Philippine Islands: My Collection of Islands that are Worth a Visit

The Philippines is composed of 7,640 islands and this series is still at its 7th edition which means that I'm still 0.091623% of the total islands to be featured. My goal is to feature at least 10% of those islands so I still have a long way to go. This means this collection will not end until I reach my goal.

If you want white-sand beaches, sun, and island life, this collection is for you. When it's okay to travel for leisure, I hope this collection will help you in considering the Philippines as your next travel destination.

La Manok Island is one of the lesser-known islands in the Philippines so it's one of the unspoiled destinations. This is one of the islands where there's nothing that awaits you there except the pure beauty of nature. There's no entrance fee, no permanent shelter, and no cottages.

The island is located at the center of the Visayan Sea. It can be reached via a boat ride from three different provinces. It's just 30 minutes from Esperanza, Masbate, but the common way is through a 35-minute boat ride from Carnaza Island, Cebu. It can also be reached via a 1-hour boat ride from Naval, Biliran. Transportation prices vary depending on your boat of choice and point of departure.

If you can endure 3 to 4 hours of boat ride from Daanbantayan, Cebu to Carnaza Island and then another boat ride for 35 to 40 minutes from Carnaza Island to La Manok Island, then you're worthy to witness firsthand the beauty of the island that's located at the center of the Visayan Sea. There's no standing structure there, except those makeshift huts made by the fishermen that would serve as their temporary shelter when there's a storm.

The shifting sandbar is what made the island alluring to tourists who wanted to avail island hopping from Malapascua Island or Bantayan Island. It's the island for those who won't get seasick during a long boat ride.

Virgin Island is located west of Panglao Island in Bohol. It is part of the greater Panglao Reef Flat in Panglao Bay. It's one of the three islands in the area. Pungtud Island is in the north and Gakang Island is in the south, while Virgin Island is in the middle of the two islands.

Virgin Island in Panglao is no more than a sandbar that would be submerged during high tide, but the white sand and crystal clear water is more than enough reason for you to visit.

Think of a wet market, a place where you can buy fresh seafood and goods, but in the middle of a sandbar on an island far from the mainland. You can see that in Virgin Island in Panglao, Bohol.

The place is really Instagram-worthy! I wanted to go back, but the pandemic is preventing us from traveling to neighboring provinces.

Sillon Island is also called Virgin Island by the locals even if it's not so "virgin" anymore because a lot of people have visited the area. Apparently, the island goes by a lot of names. Some often referred to it as Hilantagaan Diot or Pulo Diyot, while others call it Silion which is a little bit confusing.

Sillon Island is located east of Sta. Fe, Bantayan Island, and northwest of Hilantagaan Island. Since it is smaller than Hilantagaan Island, it might be the reason why it is also called Hilantagaan Diot.

I highly recommend visiting the island with friends or loved ones. Just don't expect that everything on the island is cheap. Since most of the goods, even freshwater, came from the neighboring island of Bantayan, it comes with a hefty price. What the island boasts though, is its crystal clear waters. It's unmatched.

Panglao Island is located southwest of Bohol and east of South Cebu. It is in the north of the Bohol Sea in Central Visayas. It's just a few kilometers away from Tagbilaran City and is connected to mainland Bohol by Dauis Bridge and Borja Bridge.

Panglao Island is composed of two municipalities: Panglao and Dauis. And now for the first tourist spot that we visited which is located in the municipality of Dauis.

You'll never run out of activities when you're in Panglao. Aside from the usual white-sand beaches, you can explore a cave, a bee farm, and a famous snorkeling site.

This is sort of a compilation post of the places in Cebu and the neighboring islands that I've visited, just like those islands above, but with new and added photos I've never shared before. The reason why I'm doing this now is that Cebu and Visayas Islands has been awarded as Best in Asia by Condé Nast Traveler's The Best Islands in the World: 2020 Readers' Choice Awards.

I will never get tired of sharing what my home has to offer. I won't feel ashamed in sharing because Cebu and the neighboring islands have always been recognized by travel magazines as one of the bests in the world. There's always a hidden gem waiting to be discovered. Compilation posts like this won't be enough to showcase everything.

Both islands are off the coast of the volcanic island province of Camiguin. The first island is larger than the second one, but both have gleaming white sand beaches.

Mantigue is just 3.5 kilometers off the coast of the municipality of Mahinog in Camiguin. It's one of Camiguin's top tourist spots because of its white sand beach and crystal clear waters that's surrounding the island while a deep drop-off that's good for scuba diving is located on one side of the island.

White Island is a horseshoe-shaped sandbar that's 1.4 kilometers off the shore of Mambajao. From our rented apartment, we just walk a few meters to where the boats were that will bring us to the sandbar. There's no plant nor permanent structure. It's just pure white sand that's constantly reshaping and resizing due to the tides. However, the water surrounding the island is so pristine.

One of my best memories in Camiguin! I will probably go back to these islands just to snorkel or free dive. If given a chance and a budget, I would probably go scuba diving. They have always regarded Camiguin as one of the best dive sites here in the Philippines. Would be awesome to be able to attest to that firsthand.

Tulang Diot Island is located in San Francisco, Camotes, Cebu. It's one of the many public beaches here in Cebu that are easily accessible to tourists. With a lot of public beaches that can easily get crowded during summer, there's no perfect getaway than Tulang Diot Island especially for those who hate crowded places and busy islands.

I actually didn't expect anything from this beach, to be honest. I only saw a few photos from my friends who went there, but I really didn't pay much attention to it. I didn't research about the beach nor tried to set a serious effort on having expectations. I just wanted to be there with friends from my new job.

One of the most unexpected places I've ever visited. I have no problems going back there just to relax by the beach and just let the time pass by. Photos in social didn't do justice to the beauty of the island.