It’s tough to think of a more beautiful corner of the world than the Philippines, with white sand beaches, bath-temperature water, and incredibly friendly locals.
These islands, 7,107 of them to be exact, are worth a departure from the typical banana pancake trail in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam! The beaches are regarded as some of the best in the world, as are the diving opportunities, and the welcoming nature of the Filipino people is unwavering.
But with so many islets to choose from offering up various culture, adventure and culinary delights, where do you even start to plan an itinerary and figure out where to go in the Philippines? Well luckily enough, Charlotte and I have spent roughly two months in the Philippines and have wrapped up our experiences into one neat little package below. Let’s get to planning your perfect Philippines itinerary:
Manila
It’s likely that you’ll begin your journey in the capital, Manila. A city bustling with people, Spanish colonial architecture, street vendors and Jeepneys. Many travellers use Manila simply as a gateway to other destinations in the Philippines but we would recommend spending at least a day there in preparation for the rest of your adventure. It will also give you enough time to purchase your bus ticket to the North of Luzon, acclimatize, and sample street food like quack quack (battered quail egg) and caramelized bananas.
Quick Tip: Take a Jeepney ride for as little as 10PHP to a random destination in town. Just get off where you feel spontaneous!
Stay: Book your Manila stay here.
North Luzon (Banaue / Batad Rice Terraces)
North Luzon is very much overlooked in the Philippines with travelers opting for pristine white beaches and crystal cobalt seas instead. However, we would highly recommend a trip into the mountainous region for a glimpse into the World of the local rice farmers and stunning craggy landscapes. The UNESCO Banaue rice terraces are a key highlight of any trip to the North.
Top Tip: Most travelers visit Banaue due to the UNESCO title stamped across its name, however just an hour up the road (or up the mountain) lie Batad rice terraces which are just as beautiful and have far fewer tourists.
An overnight stay will allow you to live like the locals in a traditional stilt house built into the terrace. A trek to a neighboring waterfall is also on the agenda here and highly recommended! Wear a bathing suit and take a dip!
How To Get There: Overnight buses such as Ohayami run from the Sampoloc area of Manila for $19, which can be purchased a day in advance or on the day of (subject to availability). They leave at 9pm.
Stay: Batad Transient House (traditional stilt house) for just $11 with a delicious breakfast!
Sagada
Home to the infamous hanging coffins, the Igoret tribes of the North have long practiced burying their dead in coffins nailed against the side of cliffs, believing they will be closer to heaven.
This tradition is slowly dying out, so this is a rare chance for a deeper glimpse into traditional tribal life. You can hop off at Sagada on a return bus trip to Baguio from Banaue.
Quick Tip: Sagada has VERY limited ATMs and the one we did find had zero money, resulting in frantic phone calls home to wire money to Western Union Transfer! Take enough cash for your trip to Sagada.
Stay: Book your Sagada stay here.
Baguio City (Mount Pulag)
No trip to North Luzon is complete without visiting its highest peak at 2,926m above sea level. If that sounds like too much trekking for some then do not fear! Most of the journey is done by Jeepney to a mountain village where you stay overnight in a local house before taking on the summit in the early hours. In total the trek takes approximately 4-6 hours after reaching the village with a couple of rest breaks before reaching “the sky of clouds”.
Quick Tip: Most tour operators will drop you back at Manila providing you advise that you want to be dropped off here INSTEAD of returning to Baguio. If you follow this itinerary chronologically, this is ideal as we’ll be flying down south next.
Go With: Mount Pulag Adventures
Stay: Book your Baguio City stay here.
Siargao
Siargao must be one of the most beautiful islands in the Philippines, and it’s the country’s surf capital. This island has a super laidback vibe, great snorkeling options, and island hopping excursions including the famous Sugba Lagoon. Located in the Mindanao region of the Philippines, Siargao is a laid-back paradise that’s just starting to explode onto the traveler scene. Read more about all the best thing to do in Siargao here.
How To Get There: Fly directly into Sayak Airport (IAO), or take a ferry from Surigao del Norte.
Stay: Look at General Luna and Pacifico. Book hotels here.
Boracay
A small island in central Philippines, Boracay is the top tourist draw of the Philippines, and for good reason! White beach takes center stage framing a 4km slice of paradise, once voted the best beach in the world! An array of restaurants, resort accommodation and bars feature heavily along the main beach stations, while the back beach offers perfect conditions for water sports. Bar crawls, cliff jumping and ATV tours are all on offer here!
Quick Tip: We recommend spending 3 or 4 nights in Boracay. Once you have partied your way through the island it will probably be time to move on anyway!
How To Get There: Fly or ferry. We took the overnight ferry to save on accommodation and boarded from Batangas (reachable by 2 hour air conditioned bus from Manila). Ferries should be booked a few days in advance with 2GO Travel and they depart from 9pm and sail overnight to the port of Caticlan for $19 arriving at 7am dependent on sea conditions. From here passengers take a 10 minute boat across to the island.
Stay: Hostel Avenue is the only beach front hostel in Boracay opened 2017 for $17, located on White Beach.
Coron
Located in the province of Palawan, Coron is where you will find those Insta perfect dragon-esque landscape rock formations that penetrate the skies and inhabit turquoise lagoons below them. THIS is one of the reasons we first put the Philippines on our bucket list and trips to Barracuda Lake (fresh water lake), Kayagan Lake and the small and big lagoons are an absolute must on your visit here and can be booked one day in advance in the main town. Coron is also dubbed as the shipwreck capital of the World due to a large number of sunken Japanese vessels all within a 20-minute boat ride of the main town.
Quick Tip: The town is quaint and buzzing with other travelers. In our experience, we preferred to avoid the crowds and booked a private charter with another couple to take us to the best snorkeling spots when the hundreds of orange lifejackets had already left. This also means you can hand pick your sightseeing spots and all for as little as a $25 increase on the popular tours! Read this post for more tips on ditching the crowds when island hopping in Coron!
How To Get There: For approximately $90 we opted to fly from Caticlan (Boracay) to Coron and boy was it worth it! Boarding a small 12 seater Air Juan plane from Boracay you can swoop across the archipelago of the Philippines marveling at the tiny, Maldives like islets beneath you. A highly recommended way to see the Philippine landscape in all its glory!
Stay: If you’re confident in speaking with the locals by now, a cheaper alternative to a hostel on the main strip is to walk the quieter streets of the town and find a friendly local who will offer up his spare room for free or for half the cost of a hostel. Still to this day staying in ‘Sheila’s’ room while she was away at University was one of our favourite stays of all our travels!
El Nido
Sticking with Palawan, El Nido is the next obvious destination to go to in the Philippines to get your jaw dropping landscape fix! The town is a traveler’s paradise, housing an array of budget accommodation, charming restaurants and bars and also ample diving opportunities. Take an island hopping tour, inclusive of small and big lagoons, 7 Commandos Beach, Snake Island and Cudugnon Cave. Tours start from around $26 inclusive of three or four destinations, oh and lunch is included too. Sold!
Quick Tip: If your budget allows, we would highly recommend putting some money toward an island hopping expedition from Coron to El Nido. Sailing in and around some of the smallest and most remote islets of the Philippines was truly breathtaking. Sandbar slices of paradise, camping on secluded beaches and snorkeling in some of the clearest waters in the World were some of our favourite moments from the whole of our Philippines trip, not to mention singing Karaoke in a locals home with only the local villagers and rum to keep us company! For us, this was THE way to see the real Philippines at its most authentic.
Go With: Buhay Isla run 3 and 4 night expeditions between Coron and El Nido ports.
Stay: Book your El Nido stay here.
Cebu
Our visit to Cebu was mainly focused around one sight in particular, Kawasan Falls. This picturesque waterfall that plummets into the turquoise lagoon below has quickly become an instagram favorite and when you see it, you’ll understand why! We would highly recommend getting there early to avoid the crowds.
The falls can be easily accessed from the main entrance. Take a tricycle from your guesthouse and they will already know where you want to go!
Quick Tip: For the more adventurous traveler and for an alternative way in to the falls, opt for a canyoneering experience where you will be thrilled with 2-10m cliff jumps into the azure waters below. Taking a dip in such mesmerizing waters is highly recommended in any case, but to do it all with a rush as you jump and jolt from the limestone cliffs above is all the more exhilarating! Your experience ends at Kawasan Falls; the perfect end to such an adventure.
How To Get There: Vans regularly leave from the town of El Nido to Puerto Princesa every hour directly to the airport. You can choose to either explore Puerto Princesa or fly directly to Cebu.
Go With: We opted to canyoneer with Highland Adventures and found them to be reliable with all safety measures and equipment in place.
Stay: Book your Cebu stay here.
Donsol
Swimming with whale sharks in a natural environment is a dream of many. In the Philippines, you can realize this dream in Oslob or Donsol. Based on our research and testimonials from people who have visited both places, Donsol makes a better choice, though it is still far from perfect. Be My Travel Muse generally does not support animal encounters that alter the animal’s natural behavior. As it was part of the writer’s experience in the Philippines, we felt remiss to leave this off of the itinerary. This article is here to provide information rather than encourage you to participate.
Donsol, located in Luzon in the northern Philippines, is a protected area for whale sharks, and its eco-tourism has an ethical reputation with strict regulations monitored by WWF and marine experts. Visitors count on their luck to have an encounter with whales sharks, but there is a higher chance of spotting them during the whale shark season from November – February. No food or bait is used to lure the whale sharks, and according to the regulations stated, only 6 people are allowed in the water in the presence of 1 whale shark. That being said, Donsol is far from perfect. A common complaint from visitors is that they allow way more people in the water than stated, and a few people said that visitors were allowed to get closer to the whale sharks than advised.
We swam with whale sharks in Oslob as part of a tour we were doing. Although we were not 100% happy to swim with whale sharks while they are being fed, they are indeed some of the most beautiful creatures we have ever laid eyes upon, as they graciously swoon in the waters collecting fish that are being served for them. We caved into the experience here as we justified the experienced based on the sharks being allowed to come and go as they please, but we do not recommend doing this in Oslob.
Tourism activities involving wild animals will never be perfect. However, the rise of eco-tourism in both Oslob and Donsol has successfully kept whale sharks from being killed by local fishermen, as live whale sharks now provide more money, opportunities and therefore a better life for the locals. Do your part, research carefully and make a conscious, respectful decision. As tourists, we vote with our dollars – our behavior could dictate the fate of the wild animals. More ethical alternatives where the sharks are not being fed include the Bay of Los Angeles in California, the Maldives, Mozambique, and many others depending on the season.
Siquijor
Often referred to as ‘Siquihorror,’ Siquijor in the Central Visayas Region is known as the mystical island. It’s a small island full of shamans, witches, and magic. Most tourists go for the dreamy waterfalls and the laid-back atmosphere, but locals will often pay a visit to Siqujor in search of love potions, or with the intention of casting a curse on someone, or getting one reversed if they fear one has been casted on them.
It’s a friendly place that you can see most of within just a few days. Read more about it here.
Getting there: The easiest way to reach Siquijor is to fly into Dumaguete and then take a ferry over to Siquijor. Ferries leave multiple times per day and only cost a few dollars.
Stay: Coco Grove
Bantayan Island
An off the beaten path island that is often overlooked by many taking the main tourist trail but conveniently located north east of Cebu. Still a hidden gem, locals will welcome you into their guesthouses with open arms for you to explore powdery, undeveloped white sand beaches, local cafes, fish markets and of course skydiving! Yes, you read that correctly, Bantayan island is home to the only place to skydive in the Philippines and of course we had to try it!
Quick Tip: Although we were there largely to skydive, Bantayan ended up one of our favorite destinations in the Philippines due to the untouched landscape, local food, secluded sands, and of course the friendly Filipino people. Take a bike ride between Santa Fe and the neighboring village and stop off at the local cafes (which are essentially villages houses) and take in the local life sipping on cheap, cold beer. You can thank us later!
How To Get There: Take a taxi to Cebu North bus terminal. Board a bus to Hagnaya (3 and a half hour from Cebu City for $3.62). At the Hagnaya terminal boats to Bantayan island leave every hour up until 4pm and cost $3.85.
Stay: Book your Batayan Island stay here.
Visa Requirements
Always check your visa requirements before entering the country but for most, you can enter the Philippines without a visa for up to 30 days, providing you have evidence of onward travel.
Extending your visa is a simple enough procedure however. You can apply to do so at the Bureau of immigration to allow 59 days. We would recommend not doing this in Manila and opt to extend on one of the smaller islands such as Boracay as the procedure is much more simple and a lot quicker.
Getting around: Luckily, travel in and around the Philippines is relatively inexpensive, though may require some forward planning.
Buses: Many destinations within provinces can be reached by bus, especially in the North and at short notice too should there be availability. All are air conditioned, cheap and some even provide a snack! We recommend an overnight bus as the perfect way to save on accommodation while getting from A to B. What’s not to love!
Jeepneys: Do take a Jeepney when possible! Not only is a good way to sample local transport in a pimped out American armored vehicle but it is also cheap too.
Boats / Ferries: Given the Philippines has some 7,000+ islands, this should be no surprise. Many online agents provide bookings in advance (1 or two days is sufficient) and overnight ferries in particular are comfortable and air conditioned depending on class. You can also buy tickets directly at the port to save on fees, but during holidays expect to have to wait a few days to be able to book!
Flights: Flying between provinces isn’t actually as expensive as it first sounds, should you fly at the right times and between the right destinations. It also allows you to see the archipelago from above too! We think that’s worth the money all by itself.
Taxis: Many city provinces such as Manila and Cebu have taxis, however the cheaper alternative is a tricycle (motorbike with side cart). Tricycles are a great way to zip around and are also considerably cheaper than taxis. Always ask to journey on the meter and it is always worth researching how much they should charge per km to avoid overpricing.
So have you fallen in love with the Philippines yet? These secluded white slices of sand, the clearest waters in the world, the culinary local delights, and the spirit of the Filipino people all make this country one of our favorites in the world. All this, coupled with the relative cheapness to many other similarly beachy destinations and ghe ease of getting around makes it an absolute must visit!
We hope this helped you put together an itinerary and figure out where to go in the Philippines, but please feel free to ask any questions you have in the comments below.
About the Authors: Charlie and Charlotte are the wanderlusting couple behind The Wanderlovers. They have swapped their city life in London for an action packed journey across the globe. Hand in hand, they’re taking on one country at a time and creating a life they don’t wish to escape from! Through their couple’s travel and lifestyle blog they hope to inspire future travellers that anything is possible if you just buy that one way ticket … Go Live!
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Lee says
You missed Legazpi and the Mayon Volcano in Albay.
Kristin says
Good to know! I need to go back 🙂
Michelle says
Hi,
I was wondering whether this is all in order?
I’m planning to follow your itinerary but would skip Manila and Boracay
Kristin says
We’ve moved from north downwards, but generally to access most of these you’ll go somewhere bigger then ferry or fly over to the other spots. Manila and Coron will be the most major hubs 🙂
Darrell says
Boracay is nice but a little crowded nowadays. I wonder if the Spider House is still open.
daniel says
im planing to go to the philippines next year for around 22days. how can i plan it? i was thinking, that when i arrive in manila, i wanted to go to luzon, mt pulag. best way by bus? and at night? any thoughts? and than i wanted to go palawan, boracay. and other places. can you help? thanks.
Kristin says
I’d do a combo of buses, flights, and ferries.
Yumi says
Hi there! May I know how much did you roughly spend for 2 pax for this entire trip? Also what month/s did you go?
Kristin says
I’ve been there twice, usually I can keep my spend under $1500/month there not including flights. I have a budget here: https://www.bemytravelmuse.com/cost-of-traveling-in-philippines/
Andy says
If you had only 3 days to spend in the Philippines (I know it’s too short but this is just a stop on my way home from a business trip D:), what would you say the most efficient way to spend it? All of it just looks so cool!!!
Kristin says
I’d pick one place and enjoy it as much as possible! Perhaps Cebu? It’s got a major airport and some beautiful things to see on the island.
hi says
dont spend just 3 day. the trek is really long from canda/us and the time change is too much for just 3 days
Kimi Soni says
Thank you so much for this!
Gilbert says
To add Chocolate Hills in Bohol 🙂
Kim Hollingshead says
II’m disappointed you are including the whale shark swimming at Oslob. While the post acknowledges that the whale sharks are fed there, it doesn’t make it sound as serious as it is. Feeding the whale sharks is harmful for their nutritional needs and disrupts their migratory patterns. I hope you consider changing this post to discourage people from doing this activity there!
Jenna says
Drama queen
Olivia says
think about the livelihood of these animals and dont call Kim a drama queen.
shaylee says
Hi, i’m travelling a short trip to Philippines in March2019 for 4days 3 nights, from Thursday to Sunday. I will be in Manila on Thursday night and Friday. Planning to travel outskirt on Sat and back Sunday as flying off on Sunday evening… Please advise how should I plan my itinerary. Any recommend? thank you.
nestor dofredo says
such a short time but really, after arriving in Manila , you should arrange or get a flight right into Palawan, Puerto Princessa (is the capital)., from there straight to El Nido it will be a 5 hours drive but scenic view, you can fly straight to El nido from Manila pricey , it is a private airport and airplane to save precious time. .Spend a night and two days for Island hoping, snorkeling and enjoy the old town of El Nido, it is the foothill of granite mountain/ volcanic rock amazing place. White sand, Clear blue water beaches. Enjoy..
harry says
Hi
How many days did you spend in the Philippines? or how many days would you recommend to be able to follow this itinerary if we were miss a couple of the islands out? we probably would be in the Philippines for no longer than 30 days, would this be enough?
Kristin says
I would say about 30 to do this itinerary though it would feel a bit rushed if you didn’t cut one or two things out.
Denise says
Hey! Thank you for this helpful blog. I will be there in April for 2,5 (16 days) weeks. Firstly, we fly to Cebu. But afterwards, we can’t decide. We have several places on our favorite list: El Nido or Coron, Boracay, Bantayan Island and Siargao. Beside spending the last 2-3 days in Cebu, which ones would you say is a must do?
Kristin says
Siargao and coron I think 🙂
zee says
hi I’m planning to go to philipin,me as single women and my 16 year old doughtier pls advise the itinerary u give above is safe for as?, and do we base in manila and go to all this place or book different places pls advice best things for me and my 16 year can do. thank you
Kristin says
This is still a great itinerary! You can start in Manila but these are all different places so you’ll need to move from island to island.
Manuel says
Hello Kristin,
I’m trying to book the Coron to El Nido 4 day tour with Buhay Isla expeditions as you recommended above but I’m having trouble contacting them. I called, emailed and FB messaged them but no response. I’m wondering how you booked your excursion with them. Any suggestions would be helpful.
Regards,
Kristin says
Strange! How long has it been?
Amir says
Im truly disappointed that this itinerary includes the whale shark swim at Oslob while it is scientifically proven the negative impact of this tourist activity on these gentle giants. I always thought BeMyTravelMuse was about sustainable tourism. Please please take that bit out of this text.
Kristin says
I agree actually, we’d debated if we should include this because I don’t like that they’re fed either. I know that there are other opportunities in the Phils to swim with them but I haven’t done them. Have you? I’d like to replace this with something more sustainable. If anyone has ideas and/or has tried another spot LMK!
Amir says
I’m actually kind of relieved that you agree. I was ready to bring more reasons on how them being fed affects their diet and affects their migratory behaviour which in turn has an adverse impact on the ocean’s eco-system. But I will refrain from those now! 🙂 I know there are opportunities to do the whale shark swim in Donsol. The closest access point will be Legazpi. I haven’t done this since there was just not enough time during our trip to philippines. I used to dream about swimming with them and passing on the opportunity to swim with them in Cebu was one of the hardest decisions we made. We will swim with them one day and I will see how giant these gentles are. But I want that day to be eco-friendly and for us not to harm our Planet.
Kristin says
I asked a friend and he also said Donsol! I’m going to do some research and replace Oslob with Donsol – give me a few weeks I’m on the road in the PH now and the internet isn’t always the best!
Anonymous says
Did you read the part where the locals no longer kill the Whale Sharks now because of the tourists? Better they feed them than feed on them.
Amir says
Sure thing! Thanks Kristin! Enjoy PH! 🙂
Rati says
I m planning 5 to 7 days trip for 2 people. And all i want to cover is cebu and palwan. Can both places be covered in 7days? And what will be the approximate expense?
Kristin says
I wouldn’t say all of Palawan is doable in 3-4 days but maybe just El Nido or just Coron, and price totally depends on what kind of accommodation you choose, how you choose to travel between places and what you spend on activities.
Jose and Rachel says
Hi we are planning to travel in August to the Philippines as a family 2 adults 2 children (12 and 6 yrs). Not any ideas yet, but enjoyed reading your blog. Just wondering which places (preferably beach) are good for families? Thank you 🙂
Kristin says
Hi guys, I think anywhere can be great for families, it just depends on how many tourist amenities you want and what you wish to do in each place. I’ve seen families in quite secluded spots and the touristy spots.
Emir says
Hello,
We plan a 10 day trip to philippines between 23 oct – 2 nov 2019 from HK. In order to plan itinerary considering rain season we decided to stay in western islands. As we have already experienced bali and not very excited with whale sharks we skipped cebu/bohol and we have decided for puerto princesa (via manila)-el nido-coron-boracay and back to HK. How does it sound for that season? And how should be the split of total planning in nights: manila 1-pp 1 for river- el nido 3- coron 2- boracay 3 is our plan in mind?
Thanks in advance.
Kristin says
That looks pretty good! I would give Coron more than El Nido, though. I just liked it more. https://www.bemytravelmuse.com/coron-vs-el-nido/
Luca says
Hey, thanks for your tips, they’re very helpful. Can you recommend any motorbikes places/companies to move through Philippines? I heard it is better to rent a scooter than drive a car
Kristin says
Since it’s an archipelago I rented one at each island and there are plenty of places, often at your guesthouse, where you can rent once you get there.
Eric Younger says
Love the post, and all the ideas on where to visit. I am of Filipino heritage, but have never been. AAMOF, my Mother is from Manila, and has not been back since I was born, almost 60 years. And I would love to bring my wife, daughters (they are in their 30’s), and Mom. My question is this, how long of a trip should we plan? Somehow I feel that even two weeks may not enough. Thanks again…
Kristin says
Gosh that’s hard to gauge. Give it as much time as you can is what I’d suggest. There are so many islands, and depending on which currency you’re traveling on, it’s not too expensive, either!
Ankita Sharma says
Hi
I’m planning a trip with my sister from around 10th Dec for 10 days to Philippines, request you to suggest itenary.
We want to cover beaches & also have a good night life throughout.
Kristin says
This itinerary!
Magdalena Olszanska says
Thank you so much guys for sharing your amazing trip and all of the useful info. Your videos are awsome and after 7 years together you still look very much in love.
I wonder how did you manage to get some much time off from the every day life for that amazing trip 🙂
My boyfriend and I would love to follow your footsteps, the only worry we have is the weather.
Do you guys know if from 30/11 till 14/12 it should be all dry or still big chance of rain please?
Thanks a lot,
Magdalena and Neil
Kristin says
It’s not the rainy season, but it’s the tropics so rain can definitely happen any time.
Steven says
Wow this blog is great. Almost all the places we would like to visit….
Even though we have family over there I’m a bit confused where to start first.
We have 23 days to travel around…
The places we would like to see are:
-Arrival in Manila – Maybe overnight stay but then move on
-Baguio City (maybe we need to skip this?)
-Hundred Island (maybe we need to skip this?)
-Rice terrace (maybe we need to skip this?)
-Samar – to visit family 3-4 days (MUST)
-Surigao + Siargao to visit family 3-4 days (MUST)
-Cebu – Kawasan Fall and others? (MUST)
-Bohol – Chocolate Hills, Tarsier Monkey (MUST)
-Palawan (MUST)
-Boracay to relax 3-4 days (MUST)
-Back to Manila and fly back to Europe
We would like to fly or to take the quickest way – is it the best to start from up do down?
how many days would you recommend to stay in each place to see the most important things?
Thank you so much for your help.
Kristin says
Hi Steven, gosh how long you stay is so subjective. You could cut out all but the musts and have a more relaxed journey. Remember that travel days can be long in the Philippines and delays are common. The order looks fine to me!
Steven says
we’ll definitely cut the north..
yes true, loosing time to go from A to B
We’ve been to phil. many times before but only to visit family and never visited the tourist spots.
but maybe we’ll need to plan some places for another year :):)
thx a lot
Kristin says
We replaced the suggestion with one that doesn’t feed the whale sharks. I didn’t personally do the diving, this was a guest post. I think it’s important to talk about the most popular whale shark encounters so that people can make informed decisions, no?
Leaving rude comments on the internet without reading the whole post…shame on you 😉
RAHI GANDHI says
Hi
If I want to do a 7 day travel, where all should I go?
And what would he my budget?
I’m coming from India… So should I got to Manila or cebu or somewhere else first?
Kristin says
Cebu is a good starting point since you’d be close to Moalboal and some nice waterfalls. 7 days is short to try to island hop much. Transport can be a bit tough there.
Hannah says
Hi there, I am planning a 10ish day trip to the Philippines and I had originally planned to do about half in Coron and half in El Nido. Would you reccommend this, or would you say these places are too similar and it would be better to explore other areas of the country? If the latter, is there anywhere close to either that you would reccommend instead?
Kristin says
I think they’re both worth visiting! The PH can be tough to travel around and travel days can be long with lots of delays so I think fewer spots is better.
Natalia says
Hola! Soy Natalia. Tu blog esta muy bien explicado!!!! Quiero ir de vacaciones el año que viene a Filipinas. Quiero estar en: Siargao, Boracay, Coron, El Nido y Cebú. Por cual me conviene empezar para seguir geográficamente el itinerario de viaje desde Manila? Podrías decirme el orden en el que debo hacer el recorrido? Gracias.
Kristin says
El Nido and Coron, then Boracay, Cebu, and Siargao probably makes the most sense 🙂
Jasmin Royena says
Thank you so much for sharing all this wonderful about Philippines it is so appreciated! The country has a slogan “its More Fun inthe Philippines”, because whatever type of travel adventure you’re looking for, you’re bound to discover a fun experience in the Philippines. Thank you again for sharing info’s and your experience would like to travel and experience it! You always have good humor in your post/blog. So much fun and easy to read!
Kristin says
So glad you enjoyed it!
Daniel says
Hi,
First of all, thank you for this detailed information about the Philippines.
Keep it up!
What do you think about this itinerary, was planning to visit next year.
Day 1: Arriving in Manila in the morning, and than take afternoon flight to Coron.
2-3- Coron
4-7- El Nido
8-10- Boracay
11- Cebu, Kawasan Falls
12-15- Siargao
16-18- Bohol
19- Manila, overnight bus to Banaue
20- Banaue – Batad
21- Batad – Sagada
22-23- Sagada
24- Manila- Flight back home.
Thank you
Kristin says
Seems really quick to me! Sometimes ferries can be very delayed and transit takes a while, Just something to consider. There’s not much breathing room in that itinerary.
Daniel says
Thank you.
Where can I add a day or two?
Or which one of them can I take off?
Any help..
Kristin says
that would really be more of a personal choice! I would base it on which place you would prefer to spend more time.
Martha Spicer says
Hi!
Love, love all your information. I do have some questions that you might help us with.
PLEASE!
We are group of four traveling. Ages 62, 63, 64 and 67. We are all adventuresome. However my
husband that is 76 has Parkinson’s disease. He struggles to walk but tries like hell to.
We will be coming from Vietnam to the Philippines. Origination from the US.
Could you recommend an itinerary for a two week trip? Pretend we are your parents 🙂
We will land in Manila but would just like to pass and head out. We are struggling to minimize travel an d
plan a route that limits travel time because of my sick husband. Where to start and where to end.
Our flight home will be out of Manila. Our travel dates are approx April 12 to 27.
Love nature, scooter rides, kayaking. Thanks you soooooo much and travel safe.
Martha, Jeff, Caroline and Marc
Kristin says
I’d pick what looks best to you on this list and do some research into the accessibility. Sorry I can’t be more help, it’s not something I’ve looked into before. I’m thinking a tour operator might be your best bet.