1) The sole sisters from Glamourpacker to poorpacker event in Manila which is encouraging more filipinos to travel their country and overseas.  Here we were representatives for SEA Backpacker magazine and talked about encouraging more backpackers to the Philippines.

2) Our first annual board meeting will be held in Tagbilaran this weekend and will be great to talk about direction, vision and mission for the company.  Our board consists of two New Zealanders and three Filipinos and it will be an exciting planning time for the company.

3) We are excited about the prospects of other ventures around Bohol, all based on helping small Philippines communities further their lives.  So stay tuned!

Among other things the new international airport to be built on Panglao Island featured highly.  Access being one of the key hesitations of current tourists.  It is definitely fair to say that the flight from Manila, or the ferry ride from Cebu is worth the effort!  Bohol is the best of the Philippines, friendly people, superb beaches, and fantastic interior.

The island of Bohol also marks the start of our very own Flip Flop Tour which you can find out more about atwww.flipfloptours.com.  The aim of the tour is to encourage people to see the Philippines in a way that benefits the locals, and also gives you an authentic experience.  The highlight of the Philippines is the people, and the beaches! The tour really highlights this!

1) How to smile

At the moment I am working as a Kiva fellow with the field partner organisation Community Economic Ventures (CEVI), based in Bohol, Philippines. Here there are some of the most fantastic smiles I have ever seen. It’s the real face lit up, all teeth accounted for, glowing beam that can spread far and wide.

Lesson: Plain and simple – Smile! Remember to smile as much as possible because everyone knows that smiles are contagious!

2) How to laugh

Another one of those contagiously good qualities – people in the Philippines can’t help but laugh. I’ve worked in 5 different offices over here with one thing in common, LAUGHTER. It is very easy to become disillusioned into thinking that your jokes are getting funnier, but in actual fact it’s just that the audience is ever so partial to good ole chuckle from deep in the belly.

Lesson: Laugh! Don’t take life too seriously. Do what makes you laugh.

3) Short men can jump

For a country where the average height for males is 5’4’’, basketball is an ambitious national sport. However, this doesn’t stop the Filipinos who are surprisingly talented players, despite their height. While hard to compete at NBA level (average height is 6’7) they sure do give it their best shot and are highly competitive in the Asian leagues.

Lesson: Prove people wrong. If you are apparently too short, too fat, too tall, too thin, not intelligent enough, then prove people wrong.

4) How to sing

Ok so if basketball is the national sport then singing has to be the national pass-time. It’s a break-through – you can do this anywhere and everywhere! Videoke rooms, the office, walking down the street, in a restaurant, wherever!

Lesson: Don’t restrict yourself to just the shower, Sing! “Sing like no one is listening. Dance like no one is watching. Love like you’ve never been hurt and live like it’s heaven on Earth” – Mark Twain

5) How to pack your ride

The average Philippines motorcycle leaves the car pooling lane for dead. If you want a more eco-friendly mode of transport then put your wife and three kids on a bike and Voila! If you’re not a bikey from way back then just grab a van or a jeep and take your entire neighbourhood to town.

Lesson: Ok so let’s try something a bit more realistic and pack our cars with as many people as there are seatbelts or take public transport. If you’re travelling solo opt for a scooter!

6) How to pimp your ride

Lesson: One of the main things about vehicles in the Philippines, in fact any object in the Philippines is that there are no COLOUR barriers. C’mon people you’ve got a whole rainbow to work with. Let’s put away the blacks, greys, whites and bring out the yellows, reds, lime greens, whatever. Let’s try to get away from the black suit, white shirt, tie phenomenon unless that’s really you?

7) How to eat rice

How to live, breathe, eat, sleep, everything rice. How to grow rice. Unlimited rice, rice with garlic, sticky rice, rice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, RICE. Okay I think you get the picture. Unfortunately the Philippines is currently experiencing shortages in rice supplies and has to import a lot of rice from neighbouring South East Asian countries.

Lesson: In order to support the Philippines in achieving agricultural sustainability choose an agricultural loan from CEVI going to one of its rice growing clients. Help them produce enough rice to feed the nation and reduce their imports. Let’s apply this model to the rest of the world; choose local produce, try to harvest something on your own, get more in touch with nature. It feels good.

How to grow tropical islands

They just seem to pop up everywhere! The Philippines boasts over 7000 tropical islands; big islands, small islands, enchanted islands, tropical islands. You name it, the Philippines has it.

Lesson: I would 100% recommend embarking on a journey to this fine country, if you are fortunate enough to be able to travel. And when you get here make sure you put money into the local economy not just chain shops and big name resorts. In fact do this wherever you travel. If you want any recommendations on some spectacular destinations within the Philippines contact me through my lender page.

9) How to let people in – accommodate, and share

Filipinos are renowned for their ability to accommodate; even complete strangers will be welcomed with the utmost respect.

Lesson: Let’s build communities not gates. If you have a fruit tree overflowing take some to your neighbours, work mates, friends at school. Couch Surf. Open yourself up to the world and connections with your neighbours in a global and personal sense.

10) How to appreciate

One of the themes which is a big part of everyday life in the Philippines is the art of thanksgiving. They are constantly thankful for what they have. It is a philosophy which will get you through any situation in life and ensures that the positives are highlighted.

Lesson: When you wake up in the morning think of at least one thing you are thankful for before you start the day. Cliche as it may be, if you start each day with a few Filipino philosophies; appreciating, accommodating, laughing, smiling, and singing then it’s much more likely that you’ll have a good one!

Let’s focus on the good news not the bad news. Let’s move forward as a positive, unified, sharing, society based on the true human values of love and compassion.

You can check out this blog and more on the Kiva Fellows blog site

“ An American businessman took a vacation to a small coastal Mexican village on doctor’s orders. Unable to sleep after an urgent phone call from the office on the first morning, he walked out to the pier to clear his head. A small boat with just one fisherman had docked, and inside was several large yellow fin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish.

“How long did it take you to catch them?” The American asked.

“Only a little while” the Mexican replied in surprisingly good english

“Why don’t you stay out longer and catch more fish?” the American then asked.

“I have enough to support my family and give few to friends” the Mexican said as he unloaded them into a basket.

“But .. What do you do with the rest of your time?” The Mexican looked up and smiled.
“I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take a siesta with my wife Julia, and stoll into the village in the evening, where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full life senor.”

The American laughed and stood tall.
“Sir I’m a Harvard MBA and can help you. You should spend more time fishing and with bigger proceeds, buy a bigger boat. In no time, you could buy several boats with the increased haul. Eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats”

He continued “Instead of selling your catch to a middleman, you would sell directly to the consumers, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product processing, and distribution. You would need to leave this small fishing village of course and move to Mexico City, then to LA, and eventually New York City, where you could run your expanding enterprise with proper management.”

The Mexican fisherman asked “But Senor, how long will this take?”

To which the American replied “15-20 years, 25 tops”

“But what then, Senor?”

“The American laughed and said, “That’s the best part. When the time is right, you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich. You would make millions”

“Millions Senor? Then what?”

“Then you would retire and move to a small coastal fishing village, where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take a siesta with your wife, and stoll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play guitar with your amigos”

____________________________________________________________________

If you want to experience the simple life for a while then why not come on our Philippines tour and live in the shoes of a Filipino for a while? Find out more at www.flipfloptours.com.

Between the team we have traveled to;

Luzon

Manila, Banaue, Potipot Island, Legaspi, Donsol, Subic Bay, Lake Caliraya

Visayas

Bohol, Panglao Island, Siquijor, Cebu, Malapascua Island, Bantayan Island, Panay, Bacolod, Guimaras Island

Mindanao

Davao, Siargao, Camiguin Island

Palawan

Coron, El Nido, Puerto Princessa

We also have contacts who can advise on any other areas that you might like to go to.

So what does Flip Flop (Philippines tours) stand for?  Well we believe in fun and laid back travel that makes a difference to the local community along the way! Read on!

MISSION To provide travelers with a true “live in the shoes of a Filipino” experience complimented with beach relax time.  For them to have an experience that they grow from, and take something of the Philippines back to their own countries.  To provide locals with income from tourism which will in turn support various community projects selected by that community.  To share this beautiful country with people lucky enough to come with us!

The Past

• In 2008 a Kiwi by the name Anna Cleal was transferred to the Philippines for work in Davao, Mindanao and was involved in water related projects in an area south of the city.  Despite never having heard much about the Philippines Anna immediately fell in love with the place – the culture, the people, the beaches, everything!
• In 2009 Anna stopped her engineering work and decided to volunteer with an organization called Kiva who are focused on microfinance in developing countries.
• In early 2010 she was sent to the island of Bohol (Philippines) and partnered with an organization Community Economic Ventures, INC, meeting lots of great people from the region.
• This experience, combined with the thought that the Philippines has a lot to teach/show the world, provided the inspiration behind the recently released Philippines tour company FLIP FLOP!

The Present

• The Philosophy behind Flip Flop Tours, Inc is to provide meaningful Philippines tours where you can really soak up the way of life of Filipinos.  We believe that their positive attitude and friendly optimism is worth sharing with the world and this is what really makes the country unique compared to its asian counterparts.  So don’t just come to the Philippines and bounce around beach resorts.  While the beaches, diving, snorkeling and underwater life are amazing there is so much more to the country than this.
• At Flip Flop we believe that there are some things you can see in any country, and some things that are especially unique to that country.  We aim to showcase what is UNIQUE about the Philippines, that we don’t believe you will have experienced in any other country, in asia, or ANYWHERE.  This is why we try not to sight see, but we experience.
• We have created a 12 day tour extravaganza with the above intention.  We believe that the tour will be enlightening, surprising, fun, laid back but meaningful!
• We aim to help those coming on the tour,above we also aim to help those who are planning independent travel in the Philippines.  While we have set up the tour so that most things are hard to experience without us, for example;  fishing with our local friends, basketball games, staying in small communities, cooking lessons, learning how to climb for coconuts, we can still advise you on how to plan your itinerary.  We are trying to encourage more travelers to try the Philippines so if we can help you out in any way then please get in touch.  We have traveled extensively in the Philippines and know the area very well!!
• We believe that we understand the group of travelers that really want a meaningful experience.  So if this is you we strongly encourage you to come with us.

The Future

• For now we have decided to focus our efforts in the Visayan region of the Philippines with our 12 day introductory tour.  Further down the track we see ourselves expanding to other areas, with the ability to help more communities.  We really believe in this country and feel passionate about encouraging more people to come here and spend their money helping out small Philippines communities.
• Our model is simple in that as soon as we have fully funded the chosen project for our communities we will move on from that community.  We don’t want them to become dependent on our tourism dollars, nor do we want the experiences of the traveler to be diminished.  We aim to work on projects where the community learns a skill, which they can use long after we have departed.

We are so EXCITED about the prospect of showing you around.  There are a few ways to get in touch with us.  For tour bookings please refer to the “Bookings and Contact” form on our website www.flipfloptours.com, or email our director at anna@flipfloptours.com if you want more information.  Our skype address is flipfloptours.  Feel free to arrange a time to skype with us, we are very willing to help you out planning your Philippines trip!  Travel is an amazing way to change your perspective on life! Don’t miss out!

Where to Stay

One of the most popular beaches is Sandugan, however to be fair there are resorts dotted around the coast and if you really want to relax you can probably find a few gems tucked in nooks and crannies around the island.

Things to do

*If you do want to see more of the Siquijor charm then arrive on Good Friday when healers from the Visayas and Mindanao gather to share herbal potions!

*The coastal road is a mere 70km long so makes for an easy day explore.  Hire a motorbike from your resort, or if you’re feeling extra energetic a motorbike.  Go down some back roads, head towards the coast and you’ll inevitably find some amazing little beaches and coves!

*Dive – you can even do day trips to arguably one of the best Philippines dive spots Apo Island.

* Climb Mt Bandilaan in the center of the island.

Getting there

The best way to get to Siquijor is by ferry from Dumagette or Bohol via Dumagette.  The total trip from Bohol takes around 3 hours.

Where to next

*Onwards to Apo Island, Dumagette and your bouncing point for some more exploration of Cebu island.

*Catch a ferry to Bohol – if you like you can actually catch a banca from Siquijor to Bohol’s famous Alona beach.

Note this article was written for South East Asian backpacker magazine website which you can check out here.

Siargao probably would have taken a lot longer to be discovered had it not been for the epic surf breaks that dot the coastline.  The most famous is Cloud 9 and not to be treated lightly.  From October until April this barreling wave will both delight and punish.  There’s a good crowd of locals to give you the lie of the land, and it is a friendly environment for meeting peeps and catching waves.  Even if you are a beginner you can find surf at most times of the year.  In the off season from May til July the break next to Cloud 9 (called Quicksilver) can have the right sized swell for learning.  The coral reefs complicate things a little bit but if you go at the right tide, with a local teacher then you shouldn’t go wrong.  If there’s not enough surfing to be done on the mainland then a banca boat will take you to some “secret” spots, or if it’s just a beach you’re after there are plenty around!! April til July is also the best time to go fishing and the locals love taking people out to try to grab a Marlin.  Basically surfer or beach bum you won’t regret making the trip down south to Siargao.

Where to Stay

A number of international surf style resorts have been set up near the cloud 9 break.  Ocean 101 has good food and “surfers favourtie” rooms for 750Php/night.  Its owned by an Aussie who spends half of his time in the Philippines and half of his time near Byron Bay – not a bad life.

You can stay in the main town of General Luna although it will be a bit of a walk or a bike to get to the main surf breaks.  Pacifico beach north of cloud 9 is developing as a resort spot with a break out from the beach.  Cloud 9 definitely isn’t the only place to stay but it is very convenient if you want to surf and find other travelers.

Things to do

*Surf – plenty of it! Peak season September – April with big surfing comps being held at the beginning of the season.  In the off season the waves drop but are still fun and consistent.

*Fish – hire a banca boat, a local, and a couple of fishing rods and head out to catch a big one!  When you’ve brought in your catch either cook it on a tropical island beach and feel like a sweet hunter gather, or take it back to the resort to cook it for you.

*Idle with a mask and snorkel – Instructions: Book, beach, book, beach, swim, snorkeling, beach, book. Good?

*Bike tour – Siargao is big enough to make exploring on a motorbike fun. There’s heaps of interesting beaches away from the crowded spots.  Not recommended after rain as the roads can get pretty boggy!

How to get there

Working backwards, from Siargao, it is a 3 hour boat ride to Surigao city, you can fly from here til Manila, or Cebu, or bus to Cagayan de Oro (6 hours).  Alternatively there are overnight ferries transferring people from Surigao to Cebu, or Cagayan de Oro to Bohol.  If that all sounds too difficult there are flights on Fridays to Siargao, and on Mondays from Siargao island to Cebu then Manila.

Where to go next?

*Cagayan de Oro tagged “the goldern friendship city” – if you’re in need of a bit of city time after being on island time for too long then take a 6 hour bus ride to CDO from Surigao city.

*Camiguin – Once you’re done with CDO Camiguin island famous for its beaches, volcanoes and springs is the logical next step.  Just a 2 hour boat trip from CDO on fast ferry.

*Cebu – You can take a boat with Cokaliong Shipping Lines overnight and be back in Cebu the next day.

Note this article was written for South East Asian backpacker magazine website which you can check out here.