Philippines Island Experience - 15 Days

Touchdown in Cebu! Welcome to the Philippines and your first day in paradise. It's the start of our 15 days in this tropical heaven and we cannot wait to start island hopping around these incredible islands. Check in, relax and put your feet up before meeting up with your new TruFam. We'll also grab some dinner before heading for our first night out as a group - Piña Colada anyone?

We're off to our first seaside spot, Moalboal! We'll be treating our tastebuds today and you better have brought your appetite as we will be having lunch with the locals - lechon style! Then after a 10/10 local lunch, we'll make our way to the stunning Simala Church! This building is crazy beautiful and the perfect place for our first group photo of many. There's also a long-standing myth that miracles happen here, so if you're looking for a miracle or you just really want your crush to text you back, then this is the place to be. After a walking tour and learning a little bit of history, we'll continue on to Moalboal where we have some free time to enjoy the afternoon! Grab a coffee, spend far too much money on souvenirs or treat yourself to a massage. You're on holiday after all.

Today we're going to live our best Moana lives...it's time to go snorkelling! Suncream up, snorkel on and jump in the water. We'll get the chance to see a rainbow of coloured coral reefs and marine life swimming around you. Also if you have always dreamt of swimming alongside turtles in their natural habitat, guess what? We're ticking it off your bucket list today. After we've all become best friends with the turtles we're taking you yet another bucket-list moment - the epic Sardine run! Picture this...hundreds of thousands of sardines swimming simultaneously in a giant school. It's giving Finding Nemo. Jump in and experience this epic event first-hand, it's even more awesome than you could ever imagine. After we've dried off and reminisced about this awesome day we'll head out for the evening to explore the nightlife and boogie the night away and share some of the best photos from today!

How do you feel about heights? A little scary? Good...we LOVE a bit of a challenge! Today we're facing those fears head on as we go canyoneering! Don't know what canyoneering is? WELL LET US TELL YOU! Imagine picture-perfect, crystal-clear waterfalls then throw in Mission Impossible vibes. We'll be jumping off waterfalls, cliffs (dw it sounds scarier than it is) and into aqua blue water. If water-based parkour isn't really your thing, then you can float the headache away by bobbing along down the river before reaching the falls to bask in the sun. Whatever your thing, it's an unforgettable day! We'll finish the day with a lazy evening, taking time to recharge those batteries before we head to our next destination!

We've explored the best of Moalboal so it's time to hop over to our next stop on this adventure...Boracay! We'll head to the airport before catching a short flight to Caticlan and jumping on a boat ride over to the island of Boracay! We're in for a treat. Known for its amazing nightlife and white sandy beaches, you'll instantly fall in love with the 10/10 vibes there. We check into the hotel for our next 3 nights so unpack and settle in. We arrive late afternoon, the perfect time to explore and settle in to watch the sunset! Sunsets in Boracay are next level...cameras at the ready! We’re talking about hues of golden oranges blending into lilacs and deep purples. Yep, I-N-S-A-N-E. We’ll watch the sun go down over a few beers (or cocktails) on the beach. This really is paradise...Afterwards, we'll see where the night takes us. Psst...It’ll probably be one of Boracay’s best cocktail bars!

Today’s a super lazy morning, wake up when you like and grab a fruit smoothie if you fancy it - or if you just fancy some vitamin sea then we can sort that too! The morning and early afternoon are free for you to explore at your own pace. Head to the beach to catch some rays or hit the local shops and grab some souvenirs for back home. In the afternoon we’re going Paraw sailing as the sun goes down! We'll glide across the ocean and see some of the best viewpoints the island has to offer. Thought last night’s sunset was good? Wait till you see this one! As the sparkling stars replace the orange hues, we’ll head out for dinner together and have another unforgettable evening in Boracay.

Did someone say an island-hopping boat party?! Today we'll set sail, dance the day away (who in the group can do the worm?) and take it all in. We're pretty much all professional beach babes at this point so grab your snorkel and get ready to jump straight into those tropical waters. Dance on the table, show off your best moves and have a cocktail or two! Let's go! It's our last day in Boracay so let's make the most of it.

We're flying back to Cebu today! We're heading even easter (yes that makes sense) for the next part of the trip and things are going to get EVEN better from here - think even cooler sunsets, insane views and 10/10 surfing spots. I know, I bet you're thinking but HOW can it get any better? The adventure is about to be taken up a notch, think more culture, more island hopping surfing and exploring our favourite spot...Siargao!

Today's an early start with a travel morning over to Bohol - our first hidden gem of the trip. You might not have heard of this amazing place, but trust us, you'll be forever grateful that we showed you this GEM! We'll jump on a ferry and arrive at the hotel in the early afternoon. Our base in Bohol is only 2 minutes from the beach so you'll have sand between your toes in no time! We've also got a pool at the hotel which will be perfect for playing mermaids and having an obligatory mini swimming gala!

We've got a super busy today! We're exploring more of Bohol and ticking off wildlife, nature and adventure in one epic day! Someone call Willy Wonka cause first up is the Chocolate Hills! Each hill looks like a little magical truffle and what's even cooler is that this landscape is still quite a big mystery for the locals of the island...strange right? Now we've ticked off nature it's only right we see some wildlife too. Ever heard of a Tarsier? These endangered primates are super cute and we'll be learning all about how the locals are making sure the numbers of these cute creatures continue to rise! To finish off this epic day we'll go on a river cruise before heading over to plant some trees and contribute to a local community project that is working to protect Bohol’s unique biodiversity. This really is the perfect day!

Now that we have ticked off some wildlife and nature...are you ready for a beach day? We'll arrive towels in hand ready to conquer the waves, and by that, we mean jumping in them of course. Then it's time to get competitive. Get ready for a day of volleyball matches, frisbee throwing, diving competitions and sunbathing...all with a beer or piña colada in hand of course. Then we'll enjoy another epic Filipino sunset on the beach on our final night in Bohol.

Drum roll please...it's time for Siargao! We've saved the best until last! This teardrop shaped-island is the ultimate destination in the Philippines! It's the surf capital and we cannot wait to arrive in paradise. We'll take a ferry and a flight over to Siargao. When we arrive we will have time to unpack, explore the local area and get our first taste of Siargao's magic.

Shakas in the air people! Today is all about bringing out our inner surfer dude! It would be super rude to come all the way to the surf capital and not throw ourselves into riding the legendary waves. Luckily for us, we have some very patient instructors ready to get us started on the boards and show us how to conquer the sea. Now we can't guarantee you'll be standing up for more than 5 seconds but we can promise you an amazing time learning a completely new skill surrounded by the most supportive group. After learning how to surf - or attempting to anyway - it's only right we reward ourselves with a few hours of beach time. Read a book, play some more volleyball, go for a swim the afternoon is yours to spend as you like!

It's our final full day on tour - we're not crying you are! We are going out with a bang! Get ready for a day of island hopping, snorkelling, soaking in the rays and searching for the coolest marine life. Think Moana, think Finding Nemo, think The Meg (well, actually don't!) If you are anything like us you'll be searching for Nemos, Dorys and Gills. It's the perfect way to spend our last day in paradise. Once we have explored the local islands and soaked in all the sun, we'll head back to base to get ready for our final night out! It might be emotional but remember...don't be sad that it's over, be happy that it happened! Someone pass the tissues...

It's checkout day! Whether you're headed home or you are off to explore even more of The Philippines (you lucky lucky thing) your amazing Tru Leader will be able to help you with your future plans and adventures. It's been the most incredible 15 days, we've island hopped, explored the East of the Philippines, learnt to surf, tried some amazing food and discovered loads about the local culture of The Philippines. Wherever you are headed next, have the best time! Send us a postcard!