#ITSMOREFUNINTHEPHILIPPINES

If you're looking for some cheap thrills or a relaxing trip to somewhere you don't know yet where well here are some ideas and some places in the Philippines that are worth checking out.
Notes:
Travel Time is estimated with Manila as the starting point.
Click on the title for details.

POTIPOT

Location: Candelaria, Zambales

Travel Time: 6 hours via Van and 15 minutes Boat

Budget: Around PHP1500

Masungi Georeserve

Location: KM47 Baras Rizal

Travel Time: 2 hours via Jeepney

Budget: Around PHP1500

Burot Beach

Location: Calatagan, Batangas

Travel Time: 4 hours via Van

Budget: Around PHP2000

Tierra Salva

Location: Tanauan, Batangas

Travel Time: 2 hours via Van

Budget: Around PHP2500

Surfin' in Baler

Location: Baler, Aurora

Travel Time: 6 hours via Van

Budget: Around PHP3000

Unforgettable Boracay Experience

Location: Malay, Aklan, Visayas

Travel Time: 1h Plane and 2h Bus (via Kalibo)

Budget: Around PHP10000

Note: via Caticlan for less travel time

A Quick Escape to Puerto Galera

Location: Oriental Mindoro, Luzon
Travel Time: 2h Bus and 1h Boat
Budget: Around PHP5000
Note: Near Manila

Calaguas Island Package Tour

Location: Camarines , Luzon
Travel Time: 9h Van and 2h Boat
Budget: Around PHP3500
Note: Take a plane for shorter travel time

Bohol Tour Highlights

Location: Bohol, Visayas
Travel Time: 1h30m Plane
Budget: Around PHP5000 not including transpo
Note: Near Cebu

Swimming with the Sharks in Oslob

Location: Oslob Cebu, Visayas
Travel Time: 1h30m Plane and 3h Van
Budget: Around PHP1000 not including transpo
Note: Near Sumilon Island

Cagbalete DIY Tour

Location: Quezon, Luzon
Travel Time: 4h Bus and 1h Boat
Budget: Around PHP2000
Note: Near Lucena

Subic, Zambales

Budget: Around PHP2000
Note: Near Manila

El Nido, Palawan

Location: Palawan, Visayas
Travel Time: 1h20m Plane and 6h Bus
Budget: Around PHP5000 not including transpo

Puerto Princesa Underground River

Location: Palawan, Visayas
Travel Time: 1h20m Plane and 20m Boat/2h hike
Budget: Around PHP2000 not including transpo

Hotsprings at Laguna

Caramoan
Location: Camarines Sur, Luzon
Travel Time: 9h Van and 2h Boat
Budget: Around PHP5000
Note: Take a plane for shorter travel time

Swimming with the Sharks

Swimming with the sharks. ✔ I can finally cross this out my bucket list of crazy adventures.

 Whale Shark

The road to Oslob is long and winding and we don't exactly have the most careful driver. From Cebu City airport (3am departure), we rented a van that took us to Tan-awan, Oslob (6am arrival) and back for PHP4500. Travel time is around 3 hours per way.

Once we arrived at Aaron Beach Resort, we paid an entrance fee of PHP100 each which includes free use of a nipa hut and shower rooms.

Nipa Huts

There's only 1 closed shower but there are open showers and 2 changing cubicles.

Lockers

RATES:
Whale Watching (from boat): PHP300
Snorkeling: PHP500
Diving: PHP600

We chose snorkeling and the fee already includes a life vest and snorkeling gears. I wouldn't recommend just watching from the boat it's a waste of time and money.

 Diving Gears

Diving would really be cool if you know how to swim but since I don't, I'm stuck with my life vest and snorkeling mask.

 Orientation Area

 Activity Area

All activities take place just a short distance from the shore. But before you can do anything, there's a brief orientation about dos and don'ts (actually all don'ts).

 A volunteer orienting us

 not so attentive participants XD

Important Things I remembered:
1. Don't use sunblock of any sorts. It's bad for the sharks and/or they might get attracted with the smell and eat you. XD
2. Don't touch the shark, keep a 4 meter distance around or else they might eat you. XD

This is a little hard to follow since you can't really control where the shark goes and if you don't know how to swim like me, you're movements will be quite restricted thus can't really maintain distance.

 I should really learn how to swim T_T

3. Don't attempt any activity if you have your period. The shark might smell the blood and eat you. XD

4. Be calm, don't jump in the water. Sharks are attracted to bubbles and then eat you. XD

 I think he has a death wish attracting the shark with bubbles @_@

5. Don't feed the sharks. They might think you're food too and eat you. XD

Whale watching schedule is from 6am to 12:30pm so be sure to arrive early. Duration of the activity is only 30minutes which starts once you get off the boat.

Whale sharks are really huge they can eat you whole. So be careful not to get in their way. Boatmen feed them with fish and they swim around and sometimes they get too close for my liking.

 Whale Shark's mouth catching the fish thrown by the boatman

They are huge! Another disturbing rule during the orientation is to be calm and let them pass if they get too close. "They won't bite" the instructor said. But I find it really hard to believe. They are sharks after all and did I already say THEY ARE HUGE?! The water is really "malansa" (fishy) though.

It was an amazing and one of a kind experience. Though to be honest I think it's a gamble on safety. You don't really know if they won't bite I mean they are sharks. So do it at your own risk.

There are breakfast joints in the area. If you're going to eat at the place next to Aaron Beach Resort, order the food before the activity so that it will be ready after. We ordered ours after snorkeling and we were already hungry and waited for an hour or so.