hour. Modern facility, professional staff, no surprises on billing. Worth knowing it’s an option if something comes up.