Leyte - The Treasure Beyond the Trail
- Work To Wonders
- May 9
- 3 min read
Updated: May 10
See our Google Map of places to visit
North
The capital city of Tacloban is the main transport hub. There are no big brand hotels here, but there are a few good budget options, and it's a great base for exploring northern Leyte and southern Samar.
What to see
MacArthur Landing Memorial
San Juanico Bridge
M/V Jocelyn Shrine
Sohoton Caves and Natural Bridge Park (southern Samar)
Biliran Island
Where to stay
Caluwayan Palm Island Resort (Southern Samar)
Getting in
Tacloban Airport has flights to Manila (AirAsia, Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines) and Cebu (Cebu Pacific). It has no international flights.
The port has slow ferries to Cebu and Manila.
Getting around
There is good local transport, mostly by jeepney. Outside of the city, transport is less frequent: you may need to hire a car or van.
Central
Ormoc City is by far the best entry point for Leyte, as it has fast and frequent ferry connections to Cebu. It has a very important, but underplayed, role in history as the city where the Japanese made their last stand before leaving the island during the Second World War. The city itself has some attractions, but it's the countryside surrounding the city that really delights.
What to see
Lake Danao
Heaven's Peak Garden
Cuatro Islas
Canigao Island
Where to stay
La Vista del Rio Eco Farm Resort (Merida)
Getting in
Supercat and OceanJet both provide fast, comfortable, and safe sailings to Ormoc from Cebu.
There are slower sailings provided by Lite Shipping and Roble Shipping, but these are a good couple of hours longer, sometimes overnight, and not as comfortable.
Getting around
Getting around the city itself is a breeze as there are lots of tricycles and jeepneys - there are no taxis anywhere on the island. With the exception of Merida and Tacloban, there are no reliable, scheduled buses: jeepneys come and go as they please and mostly finish around 6 pm.
South
Southern Leyte has a bit of an undiscovered, last frontier feel. Tourist infrastructure is largely absent. Transport is more scarce.
However, this place has natural, unexploited beauty. The travel is longer, but the rewards are so much greater.
What to see
The Twin Islands of San Pablo and San Pedro, off the coast of Hinunangan, which have no regular transport except for fishermen's boats that you can hire for the day.
Balsa Kafe - a unique restaurant in the middle of rice fields
Molopolo White Beach
Tangkaan Beach at Padre Burgos
Limasawa Island - where Catholicism first took hold in the Philippines
Agas-Agas Beach
Where to stay
Bals Inn (also known as Malipayon Shores) is the best hotel in the area.
Getting in
There are buses from Ormoc and Tacloban. However, these are not regular. Most likely, you will need to hire a van.
There is a ferry from Liloan to Surigao, but nothing to Cebu or Manila.
Getting around
The more rural location means that public transport is thin on the ground - a hired car or van is a better solution.
Note: For van/car hire we recommend Ormoc Rent A Car
Bonus tip: Although Leyte can be reached from Manila, we don’t recommend it. Cebu Mactan is a smaller, friendlier, and much easier to negotiate airport. Emirates, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Turkish Airlines, and United Airlines all fly here, as well as local favourites Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines. If your flight times and the fast craft ferry schedules don’t match, there are lots of hotel options in Cebu to meet pretty much any budget. There is also a decently priced airport bus downtown. Along its route, we recommend the Bai Hotel and Bayfront Hotel North Reclamation. Slightly further away, we also recommend any of the international brand hotels close to Ayala Mall.
From Cebu, it's also possible to visit Bohol on a day tour. This is an excellent trip that avoids the (rapidly increasing) expense of a hotel in Bohol.
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