El Nido in Palawan is a vibrant base for reef scuba dives and day cruises. Photo: Jules Bss / Unsplash
El Nido in Palawan is a vibrant base for reef scuba dives and day cruises. Photo: Jules Bss / Unsplash
El Nido in Palawan is a vibrant base for reef scuba dives and day cruises. Photo: Jules Bss / Unsplash
El Nido in Palawan is a vibrant base for reef scuba dives and day cruises. Photo: Jules Bss / Unsplash

Island adventures in the Philippines: Exploring coastal treasures along Cebu and Palawan


  • English
  • Arabic

Attempting to swim gracefully when face-to-face with a feeding whale shark is no easy task – and the effort certainly etches into the memory.

It’s not long after dawn has begun colouring the horizon on the southern coast of Cebu when the ocean surface, and the composure of our fellow adventurers, is suddenly disrupted. The briny rock stars of this popular province in the Philippines have arrived, and we are asked to exit the boat, into the water.

Hungry yet passive whale sharks, and their daily dining ritual, is the primary reason most folk travel to Oslob on the southern tip of Cebu. And today, scores of tourists have risen before the sun for an experience that keeps both locals and the friendly constellation nourished.

Swimming with whale sharks in Oslob. Photo: Cameron Armstrong / Unsplash
Swimming with whale sharks in Oslob. Photo: Cameron Armstrong / Unsplash

We are swift to debate the exploitative nature of the set-up, but a chat with one of the operators establishes that these free-roaming creatures have prospered in number following human interaction. Certainly it is a popular and, at $10 per person, bankable gig – and the relationship symbiotic.

A whole industry thrives courtesy of it, from sales of whale shark fridge magnets and waterproof phone wallets, to local cafes plying yawning tourists with breakfast.

A much-touted trip to nearby Sumilon Island – a small 24-hectare coral island lauded for its snorkelling and diving – proves less thrilling and comparably expensive, especially if you pay $30 extra to access the resort there with its walks and caves.

We instead grab a sandy spot, from which to casually witness more visitors land, many giving extra pesos to snorkel to nearby coral. Perhaps the experience is different if you go beneath the big blue.

Our cheery driver Gomar. Photo: David Dunn
Our cheery driver Gomar. Photo: David Dunn

Having brought us from our hotel, cheery motor-tricycle owner Gomar identifies a diner for a tasty lunch of local sausages and rice before we head off to the gateway of Tumalog waterfall.

With a steep 3km climb to the public entrance of this natural wonder, we instead pay the equivalent of $1 for a speedy motorbike ride to the top. The same fee gets us into a forested area where a refreshing wade in Tumalog’s pools beckons beneath tumbling water.

An enclave of macaques also lures visitors to Oslob, where an omnipresent chorus of cockerels in the main town competes at weekends with impromptu karaoke sessions in homes and cafes. Sea-facing grounds beside the impressive Cuartel Ruins and Our Lady of Immaculate Conception church draw both visitors and local families.

From here, a four-hour drive on the main coastal road leads to the contrasting comfort of Dusit Thani Mactan Cebu – not without a stop at the famed Mama Mary of Lindogon shrine at the Monastery of the Holy Eucharist, popularly known as the Simala Shrine and a treasured pilgrimage for many Roman Catholics.

Simala is one of the Philippines's most famous religious shrines. Photo: David Dunn
Simala is one of the Philippines's most famous religious shrines. Photo: David Dunn

Nature’s architecture dominates the peninsula setting of the Dusit Thani, where a stranded cargo ship beside the luxury resort is a surreal reminder of the 2021 typhoon that battered Cebu, including the hotel’s showpiece lobby.

The restored bar there, a vast pool and the balcony of our comfortable deluxe seaview room, all deliver vantage points to Cebu’s main island across a broad channel dotted with fishing boats.

“An incredible infinity pool facing the ocean with sunset views, and a combination of Filipino and Thai hospitality,” is how this resort stands out, says general manager and former Dubai hotelier Michael Kempf.

Leisure guests typically stay four nights and include a mix of young couples, families and mature clients travelling with siblings, explains Kempf, and it’s easy to see how it would be easy to settle in for a longer stay.

Dusit Thani Mactan Cebu offers sea views. Photo: Dusit Hotels & Resorts
Dusit Thani Mactan Cebu offers sea views. Photo: Dusit Hotels & Resorts

However, a short flight from the nearby international airport has us in Palawan province for contrasting adventures.

Ninety minutes drive onwards and upwards from Puerto Princesa is the Atremaru Jungle Retreat, a small and pocket-friendly resort atop rich greenery, overlooking more epic coastline.

Generous chalets provide dreamy views, while calf-testing walks along tree-lined paths lead to a beach that is deserted, except for occasional fishermen. Guests can hire a motor scooter from the hotel to reach the area’s most famous and protected attraction – the Subterranean River National Park.

While heavy rain and churning waves enliven our boat approach to the cave entrance to board a smaller vessel, the downpour doesn’t distract from the drama of the vast and popular underground river complex – one of the world’s most impressive cave systems.

A minibus ride gets us north to El Nido, a Palawan coastal municipality famed for its lagoons, rocky islets and glassy waters. The main town here buzzes with boutiques, music-filled bars and a mix of cheap eats and high-end dining, plus a street market that is ideal to pick up souvenirs.

El Nido is famed for its lagoons, rocky islets and glass-like waters. Photo: David Dunn
El Nido is famed for its lagoons, rocky islets and glass-like waters. Photo: David Dunn

El Nido is also a vibrant base for reef scuba dives and day cruises on adapted Bangka fishing boats into Bacuit archipelago.

The distinctive oceanic landscape is populated with jagged islands, some such as Shimizu and Miniloc yielding discreet bays or lagoons on closer inspection.

While these trips can be tranquil or rowdy, depending on the passenger mix that day, the scenery trumps everything, easily matching Vietnam’s Halong Bay for awe and the palm-fringed beaches of Thailand’s Krabi province for natural beauty. Boat crews are canny at getting us to spend more, yet amiable as they proudly discuss their homeland over delicious lunches of grilled fish and fresh salads.

Back in El Nido, we end the day sharing iPhone snaps with new boat friends over classic Pinoy dishes at a bargain beachfront restaurant, where there are no rules about dining without shoes.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
PSA DUBAI WORLD SERIES FINALS LINE-UP

Men’s: 
Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY)
Ali Farag (EGY)
Simon Rosner (GER)
Tarek Momen (EGY)
Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL)
Gregory Gaultier (FRA)
Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
Nick Matthew (ENG)

Women's: 
Nour El Sherbini (EGY)
Raneem El Welily (EGY)
Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
Laura Massaro (ENG)
Joelle King (NZE)
Camille Serme (FRA)
Nouran Gohar (EGY)
Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ant-Man%20and%20the%20Wasp%3A%20Quantumania
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPeyton%20Reed%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Paul%20Rudd%2C%20Evangeline%20Lilly%2C%20Jonathan%20Majors%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Top tips to avoid cyber fraud

Microsoft’s ‘hacker-in-chief’ David Weston, creator of the tech company’s Windows Red Team, advises simple steps to help people avoid falling victim to cyber fraud:

1. Always get the latest operating system on your smartphone or desktop, as it will have the latest innovations. An outdated OS can erode away all investments made in securing your device or system.

2. After installing the latest OS version, keep it patched; this means repairing system vulnerabilities which are discovered after the infrastructure components are released in the market. The vast majority of attacks are based on out of date components – there are missing patches.

3. Multi-factor authentication is required. Move away from passwords as fast as possible, particularly for anything financial. Cybercriminals are targeting money through compromising the users’ identity – his username and password. So, get on the next level of security using fingertips or facial recognition.

4. Move your personal as well as professional data to the cloud, which has advanced threat detection mechanisms and analytics to spot any attempt. Even if you are hit by some ransomware, the chances of restoring the stolen data are higher because everything is backed up.

5. Make the right hardware selection and always refresh it. We are in a time where a number of security improvement processes are reliant on new processors and chip sets that come with embedded security features. Buy a new personal computer with a trusted computing module that has fingerprint or biometric cameras as additional measures of protection.

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Haltia.ai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202023%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECo-founders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Arto%20Bendiken%20and%20Talal%20Thabet%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20AI%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2041%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20About%20%241.7%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Self%2C%20family%20and%20friends%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage

Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid 

Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani

Rating: 4/5

BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES

Friday Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin (11.30pm)

Saturday Freiburg v Borussia Monchengladbach, Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Dortmund, Cologne v Wolfsburg, Arminia Bielefeld v Mainz (6.30pm) Bayern Munich v RB Leipzig (9.30pm)

Sunday Werder Bremen v Stuttgart (6.30pm), Schalke v Bayer Leverkusen (9pm)

Monday Hoffenheim v Augsburg (11.30pm)

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home. 

Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021

Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.

The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.

These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.

“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.

“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.

“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.

“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”

Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.

There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.

“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.

“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.

“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”

Scoreline

Germany 2

Werner 9', Sane 19'

Netherlands 2

Promes 85', Van Dijk 90'

Meghan%20podcast
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Diriyah%20project%20at%20a%20glance
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Need to know

When: October 17 until November 10

Cost: Entry is free but some events require prior registration

Where: Various locations including National Theatre (Abu Dhabi), Abu Dhabi Cultural Center, Zayed University Promenade, Beach Rotana (Abu Dhabi), Vox Cinemas at Yas Mall, Sharjah Youth Center

What: The Korea Festival will feature art exhibitions, a B-boy dance show, a mini K-pop concert, traditional dance and music performances, food tastings, a beauty seminar, and more.

For more information: www.koreafestivaluae.com

GOLF’S RAHMBO

- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)

RESULTS
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Forced%20Deportations
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Violence%20
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GOODBYE%20JULIA
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Company%20profile
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THE BIO

Ms Al Ameri likes the variety of her job, and the daily environmental challenges she is presented with.

Regular contact with wildlife is the most appealing part of her role at the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi.

She loves to explore new destinations and lives by her motto of being a voice in the world, and not an echo.

She is the youngest of three children, and has a brother and sister.

Her favourite book, Moby Dick by Herman Melville helped inspire her towards a career exploring  the natural world.

FULL%20FIGHT%20CARD
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The biog

Name: Abeer Al Shahi

Emirate: Sharjah – Khor Fakkan

Education: Master’s degree in special education, preparing for a PhD in philosophy.

Favourite activities: Bungee jumping

Favourite quote: “My people and I will not settle for anything less than first place” – Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.

Company%20Profile
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How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
  1. Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
  2. Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
  3. Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
  4. Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
  5. Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
  6. The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
  7. Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269

*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year

Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

Available: Now

MADAME%20WEB
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20S.J.%20Clarkson%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Dakota%20Johnson%2C%20Tahar%20Rahim%2C%20Sydney%20Sweeney%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin

Director: Shawn Levy

Rating: 3/5

Apple%20Mac%20through%20the%20years
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What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed 

UFC%20FIGHT%20NIGHT%3A%20SAUDI%20ARABIA%20RESULTS
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Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances

All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.

Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.

Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.

Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.

Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.

Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.

Updated: July 20, 2023, 1:27 PM`