The Visayas are at the heart of the Philippines archipelago and include some of its best islands and tourist spots. They are also within easy reach of other popular spots like Northern Mindanao and Puerto Galera.

Central to the Visayas transport hub is the international airport and the ferry terminal at Cebu City. This large city is the second of the Philippines and though there’s not much to keep tourists here (the resorts on Mactan island are the only beach experience but they are overpriced and fake and not worth it), the city does have its uses. There is good shopping and some nightlife, and it’s far more manageable than Manila.

The airport is a busy hub, with flights from all over the Pacific, making it a good alternative to Manila. You can fly directly here from Europe via Hong Kong, and then catch numerous short hop connection that go to Boracay and many other places in the Visayas. These flights are relatively inexpensive (except Cebu-Boracay for some reason), and are a practical time-saving means to get around. For example it takes 24 hours by connecting ferries to get to Siargao but 35 mins by plane.

There are also plenty of ferries to just about anyway in the islands, leaving several times a day or travelling overnight. For example it’s a 2.5 hour hop to Bohol, or 3 to Dumaguete, although the journey to Caticlan for Boracay takes ages since there are lots of islands to ‘go around’.

Islands of paradise

Welcome to Asia’s best selection of tropical islands, the Visayas group in the Philippines. Experience the mouthwatering travel possibilities these numerous islands offer, from world class diving to stunning beaches, luxury resorts, friendly Filipino hospitality and endless coconut palms. We have the best of the Visayas covered here.

Plan your travels and update yourself on travel in the Visayas with this blog from an expert resident of Boracay and the Philippines. We plan to soon upgrade this into a full tourist info site with more than 100 pages and plenty of stunning pictures on the Visayas. Let us reveal the best of these islands.

From popular Boracay, across Panay and Negros to Bohol and Cebu we have the popular places covered. And then there’s the out of the way gems in Southern Leyte, the West coast islands of Samar, even the Romblons and sweet little Siquijor. Discover the individual flavours and highlights of each island right here.