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  • An aerial view of Pujada island with text overlay

    2025 Mati Davao Oriental DIY Travel Guide (Itinerary+Budget)

    January 20, 2025 / 0 Comments

    After exploring the Island Garden City of Samal in Davao del Norte, we headed down to the south-eastern side of the region next for some more tropical respite. I’ve always been excited about visiting Mati and I’d say, the anticipation has been well worth it. This once-quiet town has recently become a buzz in the tourism scene, and it has a lot of exciting things to discover. If you’re curious about what Mati has to offer, here’s a Mati Davao Oriental DIY Travel Guide to help you plan your trip out! About Mati, Davao Oriental In the southeasternmost part of the Philippines, you’ll find a hidden gem, likely ranking among…

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    Anne Elizabeth Gumiran

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    January 14, 2024

    Top Places to Visit in Samal Island, Davao del Norte 2024

    January 20, 2024

    CAMIGUIN DIY TRAVEL GUIDE 2025 (Itinerary + Budget)

    January 3, 2025
  • What to Do After an Open Water Course?

    January 18, 2025 / 0 Comments

    Before the holidays, I decided to visit Siquijor and further my diving skills and knowledge through certification in both freediving and scuba diving. After years of exploring the ocean, I’ve finally decided to take a certification on scuba diving. The PADI Open Water course had several skills sets that made it both challenging and fun for me.  This full entry level certification allowed me to safely dive down to 18 meters without an instructor’s supervision, learn more and set up my own diving kit or equipment, plan and log my dives, perform basic self and buddy rescue drills, navigation, use the dive computer and more. After coming home fresh from…

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    Anne Elizabeth Gumiran

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    Decathlon SCUBA Diving Gear Review

    June 13, 2021

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    September 27, 2020
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    October 12, 2021
  • 2025 Tablas Island DIY Travel Guide (Budget + Itinerary)

    January 8, 2025 / 2 Comments

    Just when we thought that we’ve seen so much of Romblon province during our adventure to Cresta de Gallo in Sibuyan Island and Romblon, Romblon, Tablas island surprised us with so much more with its unrivalled landscape to its unexplored underwater scene! It was just as marvelous yet unique as the previous islands and attractions in the province that we visited. If you’ve been eyeing it as well for a while now, here’s a detailed Tablas Island DIY travel guide for you including a sample itinerary and budget! About Tablas Island Nestled between the Sibuyan Sea and Tablas Strait is the largest of Romblon’s roughly 20 islands called Tablas. It…

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    Anne Elizabeth Gumiran

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    October 13, 2020
  • Cresta de Gallo travel guide photo cover

    CRESTA DE GALLO DIY Travel Guide 2025 (Budget + Itinerary)

    January 8, 2025 / 0 Comments

    Our journey to Cresta de Gallo began long before we set foot on its pristine shores. Upon our arrival at Batangas pier, we just learned that the scheduled trip to Sibuyan for that day had been canceled. Our only option was to embark on a circuitous route: from Batangas to Odiongan, then to Romblon, and finally to Sibuyan Island. This involved a grueling 17-hour trip involving sea and land travel (20 hours if you include the journey to the island itself), marked by interrupted sleep, hunger, and exhaustion. Yet, as we neared the stunning island of Cresta de Gallo, we realized that the trip was merely a small price to…

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    Anne Elizabeth Gumiran

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    October 28, 2020
  • Sagada Travel Guide Cover

    Sagada Travel Guide with DIY Itinerary and Budget 2025

    January 8, 2025 / 35 Comments

    It was 2019 when we decided to go on a North Luzon loop road trip. We were supposed to drive to Ilocos Norte from Cagayan but the road was impassable, so we took a detour. The next thing we know, we’re chilling as we walk down the streets of Sagada one evening in flowy, summer dresses that my mom and I was supposed to flaunt in a dinner by the beach. The next morning, we embarked on an adventure that made us fall in love with Sagada in a heartbeat that we swore to heavens, we’ll definitely come back for it. So I did. As I spend more days in…

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    Anne Elizabeth Gumiran

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    November 13, 2022

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    January 19, 2024
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    Nordic Homes Resort: A New Instagram-worthy AirBnB near Tagaytay City

    July 24, 2021
  • Batanes Travel Guide 2025 (Budget + Itinerary)

    January 7, 2025 / 14 Comments

    Traveling to Batanes is like stepping into my dream and having it brushed onto reality — each stroke of nature’s palette meticulously creating a living canvas. Indeed, it took me a lot of pinching before I came into my senses and believed myself that I have finally traveled to one of my top dream destinations in the Philippines. If you’ve always wished to visit this paradise in the northernmost region of the Philippines, here’s an ultimate Batanes Travel Guide to help you plan out your most awaited trip! What You Need to Know About Batanes Batanes is located at the country’s northernmost point, where the West Philippine Sea and the…

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    Anne Elizabeth Gumiran

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    January 29, 2020
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    July 24, 2021

    CABONGAOAN BEACH + DEATH POOL 2025 DIY TRAVEL GUIDE

    January 2, 2025
  • 2025 Romblon Island DIY Travel Guide

    January 6, 2025 / 2 Comments

    After basking in the sun on the stunning island of Cresta de Gallo in Sibuyan Island, we boarded the ferry the following morning bound for our next stop — Romblon Island. It was around this leg of the trip when we learned about Bon Bon beach, a sought-after destination in the island, landing on the 45th spot in the best beaches in the world in 2024. As we explored the island further, we realized that it offers much more than just its renowned beach. This considered as an off-the-beaten path destination in the Philippines is truly underrated. To walk you through the gems this province holds, here’s a detailed Romblon…

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    Anne Elizabeth Gumiran

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    Break Free with Pico Sands Hotel

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  • Bohol DIY Adventure

    2025 Bohol DIY Travel Guide (Itinerary + Budget)

    January 6, 2025 / 27 Comments

    Accessible, beautiful, diverse. This is Bohol – a province that holds almost every bit of the thousands of islands of the Philippines. From the world-famous naturally diverse dive sites, rivers, hills, canyons, mangroves, caves, pristine beaches, historical and cultural sites, wildlife to fun-filled adrenaline rushing adventures; Bohol has it all in its plate which makes it an ideal place to visit and explore. If you also plan to visit the province soon, here’s a Bohol DIY adventure guide to help you with! About Bohol Bohol is a province in the Central Visayas region that is widely known to be the home of the famous Chocolate Hills and the smallest primate…

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    Anne Elizabeth Gumiran

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  • Ilocos Norte Travel Guide cover photo with wind mills

    2025 DIY ILOCOS NORTE TRAVEL GUIDE

    January 5, 2025 / 5 Comments

    Hopeless due to the countless failed attempts to travel with friends in this province, I have set aside my plans in coming to Ilocos Norte in the past years. Come 2022, when it reopened in the time of pandemic; I was finally able to set foot in this province. At last, I get to see and experience its raw island and beaches, the sprawling sand dunes, historical and cultural heritage sites, explore and savor the taste of the Ilocano dishes and more! If you wish to go down the exciting path that we took, here’s a detailed Ilocos Norte Travel Guide to help you with! About Ilocos Norte Far from…

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    Anne Elizabeth Gumiran

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    January 29, 2022
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    La Union’s Tangadan Falls DIY Travel Guide 2024

    December 30, 2023
  • APO REEF NATURAL PARK TRAVEL GUIDE 2025

    January 5, 2025 / 2 Comments

    For four years straight, the World Travel Awards has recognized the Philippines as the Asia’s Leading Dive Destination. Indeed, the country is a home to rich marine life not to mention that it’s a home to the center of center of Coral Triangle and the second largest contiguous atoll-type reef in the world. Among the dive sites that Philippines boasts and that you shouldn’t miss is that of Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro’s Apo Reef Natural Park. About Apo Reef Natural Park Apo Reef Natural Park is considered to be the largest atoll-type reef system in the Philippines and second largest in the world next to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. It is…

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    Anne Elizabeth Gumiran

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THE QUEEN’S ESCAPE

lady sipping juice from a paper cup

Hi! I’m Queenie Anne Gumiran, the storyteller behind The Queen’s Escape, a Philippine travel and diving blog that celebrates wanderlust, culture, and sustainability. I started this space to share stories that go beyond pristine beaches and scenic peaks — from hidden islands and local eats to my adventures in scuba diving, freediving, and sustainable travel. Through every post, I hope to inspire you to explore the Philippines meaningfully and fall in love with its underwater and island beauty, one escape at a time.

Recent Posts

  • Best Dive Sites in the Philippines That Deserve a Spot on Your Bucket List
  • PADI Women’s Dive Day 2025 at Casalay Boutique Villas & Dive Resort
  • Coco del Rey: New, Pretty and Reasonably-Priced Hotel in Cebu
  • Budget-Friendly 3-Day Da Nang and Hoi An Itinerary
  • 2025 Bukidnon DIY Travel Guide (Budget + Itinerary)

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