Our stop in Boracay was canceled as the island is temporarily closing to visitors due to environmental degradation, so we had two days in Manila, great for the crew and probably most passengers as well.

On our second day we took the tour to Corregidor Island, a trip back in history. During the Japanese invasion Corregidor was the temporary headquarters of the Philippine government and the last stand of the American and Philippine troops, who surrendered to the Japanese in May 1942. MacArthur was forced to leave Corregidor under repeated orders from President Roosevelt in March 1942 but vowed to return. The island was retaken from the Japanese in January, 1945.

The buildings and fortifications have been left untouched since the end of the war. Guides report that they still are finding shells, grenades and other artifacts in the island’s jungles. The island is now a designated national monument and war memorial. Most visitors go on a day trip, but you can stay overnight at the hotel and trek in the jungle and crawl through the tunnels at night for a more immersive experience.

This was a long, but very interesting excursion. The island is reached by ferry, almost a two hour journey across Manila Bay. Once on the island you visit the various sites by open air bus - old barracks, artillery areas, the Japanese cemetery, the Malinta tunnel which served as a supply depot, hospital and MacArthur’s headquarters, the Pacific War Memorial, a 19th century lighthouse.