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There are many beautiful islands in the Philippines and I was fortunate enough to see lots of different islands and do many different things. This is just a brief outline of the route I did and what things there are to do in these areas. I have only marked the islands I visited and I have had many people ask me information about the Philippines so I hope this page helps you. My trip included about 6/7 internal flights so be prepared to travel around a lot!

The Philippines is great for adventure and beautiful beaches but not so much food!

Apps you will need

Maps.Me as you can download the place you are in and use it offline however, the Filipino people are some of the friendliest and kindest people I’ve ever met so I am sure they will help you if you are lost.
XE Currency-It is also handy to download a currency app so you can work out how much you are being charged for things.

The local currency is Pesos’s- one thing to note is to make sure you have checked your daily limit of cash with your branch as I had Visa and could withdraw 6000 peso’s at one time where as Master Card could withdraw 10,000. A lot of cash points also don’t like English cards so try as many as you can if you are having problems.

My Route

Manilla

I started off by flying into Manilla which is the capital of the Philippines but didn’t stay there till my last night in the Philippines. Believe what you want to about this place as it has got a lot of bad press on the news for the drug related killings but it is no way near as bad as they make it out to be! I’m not really sure what there is to do here in the day because I only went out in the evening the one night I was there. This city is very clean and pretty, a lot nicer than Bangkok!

Things to do

We went to a secret bar in the back of a 7/11 store which was pretty cool called The Bunk. You just find the secret door the with bouncer, he looks you up and down and decided whether you’re let in or not! Dress code is pretty strict, no open toes or flip-flops! Location: Ground Floor, RCBC Savings Bank Corporate Center, 26th and 25th Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City. Some more secret bars and clubs can be found in link below.

Click Here

We also went to a rooftop bar called The Penthouse 8747. 1920’s themed and really good view!

Boracay

To get to the party island of the Philippines I flew into Kalibo and got a taxi, then a boat, then another taxi to my hotel on the north part of the island.

The best places to go out on the island are at station 1 and 2. We never made it down to station 3 but apparently it wasn’t worth our time.

Things to do in Boracay

Ariel’s Point – A day trip on a boat to Ariel’s point, with snorkelling, paddle boarding and the cliff jumping.

Spider Bar – A really cool bar at the end of the beach once you’ve walked round the cliff edges and you will find this remote restaurant with a jump off and its own floating wooden raft. Cheap and nice food and a lader down to the sea if you don’t want to jump.

If you walk from station 1 down the beach towards the other stations there are many good restaurants and bars which all have seating on the beach with so many fire shows going on around you.

Cebu

On my first day there we went to ‘Tops’ which is a beautiful look out over the whole city. From Cebu city we got a two-hour ferry over to Bohol for the day. In Bohol there is a lot to do so make sure you get the early ferry over because the last ferry back is around 6pm.

Things to do in Bohol

Loboc River tour
Chocolate Hills
Butterfly Sanctuary
Tarsier Monkey Sanctuary ( smallest monkeys in the world)
Baclayon Church
Nova Shell Museum Panglao
Alona Beach
Danao Beach
Hinagdanan Cave
Mag-Aso Falls Antequera

Oslob

I then got a taxi south of the island to Oslob where me and my sister swam with the Whale Sharks. I checked prices online and they were charging 6000 Peso (£98) and when we arrived they were charging between 1500-2000 peso (£30) for tourists. Please don’t think they are trying to rip you off charging the locals cheaper rates, the Filipino people earn less money than we do so that is why they have different rates.

They only take cash and the nearest cash point is about half an hour away. If your card works that is, as certain cash points don’t accept English cards. Be sure to get a locker because all you will need on the boat is your self in your swimming costume and your camera. The boats are tiny so no room to put any belonging. The whole activity takes about an hour in total so it is definitely something you can do in one morning. We were advised to get there in the morning/early afternoon as that is when most sharks appear. Donsol is another area where Whale Sharks can be found.

Moalboal

We then got in the taxi again to Moalboal, which is south-west of the island of Cebu. Moalboal is incredible for diving and snorkelling to see turtles, millions of sardines and some great reefs. You can pay to be on a boat as a tour but we had 10 people and we hired a boat with a driver and they took us to the same places as the tours go, just on our time. We left at 6am as this is the best time to see dolphins. Pleasure Principle was one of the nicest places to eat in this tiny town, slightly higher in price than others but worth every penny.

From here I got a taxi to Kawasan Falls, by far the most amount of fun you can have outside of your comfort zone. 5 girls with 2 guides ( who were 18) in helmets, life jackets, bikinis and wet shoes. The Canyoneering is hard, it is hiking, it is jumping off high rocks into pools of water, it is climbing over rocks and testing your fitness. I cut my knee, I hit my foot on the bottom and my arms were shaking half the time but it is incredible. Save battery on your GroPro for the end waterfall, it takes 3 hours to do this trek down the waterfall to reach the end so be prepared. To do the swing and slide at the bottom you will need cash, to buy a drink or chicken on a BBQ at the top of the waterfalls you will need cash, if you don’t want to do any of this you wont need anything! Lunch/ Dinner is included but it is at a home-stay and the food is..different.

Palawan

To get to the famous El Nido we had to fly into Puerto Princesa airport on the island of Palawan. Once you arrive here there are shops outside the airport that can book your transport up to El Nido. depending on the time you arrive, you might have to travel in the morning as it takes 6 hours to get there. I stayed at a very nice hotel called Paboreal Boutique Hotel which is a 5 minute cab from the airport.
Kalui restaurant was amazing food, just make sure you book before.

Two hours into the trip from Puerto Princesa to El Nido there is the Subterranean River UNESCO world heritage site. This is a must see but it is a long trip. It takes about 5 hours from start to finish with all the queuing for boats and waiting your turn due to the whole of China visiting on the same day as you but it is worth it. Tour guide picked us up from our hotel, took us here, then onto El Nido which only takes 4 hours from here but you still arrive in El Nido about 11pm.

El Nido

The bus from Puerto Princesa is horrendous, it is bumpy and not pleasant at all. Make sure you have a neck pillow, plenty of water and snacks! El Nido doesn’t have good wi-fi, if any so this means a lot of hotels and hostels aren’t on the internet in which case you have to get a number and call them. Make sure you make a reservation as this is a tiny town and gets full very quickly! There is also only two cash points in El Nino so make sure you have plenty on you before you get there.

Things to do in El Nido

Tour A & C island hoping. These are the only tours worth doing, I booked with Midnight Sun Day Tours and would highly recommend them. Trip includes Small Lagoon, Big lagoon, Secret Lagoon, Shimizu Island,7 Commando Beach, Helicopter island, Matin Loc Shrine,Secret Beach, Star Beach and Hidden Beach. Bring cash for drinks and Canoe’s.
Las Casbanas Beach, has the famous island to island Zip- Wire across the ocean.
Secret beach, beware of the sand flies!
Massage’s and nails are very good here.

El Nido was the most incredible place I’ve ever been too!

Philippine Island Help Guide