Becky is an avid rock climber and outdoor enthusiast and is now living in France as an expat. When she is not writing about travel gear and various destinations she has visited during her travels, you can find her playing with her two dogs.
By now you can guess that the Philippines is one of our favourite places. We’ve given you more than enough reasons to come here from extensive travel guides on how to travel around, where to go and the best places to eat and stay. We’ve even just showed you stunning pictures of our favourite spots to get your wanderlust juices flowing! So whilst we don’t need to give you anymore reasons to visit (warning much more will be coming your way), we thought we’d give you an insight into the adventurous side of the Philippines just so you don’t miss out.
Scuba Diving Through WWII Shipwrecks in Coron Palawan
Not only is Coron, Palawan, the perfect diving location it also offers something completely unique – wreck diving! Although scuba diving itself is an exhilarating experience, swimming through small holes into the darkness of a WWII ship with just your torch adds an even higher level of anticipation of what you might find. In short, exploring all the nooks and caverns of abandoned war ships is a very surreal and unbelievably cool experience that you just have to see for yourself. Warning – you will be entering pitch black spaces so expect to disturb some fish and wet your pants (true story). If swimming through small spaces isn’t your thing, you can also check out the sharks in Malapascua, Cebu which is another adventure in it’s own!
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Both of these activities can be found at the Crown Regency Hotel & Towers. On the 38th floor you’ll find the Edge Coaster which is literally what you think it is, a ride that goes around the edge of the hotel giving you 360 views of Cebu city. For the more daring is the Sky Walk Extreme. Strapped to a safety harness on top of the building (126 meters high!), you can walk on the translucent glass edge of the building for a complete birds-eye view with a healthy dose of fear thrown in for good measure.
Mud Karting in X-treme Sports Philippines
Okay, so this just looks like good fun. Combining speed with crazy driving and a whole lot a mud is my kind of activity. Maybe not the most adrenaline fueled day out but who wouldn’t want to strap themselves into a zippy little mud kart and race around an obstacle track? If this sounds like your kind of adventure too, Puerto Galera is where you need to go.
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Originating from the local word ‘Ligid’ which translates ‘to use the wheel,’ the sport of Ligiron is racing downhill on a hand-made scooter-like vehicle. The extreme part of the sport comes from the fact that you are hurtling downhill with no helmet, crash pads and sometimes breaks, on a vehicle made from bamboo, mahogany or any other type of hardwood. This to me sounds absolutely crazy but what is fun without the sense of imminent injury? As the Philippines is the only country to have this kind of extreme sport, if you want to try it head to the island of Negros, or the mountainous areas of Cebu, Bohol and Luzon.
Trekking the Highest Peak in Luzon, Mt Pulag
One of the most popular mountain hikes for outdoor enthusiasts in the Philippines, this challenging climb will really test your physical ability as you hike Mt.Pulag while battling the freezing cold and windy weather along the way. With three trails to choose from all varying in difficulty, you can opt for the ‘easier’ routes Ambangeg and Akiki, a combination of both, or the hardcore Vizcaya trail for the experts. The highlight, and most taxing part of the trail, is the end climb to the summit in the early hours of the morning with just a headlamp to guide your way. After you’ve battled your way along the bitterly cold and pitch black path to reach the peak, you’ll be rewarded with a breathtaking sunrise and the famed sea of clouds (if not too windy) making all that effort worth it. For accommodations close to this activity, check out: Travel Ticker.
The Extreme Adventure Tour (E.A.T) Danao Park in Bohol is an adventure playground for all the thrill seekers out there who want to satisfy their inner child. This sustainable ecotourism park offers all kinds of adventure from trekking, kayaking, caving, rock climbing and rappelling, with the main feature being “The Plunge!” Sounds ominous right? Perched on the edge of a 200 meter high gorge is a pretty thrilling canyon swing, where you will find yourself free-falling before swinging into the 300 meter wide gorge. As always, the anticipation is what gives this activity the fear factor. Although at the end of the day you are falling into a canyon either sitting or hanging upside from your feet so it is quite terrifying in itself. Our tip? Just go for it. You won’t regret it!
Sabang X Zipline
Zip lining is a great way to get a quick adrenaline rush and unique views of islands that you might not ge to see anywhere else. In Puerto Princesa, Palawan, there is an 800 meter long zip-line, 150 meters over the sea. From here, you can get amazing views of the island, the beach, as well as the never-ending water. Although a cool mini-adventure on its own, this activity is often paired with the Underground River Tour which involves a motorized boat ride, a winding jungle boardwalk and a cave boat tour down the longest navigable underground river in the world.
Bikes are good fun in themselves whether mountain biking, motorbiking or even just cycling recreationally. So who would say no to bicycling in the sky? Riding a bike along a cable suspended 60 feet high may not be a thrill seekers dream but it sounds like good fun. If you’re close to Eden Nature Park in Davao or Talisay City, then this might be something to check out when you have free time.
So there we go, a mix of fun and some slightly crazy adventures to be had if you’re in the Philippines or planning to go there now! Just make sure to check, wherever you are, if there are also local adventures around the area as sometimes they have their own sports like Ligiron that you can join in on!
Wakeboarding in Camsur Watersports Complex
Balancing on a wake board and trying not to fall and face plant is a challenge in itself. What makes it more of an adventure? Taking on a huge obstacle course and living to tell the tale! Whether an amateur or pro wakeboarder, you can have a full day here falling and getting back up again and improving your riding skills. Although there are cable parks closer to Manila, Camsur is a popular adventure haven for anyone looking to spend a few days having fun and taking on the course. For more conveniently located parks, you can check out the one in Nuvali, just a couple of hours drive from the city.
This had to make the top list of adventures as Ariel’s Point is one of the top cliff diving destinations in the world! We made a stop here whilst island hopping in Boracay and it was my favorite activity of the day. Unlike Tom who went straight for the 10 meter jump, I had to work myself up to it first by jumping from the 4 and 8 meter boards. Even at the 10 meter jump, I was biding my time. Whatever way you have to do it, when people are cheering for you to jump and you leap into nothing free falling for what seems a lot longer than a second, its a pretty cool feeling when you surface from the water with your heart still racing.
Looking to take your Philippine adventure to the next level? How does sailing around some of the most beautiful waters in the Philippines on a local sailboat sound to you? Did I mention you will be competing with other teams, completing Amazing Race style challenges? Check out the Philippines Sailing Challenge by Large Minority and find out why it’s our top pick for adventures in the Philippines!
Planning on traveling around the Philippines? Check out our guides on the best places to stay and our top picks from each place
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