Asia · Touring guide
Island choice, internal travel and remarkable beaches, with the route doing the hard work.
Is it right for you?
A strong fit for
Island hopping, diving and adventure.
We would think twice for
Anyone on a tight schedule or a first long-haul trip, because Philippine logistics involve internal flights, boats and weather margins, and the country rewards travellers who build slack into the plan.
What we would want you to know
Too many islands create too much airport and ferry time.
We’ve been here
We have travelled in the Philippines ourselves, from Manila and Cebu to Bohol and El Nido on Palawan, and the trip left us with a firm rule for anyone going: fewer islands, longer stays, and a spare night before the long flight home. It is a country of warm welcomes and complicated logistics, and planning carefully around the second is what lets you enjoy the first.
The route
Night 1
Land, sleep near the airport and keep the evening free. After the long journey and the time difference, an early night before the first domestic flight is the best plan.
Nights 2 to 4
Lakes, lagoons and wrecks: a boat day around Coron Island for Kayangan Lake, a snorkel or dive over the wartime wrecks, and the climb up Mount Tapyas for sunset over the bay.
Nights 5 to 8
The boat across to El Nido runs in the calmer months and turns a travel day into a scenic one. Spend three days on the lagoons and beaches, ideally on a private boat that leaves before the crowds.
Nights 9 to 13
A full travel day to Bohol for something gentler: the Chocolate Hills and tarsiers inland, a slow lunch on the Loboc River, and snorkelling trips out to Balicasag from Panglao.
Night 14
Back to the capital the day before the flight home, because domestic delays are common and storms can close airports. A spare afternoon suits a walk around Intramuros.
An idea to react to, not a fixed package. We shape the real thing around your dates, your pace and what the flights are doing that season.
Map and stops
The capital's traffic is notorious, so we treat Manila as a one-night stop to break the journey, usually in Makati or Bonifacio Global City, where hotels, malls and restaurants cluster within reach of the airport. With a spare day, Intramuros, the old walled city, is worth a guided half day. Allow far longer on the roads than the map suggests.
A small town at the northern tip of Palawan facing Bacuit Bay, whose limestone islands shelter the lagoons that made the Philippines famous. Boats leave the town beach each morning on set island-hopping routes. The town itself is cramped and busy, and power and water can falter, so many people stay on the beaches outside it, such as Corong Corong, or out at Nacpan.
A harbour town on Busuanga island, facing the jagged limestone of Coron Island with its lakes and lagoons, and surrounded by Second World War wrecks that draw divers from around the world. The town is functional rather than pretty, and the airport is a fair drive away. It pairs naturally with El Nido by boat in the calmer months.
An island of rice fields, old stone churches and the Chocolate Hills, with most hotels on Panglao, a smaller island joined by bridges and home to the international airport. It is gentler and more family-friendly than Palawan, with easy days out inland. Alona Beach, the busy centre, gets crowded, so a quieter beach elsewhere on Panglao usually suits better.
A laid-back dive village on Cebu's south-west coast, where the sardine shoal and turtles are a short swim from the shore and a coral wall drops away just beyond. Places to stay are simple and friendly, and evenings are low-key. It is a long road from Cebu's airport, and the shore at Panagsama is rocky rather than sandy.
A small island famous for the powder-white sand of White Beach, closed for six months in 2018 for a clean-up and now run with visitor caps, fees and strict beach rules. It is the most polished and resort-like of the islands, with easy restaurants and sunset sailing. It is also crowded and commercial, and from June to October the south-west monsoon sends waves and seaweed onto White Beach.
A teardrop-shaped island on the Pacific edge, known for the Cloud 9 surf break and a relaxed, barefoot scene of cafés and small resorts around General Luna. Beyond surfing there are island-hopping days and mangrove lagoons. It sits far from the other island groups, so it rarely fits a first trip alongside Palawan, and its east-facing coast takes heavy rain in winter.
Weather and seasons
The Philippines runs on two monsoons and a typhoon belt, so the right month depends on the islands. On Palawan's west coast, around El Nido, the settled spell runs from January to April: March sees only about 6mm of rain, April highs reach 33°C, and the lagoons lie glassy. From June the south-west monsoon turns the sea choppy, and August averages about 355mm, with island tours cancelled on rough days. Typhoons cross Luzon and the Visayas most often from July to October, though storms have struck as late as December. Siargao, facing the Pacific, is wettest in winter and drier through the northern summer. Holy Week fills flights, ferries and beaches with Filipino families.
Worth timing a trip around
Cebu's great festival for the Santo Niño, the Child Jesus, peaks on the third Sunday of January with a day-long parade of dancers and drums. City hotels fill early.
Near Boracay, the town of Kalibo honours the Santo Niño in mid-January with face-painted street dancing and drumming, a festival with centuries-old roots.
Semana Santa is the country's biggest holiday. Many businesses close from Maundy Thursday to Easter Sunday, and beaches, ferries and flights fill with Filipino families, so book early or avoid it.
The autumn swells bring international surf competitions to Cloud 9, usually in October or November, and General Luna fills with surfers and spectators, so rooms need booking well ahead.
Christmas decorations appear from September, and for the nine days before Christmas churches hold dawn masses, with star-shaped parol lanterns glowing in windows across the country.
| Month | High | Low | Sea | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31°C | 24°C | 28°C | 33 mm |
| February | 31°C | 24°C | 27°C | 16 mm |
| March | 32°C | 24°C | 28°C | 6 mm |
| April | 33°C | 26°C | 29°C | 37 mm |
| May | 33°C | 26°C | 30°C | 114 mm |
| June | 32°C | 25°C | 30°C | 270 mm |
| July | 32°C | 25°C | 29°C | 400 mm |
| August | 32°C | 25°C | 29°C | 355 mm |
| September | 32°C | 25°C | 29°C | 410 mm |
| October | 32°C | 25°C | 29°C | 260 mm |
| November | 32°C | 25°C | 29°C | 135 mm |
| December | 32°C | 25°C | 28°C | 100 mm |
Temperatures are 2015 to 2024 averages from NOAA records for Puerto Princesa, 174 km away at 22 m. Rainfall is from the GPCC rain-gauge analysis (Deutscher Wetterdienst) for 2010 to 2019 and shows the typical (median) month, so one freak storm does not skew it. Sea temperatures: NOAA OISST, 1991 to 2020.
| Month | High | Low | Sea | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30°C | 24°C | 28°C | 169 mm |
| February | 30°C | 24°C | 27°C | 86 mm |
| March | 31°C | 25°C | 28°C | 53 mm |
| April | 32°C | 25°C | 29°C | 58 mm |
| May | 33°C | 26°C | 30°C | 121 mm |
| June | 33°C | 25°C | 30°C | 197 mm |
| July | 32°C | 25°C | 30°C | 240 mm |
| August | 32°C | 25°C | 29°C | 210 mm |
| September | 32°C | 25°C | 30°C | 195 mm |
| October | 32°C | 25°C | 30°C | 233 mm |
| November | 31°C | 25°C | 29°C | 118 mm |
| December | 31°C | 25°C | 28°C | 153 mm |
Temperatures are 2015 to 2024 averages from NOAA records for Mactan Cebu Intl, 10 km away at 9 m. Rainfall is from the GPCC rain-gauge analysis (Deutscher Wetterdienst) for 2010 to 2019 and shows the typical (median) month, so one freak storm does not skew it. Sea temperatures: NOAA OISST, 1991 to 2020.
| Month | High | Low | Sea | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30°C | 23°C | 28°C | 1024 mm |
| February | 30°C | 23°C | 28°C | 414 mm |
| March | 31°C | 24°C | 28°C | 220 mm |
| April | 32°C | 24°C | 29°C | 121 mm |
| May | 33°C | 25°C | 29°C | 58 mm |
| June | 33°C | 25°C | 30°C | 166 mm |
| July | 32°C | 25°C | 29°C | 115 mm |
| August | 33°C | 25°C | 29°C | 47 mm |
| September | 33°C | 25°C | 29°C | 174 mm |
| October | 32°C | 24°C | 29°C | 279 mm |
| November | 31°C | 24°C | 29°C | 539 mm |
| December | 30°C | 24°C | 28°C | 593 mm |
Temperatures are 2015 to 2024 averages from NOAA records for Surigao, 72 km away at 55 m. Rainfall is from the GPCC rain-gauge analysis (Deutscher Wetterdienst) for 2010 to 2019 and shows the typical (median) month, so one freak storm does not skew it. Sea temperatures: NOAA OISST, 1991 to 2020.
Things to do
The Big and Small Lagoons on Miniloc Island, entered by kayak between sheer limestone walls, are the heart of El Nido's island tours. Entry is limited each day, so book the tour that includes them ahead, and set off as early as the boats allow.
A clear, still lake on Coron Island, reached by a steep stairway that passes the famous viewpoint over the lagoon below. The water is deep, so weaker swimmers should wear a life jacket, and an early start beats the tour boats.
A Japanese supply fleet sunk by an American air raid in September 1944 lies in the bays around Coron, now crusted with coral. Most wrecks are for qualified divers, but a few lie shallow enough for snorkellers to make out.
More than a thousand grassy, almost symmetrical mounds spread across inland Bohol, turning brown in the dry season, which is how they got their name. The main viewing deck is up a steep flight of steps; go in the late afternoon, when it is cooler.
Among the smallest primates on earth, with enormous eyes and a nervous temperament. See them at the conservation sanctuary in Corella, where they live free in the forest, rather than at roadside enclosures; whisper, and never use flash.
Millions of sardines form a shifting shoal just off Panagsama, a short swim from the shore with a mask and fins, and turtles are often seen nearby. Wear reef-safe sun cream and never touch or chase the turtles.
The walled Spanish city at the heart of old Manila, with San Agustin Church, the oldest stone church in the country, and Fort Santiago, where the national hero José Rizal was held before his execution in 1896. A guided walk brings it to life.
A paddle boat trip into a river that flows through caves beneath limestone hills before meeting the sea, lit only by the guide's lamp. Daily permits are limited and must be booked ahead, and it makes a long day from Puerto Princesa.
Cloud 9's reef break is for experienced surfers only, but gentler breaks nearby suit beginners, with instructors and boards for hire along the coast. The biggest swells arrive from about September to November.
Terraces carved into the Cordillera mountains of northern Luzon by the Ifugao people over centuries, and listed by UNESCO. The overland journey from Manila is long, so they need three or four days and suit travellers with time to spare.
Food and drink
Chicken or pork simmered in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, bay leaves and black pepper until the sauce turns glossy. Every family has its own version, and it tastes better the next day.
A whole pig roasted over charcoal until the skin shatters. Cebu's version is stuffed with lemongrass, garlic and spices, so it needs no sauce, and it appears at every celebration.
A sour soup sharpened with tamarind, with pork or prawns, radish, green beans and water spinach, eaten with plenty of rice. Comfort food for rainy days.
Raw fish cured in vinegar or calamansi with ginger, onion and chilli, the Visayan cousin of ceviche. Best on the coast, where the fish was caught that morning.
Shaved ice layered with sweet beans, jellies, fruit, purple yam and leche flan, topped with evaporated milk. The name means mix-mix, so stir before you eat.
Chopped pork, including the crisp cheeks and ears, served sizzling on a hot plate with onion, chilli and calamansi, often with an egg cracked on top. A bar snack from Pampanga, north of Manila.
Money
On the ground the Philippines is good value; the costs sit in the joins. Every island change means an internal flight or a boat, a transfer and much of a day, so a three-island trip costs noticeably more than two. El Nido's island resorts price like the postcards, while simpler beach hotels are cheap. Money is well spent on a private boat for the lagoons, which lets you go early and dodge the crowds, and on a spare night near the airport before flying home.
Flights and transfers
There is no direct UK flight, so it is one stop to Manila or Cebu through a Gulf or Asian hub, then internal flights onward. The journey is long and the connections deserve generous margins, which is exactly the kind of routing we plan for a living.
Flights from UK airports
Route check September 2026. Some routes are seasonal and schedules change, so we confirm the live options when we quote.
Practical details
8 hours ahead of the UK in winter, 7 hours in summer
Philippine peso (₱)
Filipino and English; English is widely spoken
Type A, B and C, 220V
On the right
Not safe to drink; use bottled or filtered water
Around 10 percent where no service charge is added; boat crews and guides appreciate tips
Entry for British passport holders
Visa. No visa needed for stays of up to 30 days. Register on the free eTravel system within 72 hours of arrival and keep the QR code, because airlines may ask for it at check-in.
Passport. Valid for at least 6 months after you arrive.
The FCDO advises against all travel to western and central Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago, and all but essential travel to the rest of Mindanao except Camiguin, Dinagat and Siargao. The places we suggest on this page were outside those areas when we checked, and we check the advice again before every booking.
Summarised from the FCDO travel advice on gov.uk, checked 29 September 2026. Rules change: read the current entry requirements and the full travel advice before you go.
Questions we get asked
Two island groups comfortably, three at a stretch. Every move between them costs most of a day in transfers, flights or boats, and the weather can add delays. For a first trip we like Palawan, split between Coron and El Nido, with Bohol or Cebu, plus a night in Manila at each end if the flights need it.
El Nido for the classic lagoons, beaches and a wider choice of places to stay; Coron for lakes, snorkelling and Second World War wreck diving. They are linked by boat in the calmer months, so on a two-week trip we usually suggest both, with three or four nights in each.
Yes, with care. Typhoons most often cross Luzon and the Visayas between July and October, and flights and ferries stop when one approaches, sometimes for two days or more. At that time of year we build a spare day into the route, keep connections generous and insist on travel insurance that covers weather disruption.
We did it ourselves, and we no longer include it. The whale sharks there are fed by boatmen every morning to keep them close to shore for visitors, and researchers have raised concerns about the effect on their behaviour and migration. Moalboal's sardine run and turtles, on the island's other coast, make a far better morning in the water.
Often, yes. Long-haul arrivals rarely line up neatly with domestic departures, and a missed connection can cost a day of the trip. One night near the airport on the way out, and another before the flight home, protects the holiday from domestic delays. With good timings, some routes can connect straight through.
For an easy beach holiday, yes. Since its clean-up in 2018 the island has caps on visitor numbers, stricter rules on the beach and cleaner water. It remains busy and commercial, though: better for restaurants, sunsets and comfort than for anyone looking for a quiet island.
Photographs
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