Philippines Adventures

Summary for Philippines Adventures
Overall rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ – 5 adventure travel stars (rounded up)

The world's smallest monkey... the tarsier in Bohol, Philippines
The world’s smallest monkey… the tarsier in Bohol, Philippines

The Philippines are full of exotic experiences from adrenaline filled activities in picturesque locations to fascinating walking tours and eating adventures that will shock and amaze you. For those who love the ocean and pristine beaches, you’ll find dream locations for just about any kind of adventure you can imagine.

Philippines adventures start with the local people you’ll meet, and they are warm, friendly and hospitable. So get used to seeing a lot of big beautiful smiles from people who will welcome you with open arms.

If you’re into the heart-pounding activities like white water rafting, paragliding and ziplines, buckle up (figuratively speaking) because you’re going to be in for a wild ride. This is fantasy land for all who like clear blue oceans to explore whether you’re a diver or you prefer to stay above the water’s surface.

There is an interesting mix here where East meets West to create a unique culture that will fascinate and enchant you.

What is it like when Spanish, American, and Asian influences are blended together like a gourmet feast? Come find out in Philippines.

With that said, you do have to be careful. There are uncertain political situations in Mindinao (including the Zamboanga Peninsula and the Sulu Archipelago), and travel to those areas is not advised. Sometimes you need to be careful of terrorist activity in Manila as well.

Philippines Adventures – The bottom line: Not only are the Philippines exceptional in just about every way imaginable, they also lack the hordes of tourists that flock to other popular Asian destinations. So, you might want to keep that in mind if you don’t like competing with other tourists for your favorite adventure travel experiences.

Exotic Factor
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ – 5 adventure travel stars

Secluded tropical beaches, unusual animals and spectacular landscapes are just some of the things that make the Philippines an exotic paradise.

Borocay is absolutely stunning with its clear blue water and white sand beaches lined with palm trees, and Cebu not only has beautiful beaches, you’ll also find intriguing relics of the Spanish occupation, which makes for some excellent walking tours.

Yes, the beaches are stunning, but there are also some quite exotic landscapes like the fascinating Chocolate Hills and the picturesque Banaue rice terraces (a UNESCO world heritage site).

Do you like exotic foods? If so, you’re in for a truly unique culinary adventure when exploring your Philippine adventures.

One purported aphrodisiac, a balut, is a fertilized egg (duck or chicken) with a nearly-developed embryo that is boiled and eaten in the shell. You can have that with a side order of fried beetles, chase it with stuffed frog and then finish your meal with another delicacy, sauted bats (yes, the kind that fly). So how’s your appetite now?

Exotic animals abound with the world’s smallest monkey (the bug-eyed Philippine tarsier), the Palawan bearcat (which is neither a bear nor a cat), the miniscule Philippine mouse deer and more than 500 species of exotic seahorses in the coastal waters. There are some weird-looking, intriguing creatures here that you’re going to want to check out for yourself.

Cultural Factor
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ – 5 adventure travel stars

There are more than 100 ethnic groups here and a wide range of cultural influences from both the East and the West, so you will find a rich and diverse culture during your Philippines adventure travel expedition.

The Spanish occupied the Philippines for more than 300 years and their influence is clearly seen throughout this nation. Maybe their biggest influence was bringing the Catholic religion with them. Catholicism permeates the Philippines from the arts to their cultural traditions. Other strong cultural influences come from America and China.

The Filipinos are a religious people who enjoy their fiestas, which center around one patron saint in each town and they celebrate with street parades, fireworks and dancing.

If you have the chance to experience one of these fiestas you’ll soon come to learn how friendly, kind and hospitable the people are. You’ll find that it is the people that truly make your Philippines adventure travel a unique and memorable experience.

The cuisine of the Philippines can be quite interesting (and an adventure of its own) as mentioned above, but it isn’t all about the exotic extremes. You will find rice in many of the dishes as well as tropical fruits, vegetables and fish, meat and chicken, so don’t let the “unique” local foods scare you off.

Adventure Factor
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ – 4 adventure travel stars

With all of the islands here you can imagine that the Philippines are a playground for beach and ocean lovers. You’ll certainly find some incredible scuba diving and snorkeling excursions.

Try diving some of the wrecks around Coron and maybe swimming with the whale sharks off Donsol. Other popular water-related adventures in the Philippines include sea kayaking, surfing and sailing.

If you prefer to stay on dry land you should consider some of the many cultural tours, hiking or trekking. For anyone who enjoys taking to the air you’ll find some excellent soaring experiences like paragliding, ziplines, skydiving and flying tours to give you some high-adrenaline thrills.

The Philippines are full of exciting adventures from the many physical activities to the culinary adventures, but if you’re planning to go paragliding you may want to hold off on the raw woodworm and fried rats until after your flight.

Hard

  • Bungee jumping
  • Canoeing
  • Four wheel drive trips
  • Hang gliding
  • Hunting
  • Jungle exploring
  • Motorcycling
  • Mountain biking
  • Mountain climbing
  • Overlanding
  • Paragliding
  • Rappelling
  • Rock climbing
  • Scuba diving
  • Sea kayaking
  • Skydiving
  • Snorkeling
  • Soaring (gliding)
  • Spelunking (caving)
  • Surfing
  • Survival training
  • White water rafting
  • Windsurfing

Soft

  • Birdwatching
  • Cultural tours
  • Eco tours
  • Nature trips
  • Walking tours
  • Whale watching

Could be either

  • Backpacking
  • Bicycling
  • Camping
  • Canopy tours / Ziplines
  • Fishing
  • Flying
  • Hiking
  • Horseback riding
  • Hot-air ballooning
  • Safaris
  • Sailing
  • Trekking
  • Wildlife watching
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