The airline kept changing my Philippines flights
The flights I’d booked kept moving around and one was cancelled altogether. By the time I left, my route looked different from the one I’d first planned.
2026 · 11 STORIES
Philippines 🇵🇭
Flights, ferry crossings, and days when I took my laptop to the beach.
Manila → Boracay → Puerto Princesa → Cebu → Malapascua
Start at the beginning. The stories are in the order they happened.
Landing in Manila in the pouring rain
The rain followed me from the airport. I took a bus, changed to the train and walked the last stretch to my hostel.
Walking around Manila in the rain
I borrowed an umbrella and walked around Manila in the rain, stopping for food and making my way to the cathedral for Sunday Mass.
My first day on Boracay
From Manila I flew to Caticlan and made my way to a hostel on Boracay. Once I’d found my bed, it was time to find something to eat.
Just too late for sunset in Boracay
I spent the day by the water and walked over to White Beach for sunset. A couple more minutes would have made all the difference.
Boracay to Palawan, changing planes in Cebu again
I went back to the beach before leaving Boracay. Getting to Palawan meant finding the right ferry pier and changing planes in Cebu.
A day in Puerto Princesa with nothing planned
I had a day in Puerto Princesa and very little planned. A walk, a nap under a tree and an evening waiting for the food stalls were enough.
A night out in Cebu
I flew back to Cebu late in the day. After dinner I kept walking instead of going to bed and came across a night market.
Stopping by a wedding in Cebu
I wandered around Cebu looking for lunch and milk tea, then stopped by a church and ended up watching a wedding.
Two days working remotely in Malapascua
A cancelled flight left me with two extra days of work in the Philippines. I spent them in Malapascua, where I could wade out from the beach and see starfish.
Finishing work in Malapascua before heading home
On my last day on the island, I left the hostel with my laptop, found a place to work by the water and went for one more swim before catching the ferry.