Dive in the Philippines: Manila, Boracay, Busuanga & Coron Trip Itinerary

My time in Manila was short, and mostly spent resting from travel, but I did have a chance to take in the nightlife, food and history. For our first evening, we took a cab to Makati, and sampled food from the stands at the Ayala Triangle Gardens night market. The next morning, we enjoyed an incredible brunch at our hotel restaurant, Corniche, and then took a bamboo bicycle tour of Manila’s historic Intramuros before heading to the airport to catch our flight to Boracay.

After the crowds and fast-paced environment in Manila, the calm beaches and beautiful blue water of Boracay are a welcome change. Additionally, the island of Boracay was recently restored, with the focus on preserving the island's natural beauty through measures such as waste management, controlling tourism impact and enforcing strict environmental regulations. This effort aims to ensure the long-term ecological health of Boracay while maintaining its appeal as a top tourist destination role model of environmental responsibility and sustainability.

The Crimson Resort and Spa Boracay was the location of the wedding, and, thus where I stayed. I would highly recommend it! The views of the ocean from the rooms could not be beat, the beach had it's own cove for kayaking or paddle boarding, and the pool was a lively spot to get drinks and bites. If you're looking to shop, spend an afternoon walking around the paths of D'Mall, the main shopping and dining center on Boracay. Even if you aren't staying at the resort, their restaurant, Mosaic Latin American Grill is a great place for a romantic, luxurious dinner. Before you head to the more secluded, quieter islands, you'll probably want to enjoy one night of dancing and music, so check out some of the beach bars, like OM.

It's time to head to Busuanga to get scuba certified! I chose to stay at the Busuanga Bay Lodge due to it's proximity to the dive shop, rooms that were literally on the water and its picturesque infinity pool. I did my PADI certification with Pirate Divers as the shop was steps away from the hotel room — they may have moved, but still provide free pick up and drop off to Busuanga Bay Lodge. They have a maximum of two students per instructor, but I was lucky to get 1:1 training! I recommend taking the e-learning before your trip so you can hop right into the dives. Because I did the e-learning, I was able to complete my certification within two days.

Each morning, enjoy a fresh breakfast before heading to the boat for training. When the day of training is over, spend your time relaxing by the pool at Busuanga Bay Lodge and watching the sunset before eating dinner in their pavilion, where you may be surprised with live music. To change it up for a night, take a boat across the bay for dinner at the restaurant Al Faro Resort. You will not be disappointed by the food, sunset and garden!

Hopefully, by your last day, you will have received your certification and are ready to continue diving at your next stop!

An hour drive from Busuanga takes you into Coron town, where you will get your transfer to Sangat Island Dive Resort, which includes a van and short boat ride to the exclusive island that hosts only resort guests. Get greeted by monkeys as you are taken to your accommodation — a treehouse style chalet on the beach, villa or cottage.

At breakfast, the divemaster will get a survey of the dives each guest wants to do so they can cater to all preferences throughout the day. At sunset, guests will head to the unique Rock Bar for a pre-dinner beer or cocktail. It's a great opportunity to meet other travelers and share stories from the day. After that, dinner is served family-style in the pavilion for guests to enjoy. All meals are made farm-to-table from the freshest ingredients. Night owls can continue their evening at the pavilion bar, where there are plenty of games for everyone take part in.

Take these next few days to fully disconnect, enjoy nature and visit other dive spots you haven't yet seen. If you need a break from diving, there are plenty of other activities to enjoy! The resort offers massages on the beach, kayaks, paddle boards and snorkeling gear. You can also schedule island hopping and sightseeing tours with the concierge. My favorite activity was kayaking around the island, and through the mangroves, to the resort's very own natural hot springs!

A final boat ride will take you back to Coron town. Before catching a flight back to Manila, spend some time souvenir shopping or getting lunch at one of the restaurants in town like Trattoria Altrove for pizza on their rooftop patio or Tres Marias Silog & Goto Haws for more authentic Filipino food.