In this video, Gabriel Morris takes us on a tour of the beautiful island of Siquijor in the Philippines, sharing his honest review of the country as a whole. As a budget traveler and travel writer, Gabriel provides valuable insights into the pros and cons of traveling in this island nation in Southeast Asia.
Throughout the video, Gabriel explores the stunning landscapes of Siquijor and shares his experiences, giving viewers a glimpse of what it’s like to travel in the Philippines. From the turquoise waters and white sandy beaches to the lush green forests and vibrant local culture, Gabriel showcases the beauty and diversity of this unique destination.
For those looking for travel inspiration or considering a trip to the Philippines, this video offers valuable information and practical tips from a seasoned traveler. With his signature blend of adventure and insight, Gabriel’s island tour is both entertaining and informative, making it a must-watch for anyone interested in exploring this corner of the world.
Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or simply dreaming of your next adventure, Gabriel Morris’ video provides a captivating glimpse into the wonders of the Philippines and is sure to inspire your inner explorer. So sit back, relax, and get ready to embark on a virtual journey to the stunning island of Siquijor.
Watch the video by Gabriel Traveler
Video “My Honest Review of the Philippines & an Island Tour” was uploaded on 02/19/2025. Watch all the latest Videos by Gabriel Traveler on Gretopia
one of your favorite countries is india and the phillipines has a trash and infrastructure problem?
You did seem to enjoy Thailand and Indonesia more, I must say, not to mention India.|
Shame the Philippines did not quite satisfy you, but you win some, you lose some, too!
But, no place seems to measure up to Greece, huh?
Hoping you get to go there soon and when you do, the place is not too-Earthquake ravaged.
The time you spent talking with Richard is really the reason I like to travel. I am absolutely fascinated by the way others live their lives. I loved hearing about his life and aspirations. Thank you for sharing that with us, Richard and Gabriel.
Filipinos are very inclined to the Western culture, and that's probably why you find it easier to relate to people here than in other Asian countries. We have been colonized by the Americans for almost 200 years. Even now, we are very much into Western stuff. Movies, music, food, language, etc. From a young age, we are exposed to "American culture" already because many Filipinos look up to the Americans. That's why when I was a child, my only dream was to visit the United States. haha But after having been to over 30 countries, I realized there are definitely many more interesting places to see than America 😀
Good to you happy and back to yourself Gabe, Especially after the shitshow that happened in New Zealand.
Thanks for this i wont bother going now as i love thailand malaysia and cambodia..enought there to keep an old timer busy wandering for a while🎉
In my opinion, The Phillipines is Cuba with less education , les health care with no embargo…
We they have in common with Cuba , beside the poverty, is the two worst cuisines in the world!😂
@36:07 // Cheers
Philippines is a travel advisory of level 2 for US citizens so it has some risk. Some of the beaches and lagoons looked nice but the food looked kinda gross.
I just spent 20 days in phillipines. Initially i bought a one way ticket, but when checking in for my flight, realized an onward ticket was required. I spent 6 nights in manila, which to be honest was amazing. Its really a crazy dynamic city with interesting parks and historical sites. Lots of poverty and lots of noise for sure. Spent 12 days on Palawan, el nido, port barton and puerto princessa. Beautiful island with amazing beaches. White beach near port barton is a paradise. Cause i pre-booked my onward ticket, i too struggled with my itinerary at the end. Was interested in going to Borocay, but was a bit of a hassle to get there from Palawan, and a bit expensive. Ended up flying to clark and taking a bus up to the city of pines Baguio, over 5 hours. It was interesting to be in such a cool climate in the phillipines. Its mainly a Filipino tourist spot i believe. Didnt see too many foreigners there. And the people up there weren't quite as welcoming as the other places I'd been to.
Food was hit and miss, but not as bad as Gabe had it. Did eat some real Filipino food, and it was decent. Ate a lot of American food. In el nido though, I had the best pad thai, at Not So Thai restaurant. Went back multiple times! 😊
As a south east asian myself, gabriel thanks for your honesty unlike americans living there(i won't trust them at all). My take is if you like water, sea, beaches – no problem.
1. Food – not famous for food
2. Yes infrastructure sucks
3. Too much time spent moving around places, that add to the cost
4. Visitors to philippines – between 5 to 6m only. Probably the lowest in south east asia after timor leste.
5. The typhoons can affect your life if you are caught in one
You haven't done the Philippines any favors.
A cool joyful place🎉❤❤
Big vote for calling it as you see it. Your criticisms are sound but rarely do we hear bad news in the vlogging world. Could not help being moved by your words about the people of the Philippines. Its biggest export is ironically its people who are sought all over the world in a multitude of service and health industries. Apparently the cover band industry is/was in demand for the cruise industry.
Enjoy Taiwan and please try the Stinky (fermented) Tofu
Gosh, Gabriel, you truly hit the nail on the head!!! Thank you for sharing your thoughts. First of all, I’d like to share I was born in the Philippines and moved to the US at a young age in the early 80’s. Yes, there are abundance of beautiful beaches throughout the country and the underwater world is one of the very best. We have been back 8 times since, 7 of those to attend a funeral. One planned only when my mother retired, to spend time with family, relatives, & friends for an extended period of time. It became routine to have the 1st week of bereavement, 2nd as vacation (to enjoy El Nido, Banaue, Baguio, Boracay, Siargao,… a couple of the spots multiple times). I believe last month’s was the last funeral that we as a family wanted to attend. As a result, we have no desire to return until maybe 10-15 years from now. Our biggest issues & frustrations have been the infrastructure & food. It truly is a third world country, in numerous ways… It is difficult to find healthy & good food, consistently very poor service in establishments such as restaurants, hotels, etc. They have a long way to go regarding hospitality. Transport are unreliable- prevalent delays & cancellations, unrelated to weather. I’ve traveled solo, with significant other, family & relatives to about 30 countries over 4 continents … travel is a huge passion amongst us all. In Asia, we LOVE Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, So Korea, Taiwan, etc., because of the modern amenities throughout, excellent food, tours, infrastructure, very clean, orderly … endless reasons and all of those less expensive than the Philippines. We’ve stayed at so many luxury accommodations for a fraction of the price!!! We would love to see our cousins & other relatives again soon but that will be a hard sell and some serious convincing to return within 5-10 years 😂
In the Philippines the best for island hopping is El NIdo . The best beach is Boracay . The best for diving is Bohol . The best for roadtrip is the North Luzon Loop . The best for short trip is Manila and Calabarzon .
Great way to end your adventure in the Philippines with a cliff jump and swim on Siquijor. Interesting conversation with Richard on the way to the waterfall. Lots of nice nature. Thank you for your hard work and looking forward to Taiwan.❤
Keep roaming, Gabriel….
I spent most of my 20s and 30s traveling and living in many (over 50) countries outside the USA….
With all the chaos happening in the USA these days, I've decided to sell my casa, art, and everything of value, and hit the nomadic trail again.
I will buy a small place, somewhere, to use as a base…. then hasta la vista
😹😹✈✈
When I was there, there was even a guy who offered 2 days for 500 pesos on the scooter rentals!!
Philippines seems to be a love it or hate it kind of place. It's my native country and I don't really understand why. It has its problems but maybe you need someone familiar with the culture to appreciate it. I'm not really sure I want it to become super popular with tourists as that will ruin it along with raising prices.
👍🙏
Nice job on these Philippines travel videos, Gabriel. Started watching your stuff from the Greek islands a year ago or so. You give a unique no nonsense and fair view and opinion of your destinations. Just one thing; also include the time of day, along with the rest of the information at the start of your vids
I agree with a lot of what you say about the Philippines. I would say the friendliness of the people is what is outstanding to me. The food is the dealbreaker for me if I am going to live here. Just not good enough and not healthy enough either. But living here would be different as that would involve cooking most of the time.
I lived in Siquijor town for one month in 2009. Nice to see you started the video there. Going back to Sweden 22nd of january. Will watch all your philippines videos when i get back home.
Nice, thanks for sharing
Wonderful, Beautiful place
Kind regards
Heinz Traveling
🎉🎉
Its getting harder and harder to find locations where the cost of living isn't astronomical. Once conventional tourism takes off, the prices skyrocket.
He complains of the general standards but goes back to India 15 times. Wasted 3 days on Mactan doing nothing and spent far too long in Siargao but missed going to Boracay, Bohol and Palawan, which are supposedly the highlight. Yes he went to Palawan 15 years ago and produced a grainy scratchy poor video so doesn't want to go back because hes been there! But he's been to Greece and India 15 times? I just don't get it!
I got distracted when talking about the prices and didn't finish my thoughts. Overall I would say that the Philippines is a very affordable place to travel. But as I mentioned you can find cheaper prices in many other countries, including countries that are much more developed and modern. I'd say prices are pretty similar to Thailand or Indonesia, but in my experience those countries have better infrastructure and are more developed, better organized and cleaner. So I would say that the Philippines isn't the best value in Asia for what you get. People commented that I was paying too much for rooms, but I use booking.com which is the online booking website with the largest selection of accommodation and I get a 10-20% discount on most of the places I stay. So those were just the prices of basic rooms in the places where I was going. The Philippines is a great country with amazing people and I definitely recommend traveling here, but considering all the factors, especially the food quality, haphazard infrastructure and a fair amount of garbage in a lot of places I wouldn't rate it as one of my top countries in Asia.