To those of you that haven’t been to the Philippines, let me tell you four words. You are missing out. Home to 7,107 islands, the Philippines is one of the best countries that we have traveled around in Southeast Asia (I admit to being a bit biased as I am from there!) Nevertheless, between it’s idyllic palm fringed beaches, warm friendly people, and crystal clear waters, the Philippines has so much to offer travellers.

Now as if traveling the Philippines isn’t enough, imagine being able to sail a locally skippered paraw (local sailboat) around uninhabited islands as you complete crazy challenges along the way. Sounds too good to be true? Well, keep reading because this is what the Philippines Sailing Challenge is all about.

Editors Note: Inquire in the sidebar for more details about the next Philippines Sailing Challenge, plus get an exclusive discount!

A man sitting on the edge of a sailboat

The Philippines Sailing Challenge: What is it?

From the creators of some of the most epic adventure challenges around the world, the guys over at Large Minority have decided to take it to the seas by organizing The Philippines Sailing Challenge. After receiving fantastic feedback from their tuk tuk challenges all over Sri Lanka and Cambodia, they decided to take their challenges to the seas. So what exactly is it? In a nutshell, the Philippines Challenge is a test on how well you can outwit and outsmart the other teams competing.

Aboard your paraw, you sail over 90 nautical miles around the stunning islands of Boracay. Ironically, no previous sailing experience is required as you will have a local team helping you out, however, be warned that your navigational skills will be tested. Although you don’t have to be a skilled sailor, you better hope you are directing your boat crew the right way! 8 nights, 9 days, competing against 10-15 teams, the Philippines Challenge is definitely a once in a lifetime experience.

The challenges are a combination of sea and island based challenges. What they are? We have no idea. In the words of Large Minority,

“There will be challenges – think fishing for your dinner, climbing coconut trees and generally using your cunning and resourcefulness to outsmart the other teams – and there will be chaos. It’s Castaway, minus Tom Hanks. BYO Wilson.”

Read: Epic Adventure Challenges Around the World with Large Minority

A view of sailboats on the sea through palm trees

Details of the Philippines Sailing Challenge with Large Minority

Watch out for the next one, coming soon!

Dates: October 21-29, 2016

Duration: 8 nights/ 9 days

Participants: 10-15 teams

Travellers: 20-35 travellers 

Some inclusions for the trip are:

Training and sailing lessons on the day of arrival, but as mentioned, a local skipper and a two man team will be assigned to help you. Apart from that, full accommodation for 2-3 people will be provided for. There rooms are a combination of both local beach hotels, hammocks, and homestays. Breakfast and lunch will also be provided along the way.

The winner of The Philippines Sailing Challenge is not just reliant on who gets to the destinations first. It is a race but points will also be awarded to those that complete challenges along the way. Each team will be given a daily navigational sheet to follow and the winning team will be declared the winner based on whoever reaches the end point at the shortest time possible, combined with the points from the challenges along the way. In other words, it will be EPIC. For more details on what else is included, you can check it out hereSailboats on the sea at sunset

An Adventure of a Lifetime: Why You Should do It?

Large Minority specializes in creating meaningful, unusual travel experiences which are not part of your regular travel experience. Since 2009, they have been creating and organizing these adventure challenges which are designed to push people out of their comfort zones alongside with giving them the most authentic and memorable experiences. Imagine sailing from one uninhabited island to the next. The former challenges that Large Minority have organized have all created a special bond between all the teams, regardless if you are competing with each other or not.

Adventure means different things to everyone. We even wrote about it in our post, What the Hell does Adventure Mean? For thrill seekers like us, a regular beach holiday is great but we’ve done that one too many times before. This however, is something rather different. It’s also perfect for those who only get a couple weeks of holiday in a year. Why not make the most out of your days and opt to do something incredibly memorable? With each day filled with swimming, snorkelling, coconut tree climbing, sailing around deserted islands, watching the most insane sunsets, and camping in stunning beaches, prepare yourself for an adventure of a lifetime. Still thinking twice? One word. Don’tA hammock on the beach

Adventure in You & Large Minority

So despite having zero sailing and navigational skills, we decided to take on this challenge, crazy costumes and all. For 9 days, we competed against 9 teams, sailing to some of the most beautiful remote islands. It was a memorable week of sailing and running around completing challenges as we slept under the stars and bonded with like minded travelers.

Read: Taking on the Most Adventurous Sailing Challenge in the Philippines

This post was written in partnership between Adventure In You and Large Minority. Some photos were sourced from Large Minority.

Looking for more adventures around the Philippines? Check out some of our other guides below

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One experience you have to have in the Philippines is this sailing challenge!