Simply because it’s the height of tropical cyclone season doesn’t mean you can’t hit the beach for a well-deserved break from the monsoons. Even better, this time of the year is off-season, so you are likely to get cheaper lodging, better service, and fewer crowds. If you are truly lucky, you can even get the beach all to yourself, with only an odd heron scouring the shore for stray crabs.
But with plenty of choices, where do you begin?
One look at the Philippine map and you can see that there are scattered islands in the central part of the country. This is the Visayas, home of the Philippine beach capital Boracay, and a host of gorgeous others.
If the perpetual gridlock of Manila starts getting on your nerves, why not head over to Cebu – Manila minus the mayhem – and island-hop your way to the best beaches in the region? Cebu is gateway to the finest beaches in the Visayas while also boasting some of its own that have earned loyal following.
Cebu
Most people consider Cebu as Manila without its headache-inducing traffic. It’s actually the second largest city in the Philippines, and the economic hub of the Visayas. So everything you would want in a metropolis is here. And Cebu has plenty of beaches that people from Manila have fallen in love with again and again. Malapascua, Moalboal and Bantayan Island easily come to mind. Oslob has become famous for its whale sharks, while Camotes Island is alluring for its native beauty and being tucked away.
Bohol
The textbook case of “Chocolate Hills” (karst limestone outcrops that spread for miles and miles around) is also a beach lover’s paradise. The beaches of Panglao Island come to mind first because of sand so white it blinds the unsuspecting and makes the already turquoise waters sparkle even more. Doljo and Alona Beaches are all-season favorites. Swimming here is safe, even at night. If Travel+Leisure were to be believed, it is one of the best secret beaches in the world. (Author’s note: Last time I checked, which was in 2006, Panglao surely bedazzled.)
Siquijor
An hour away from Dumaguete lies Siquijor, in another lifetime known as the sorcery hotspot of the Visayas. Today, it enchants unsuspecting travelers with its “raw” beaches in the town of San Juan. But come here quick before San Juan is overrun with beachfront forest of hotels and facilities that would “ruin” the view. There are already a number of resorts and dive centers here, but the place is still rather desolate. If you want to beach bum with government facilities nearby, the Salagdoong Beach in the town of Maria is worthy of a day trip.
Samar
A few years back, Samar burst to mainstream attention when adolescent boys needed to be rescued from a cave that would eventually known as the gargantuan Calbiga Cave Complex thought to tunnel through the entire province. But beyond the caves also lies another enchanted destination of Calico-an Island that is still raw with the absence of “development.” It’s also an up and coming surf spot.
Leyte
In Philippine history class, Leyte was where Gen. Douglas MacArthur fulfilled his “I shall return” promise. Cruise ship passengers on a Southeast Asian island-hopping tour once stopped over for lunch at Kalanggaman Beach. Many of them have likely sworn that one day, they too, shall return.
Photo by Paolo Manalac, Coolm36, Roberto Verzo, jelynnc and Debbie Tingzon
