Cebu, Philippines Travel Video! GoPro underwater filming & tropical yoga classes.
Today’s a happy day… because our Philippines travel episode has been released!
Want to see me in tropical paradise, doing yoga with Filipino beauty queens? Then watch the 4-minute travel video above below and on Business Insider.
A huge round of applause to sáv Hospitality for teaming up with us, and making this travel film possible. The photos speak for themselves — we loved every moment at Pacific Cebu Resort.
PCR is not your typical resort. There are endless activities you can take part in, which let you learn something new and experience Filipino culture. Case in point…
… I took part in an outdoor yoga lesson, with the Miss Scuba Philippines beauty pageant contestants! What a memory: stretching beneath the palm trees, while listening to the sounds of the ocean.
Even during the more difficult poses, the ladies smiled and kept their poise.
Filmmaker Eric went scuba diving with the contestants. Again, it’s impressive how they can do pageant waves under water.
Pacific Cebu Resort has well-regarded scuba instructors (here’s more about the dive school).
Eric took the video and these photos with a GoPro camera — a tiny and affordable device that lets you film under water. We’re big fans of the Go Pro, since it’s easy to use and gets gorgeous shots like the school of fish above. If you’re going snorkeling or diving, take a look at these cameras.
On dry land, we shoot photos with the Sony alpha 7, a mirrorless camera (it’s full-frame quality, but half the size and weight of a regular DSLR).
And this travel video was filmed with a Canon 5D Mark II, known as one of the best DSLRs on the market.
We loved the philosophy of this hotel group, sáv. They participate in community programs that aim to build a better future.
The Miss Scuba Philippines contest, for example, raised awareness for marine conservation, safe diving practices and scuba tourism — while celebrating the inner beauty and courage of today’s young women
We listened to 2013 Miss Scuba first runner up, Christine Paula Love Bernasor, speak about the “Sea of Change” required to save marine life.
This one-of-a-kind pageant fits perfectly with sáv’s theme of well-being for the body, soul, and environment.
Even the food reflected the Filipino culture. At each meal, we could order local favorites like adobo chicken, lumpia and lechon. Above — I tried danggit, or crispy fish heads dipped in vinegar. They were great!
I also discovered a new favorite drink: calamansi (a tart citrus from Southeast Asia) with gin. Such a pleasure, to sip this cocktail while looking out at the beach.
Many resorts can get boring after a while… but not this one. Guests can get accredited in SCUBA right on location.
Cebu is diving paradise, with dozens of coral-rich reefs just off the islands.
Other activities: banana boats, sunset cruises, para-sailing…
You’ll recall that one of my favorite days of 2014 was this one — sailing around Lapu Lapu, and meeting the villagers.
The three above photos are by K of Bright Production in Hong Kong. The other images are by Melissa Rundle and Eric Bergemann.
And don’t forget the 24-hour spa service. The PCR staff can even send a masseuse to your room.
Travelers tend to overlook Cebu as a beach destination, but coming here opened my eyes. It’s not expensive to stay in the Philippines, and a roundtrip flight from Hong Kong is only around $200 US.
The islands aren’t overrun with tourists and chain restaurants. And I found the beaches, scuba and snorkel to be better here than in Phuket or Bali.
We can’t thank Pacific Cebu Resort enough for this beautiful experience. For more photos and stories, check out more of my Philippines travel stories.
And please watch our Cebu travel video here. Thanks for supporting my work!
Have you ever considered a yoga retreat? Did this series convince you to visit the Philippines?
SHARE & COMMENT
LA CARMINA
32 Comments
sugoi desu!
XD
looks like paradise!!!!!
looked and felt like it.
Great video, I am dying to visit this resort now <3 <3
me toooo
SWEET
I heart your work.
From a fan.
Thank you for reading!!
What a beautiful place! The Canon 5D Mark II really is one of the best (even better than the Mark III, I’d say). The video and photos are lovely.
That fish head is the first photo of food that I see on your blog and don’t feel like eating. lol
Oh, and great to hear your voice! :)
Thanks Kelly – we’re always trying to up the quality of everything we do! <3 Glad to see you're enjoying the videos, we have more soon .
Wow…awesome!
Goth in hot weather ^_^
ahaha
Thank you for the travel writing workshop in TOKYO I learned valuable tips from you and the film team and am eager to start!
I’m glad you found it helpful and inspiring, thank you for coming!
ohhh looks fun
It was!!
would love to meet up if you’re here for a while!
Looking good La Carmina!
More videos please!!
you bet!!
did you stay in Cebu only??
Yeah! Next time I want to see more
BEAUTIFUL PHOTOS IN THE WATER
Xoxo
cool video, i can’t beleive there is a beauty pageant about scuba like that!
Visiting Tokyo for two weeks, also a Vancouverite. Sadly, missed you workshop… Your guides are sure going to help me.
I am glad to hear! There is a search option on the right side bar that may be helpful, and check out all the posts in the Tokyo category. Feel free to comment with questions if you have any!
It all looks like so much fun!! :) I don’t know about those fish heads though.. I’d like to consider myself a fairly adventurous pescatarian, but the idea of the food looking at me kind of freaks me out. LOL By the way, I want that swimsuit! Where did you get it? <3
haha it tasted great once I got over the “fishy” factor too!
Swimsuit is from Little Wicked’s Emporium but I’m not sure if they still carry it…
xo
GREAT VIDEO!!!!!!!!!!
Can Yoga really help you from overcoming stress? I`m just curious about it :D
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