Tacloban is well placed for short trips out into Leyte and across the strait into Samar. The closest is Palo, just south of the city, with the MacArthur Landing Memorial at Red Beach and the cathedral that served as a wartime hospital. A little further afield, the limestone karsts and small marine park at Marabut on the Samar coast make a fine half-day on the water, while the cathedral-scale stalactite caves at Sohoton, also on Samar, are worth a full day if you can spare one.
Marabut
A small coastal town on the Samar side of the strait, ringed by a scatter of dramatic limestone islets and a marine park where you can snorkel, kayak, and idle through hidden coves. Tour operators in Tacloban run day trips that take in several of the smaller, uninhabited islands.
Sohoton Caves
A network of huge stalactite-and-limestone caves inside the Sohoton Natural Bridge National Park, reached by a cheap boat ride from Tacloban via Basey on Samar. Guided tours take you through the cave system and then on by kayak to the natural bridge itself. The 17th-century Spanish-era Basey Church is a worthwhile stop on the way back.