As travel resumes following the COVID-19 pandemic quarantine and lockdowns, extra precautions will need to be taken. Living a “new normal” life will include more thought and preparation if we are to remain safe and healthy, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of our planet.
Single use face masks, small hand sanitiser bottles, latex gloves, polystyrene take-out containers, plastic bags – it’s already polluting our planet and having catastrophic effects on the war against single use plastic. Disposable masks and gloves have been found on beaches which are washed into the ocean during high tide, and have been discovered littering nature trails, park-lands and green areas. Sustainable practices often take a back seat in times of crisis, but for people who wish to travel responsibly, we have to continue fighting. Until a vaccine is found we will all be living with the threat of COVID-19, but staying safe during Coronavirus doesn't mean more plastic. The way forward is not to disregard all we have learnt about zero waste and using less single use plastics, but to continue with the good practices already in place. YES YOU CAN BE PLASTIC FREE AND ZERO WASTE DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC. Moalboal Eco Lodge want to help you travel eco-friendly after COVID-19 quarantines, so here are our 12 plastic free and zero waste travel tips during Coronavirus.
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The Philippines; an archipelago of thousands of tropical islands in South East Asia, is a bucket list destination for many travellers. But how well do you know the Philippines?
Officially Republic of the Philippines, with a population of over 110 million people covering an area stretching 1,850 kilometers (1,150 miles) – by anyone’s stretch of the imagination, this means a lot of diversity and culture. Famous for powder soft white sand beaches, emerald waters, and lush green mountains, Moalboal Eco Lodge help you discover some quirky and fascinating facts. Hope you enjoy our compilation of Facts about the Philppines: 21 interesting, surprising and fun facts.
Have you ever dreamt of snorkelling with turtles, and swimming with sardines? If this is on your must-see bucket list of things to do when visiting the Philippines, Moalboal’s sardine run at Panagsama Beach, Cebu needs to be added to your travel itinerary.
Moalboal’s main tourist attraction is the sardine ball where literally millions of silver shimmering sardines can be seen just off the beach. Every day of the year you can swim, snorkel, freedive or scuba dive with the sardines. This natural phenomenon is in a marine protected area, is 100% ethical, with no feeding or human intervention to keep them here. If you are interested in snorkelling with sardines, Moalboal Eco Lodge will show you the experience of a lifetime – swimming with sardines in Moalboal, Cebu, Philippines.
In the Philippines, the Filipino jeepney is considered the “King of the Road”. A national symbol, this iconic form of public transportation is proudly Pinoy, and the most popular way for locals to travel around. A jeepney is crowded, cheap, and no two jeepney’s are the same.
Many are decorated with bright colours and flashing lights, jeepney art will be appreciated by street art and mural lovers. The painted jeepneys are all unique way, and are anything but boring! Jeepneys are embedded in Philippine culture and art. London has a red double decker bus, New York has the yellow taxi cab, and the Philippines have jeepneys. All are iconic, all are insta-worthy. If anything is an expression of local culture in the Philippines, it’s a jeepney, and Moalboal Eco Lodge share a pictorial guide to jeepney street art in Moalboal, Cebu, Philippines.
One of the top things to do in Cebu, Philippines is swim with the Oslob whale sharks. However, questions regarding whether or not it is ethical are constantly asked, and concerns raised by WWF, Greenpeace, National Geographic and Marine WIldlife Watch for a species classified as “vulnerable to extinction” are real.
The whale sharks in Oslob are hand fed to guarantee sightings for tourists 365 days a year. It’s showing no signs of slowing down, in fact it’s the opposite. Tourist agencies boast “99% guarantee of seeing the whale sharks”. Are these whale sharks ambassadors for the marine world or just being exploited for money? Outside of the Philippines, safety of the whale sharks is threatened by the illegal global shark fin trade, and they are considered to be one of the most vulnerable marine species in the world. Should we be jeopardising the health and mating routines of a vulnerable to extinction species? Are the Oslob whale sharks helping people from around the world respect them more? What are the chances of people involved in the global shark fin trade visiting Oslob, falling in love with the whale sharks then deciding not to take their fins? Whale shark tourism in Oslob is about money, BIG money, and it’s a lucrative multi-million dollar business which have received 2,000 visitors PER DAY at certain times of the year. Moalboal Eco Lodge have carried out extensive research to ask, is Oslob whale shark watching ethical?
Sustainable tourism, or “green travel” and wanting to be a responsible tourist are something we should all try to do. Changing our mindset about ecotourism and the way we travel is the key, all we have to do is be a respectful traveller; whether we are on a two week holiday, taking a sabbatical/gap year, or just getting away for the weekend, we should all try to lessen the impact we have on any place we visit.
Why is environmentally friendly travel important? Developing tourist destinations or poorer countries do not have proper waste management systems meaning little or no recycling facilities, this causes plastic pollution problems They are receiving visitors faster than they are able to keep up with trash/water/electricity demands, and up-and coming destinations do not have an abundance of resources for us to waste. Questions regarding ethical travel and animal welfare are constantly raised, overtourism is increasing, our coral reefs are being destroyed, and our desire to travel to as many countries as possible seeing as much as we can has a detrimental effect. If we enjoy travel, love seeing nature and the underwater world, why are we destroying it? No one wants to be made to feel guilty about travel, or to be told they are being an irresponsible tourist, but we cannot bury our head in the sand. Global warming is real. Climate change was last decade; we are now in a CLIMATE EMERGENCY. If you ask “Can I travel in a sustainable, ethical way?” the answer is yes, so let Moalboal Eco Lodge show you how to be a responsible tourist.
The Philippines is a large archipelago in South East Asia, consisting of thousands of stunning islands within the coral triangle. This is one of the things to know before visiting the Republic of the Philippines, as it can be a surprise just how big the Country is.
The waters are just as blue as you see on Instagram, and the palm tree lined white beaches are a draw for many visitors from around the world. Voted the world’s leading dive destination for four years running (2019 - 2022) by World Travel Awards beating the Maldives to this coveted #1 spot, there is no better time to visit Cebu and the Philippines. Cebu is a tourist hot spot due to its year-round sunshine, abundance of waterfalls, stunning snorkelling, the chance to dive with 8 million sardines, and relaxed pace of life. Moalboal Eco Lodge want to help you prepare for your trip, so we share things you should know before visiting the Philippines. If you follow this advice, you will manage your expectations and have the most amazing time!
Some people believe that food in the Philippines doesn’t have any identity, and that there are no “local Filipino dishes”. They are wrong, or at the very least they are mistaken, because Filipino Food has been dubbed “the next big thing in the Culinary world”.
Colonised by Spain for 333 years, Filipino food draws influences from Spain as well as Asia, and locals know how to put their own spin on a dish. Pork lovers are in for a treat, as this meat is found in a variety of dishes, and people with a sweet tooth will also not be disappointed. Without any further ado, Moalboal Eco Lodge share our list of the must-try Filipino Food in Cebu, Philippines. |
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