As I write this, we are close to wrapping up our first week in Bali. It was a busy week but we managed to have a lot of slow times and relaxation at our wonderful bed and breakfast. Kerta Family Bed and Breakfast is a family-run, beautiful accommodation with sparkling clean rooms, gardens, a pool and delicious breakfast to top it all. We are loving our time here and the hospitality of the family.

Bali truly shines with its unique Hindu culture, beautiful temples, fantastic food and great hospitality. If you are a vegetarian, you will have the time of your life here! I am going to make a quick list of my favorite places in this post. Even my carnivore boyfriend had some of the best food of his life here.

Here is a list of some delicious places to get very tasty vegetarian food!

Siboghana Waroeng

The place provides some of the best value around Ubud. Prices are very reasonable for both meals and drinks, portions are good size and the food is incredibly tasty! Service (of course common in Bali) is very friendly.

Green Kubu Cafe

This restaurant had the best setting – rice terraces, water lilies and palm trees. Plenty of vegetarian food options and excellent view. Prices were reasonable and service was good as well. I had the veggie burger (JJ Burger) on their menu and I highly recommend it! Green Kubu is very close to the Tegalalang Rice Terraces so it is best to come before or after the trek.

Warung Sripadi

This restaurant is a bit further but so worth going to if you are in the area. We visited the Tukad Cepung Waterfall and the Pura Tirta Empul and we found this hidden gem on the way. Food is affordable and tasty but service was a bit disorganized/slow. Not a problem if you have time and don’t mind sitting for a bit relaxing! The place also has delicious fresh juices – we had dragonfruit and guava!

Paon Dahar seafood & indonesian cuisine

Don’t be tricked by the name! They have plenty of vegetarian main dishes. This is the beauty of Bali, almost any restaurant will have plenty of vegan/vegetarian dishes or be able to make them meat-free. I had one of the best vegetable curries I have ever had and for a decent price! Portions were big as well, you can easily share one meal. Prices vary around 35-45k. Make sure you specify how spicy you want your food if you are a bit sensitive. 🙂

Yeh Pulu Cafe

Yeh Pulu was also a hidden gem we discovered near Ginyar where we stayed. Prices are a bit inflated which was disappointing and we were harassed by a woman to pay her for parking even though we were going to the restaurant. However, the place has a very laid-back vibe and good food. In addition to our meals we had a sweet black rice dessert that was very hearty.

Melting Wok

Unfortunately, I forgot to capture the delicious curry we had here (too hungry!!!) but I recommend this place as well! The menu is very simple, only a few dishes and you pick what they are prepared with (marlin fish, chicken, tempe, tofu, vegetable). Prices are about average for Ubud & portions are good. The location is very central as well. I had the tofu curry and it was very tasty! Service is very friendly and fast.

Warung Bintangbali

Not necessarily advertised as a vegetarian place, but it has a great variety of dishes that are organic, fresh and vegetarian! The spices used were divine and the veggies tasted incredible. To top it off, the food felt healthy and the sauce light and delicious. Good portions as well. Prices were moderate. Atmosphere was not our favorite since the place is right next to the road, but at the same time.. that makes it a lot easier to find!

This is our list for now! There were other places we tried but those were the top choices. Bali is complete heaven for a vegetarian or a vegan. I don’t think I want to leave… 🙂

Woah what a journey we have had! I am writing this while stuck in Manila International Airport with a delayed to 3:30 am Air Asia flight and after a 12-hour boat ride we took from Coron. This post will be about Coron, specifically, but I needed to provide some information on our current situation. Travel can be exhausting and stressful often enough! But let us get back to Coron . . One hour flight from Cebu on yet another propeller plane and we made it! I was fascinated by the pictures I saw of limestone cliffs and beautiful lakes in Coron. We had to see it for ourselves! As always, pictures do not always represent reality. Coron town was quite hot, lacking beach and dustier than most of the places we’ve been so far. Without A/C in our room, needless to say, we were not thrilled our first day here. And we booked over a week long stay! The plan was for me to complete my Open Water Diver so I can join in on all the fun dives. I wanted to take my time and complete the course in 3 days without rushing. I recommend you take your time, learn each new skill, etc. You will end up paying the same but have more knowledge/practice in the end of the three days.

Honestly, I recommend staying less days in Coron. We ended up being there for 9 days, which was way too much. Coron is busy, expensive and lacks in accommodation options. 3-4 days should be sufficient to explore the things we did.

Day 1: Tour A

We picked Tour A as our first stop. Tour A included Green Lagoon, Kayangan Lake (one of the biggest attractions here), CYC beach & a few different reefs. The cost (with our AirBNB host’s discount was 750 PHP which included the all day boat tour and lunch.

Lunch included a lot of rice, some fish, chicken adobo and grilled veggies for me. We had a group of about 15 people which was right at about average. Highly recommend doing Tour A and try to bargain for a lower price! Sometimes you can get discounts just by booking multiple tours.

Day 2: Tour B

Tour B included Barracuda Lake (a lot less crowded than Kayangan), Twin Lagoon (quite larger than Green Lagoon), Smith Beach, Skeleton reef. We got to see our first wreck while snorkeling during this tour. Coron is famous for the sunken World War 2 Japanese ships that have remained at various depths here since then. Some of the wrecks are shallow enough and can be seen just by snorkeling, others only by diving. Tour A was definitely a better value, about 400 PHP cheaper and a lot longer, but if you have extra time, you can have fun exploring both.

Day 3-5: Learning to Dive!

First of all, this was not an easy decision! Nikolai has been certified for about 10 years . . so needless to say very comfortable in the water! I spent a lot of time leading up to this becoming comfortable with swimming. . . I found a good dive shop and decided it was time that we dive together! Afraid of the water and not a great swimmer, I successfully became certified in 3 days with Reggae Dive Center. I highly recommend them because one of the most important rules when deciding to do this is finding a great shop, PADI 5 star rated and with plenty of patient instructors. Always ask how many students will be in a group per instructor, you want as much individualized attention as possible. Now I am a certified diver, have explored Japanese shipwrecks and have seen countless coral fish, groupers, and the unique cuttle fish. Be aware of the importance of good swimming skills and good equalizing! Don’t dive with any cold or cough. . . And don’t let sea sickness ruin your time on the small dive boats. Now as a diver, I cannot wait to explore the underwater world of our next destinations! It is such a unique and fascinating experience. Coron ended up the perfect place to do this – calm water, gorgeous scenery and unique wreck diving.

Day 6-7: Sunsets & Dinners

There is quite a few spots where you can enjoy a good view of Coron Bay. One of our days here we stayed at The Bay Area Coron which was a small hotel nearby the bay that offers clean rooms, breakfast and a sea view. I recommend it as a nice place to relax from busy Coron and have a snack or a drink while looking at the sunset.

Ala-E Hippie House is another great spot for the views. Lucky for me, it had vegetarian dishes such as curry, noodles and fries. The restaurant offers drinks, outside seating, hippie vibe and reggae music. Definitely a nice place to stop by!

Day 7: Mount Tapyas

There is 721 step hike right in Coron where you can burn some calories and enjoy a nice view in the end! Do it for sunrise or sunset though because the heat is no joke! We started climbing from the beginning of the road leading to Mt Tapyas (Big Mama’s grill) around 5pm and we made it up in 30 minutes or so. There were both locals and tourists on top and plenty of drones! The 360 degree view on top is worth every drop of sweat leading up to it. We did this on our last day and I am glad we did not skip it. Mount Tapyas is free to visit!

Day 8: Head to Manila via 2GO ferry

We wrapped up our journey in Coron with one final one – a ferry ride (huge ship if you ask me!) from Coron to Manila. I would call this our first cruise experience. The “ferry” was huge, there was quite a lot of entertainment on board, a lot of shops, hair salon, a spacious deck, and some cafes and restaurants. Comfortable is not how we would describe it, however, since we managed to find tickets only for bunk beds with another 8 people in a room. Next time, I would do it differently by reserving a separate room in order to actually be able to get sleep. Other than that, it was an easy and affordable way to get to Manila. We witnessed a spectacular sunrise and saw some marine life on our way. You can move around as much as you can which makes it quite better than a plane. But be prepared for crowds, lines of people and not the cleanest bathrooms! We boarded at around 7PM, left at 8PM and we were at the Manila port at 8:30AM. Overall, I think this was a good way to get from Coron to Manila (or vice-versa) if you have time, want a different experience and are on a budget.

Since we got to Manila the “adventure” did not stop! We expected a seamless day at the airport before we fly to Bali, but Air Asia decided different. Our flight was scheduled for 6:50 pm the same day we arrived from Coron but ended up departing at 4:00AM the next day due to technical issues. What can I say.. the past few days were a blur to us but the lounge access we receive with our Chase Reserve card was definitely helpful! No decent sleep for two days but this is how travel works – it is not always as scheduled or as glamorous. Think twice before booking with Air Asia because we found out this is a common occurrence.

The gladdest moment in human life is a departure into unknown lands.

Sir Richard Burton

These flights in the Philippines are something else! Crammed in a tiny propeller plane where you hear and feel every single movement was not how imagined my ride. It is understandable since the runways are small on the islands, I just wished I blocked my ears and eyes as we descend and ascend. Despite all that, Cebu Pacific is a great airline-safe and smooth boarding. Tickets to Siargao and back are very affordable if you are flexible with dates. Don’t forget the luggage costs-it gets tricky on small airplanes, so be prepared. We left our luggage in Cebu for an easy and convenient island hopping.

Siargao Island is very different from the places in the Philippines we have been – wild nature, less tourists, very laid-back vibe, surfer friendly. The landscape is so unique in the lush greenery surrounding the one main road of the island, and the waves clashing in the distance leaving a calmer sea by the shore.

If you are going to Siargao, you will most likely stay in General Luna. General Luna is where Cloud 9 is located as well as countless shops, restaurants and cafes. Tour boats begin their journey from this area as well. We opted out for a more secluded visit and stayed in San Isidro, about an hour from General Luna. The area has more locals, less food options and entertainment. For a couple or a family, it seems like a great option. Just remember that WiFi anywhere on the island is close to nonexistent. Thankfully, we had rented a scooter from the airport from the start so we were able to go to places that offer Internet if we needed connection. There is a few hills that may provide you with some 3G from your carrier but be prepared to be mostly off for your time in Siargao. We took our time exploring the island by motorbike – the best way to do so.

Pacifico, where we stayed, is very laid-back with few expats, stunning views and surfing spots for advanced surfers. General Luna, however, remains the most popular spot. We even found another Shaka restaurant and it was by the beach. You sit on the beach, sip on a fresh smoothie and enjoy the surfers ahead. You can continue past Cloud 9 Surfing Tower (we skipped going to the tower, even though the entrance fee was only around 50 pesos) and find little spots to swim away from the surfers or just lay out and enjoy your time under the shade. Siargao is not known for a beach destination where you can easily swim and snorkel due to the high surf.

Probably one of the most visited spots on the island is Magpupungko rock pools. In general the tides are very dramatic in the Philippines and this allows you to explore a lot of the marine life and get some stunning photos! Magpupungko rock pools are best visited during low tide when the waves are away and you can enjoy the nature made pools with countless marine animals waiting on the next high tide. The strong waves have made the pools deep enough to swim and snorkel around. At the same time, you can just walk and explore the area! Entry: 50 pesos. The rock pools are closer to San Isidro than General Luna which was nice. If you continue driving from Magpupungko north towards San Isidro, you will find a local beach with similar (smaller) rock pools and a long stretch of sand.

The rock pools are definitely one of the most visited places in Siargao and therefore, very busy. Come here at low tide, but make sure you inquire with the locals first when that will be on a particular day. Early morning is best to avoid the crowds but make sure it is actually low tide.

We took our time exploring Siargao and its scenery. We had five days here to relax, enjoy our sea view and ride the bike around the island. Food wise, you will definitely have the most options in General Luna, most of them on the expensive side. The one spot that I would recommend for budget travelers is Ronaldo’s in General Luna-good and affordable. In San Isidro, where we stayed, I found the best vegetarian friendly breakfast on the island (maybe whole Philippines) – Common Ground. Made by expats, the space is clean, quiet, laid-back and gives you that inner peace you always want to achieve. They have bungalows and provide yoga lessons as well. Highly recommend if you are in San Isidro!

We are not into surfing but that would have really made our trip to Siargao complete. However, even riding our bike or watching the surfers in the distance was exactly what we needed. Some time away from busy streets and shops. Siargao is good for you if you like more wild, isolated places, like to surf, enjoy the dramatic landscape of cliffs and high surf. We recommend San Isidro if you are looking for more isolation and being off the grid for a bit, while General Luna for more outgoing travelers. It is a short one hour flight from Cebu (a bit further from Manila) and you can go with Philippine Airlines or Cebu Pacific. Flights are often cheap but it is best to be flexible with dates. I have a slight preference for Philippine Airlines since they seemed more attentive and provided drink + snack while Cebu Pacific did not. With Cebu Pacific we had two delayed flights as well. It could be an isolated case, so make your own choice. 🙂

We are off from Cebu to Coron next with Philippine Airlines. Another small propeller plane and about 1 hour in the air.

Travel makes one modest. You see what tiny place you occupy in the world.

Gustave Flaubert

Internet in the Philippines is scarce, so we have not been keeping up with our travel updates. After our last adventure, we headed up by bus to Moalboal from Mualbuyoc. I recommend taking the bus (Ceres is the company) to go through any of the places en route to Cebu from Bato. The buses run very frequently, are affordable and will pick you up/drop you off anywhere along route per request. Watch out though, they get extremely full, rarely have A/C or luggage compartment. We learned that the hard way when we boarded a full bus in the heat and our backpacks were quite dirty afterwards but at least safe! If you have time, wait for a less full/air-conditioned bus. 🙂

We made it to Moalboal mid-day and were able to check-in, rent a motorbike and start exploring immediately. Honestly, we did not know what to expect from Moalboal, but ended up liking it a lot and wished we could have spent more days there. On our first day, we went snorkeling close to shore and enjoyed the sight of plenty of live colorful corals and reef fish. Come to Panagsama beach close to sunset or early morning and you will have a great snorkeling experience. We stayed some 8km from Moalboal in a quiet house situated in a mountainous region which is a bit far from the most popular areas. Commute involves a motorbike (around 350-400 pesos, make sure you try to bring the price down!) and you can quickly make it to the center, supermarkets, public markets and the beach.

Panagsama beach provided one of my favorite snorkeling experiences. There was no fees to enter but beware of a lot of children and adults following you around trying to sell you everything under the sun. We did not make it to the islands nearby, but we were able to see a school of sardines close to the shore, right next to the reef wall. Best place is if you start swimming from a restaurant named Chili’s and snorkel around until you reach the reef wall. The sardines are always in the area.

The Sardine run is what Moalboal is most famous for (after perhaps Kawasan Falls). We were able to see the school of sardines in the morning and make a video of them moving around the reef wall. Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6-AMHk6m8Y.

As far as food goes, your best options are the small tourist area along the beach, your local resort, or the public market. We were close to Alcantara public market, which had a lot of cooked foods and baked goods. As always, no vegetarian foods, so be prepared to look for food in the supermarket or the tourist stretch of the beach. Shaka, one of my favorite food spots, is there as well. So far we have eaten at Shaka Moalboal, Shaka Panglao and Shaka Siargao. The place makes the best smoothie bowls, juices and breakfast. Another spot that we discovered was Ven’z kitchen: affordable and vegan/vegetarian friendly. An option that is always good is getting fresh fruits from the stands! Mangos, watermelon, pineapple, if you have a spot in your accommodation, bring a good knife, cut and enjoy the most delicious fruits!

Our time in Moalboal was short as we had to make our way up to Cebu to catch our flight to Siargao. I highly suggest adding another night in your itinerary to dive or to snorkel some more in the area. Accommodation costs vary so make sure you “shop” around to find the best value in the area. If you do not plan on a motorbike, stay near the beach. We enjoyed riding around so staying a bit out in the woods was a great option.

We will spend one night in Cebu, close to the airport, leave our luggage in Jiji’s Hostel (another great value accommodation) and catch the afternoon flight to the beautiful island of Siargao!

I hate to group so many destinations in one but we did not spend a lot of time in these areas. We had to leave Siquijor as we make our way back to Cebu. I like splitting our travels a bit in order to see more places and don’t get overly exhausted by long rides.. We woke up early from Siquijor to catch the 6AM ferry to Dumaguete in order to make it there as early as possible. Thankfully, we were able to hail a tricycle on our walk to the port and were en route right on time. Our main goal was to make it to Dumaguete quickly, check into our accommodation and depart to Apo Island to snorkel with sea turtles. It is definitely a doable trip! An hour or so on the ferry and once in Dumaguete you can grab a tricycle to your hotel easily. Know how far you are going in order to have an idea of a fair price. Another tip: just wait for all the other tourists to go and then get on a tricycle, they will usually take you for a lower price instead of waiting for the next boat of visitors.

We quickly left our luggage and jumped on a motorbike to Malatapay where we could catch a boat to Apo Island. You have another option – take the Ceres bus from Dumaguete center and head over to Malatapay that way. It takes about 30 minutes and you can just let the driver know where to let you off. These buses are quite convenient and affordable and there are no designated stops. They can drop you off anywhere. We went with the motorbike because the cost for a couple was pretty similar to the bus tickets and tricycles.

Unfortunately, we really did not take the time to explore Dumaguete – we hope to get a chance during another visit! One thing I will remember though is the delicious cauliflower tikka masala I had at Roti Boss. Definitely stop by if you like Indian food!

Now to the real thing.. yes, the main reason we stayed in Dumaguete was Apo Island. It is an island about 45 minutes by boat from Malatapay (town very close to Dumaguete) famous for its sea turtle population. We read a lot about the different boats – private, public, tour boats and opted for hiring a boat with as many people as we can gather in order to lower the costs. We had a group of 11 people in total after about 20 minutes, all from different corners of the world. I highly recommend doing it this way – you engage in new social interactions, and you keep your costs low! You go to the island and you leave the island in the same boat and with the same group of people. Note the boat ride is on the choppy side, you can encounter rough seas and get wet. However, it was so worth it (as most things that take time and effort to get to!). We saw at least ten or so turtles, swimming around us freely.* Check out our video with these beautiful creatures. What a day we had there! Another tip we have is – do not pay the tour guide if you would not like to. We read a lot about the guides stepping on coral and not using the money to protect the environment so we opted out for just doing our own snorkeling. The way to do it is to swim a bit further from the enclosed area, it is perfectly safe.

*Side note-we opted out of swimming with whale sharks in the nearby Oslob due to the influx of tourists and the unnatural way people “keep” the whale sharks around the same place. They feed them every morning and that way, disrupt their migratory habits. More on that here.

After Apo Island we wanted to leave the busy town of Dumaguete and head north closer to Cebu. I would say both Dumaguete and Apo can be done in a day if you are compressed by time. After much research, we decided the best way to leave the town is by catching a tricycle (around 100 pesos for 3-4 km ride) to Sibulan Port in Dumaguete and from there catch a quick 20-minute ferry to Liloan port We stayed in a quaint hotel in Malabuyoc, a small municipality in Cebu, about an hour from Moalboal and half an hour from Liloan (port in Santander). I think a map would be helpful in this case.

From Liloan, we got on a tricycle and made it to the main bus station, Bato. Don’t ever worry about finding your way, there are plenty of friendly Filipinos! I keep forgetting to mention that a good way to not get lost is to just ask the locals! They speak English well and are hospitable, social and willing to help!

From Bato, you can catch the same Ceres bus that I mentioned earlier to go anywhere along the coast – Moalboal, Cebu, anywhere you tell your driver to drop you off. We had a lovely place booked in a small village in Malabuyoc. Bamboo Beach House had affordable, basic rooms but what a view! If you like to spend your time outside staring at an endless ocean, this is your spot! There is nothing much to do in the direct vicinity of the guesthouse but you can really see how the locals live just by walking to the neighboring villages. Filipinos are always friendly, smiling and excited to see visitors. The tiny village vibe is great for couples, friends or even solo travelers. You can be as active as you want during the day if you have transportation (or again, I will recommend the Ceres bus). You can do canyoneering in Kawasan Falls, you can visit Aguinid Falls, Cambais Falls or lesser known ones in the area. Unfortunately, I became sick with a fever and could not explore anything for a couple of days which was disappointing. On our final day, feeling better, we woke up extra early, 5:30AM, to beat the crowds and visit the most famous waterfalls in the area – Kawasan Falls.

I really recommend getting up early!! You will have all levels of the waterfalls to yourself without interruptions throughout your hike up. That is another thing – do not stop at the first waterfall! In fact, at the very top there is the bluest water we have seen! And there were no people with the exceptions of a few locals. We spent about three hours overall hiking and enjoying the falls and it was lovely. On the way back, we had some delicious grilled bananas and coconut water for breakfast and we were on our way back to Malabuyoc. I feel like we could’ve done a lot more in the area but when your body tells you to slow down, you have to listen.

See you in our next adventure!

“To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.”

Bill Bryson

A quick ferry ride of 90+ minutes and we made our way to Siquijor from Bohol! This was the highlight of our trip so far. The island is small but don’t let that deter you from visiting! The sunsets here and the low tides make for stunning views and marine life. The moment we checked in our Airbnb, we grabbed a motorcycle and headed to explore the beach. We stopped for some snorkeling in Tubod Marine Sanctuary. You can rent snorkels and fins right at the spot. You walk in and you are immediately surrounded by corals and variety of fish. Due to the tide though, it was difficult to swim (too shallow) as we were trying not to step on any coral, bring water shoes always, there are rocks and sea urchins in the area as well. Overall, the experience was worth it! We would rate it around 7/10. Apo Island was still the highlight of our snorkeling with more fish and sea turtles.

One of the highlights of the trip were the falls – Kawasan was our favorite followed by Cambugahay. We had Kawasan to ourselves to enjoy. There was a small cave inside the falls and plenty of jumping spots! Kawasan was located just 10 minute ride from Cambugahay. We left right after it started getting crowded in Cambugahay – 11 am or so. We make sure to go early if we are visiting more tourist-popular destinations – as an early riser that is an easy and welcome task!

Things to do

Explore the falls! There are many around the island so make sure you dedicate enough time to visit at least 2.

Drive through the island – it is small enough and you get to see how the locals live. That way, we found many places away from the crowds-beautiful beaches and some delicious food.

Snorkel – Tubod Marine Sanctuary is the one we visited but there should be more in the area that are worth going to.

Sunsets – Find a good spot (Tubod Beach, Paliton Beach) and enjoy!

Walk around the shore during low tide, you will find that everything below you is alive. We had a lot of fun finding sea urchins, starfish, sea cucumbers and plenty of little crabs.

Food

Ok, you cannot judge me here, but our first meal on the island was pizza. I swear it is one of the easiest things to eat as a vegetarian here! The place was outstanding, authentic Italian, with Italian staff, and great hospitality. Highly recommend Dolce Amore Restaurant.

For dinner, we went to another vegetarian friendly restaurant that was delicious. We found a great place in San Juan, Luca Loko , with affordable prices and variety of meat-free options.

Most Filipino restaurants will offer majority grilled meat dishes but usually there are sides you can order that include only veggies. Some suggestions are eggplant stir fry, potatoes and chayote (a vegetable similar to cucumber & squash).

Best thing to eat here though is mango! Watermelon is a close second. Always fresh and the best-tasting fruits I have ever had anywhere!

That is a wrap Siquijor! We couldn’t have had a better time here. The island still does not have too many visitors but I anticipate that to change in the following years.

A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.

Oliver Wendell Holmes