Leyte

Day Trips

You arrive in Tacloban de Leyte under a gentle sea breeze and transfer to your beachfront hotel to unpack. The hotel staff offers you a refreshing calamansi juice as you admire the Pacific horizon. A short walk leads you to the bustling city center to feel the pulse of local life.

Head to the MacArthur Landing Memorial Park to relive history where General MacArthur returned in 1944. Stroll along the shore and read the museum exhibits that chronicle the Leyte Gulf landing. Pause at Leyte Provincial Capitol to photograph its grand dome and surrounding gardens.

Climb Kanhuraw Hill for a panoramic sunset overlooking Tacloban Bay and the silhouetted mountains beyond. Return to downtown and dine at a seaside grill serving fresh seafood and chicken inasal. End the night with a mango shake and a stroll along the baywalk under the stars.

Rise early to catch the golden sunrise illuminating the arches of the San Juanico Bridge. Walk or bike across the longest bridge in the Philippines as fishermen ready their nets below. Stop at a quiet fishing village to share morning greetings with locals and savor hot barako coffee.

Return to Tacloban and visit nearby Capoocan for a farm-to-table lunch featuring roast chicken and fresh vegetables. Wander through rice paddies where farmers are transplanting seedlings and glimpse their daily routines. Visit a local handicraft cooperative to see bamboo weaving traditions upheld by village elders.

Head back to Tacloban City and enjoy dinner at a sidewalk eatery offering kinilaw and grilled pusit under twinkling lanterns. Listen to live acoustic music as you sample the region’s signature sweet turon. End the day with a stroll along the bay, where lamps reflect off gentle waves.

After breakfast, drive inland to Lake Danao National Park nestled within twin volcanoes. Hike a short trail through urgent rainforest and feel the mist rising off the water. Board a wooden banca to glide over the emerald lake waters and spot kingfishers and monitor lizards basking on shoreline logs.

Enjoy a picnic of fresh fish cakes and local mangoes on the gazebo overlooking the lake. Try kayaking across the mirror-like surface as clouds drift by overhead. Challenge yourself on the park’s canopy zipline for a bird’s-eye view of the majestic crater lake.

Set up camp near the pine grove as the forest canopy transitions to night sounds. Cook grilled corn and exchange stories around a campfire under the Milky Way. Listen to nocturnal creatures chorusing and drift off to the gentle lapping of lake waves.

Depart early for Ormoc City and head straight to Can-umantad Falls, where you trek along streams flanked by lush ferns. Enjoy a cold dip beneath its cascading tiers and feel the mist on your skin. Capture photographs of rainbows forming in the misty spray.

Stop at Tongonan Geothermal Plant viewpoint to marvel at steam vents rising from the earth’s crust. Sample a buko salad at a roadside stand before heading to Puntan Beach for a late-afternoon swim. Lounge on sable sands and watch fishermen sail home in vibrant outriggers.

Dine at a local carenderia serving laing and tinolang manok to sample Eastern Visayas specialties. Savor freshly made turon from a street vendor for dessert. End the evening strolling along the Ormoc Bay promenade as fireflies flicker overhead.

Embark at dawn on a traditional banca from Palompon and cross sparkling turquoise waters toward the slender sandbar of Kalanggaman Island. Feel the sea breeze as the sun climbs above the horizon and light dances on the waves. Step onto the powdery white sand and set your towel beneath swaying coconut palms.

Snorkel amid vibrant coral gardens teeming with parrotfish and clownfish. Enjoy a beach picnic of grilled seafood, coconut water, and fresh mango slices under a shaded palm grove. Lounge on the sandbar and watch schools of golden trevally dart through the shallows.

As afternoon light softens, return to Palompon and feast on a barbecue seafood spread whipped up by a local beachside cook. Reflect on the day’s adventures as you savor grilled prawns and squid. Head back to Leyte mainland with seashells in your pocket and a salt-kissed breeze in your hair.

Travel south to Baybay City and begin with a hearty breakfast of native rice cakes at a lakeside café. Then drive into the hills to reach Busay Falls and trek through bamboo groves echoing with birdsong. Cool off beneath cascading water as you lounge on moss-covered rocks.

Visit an abaca weaving cooperative to watch artisans transform plant fibers into intricate textiles. Enjoy a farm-to-table lunch at a homestead, sampling steamed root crops and fresh vegetables from the family garden. Drive back toward the coast and stop at Lunao Bay to admire its mangrove boardwalk.

Return to Baybay proper and dine at a local grill featuring fresh tuna belly and chicken inasal. Savor a refreshing halo-halo dessert as dusk paints the sky in pastel hues. Wander along the beachfront esplanade, listening to gentle waves against the seawall.

Depart early from Baybay for Padre Burgos port, arriving as dawn breaks between Guintagican Point. Board a motorized boat to visit all four islands—Himokilan, Digyo, Mahaba, and Apid—starting with pristine white sand beaches on Himokilan. Snorkel among groupers and parrotfish over living corals in crystal-clear shallows.

Enjoy a beachside picnic under coconut palms with grilled fish and rice while listening to waves lapping at the shore. Paddle a kayak around volcanic rock formations near Digyo Island, then hike Mahaba Island’s rolling hills for panoramic ocean views. Sip fresh fruit shakes as you rest on sun-warmed rocks overlooking Apid.

Return to Padre Burgos and sample freshly caught grilled squid at a rustic seaside stand. Watch fishermen mend nets under lantern light while chatting with local families. Choose to camp on the sands of one of the islands as the Milky Way appears overhead.

Catch a dawn boat ride to Limasawa Island, where Magellan held the first Catholic mass in the Philippines in 1521. Visit the replica chapel at Masao and read the historical markers among swaying palms. The coastal breeze carries whispered stories of explorers and sailors.

Snorkel along the island’s rocky shore to discover purple starfish and colorful reef fish among underwater gardens. Enjoy a picnic lunch of grilled tuna belly served with fresh lemon and coconut vinegar. Hike to the island’s northern viewpoint for a sweeping panorama of Sogod Bay.

As the sun lowers, join locals gathering at the beachside to share fresh coconut juice and sweet cassava cake. Watch bioluminescent plankton flicker near the shoreline as darkness falls. Drift to sleep in a hammock strung between two coconut trees with the waves lulling you.

Drive south to Maasin City and visit the 17th-century cathedral to admire its ornate façade. Stroll through the city plaza where elders play sungka and share local legends under century-old acacia trees. Grab a cup of traditional barako coffee from a street vendor.

Head to Lake Malagsom and board a small banca to tour its placid waters framed by verdant hills. Enjoy a lakeside lunch of grilled chicken inasal and rice wrapped in banana leaves. Participate in a pottery workshop where you shape clay into bowls while chatting with skilled artisans.

Return to town for an alfresco dinner at a bamboo hut restaurant overlooking Maasin Bay. Sample specialty dishes like linupan (smoked fish) paired with fresh coconut juice. Listen to a folkloric performance featuring traditional dances and songs under a star-lit sky.

Return to Tacloban and browse the stalls at the souvenir section of Robinsons Place for woven bags and shell jewelry. Enjoy a hearty breakfast of Tacloban empanadas at a popular local bakery. Chat with friendly vendors about their crafts and family traditions.

Visit Museo Sangyaw to view exhibits on Leyte’s wartime history, local art, and indigenous culture. Stop by the Tacloban City Public Market to taste kakanin and buy dried fish to take home. Head to the San Juanico Bridge viewpoint to relax on shaded benches as the afternoon heat softens.

As the sun sets, walk onto the bridge footpath for a final panoramic view of the strait bathed in golden light. Celebrate your journey with a farewell feast of lechon kawali and kinilaw at a waterfront restaurant. Raise a toast with fresh buko juice and reminisce about your immersive ten days in Leyte.