The Philippines. Manila and Boracay Basics: Top Things to Know Before You Go

What You Need to Know About the Philippines, Manila and Boracay

My month-long Philippines trip is just around the corner and I wanted to put together a short intro to the Philippines, Manila and Boracay.

The Philippines: What You Need to Know

The Philippines is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia, in the Pacific Ocean. The Philippines is made up of 7,640 islands, 2,000 of which are inhabited. The country is broadly categorized in three main geographical divisions:

Luzon - This is the largest, northernmost island. Manila is a part of it.

Visayas - The major islands Panay, Negros, Cebu, Bohol, Leyte, Samar, and Masbate.

Mindanao – In the south. This is the second largest island.

Manila: What You Need to Know

Manila, the capital of the Philippines, is a densely-populated metropolis located on a bay of Luzon (one of over 7,000 Philippine islands). Manila has a population of about 15 million in a 240 sq mi area, making it the most or one of the most densely-populated cities in the world.

The City of Manila is the capital of the Philippines and is made up of 16 administrative districts like Binondo, Ermita, Intramuros, Malate, Quiapo, and more.

The greater Metropolitan Manila area or Metro Manila is officially called the National Capital Region (NCR). Metro Manila made up of cities like the City of Manila, Makati, Quezon City, Parañaque, Pasay, Taguig, and more.

Boracay: What You Need to Know

With its powdery white-sand beaches and tranquil turquoise water, Boracay is a paradise on Earth. Boracay covers only 10km and the narrowest point is only 1km. Boracay is located in the western region of Visayas, in the Aklan province, under the jurisdiction of Malay.

Boracay has received various recognitions from top travel magazines such as the Best Island in Asia award from Travel + Leisure and the Top Island in the World from Condé Nast Traveler.

The most popular beach in Boracay is the White Beach (it’s also the biggest), but there are many other world-class beaches exist such as Puka Shell Beach, Bulabog Beach, Diniwid Beach and Ilig-Iligan Beach.  All these beaches have white sand and they are unique their own ways.

Boracay White Beach is divided into 3 sections: Station 1, 2 and 3. These stations are essentially the north, middle and south parts of the beach.

Station 1: Wider Beach & Luxury Resorts

Boracay’s famous visual landmark Willy’s Rock is in Station 1. Here you will find most of the luxurious hotels and resorts. Station 1 is comparatively quieter than Station 2. 

The water is shallow and the beach is wider here with no separate walking path. Station 1 has the finest stretch of white sand.

Only a few clubs are in the same proximity within a short walking distance if you want to enjoy the Boracay nightlife.

Station 2: The Centre

This is the middle part of Boracay and the most crowded, with an assortment of shops and restaurants. You will find many mid-range hotels and resorts. The water is still shallow but not as much like Station 1.

The biggest D’mall sits right in the middle of Station 2. There is a seafood market, D’Talipapa, located in the south. You will find lots of bars, live music, and 3 clubs where you can experience the Boracay Nightlife.

Station 3: Nature and Tranquility

This is the quietest station with lots of greenery and lots of budget-friendly hotels. The beach is a lot steeper here. There are only a handful of laid-back bars and one club for nightlife.

The Ultimate Philippines Itinerary | How to Create the Best Philippines Itinerary

My 20+ Days Philippines Itinerary

My nearly month-long Philippines trip is right around the corner. Today, I will give you some insights on my Philippines tour and I will also give you some tips on how to create the perfect Philippines itinerary.

Here is an overview of how every day unfolds:

Day 1 – EVA Air Flight YYZ – TPE

Day 2 - EVA Air Flight TPE – MNL

Manila to Lucena | 2 Nights in Lucena

Day 4 – Check out and bus to Manila

Cebu Pacific flight to Boracay from Manila

Check in at Calypso Dive Resort hotel in Boracay

Day 5 – Check out and check in at Airbnb Absolute Beachfront Studio with Kitchen & Balcony - 2 nights

Day 6 – Boracay Island and Beach-Hopping Boat Tour

Day 7 – Check out and check in at Diamond Water Edge Resort

Day 8 – Check out and check in at Airbnb Beachfront Loft - 3 nights

Day 9 - Boracay Sunset Cruise Experience

Day 11 - Check out and check in at Boracay Ocean Club hotel

Day 12 - Check out and check in at Airbnb Double room w/ balcony, Ocean view, Bulabog Beach - 2 nights

Day 14 - Check out | Cebu Pacific Flight to Manila

Check in at The Bayleaf Intramuros, Manila

Day 15 - Check out and check in at Airbnb Penthouse view on 60th - 3 nights

Day 18 - Check out and check in Manila Marriott Hotel

Day 19 - Check out and check in at Airbnb Spectular Sunset Views 59th Flr Gramercy Poblacion - 2 nights

Day 21 - Check out and check in at Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria - 3 nights

Day 24 - Check out | EVA Air flight MNL – TPE – YYZ

Although my Philippines trip itinerary looks simple, it is actually quite complex. If you miss one day or double book the same day twice, it will ruin the whole trip.

My tips are to put the whole trip day by day on a piece of paper or physical planner and then start booking. Once you finish booking, forward all your confirmation emails to an online trip planning service like TripIt or Kayak.

TripIt or Kayak will show you your full trip day by day and if you made any mistakes, you will be able to find out right away.

I have a video showing more details which can be viewed here:

Philippines Itinerary | How to Create The Best Philippines Travel Itinerary

Don’t Make This Cox’s Bazar Mistake - World’s Longest Sea Beach

What Foreigners Don’t Understand About Cox’s Bazar – The World’s Longest Sea Beach

On my last Bangladesh trip, I had the opportunity to visit Cox’s Bazar – The World’s Longest Sea Beach. What I realized is that most tourists make a big mistake and that’s what I will talk about today.

Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh is the world's longest natural sandy sea beach. Cox's Bazar beach has a gentle slope and an unbroken, uninterrupted length of 155 km (96 mi). It is so big that there are many beaches on its unbroken shore with different names.

Most foreigners only visit the main part of the beach known as Cox’s Bazar beach, as this is adjacent to Cox’s Bazar city and next to the hotels. In my opinion, this is the worst of the all beaches and also too crowded.

What tourists don’t realise is that the other beaches which are still part of Cox’s Bazar’s 155 km (96 mi) stretch and offer a much better experience because they are a lot better, cleaner, provide a better visual awe-inspiring experience, and are less crowded than the main beach.

Some of these beaches are Laboni Beach, Inani Beach, Patuartek Beach, Sohnkhali Beach, Bestway Long Beach, Sonadia Island Beach, and I’m not even sure how many more there are.

I have visited a few of these beaches and I was shocked to find out that most tourists have never heard of or stepped on these beaches. It’s like you are leaving after reading the first chapter of a book, but the book gets better as you go through the remaining chapters.

So next time you are visiting Cox’s Bazar, I recommend not spending all your time on the main Cox’s Bazar beach. Rather, look for the other hidden gems which will make your travel to the world’s longest sea beach more meaningful and memorable.

Taipei to Toronto - Eva Air Business Class Flight Review | Travel Blog

Eva Air Business Class BR 36 – Taipei to Toronto

Singapore to Toronto via Taipei Dec 20, 2018

After visiting the Infinity Lounge TPE airport, I headed to the aircraft. Eva Air business calls their business class Royal Business Class. There is no 1st class on this Boeing 777-300ER.

Inside the Business Class Cabin

Like my other Eva Air business class flights, this one had same configuration as 1-2-1 reverse-herringbone layout. All lie-flat seats offer direct aisle access. My seat was next to the window.

The Amenity Kit

The Amenity Kit was made by high-quality German manufacturer RIMOWA. It was a nice ,red hard-shell box wrapped in a red fabric jacket. Inside were the usual goodies, such as compression socks, eye mask, lotion, comb, toothpaste, toothbrush, and many other items. This Amenity Kit was one of the best ones I have had.

Also, there was a full sleeping wear set provided by designer brand APUJAN and it was of high quality.

Food & Drinks

Because it was a long flight (13H, 50M), there were several meals and in-between snacks  served throughout the flight. Some of the items I ate were:

- Smoked Salmon with Sesame with Zucchini Slice

- Cajun Spiced Scallop Topped with Shrimp Roes

- Garden Vegetable Salad

- Grilled USDA Prime Beef Fillet with Garlic and Anchovy Sauce

- Ice Cream

- Coke, Coffee and Tea many times

The food was unparalleled and EVA AIR Business Class was one of the best airlines when it comes to food.

The Washroom

The washrooms were extremely clean, well maintained, and flawless. So far, all my EVA Flight experiences were the same.

Entertainment System

There were fairly recent movies and TV shows, but I didn’t watch anything for long. Eva Air does not provide free Wi-Fi in business.

Final Thoughts

This flight had a night mode feature on the ceiling, like my Toronto to Taipei flight, creating stars in the night sky. When it was dark outside, this feature kept the inside alive by creating space-like environment and I enjoyed it all night.

I have had a few other EVA Air business class flights and they were consistent in terms of excellent service and satisfaction. So far, I have not found any flaws or anything to complain about on any of their flights, and I will be looking forward to experiencing EVA AIR again in the future.

Singapore to Taipei - Eva Air Business Class Flight Review | Travel Blog

Eva Air Business Class BR 226 - Singapore to Taipei

Singapore to Toronto via Taipei Dec 20, 2018

After completing airport formalities, I headed towards the business class lounge at Singapore Airport.  Eva Air business calls their business class Royal Business Class. There was no 1st class on this Boeing 777-300ER.

SilverKris Lounge | Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 3

I talked about the SilverKris lounge in my previous post. The lounge had an extensive selection of foods and drinks.

The best part was its shower facility. Each shower room was private and lots of amenities were provided.

Inside the Business Class Cabin

Eva Air business class configuration is 1-2-1 reverse-herringbone layout. All lie-flat seats offer direct aisle access. My seat was next to the window.

The Amenity Kit

There was no amenity kit provided because I guess the flight was short and only 4H 30 M long.

Food & Drinks

Like my other EVA Air business class flights, food and drink selections were great. My main course was Grilled Beef Tenderloin with Shiitake Mushroom Brown Sauce, Mixed Vegetables and Lyonnaise Potatoes. My dessert was fruit Chocolate Mousse with Ginger and Apricot Chiboust Cream.

The Washroom

The washrooms were extremely clean and well maintained. So far, all my EVA Flight experiences were the same.

Entertainment System

There were fairly recent movies and TV shows, but I didn’t watch anything as the flight was short. Eva Air does not provide free Wi-Fi in business class.

Final Thoughts

I have had a few other EVA Air business class flights and they were consistent in terms of excellent service and satisfaction.