40 Stunning Photos That Will Make You Want To Visit The Philippines

 

Close your eyes. Inhale slowly. Picture yourself stretched out on a beach towel, sunbathing on a slice of paradise. The sizzling sun prickles your skin. The only time you need to lift the straw hat from your eyes is to take a sip from the fresh coconut within arm’s length. Napping underneath palm trees is perfectly acceptable, the gentle lapping of the waves lulling you into an afternoon slumber.

We promise this isn’t a dream, because we experienced this for ourselves. And you can too when you visit the Philippines. The archipelagic country is well-known for its stunning natural beauty. Jaw-dropping jurassic rock formations encircle saltwater lagoons, aquamarine coves shelter swathes of coral reefs and hundreds of tiny islands covert pristine sand beaches. It’s the ideal destination for water lovers. Your uniform will be a bikini and flip flops as you hop from boat to water day in, day out. There are plenty of opportunities for snorkelling, scuba diving, free diving and surfing. You’ll get a tan (or sunburn) without even trying.

We travelled to the Philippines in April 2019, dividing our time between Siargao, El Nido and Coron. Over 10 days, we lazed on smooth white sands, soaked in warm crystal clear waters and drank more than our fair share of mango shakes and coconuts. It didn’t take long for us to adapt to island time. Our days involved island hopping, swinging off ropes into lagoons, kayaking across open waters, hitching rides on tricycles and dining at roadside grills.

Starting our trip in Siargao, we found the teardrop-shaped island to be the most laidback of the three islands we visited. Hailed as the surfing capital of the Philippines, it’s an ideal location to learn how to surf, drive by smiling children in small towns and chill on the beach with a San Miguel. If you’re curious about Siargao, check out our 4-day itinerary with expenses to help you plan your visit.

Next, we travelled to El Nido where we spent 3 full days. Our first day, we arranged a private boat to do Tour B with an added stop to Big Lagoon in the morning. The second day, we opted to rent a kayak from ArtCafe, giving our arms a workout to explore the nearby beaches. In the afternoon, we hired a tricycle driver to take us up to Nacpan Beach. This was well worth the 45 minute trip. We certainly lucked out as we were treated to a long glorious sunset, which will not be forgotten in a heartbeat. For our last day, we decided to book ourselves onto group Tour D with ArtCafe. This was our favourite island hopping tour combining picture-perfect locations, a friendly crew and a delicious lunch. Our final two days were spent in Coron. Due to illness and our short itinerary, we were only able to book one full-day tour. We selected the Islands Escapades tour on a group option, visiting the outer paradises of Bulog Dos Island, Banana Island and Malcapuya Island.

We’re thrilled to have experienced a fraction of the sensational beauty of the Philippines. Fortunately, there are few drone restrictions (for now!) and so we’ve been able to snap some amazing footage from the air. Here, you’ll find 40 of our favourite photos from our adventure.

Let this album charge that wanderlust and make blue your new favourite colour! Enjoy.

A PHOTO JOURNAL THAT WILL MAKE YOU WANT TO VISIT THE PHILIPPINES

Aerial view of jurassic Pinagbuyutan Island, El Nido
A girl in a black one piece swimsuit and sunglasses smiles while posing in the shallow waters of El Nido
A woman wades through the turquoise water at the entrance of Big Lagoon, El Nido
Young children jump off a traditional Filipino boat into the water, Siargao

PREFER TO STAY ON TERRA FIRMA? READ OUR SIARGAO TRAVEL GUIDE FOR NON-SURFERS

Three local boys playing basketball on a sandy court on Guyum Island, Siargao
Amazing aerial view of Cadlao Island at sunset, El Nido
A couple chill on the beach of Pinagbuyutan Island with palm trees and moored boats in the background, El Nido
A girl in a black bikini and sunglasses sit smiling on the tour boat moored on an island in El Nido
Three surfers holding red and white surfboards navigate low tide to catch the surf off Siargao island
The bright rainbow colours of a Halo Halo dessert, Philippines Travel Budget
A row of surfboards lined up for rental at Mamon Surf Shop, Siargao

NEED FUEL? CHECK OUT THE 5 BEST CAFES IN SIARGAO

An aerial view of the entrance to Big Lagoon, El Nido
A couple hold hands next to their tour boat in the water on Paradise Beach, El Nido
Kayakers enjoying Cadlao Lagoon surrounded by jagged rocks, El Nido
Bevan jumps off the tour boat whilst on Tour D in El Nido
A lady in a white dress walks along a path lined with palm trees, Siargao
Low tide where the tidal rock pools are exposed at Magpupungko, Siargao
A couple walk hand in hand underneath palm trees on Pinagbuyutan Island, El Nido
Rows and rows of boats docked in El Nido harbour at dusk
Aerial view of poeple and boats on Naked Island, Siargao
A couple wade through the shallow waters on Malcupuya Island, Coron
Catching a glimpse of the boats moored off Snake Island
A girl in a white bikini and sunglasses smiles while posing in the water off Snake Island, El Nido
A girl in a black bikini holds a coconut standing in the shade of palm trees on Daku Island
A couple walk along Ipil beach with a kayak in the background, El Nido
Aerial view of Helicopter Island, El Nido - taken with the DJI Mavic Pro 2
A man sits at the helm of a boat with a towel draped over his shoulders looking out towards the horizon, El Nido

PLANNING TO VISIT SIARGAO? CHECK OUT OUR SIARGAO ITINERARY & EXPENSES

A girl in a white bikini floats on her back in a tidal pool at Magpupungko, Siargao
Beautiful pink and orange sunset over the harbour of Coron
A couple next to a beached boat watching the sunset on Nacpan Beach, El Nido
The sun sinks over the horizon with a lone boat on the water of Cloud Nine, Siargao
A couple share kiss underneath the palm trees on Nacpan Beach with a beautiful sunset backdrop
Young girls playing by the water next to two boats at Nacpan Beach during sunset, El Nido
An aerial view of Cloud Nine beach. The ocean, sand and palm trees. A couple lie on a beach towel between the rocks.
Aerial view of Guyam Island, a couple walk hand in hand on the beach next to a beached blue boat
A lone woman stand up paddle boarding in Sugba Lagoon, Siargao
The view of a grove of palm trees over Massin River, Siargao
A couple sit on the pristine white sands of a tropical island paradise in El Nido
Wading through the shallow rock pools at Magpupungko, Siargao
A glorious sunset over Nacpan Beach, El Nido

START PLANNING YOUR TRIP TO THE PHILIPPINES

Planning to visit the Philippines? Make sure to check out all our blog posts!

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