With more than 7500 islands, the Philippines is one of the world’s largest archipelago. Not surprisingly, it’s home to some of the most populous and diverse ecosystems, which make it the perfect destination for diving and snorkelling, or just marvelling at the crystalline water while lying on the beach.
Even though choosing only a few of those many islands is not an easy task, my girlfriend and I chose to visit a large part of Palawan (from Coron to Puerto Princesa) and Bohol, ending up on an island “off the beaten track”, Siquijor. The highlight of our journal was definitely the 4-day island expedition between Coron and El Nido, an unforgettable experience.
As it was a couple’s vacation, we were mainly looking to relax and we went there between the end of January and the beginning of February (3 weeks) – a great choice considering that the majority of the Philippines have their dry season from November to April. However, this is the peak season.
I strongly believe that this was a perfect itinerary, and it will help those who are planning to be in the country for three weeks. I hope you’ll follow my steps and have the same memorable experience we had, with a mix of adventure and relaxation. Let’s start!
- Arriving in Manila
- 4 days in Coron
- Where to eat in Coron
- 4 days Island expedition
- 2 days in El Nido
- Where to eat in El Nido
- 2 days in Port Barton
- Where to eat in Port Barton
- 1 Night in Cebu City
- Where to eat in Cebu City
- 4 days in Bohol
- 3 days in Siquijor
- Where to eat in Siquijor
Arriving in Manila
Manila is the start and endpoint for most travellers. The bustling capital city hosts the main airport, which makes it the easiest and cheapest option for your arrival. However, influenced by negative reviews, we decided not to visit the city. Nevertheless, since we landed at 11 pm, we spent one night in a hotel right in front of the airport. The next day, craving our first dip into the turquoise water of the Philippines, we decided to take the first flight available to Coron.
4 days in Coron
The flight from Manila to Coron is about one hour and a half long – you will land in Busuanga Island. After landing, a 30-minute taxi or minivan ride will take you from the airport to Coron Town, where most accommodations are located. We stayed at the Fat Monkey Hostel, about 7 minutes away from the town but surrounded by a cute garden with hammocks. The fare for a tricycle from the hostel to the town is only PHP 20 ($ 0.40).
As soon as you arrive, I guess all you’ll want to do is chill out on a beach. Unfortunately, there aren’t any near Coron Town, but you could relax at the Maquinit hot spring. Alternatively, you can take a short hike to Mt. Tapyas to admire the awesome sunset.
On the first day, we spent a little time doing a search for the next day tour. There are two most popular tours:
- Ultimate Island Hopping Tour – it costs around PHP 1500 and you’ll visit the Kayangan Lake, the Barracuda Lake, the Twin Lagoon, the Coral Garden, and a beach where you’ll stop for lunch.
- Coron Islands Escapade Tour – it’s slightly more expensive as the journey is much longer. In fact, it takes 1 hour and a half to reach Bulog Dos Island, the first destination. Then you’ll stop at Banana Island and Malcapuya island.
Both tour prices include entrance fees, lunch, and snorkelling gear. However, I wouldn’t recommend you take these tours – even if they are considered cheap, you will rush all day, spending only 30 minutes in each spot, and sharing them with many other people.
I’ll tell you right now how to beat the crowd. First of all, you need to book a private tour – you’ll have the boat all for yourself, spend as long as you wish on each spot, and you’ll be able to pick your own itinerary. It should cost around PHP 2800 per boat, which is very convenient if you are a couple or with a few friends. However, the price is not inclusive of entrance fees (around PHP 200 for each site) and lunch. You can buy some fish or vegetables at the market nearby just before you leave and the guide will cook for you on the boat.
That said, you can now split the Ultimate Island Hopping Tour between two days to have more time to enjoy the wonders of Twin Lagoon, Kayangan, and Barracuda lakes. One more tip: leave as early as you can and visit the sights while everybody else is having their lunch break. You can take your break later on, around 14:30, preferably at Smith Beach, which will probably be empty and all for yourself.
On your fourth day in Coron, pay a visit to the further islands of Malcapuya and Bulog Dos Islands – they are impressive and totally worth it.
Bulog Dos Island Malcapuya Island Malcapuya Island
Where to eat in Coron
I don’t know about you, but the food is a quintessential part of my travel experience, and unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed and not impressed with the Filipino cuisine. However, I’ve been able to find some places where to eat decent food.
- Levine’s Eatery – don’t judge this restaurant from the entrance and the visible kitchen, wait till you get to the rooftop on the 3rd floor. The view is really nice! Go there for sunset and order pork sisig, a traditional Filipino dish served on a sizzling plate. Many vegan options are available from the menu.
- Lobster King – Very basic restaurant recommended by the locals and where you can choose your fresh lobster from the tank. Ask for it to be served without garlic sauce though, I personally found it too strong. Alternatively, the crab is also a good choice. The food here takes a while to be ready, so be patient. You won’t regret it!
- Trattoria Altrove – wood-fired oven pizza! What else? you’ll probably be asked to queue a bit before seating. They also have another restaurant in El Nido with the same menu.
4 Days island expedition
This was undoubtedly the best part of our trip, a mixture of adventure and relaxation around deserted islands.
If you are travelling to El Nido from Coron and vice versa, you have two options: either the fast boat (around 5 hours), or the slow boat (around 9 hours). Fortunately, we discovered another option: a 4 day and 3-night island expedition. This way, you’ll visit some of those islands between Coron and El Nido, which are not reachable on a day tour from either town.
Among the companies that provide this solution, we choose Buhay Isla, which gave us a memorable experience, letting us visit numerous remote islands, sleep in a tent and cabanas, sing in front of a bonfire, cliff jump and snorkel – all this inclusive of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. All you need to worry about is to relax and enjoy yourself. Bear in mind that you will be disconnected from the rest of the world, without electricity and internet, and you’ll have just a cold bucket of water to shower, in proper Robinson Crusoe style. It was an absolute once in a lifetime experience! Did I mention that Buhay Isla is also one of the cheapest of its kind? That’s right, and the groups are usually smaller than other companies, around 15 people max. Also, they provide a variety of different packages – 5 days, 4 days, or 3 days. Booking in advance is a must.
2 Days in El Nido
I know, 2 days in El Nido is not much. However, Coron and El Nido have numerous similarities, which is why you should spend less time in El Nido because it’s more expensive and more touristy than Coron. El Nido has a bigger town and probably more tours to do but, after the previous island expedition, you must be tired of getting on and off boats. You can spend your first day on the mainland, where you can visit some nice beaches. 40 minutes away from the town there’s the golden 3 km long Nacpan Beach. If you want to go further, head to the lonely Duli Beach and, on your way back, go watch the sunset at Las Cabanas, located at the southern end of Marimegmeg Beach, very close to the town. On your second day, you can join a tour and explore the famous Big Lagoon and Small Lagoon.
Small Lagoon Las Cabanas Miniloc Island
Where to eat in El Nido:
- Happiness Beach Bar – It offers delicious Mediterranean food: their hummus with falafel is a must, made with local and fresh ingredients. Enjoy your meal whilst swinging at the bar!
- Trattoria Altrove – wood-fired oven pizza! What else? you’ll probably be asked to queue a bit before seating. They also have another restaurant in Coron with the same menu.
2 days in Port Barton
Port Barton is a sleepy fishing village often skipped by travellers but not by those on a budget – life here is slower and cheaper compared to El Nido. In fact, tours and accommodations cost half price. The easiest way to get to Port Barton from El Nido is by van. Get one in the early morning as it takes about 4.5 hours and it costs PHP 660 ($12). When you arrive, pick one of the many rustic accommodations near the main beach; then, you can visit the White Beach, a long fluffy white sand beach surrounded by palm trees and hammocks. Get there by scooter but be careful, the road is not in very good condition. Alternatively, you can get a boat from the main beach. Spend your second night at Prince John Resort, a lonely lodging with front beach bungalows and a restaurant. John will personally pick you up with his boat at the main beach and take you away from everything else. Once there, you can either relax or explore other near beaches by kayak.
The friendly and laid-back atmosphere in Port Barton is still very much alive but unfortunately, it is inevitable that change will come soon and transform this hidden gem into a place suitable for mass tourism.
Where to eat in Port Barton:
- Gorgonzola – don’t hesitate to sit at this fantastic venue. Gorgonzola is a vegetarian pizzeria, their pizzas are huge and can feed up to 3/4 people.
1 night in Cebu City
It is time to move forward and spend a full day travelling, starting from another 3.5-hour van ride from Port Barton to Puerto Princesa, which is the main town of Palawan. Not much to do here, except fly from its handy airport.
The flight to Cebu City takes a little more than one hour. From the airport, take a taxi to the city centre to find accommodation. We stayed at the Mad Monkey Hostel, a fancy hostel with an infinity pool on the rooftop.
There is a lot going on in Cebu Island, but since we were more attracted by Bohol, the day after we decided to take the first ferry there.
Where to eat in Cebu City:
- House of Lechon – when in Cebu, you can’t miss the chance to try lechon, a specialty around this area. Lechon is nothing but a suckling pig, the meat is incredibly tender and moist, and the skin so delightfully crispy. You can order a quarter of a kilo or a whole kilo to share at this colourful ambience of this restaurant.
4 days in Bohol
The main reason why we chose Bohol is to have a little break from the beach. Bohol boasts odd landscapes such as Chocolate Hills, the lush greens of Loboc River, and the tarsier, one of the smallest mammals in the world.
The first thing to do when you arrive in Bohol is to rent a scooter, which is essential to be autonomous and visit the whole island.
Spend the first day and night in Panglao, a small island connected to Bohol by bridges. by the beautiful beaches of Palawan, once we arrived in Panglao we weren’t impressed. Nevertheless, Panglao is close to the pier and has plenty of accommodations. We picked a random one and straight after we headed to Alona Beach for a very cheap massage in front of the sea.
On the second day, you can kindly ask your accommodation receptionist to keep your backpack for a few days and pack your small bag with the essential for 3 days. The first stop will be the tarsier sanctuary, 45 minutes from Panglao, where you can watch this cute animal in its natural habitat. After that, keep going for almost 1 hour in the middle of the island and you will finally head to Chocolate Hills. This is a very popular and touristy spot but I’m sure that the beauty of this unusual and unique landscape will enchant you. Come here for sunset to avoid the crowd, and enjoy the show. Then, spend the night at Villa del Carmen Bed and Breakfast, very close to Chocolate Hills. The venue looks like a chalet, run by a lovely family who will set your dinner on a sharing table in the living room.
On your third day, you could make a quick pit stop at the Pilar rice terraces on your way to Anda. They are not the most scenic terraces ever but if you’ve never seen one it’s worth a stop. After 1 hour and a half, you’ll arrive in Anda, which blissfully lays on the eastern side of the island. This area has many secluded beaches and cave pools, the most beautiful of which is called Cabagnow. In Anda, you can find budget accommodations, but I’m sure you won’t regret spending a bit more and treating yourself to the J&R Residence. Here, I had one of the best massages of my life, right on top of a cliff.
On your last day, ride your scooter for a couple of hours along the coast towards the Loboc River, but before getting there, pay a visit to Bilar Man-Made Forest, one of the most Instagrammable spots of Bohol.
Spend your last night at Fox & The Firefly Cottages – you will definitely love these beautiful cottages on the riverbank, offering a nice view of the surrounding area, great food, cool vibes, and also SUP tours to explore the enchanting Loboc River.
3 days in Siquijor
As for the last destination, we chose an island off the beaten track: Siquijor!
A mystic tiny island with great beaches, waterfalls, and some of the best sunsets of the Philippines. What makes this place so special is also its locals, who still believe and practice black magic, witchcraft, and shamanism.
Once in Siquijor, after a 2-hour boat ride from Bohol, you can rent a scooter at the pier. The best sites to see are: the Cambugahay Falls, a stunning waterfall with different pools and rope swings to make your visit fun; Paliton Beach, a withe sand beach with starfish, a great spot for sunset; and Salagdoong Beach, famous for its epic cliff jump into the turquoise water.
To get the most of these incredible attractions, it’s advisable to distribute them over 2 days. As for the accomodation, I suggest booking a tent at the Glamping Siquijor for 2 nights. This is a unique accommodation providing big tents situated under the palms and right in front of the beach – seriously hard to beat! The luxury tents are fan-cooled and fitted with comfortable beds and power sockets. Simple but effective.
Finally, celebrate your last day at Coco Grove Beach Resort, certainly the best accommodation on the island. Book one of the rooms or bungalows dotted around its tropical garden. Coco Grove is located on an 800-meter private beach where you have the chance to snorkel in the Tubod Marine Sanctuary, a pretty healthy coral reef with plenty of parrotfish and clownfish (aka Nemo). Alternatively, they also organise tours to Apo Island, a sea turtle conservation area.
Where to eat in Siquijor:
- Baha Bar – an adorable place with a chill vibe and live music. The menu offers classic Filipino as well as international dishes.
- Marco Polo – a casual Italian restaurant with a wide pasta and pizza selection.
Back to Manila
First, you need to take a ferry to Dumaguete, and from there, take the flight to Manila. Dumaguete-Sibulan airport is quite close to the pier. You should be able to fly back home from Manila on the same day, as we did.
Final thoughts
Feel free to comment below if you need to know anything else or you think I missed something.
I hope this itinerary will help you plan your future trip to the Pearl of the Orient sea, where I’ve seen some of the best beaches in my life. Not to mention that the Philippines have much more to offer, such as volcanoes, mountains, and so many hikes.
The country is also very safe and Filipinos are incredibly kind and always happy to help you.
What are you waiting for? Paradise awaits!
