Philippines travel guide

Filipinos are naturally very superstitious people. People from all classes and walks of life will happily tell you about the various different goblins and flying demons they have seen and believe in. This is perhaps why the practice of psychic surgery has become so popular. During an "operation", the psychic surgeon's finger penetrates the patient's skin and extracts bad energy that is making them ill, materialised into some sort of bloody lump. It leaves a bit of blood but no scars. No matter how much you bend over and get up close while watching an operation, it really does appear that the surgeon's finger is inside the patient. However, a couple of documentaries have proved that the psychic surgeons they followed were just scammers. There are plenty more of these people out there though and one thing is for sure: the man who performed the "operation" pictured was working for free in a church in a poor area of Manila, "operating" on patients because of his and their belief that it would help them.

Sabang is where the underground river is, however most visitors just come here on a day tour from Puerto Princesa or even from El Nido. But Sabang is a destination of its own with a long palm-fringed beach with a variaty of accmmodation. There is a waterfall flowing straight into the sea, a short hike away, and more activities are on offer. During the day, it can be a hectic place with endless rows of minibuses, but it's lovely tranquil in the morning and evening.

It's a beautiful 2.2 km (oneway) coastal walk from the pier in Sabang to the waterfall. First, you pass the fishermen houses, but soon the stone trail snakes along the wild rocky shore. The waterfall is not particularly high (about 15 m in total), but there are several natural pools. The bottom basin has been enforced with concrete to create an infinity pool with refreshingly cold fresh water right next to the crashing waves of the sea. There is an entrance fee.

33% of Sibuyan's surface is covered in virgin rainforest which spills in luscious green waves over the slopes of mountains rising up to and above 2,000 m. There are hundreds of endemic species including birds, reptiles, mammals and more constantly being discovered. People called the Sibuyan Mangyan Tagabukid also live in the interior. As in many parts of the rural Philippines, they have preserved a strong belief in the powers of the babaylan, or medicine man, such as the one pictured to the right performing a ritual. Tourist infrastructure on the island is limited and finding a guide to interior villages or to the Guiting-Guiting National Park for wildlife watching is difficult. There is at least one guest house in each of the main coastal towns such as Magdiwang, so start by asking there. Otherwise, just come to enjoy Sibuyan's relaxed provincial atmosphere, friendly locals and beaches that are wonderful, weather permitting. Storms here are regular and heavy, often causing passenger ships to be cancelled.

You will probably see plenty of pictures of Snake Island, when looking for island tours. Snake Island is named after a natural sandbar, which snakes between two island. It's truly as spectacular in real, as it's in the pictures. There is also a viewpoint a short hike up. The primitive bar is popular no matter what time of the day. As Snake Island is used as lunch spot, it can get crowded.

The waters off Donsol are where you have one of the best chances to swim alongside the largest fish in the sea. Known locally as Butanding, whale sharks converge here in phenomenally large numbers from October till June. With a little bit of luck, you might even see up to 15 whale sharks in a day! These gentle giants can measure up to 12 m, but are surprisingly friendly and calm, often interacting with the snorkelers they encounter. Touching the whale sharks is a strict "no" though, as it removes the protective layer of mucus preventing infection. You're not allowed to dive to limit the human interference but beware of lethal snorkelers indiscriminately kicking as though their lives depend on seeing the large pelagic. If jumping from a moving boat and swimming after a whale shark isn't your thing, Donsol offers a variety of other activities like firefly watching, kayaking and scuba diving with manta rays.

This extraordinary underground river is part of a 25 km long cave system, whereof 8.2 km is a river. To add to its uniqueness, the river also outflows directly into the sea. You can only visit on a tour and those will "only" venture 3 km into the river. But it's truly spectacular to be paddled through the darkness with only the boatman's headlamp to point out rock formations, stalactites, stalagmites and bat colonies. The Underground River, which official name is Puerto Princesa Subterranean River, is not just an UNESCO World Heritage Site, but was also voted as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. The tours are well organised, but by doing it from Sabang, and not Puerto Princesa or El Nido, you can be one of the first in the cave.