Stories

Stories from inside the islands.

Routes, places, people and opinions, from the team that plans the trips.

The ten islands good enough to anchor a whole trip, how many nights each needs, the best months and what to pair them with.

Rock pools, mangroves, island-hopping, the road north and the food: the Siargao we love when the boards are back on the rack.

Lagoons or wrecks, polish or rough edges: an honest comparison of Palawan's two great limestone islands, and how to do both.

Two weeks, three islands, real connections: the route we suggest most often for a first trip, day by day.

Dry skies in the west, festivals in Cebu and Kalibo, rough seas in the east: where to go in January and how to beat the crowds.

Probably the most reliable month for a first trip: where the weather is best, what to book early and where to go as a couple.

The areas of El Nido, Coron and Port Barton worth staying in, what we look for in a small hotel, and what we check before we recommend one.

Kinilaw by the beach, grilled fish at a carinderia, the cafés of Tourism Road and plant-based menus: how to eat well on Siargao.

Batanes, Balabac, Camiguin and the far corners of the archipelago: islands that take effort to reach, and repay it.

A story from the road: one week, four islands, two flights, a fast craft and a bangka, and what we learned about connecting the archipelago.

Private lagoons, island villas and sunsets without a crowd: the places we send couples, and how to time the trip.

Folk healers, waterfalls, a coastal road you can drive in a day and the best sunsets in the Visayas: the case for the Philippines' slowest island.

Intramuros at 8am, Binondo on an empty stomach, sunset over Manila Bay: how to spend two good days in the capital most visitors skip.

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