Philippines island hopping package itinerary tour and price

Philippines Island Hopping Package Itinerary Tour And Price private is better

Why an island hopping tour through Palawan?

El Nido and Coron are famous for their island hopping boat tours (for which we provide private custom tours as well), and the spots are truly magnificent, but they are inundated with tourists and there are 52 paradise white sand beach islands between the two and which are mostly almost empty and only occasionally frequented by one of the multiday boat tours.

Philippines Island Hopping Package Itinerary Tour And Price Palawan

Most visitors are not aware of this and simply take the ferry between the two, missing all the jewels in between. Budget travelers can join a group, or the more savvy can hire their own boat, so that they can go at their own pace, to where their preferences lie, and without the intrusion of strangers. Either way, just contact us and we’ll find the perfect solution for you.

Philippines Island Hopping Package Itinerary Tour And Price group tour

Private tours are ideal for romantic couples who want their own space away from the crowds, whereby we’ve actually organized a few marriage proposal tours! Or for families, or a group of friends. You can even meet people on your way to form your own group and reduce per person costs, as birds of a feather flock together, because if you are forced to move to the next location based on a set schedule and spend time with people you do not know, there is a chance it will end up less than a perfect experience.

Philippines Island Hopping Package Itinerary Tour with group you know

You can check out our standard island hopping itinerary, which of course you can alter according to your tastes. Most of the time though, it is sufficient to just say what your general preferences are and your boatman will choose something for you, as they live in the area and have been captaining these tours for decades.

Philippines Island Hopping Package Itinerary Tour on remote beaches

You can also choose from a wide range of accommodation, from ultra top class resorts (mostly around Coron and El Nido), to a modest hotel with aircon, to a hut with fan on an island beach, to camping in tent on a secluded beach, or even camping on your own, deserted island. The world is your oyster! Again, you can choose specifically which places you’d like to stay at, or just state your general preferences and your boatman will pick out something based on his own experiences. The key to a successful vacation is to relax stress free.

Philippines Island Hopping Package Tour types of accommodation

Our tours include three square meals a day of your preference (fresh local fruits and seafood if you like), snacks, softdrinks and water, a welcome case of beer gratis (or if you prefer a bottle of wine – lots of shops selling drinks along the way), accommodation and entrance fees. Generally for around $2,500 for a four day tour for two people. Prices depend on the number of people and number of days, but you can use our calculator on our main page or contact us for specific details. You also have the option to rent a speargun, kayaks, wakesurf board and wakeboard, while some of our boatmen have a longboard.

Philippines Island Hopping Package Itinerary Tour And Price to explore remote beaches

And finally we should mention that Palawan was voted the most beautiful island in the world, for two years in a row, and the area having the clearest waters in the world. So you can imagine the snorkeling is absolutely awesome, with a wide variety of beautiful coral reefs. And in case you get bored of that or enjoying white sand beaches to yourselves, there is cliff diving into the sea, some caves to explore and jungle trails to remote villages to venture. The idea of a vacation to forget about work and let yourself get lost in the beauty of paradise.

Philippines Island Hopping Tour And Price coral reefs and clear water

If you would be interested in a stress free vacation, off the beaten path, away from the tourist crowds and to explore this beautiful part of the world at your own pace, just send us a note through our contact form so that we can begin to formulate the best possible tour for you.

Palawan-boat-toursExperience the thrill of island hopping in the Philippines

Boat operator Jennifer

jennifer's boat

Another boat operator based in Sibaltan, Jennifer has 8 years experience managing several boats and is proud to proclaim that she considers herself a perfectionist. 

Jennisfer boat

She manages 5 boats: 1 in Sibaltan, 2 in Coron and 2 in Linapacan.

She also has four regular, two seater kayaks for rent at 500p/day, plus a crystal two seater kayak for 800p/day.

boat operator jennifer's crystal kayak

She also has a speedboat, if you need to get quickly to your next destination.

jennifer-speedboat

If you’d like to book a boat tour with this operator, just send us a note and we’ll figure out the perfect plan for you.

Palawan-boat-tours

Experience the thrill of island hopping in the Philippines

Back to the sizes of our different boats.

A crazy trip around the world

Our first flight was to Beijing, China, before flying on to Qatar, where we were allowed to stay four days before flying on to South America. One incidence of interest was that, when we were confused which line to stand in to get onto the plain, a very nervous attendant quickly escorted us past about three long lines straight onto the plane, as if she was given strict instructions to treat foreigners special.

Another memorable incident is we tried to buy a can of softdrink. After spending some time to find an exchange bureau, we got some coin but none of the drink machines worked as it seemed the coin slots were crammed shut. Everyone was buying with their phones but with some effort we found one local who begrudgingly accepted our coins to use his phone for a purchase.

trip to qatar-doha-IMG_1483
Some museum we checked out in Qatar

Before our arrival to Qatar we found a person willing to act as our free taxi and tour guide. On flying in, the city and streets were lit up like blaring Christmas lights, so I presumed gas must be very cheap in the country. Less in price than the equivalent volume in Coke we were told. Our guide took us to our free accommodation (found through Couchsurfing), which was at the house of the ambassador of a Nigeria. He was very hospitable and we felt we were treated like royalty.

qatar-doha-museum-IMG_1477During the daytime we would take a break in our air-conditioned room to take a small walk to the local grocery store. But the air was so thick with intense heat it almost felt difficult to breath, some 50C in temperature.

On day three, according to the advice of our guide, we waited until late afternoon when the temperature was more tolerable to have a go at riding camels and dune buggies in the sand. Then it was off to Brazil.

There we stayed a few weeks for free in a basement guest room of a university dorm where Mel’s friend was studying and hopped our way from one surfcouch to another, to Rio de Janeiro, experienced Ayahuasca in the mountains, across the salt flats of Bolivia and the Inca trails in Peru, until we ended in a small surfer fishing village as recommended by a friend of mine: Canoa, Ecuador.

A very cool and chill place where we decided to stop traveling for a while. Which was opportune because it was where Mel delivered our new son. Wrong side up in her belly, so it had to be by C-section, but we were very fortunate since health care is free in the country, even for tourists!

our-son-born-in-EcuadorExcited to find a wonderful and affordable housing only two blocks from the beach, we started making various purchases for our budding new family and longer term stay, which included windsurfing equipment totaling almost $4,000 including shipping from the US. These purchases drained our reserves dangerously close to zero, but that is okay because our costs are relatively low here and our boat tour business back in the Philippines is operating at full force.

The surf equipment finally arrived and I managed to take it out about three times before covid happened. We were no longer even allowed to enjoy the beach, but it did not take long for the local law enforcement to get lax, allowing us to drink a few beers in one of the many closed snack bars, not having to wear a mask, and eventually I was able to take out the surf board again as well.

Perhaps the lockdown and lack of allowed activities resulted in my increased beer consumption, but at one point I woke up from a morning “nap” surrounded by a small group of worried people. Apparently I had suffered a seizure and was out cold for almost an hour. I had epilepsy as a child so I presumed it must have resurfaced.

view-from-supermarket-near-canoa-ecuador

Once the lockdown sufficiently lifted, we spent a month in the capital to arrange paperwork. We decided it was too risky to stay in the country, expecting a second wave at some point. The conditions to stay here had also changed, requiring apostatized proof of a clean criminal record from every country we stayed in for the past five years, impossible to obtain for the both of us. And to take our son out of the country we needed an apostatized birth certificate with an Ecuadorian passport and a long list of documents with certified translations from various embassies. The amount of paperwork to get the three of us out of the country back home was insane, but at least our son will end up with four passports (Canadian, Czech, Ecuadorian and Filipino).

It was in the capital that my hemorrhoids started acting up again, the second time in two decades that it ballooned to stage four severity. I slept like an ostrich with its head buried in the sand, my ass up in the air with the fan blowing on it all night. I could not sleep at all and Mel my nurse wife decided we had to go to the emergency ward of the hospital.

yummy-dining-in-canoa-ecuador

Fortunately, medical care again was free, I spent two weeks in the hospital, where I mentioned my previous seizure so they sent me through a long line of diagnostic tests in the form of EEG, MRI and even ECG. At the end of it I was quite surprised to learn that the cause was improper sleep. The lockdown had put an abrupt halt to our boat tours business. Customers were asking for refunds and our paypal account was draining quickly. So I transferred what I could to my bank and scrambled for another source of income. A few years ago the boat tours became successful enough that I decided I would no longer accept translation work. I held my finger over the Quit button, but my gut instinct told me it wasn’t a good idea. So instead of cancelling my account with my top customer, I set up an email filter to automatically delete all their emails. Once I removed that filter the job offers started pouring in again. Unfortunately, it takes them a month and a half to pay once work is completed, but fortunately they owed me about $497 while I had set the payment threshold at $500. Hence, unbeknownst to me, they had been holding onto this sum all these years and it sure came in handy.

Because most of the project managers were located in the Czech Republic, I shifted to a routine of waking up at 1am in order to start accepting work, usually ending my work shift around noon. This combined with my overall stress due to the new situation and my increased beer consumption disrupting my sleep, the doctor explained that I was not getting enough deep REM sleep, during when our body stabilises its electrical rhythms, this lack of stabilising resulting in my seizure.

windsurfing-in-canoa-ecuador

Once the lockdown completely lifted on December 12, over a year since we started our travels, we were given only 30 days to wrap up our affairs to leave the country. We went back to the capital to finalise matters at some of the embassies and borrowed funds from several sources to cover the expensive flight back. It was difficult to find a route that could accommodate our various passports, especially Mel’s Filipino one, and to find an airline able to take my surf equipment, but we finally settled on Turkish airlines. And what a trip it was, with 20+ hour layovers in Panama City and Istanbul and the long flights in between, it was, it seemed, an outright miracle that we managed to transfer our mountain of accumulated stuff, the baby carriage, and an unbelievably well behaved nine month old baby.

Now we are safely back in Iloilo City, staying at the parent’s place, but a new Covid strain has surfaced in the UK, so to avoid another lockdown we decided to make our stay here short so we can head to our dream location of Siargao. Back to the beach and lax rules where another lockdown will be more tolerable. Our plan is to get a loan to buy some property to develop it for tourists once these lockdowns are properly lifted. Perhaps after they try to vaccinate the world, for it might only be possible to travel once vaccinated. Not in our interest, so preferably to settle down in paradise and let the world come to us. Grow vegetables, hook up to Starlink internet, get off the grid with solar panels and wind turbine, and try to carve out a quiet niche in this increasingly insane world.

escape-from-insane-covid-world

Boat Tours Trip between El Nido and Coron

island-hopping-boat-tours-el-nido-coron

 

Custom private or group tours between El Nido and Coron (suggested sample itinerary) – best prices in the industry. Check out how we compare against our competition, who don’t even offer private custom tours (other number of days are also possible)!

our prices

These are all-inclusive prices which include three hearty meals a day, all the entrance fees and basic accommodation in hotels, bamboo huts or in tent on the beach with mattresses, sheets and pillows. Or you can stay in fancy accommodation of your choosing – we’re flexible and aim to please!

Boat tours between El Nido and Coron in Palawan, Philippines for as little as 1000p ($22).Discover beautiful Palawan with a group or private custom boat tour between El Nido and Coron for as little as $25/day, all-inclusive tour! Or local Coron boat tours only, or in other areas of the country.

Get an instant price quote for a private tour (or click this big button below), or join or form your own group, or the party boat tour where you can go for free! Check out our videos page!

book-tour-now

Check out our customer testimonials on Google Maps and Facebook!

google-reviews boat tours facebook-reviews-1 boat tours facebook-reviews-2 boat tours

Contrary to other operators, our tours are not packaged. You can hire your own boat for as little as 45,000p for a four day tour (price is per boat, not person) – get instant quote. Roughly 5k for each additional or less day. You can invite others to join, or keep it private/closed. Choose which spots to go to and proceed at your own pace. Check out the great testimonials from our customers.

Here is a drone video by one guest on a boat trip through this magical area:

More videos here, or for those who like pictures, check out these on our facebook page:

island-hopping-boat-tours-6676_c

Meals are 200p each (includes fruits and other snacks) and the boats are equipped with tents, snorkeling gear, mattresses and sheets. Wakeboards and speargun available on request.

Here are some suggested stops you can visit or sleep at, more details for each stop here (part of the booking process, as you will be able to choose your exacts stops of interest, if you so wish):

Prices

Sibaltan <> Coron – 45,000p/boat for a four day tour (capacity 8-12), 5k extra or less for each additional or less day. 1,000p extra for each additional person above one. Number of days and routes, starting points and destinations very flexible, get instant quote!

Local Linapacan day tour – generally 700p/pax, 1500p minimum, and includes lunch – more details. Various ferry options to get here from either El Nido or Coron, 1,500p/pax, or 700p/pax if going through San Fernando, just east of El Nido.

book-tour-now

Check out the below video for excerpts of a 6 day, 8 island hopping tour of the area to see how clear the water is, a glimpse of some of the many paradise and undeveloped islands, and the endless amount of excellent snorkeling:

Below are samples of what you will be able to experience among the hundreds of islands in this area.

island-hopping-in-the-philippines-island-1-140220152395

island-hopping-in-the-philippines-island-1-140220152393

island-hopping-boat-tours-takling_DCIM100GOPRO

Sleep on deserted islands to yourselves

island-hopping-philippines-big-shells-on-beach-240320152613

island-hopping-in-the-philippines-island-1-140220152410

Fresh seafood caught by local fishermen

island-hopping-philippines-pical-210320152503

Experience rural Filipino life

island-hopping-philippines-san-miguel-caves-240320152591

Caves to explore

island-hopping-philippines-some-island-240320152616

island-hopping-philippines-other-island-310320152670

island-hopping-in-the-philippines-island-1-140220152391

island-hopping-philippines-other-island-310320152671

A lone caretaker’s hut where he lives with his wife and daughter on one of the deserted islands
(200 hectares with four private beaches)

island-hopping-philippines-brc-040420152684
island-hopping-philippines-snorkeling-GOPR0285

Snorkeling in Linapacan, clearest waters in the world.

island-hopping-boat-tours-takling_
calibangbangan_island-hopping-philippines_DCIM100GOPRO

island-hopping-philippines-calacala_DCIM100GOPRO

island-hopping-philippines-calacala_DCIM100GOPRO

island-hopping-philippines-Barangonan_DCIM100GOPRO

Tubbataha-Reef-National-Marine-Park

calibangbangan_island-hopping-philippines_DCIM100GOPRO

boat-tours-philippines-el-nido-coron-IMG_20160214_164217

And while you’re at it, make sure to drop by our kitesurfing nature sports camp!

island-hopping-philippines-basket-050420152715

There is also diving (two shipwrecks) and the Old Spanish Fortress in Linapacan and
climbing island rock faces that plunge straight into the ocean (pictures coming up).

Or check out our suggested travel itinerary for the Palawan area.

book-tour-now

Our other promo page
Package tours in other areas of the Philippines


Best Food in the Philippines

food-palawan-island-hopping-boat-tour-1024x683

The Philippines is known for having its rich biodiversity as its main tourist attraction. Its beaches, heritage towns and monuments, mountains, rain forests, islands and diving spots are among the country’s most popular tourist destinations. However, Philippines is known for its unique cuisine too.

So what makes Filipino food special?

  1. The mixture of rich tastes and textures make Filipino foods special. Most Filipino foods are very simple to cook and always a pleasure to serve and eat. These delicious and mouth-watering dishes are always welcome on the dining table in whatever time of the day. Filipino food consists mostly of vegetables, seafood, dairy, meat and rice. Like Philippine fiestas, Filipino recipes are rich in flavour and colour that are not only a pleasure in the eyes but also a pleasure to eat. Warning: RICE will never be absent. From breakfast to lunch and until dinner, rice is always present.
  2. The aroma in a filipino dish makes the food more inviting to eat and makes you want to savor the food slowly bits by bits. Most foreigners may see it looking dull yet interesting and intriguing. The way of cooking displayed in different households mesmerizes foreign people and even Filipinos themselves especially when they smell the aroma of the food that is being cooked. That is one thing that makes Filipino food interesting. Its smell makes it unique and it is something you have to watch out for.
  3. A certain dish is cooked in many different ways depending on which part of the country you are staying. It may be the same dish but the style of cooking, flavour and ingredients vary and this makes the Filipino food interesting and special. While other countries are cooking the same dish exactly the same, Filipinos are cooking it in varying flavours and in diverse places, techniques how it is cooked and the ingredients used, you can tell the origin of the person who cooked it.
  4. The Filipino food is not only interesting and special because of its aroma, flavour and taste but with all the names they come up with are something to perk up your mind and your tongue.

Having said all this, all Filipino foods could never be complete without the Filipino people who prepared all this food with all their hearts. For a moment, just imaging one of the occasion you had celebrate with your love ones, family, and friends there you will remember it will never be complete without Filipino foods like pansit, adobo, kinilaw to name a few. These make eating Filipino food an unforgettable experience.

Is Filipino cuisine healthy?

As delicious as it can be, though, Filipino cuisine has its health pitfalls. Fatty meats, salty sauces, and fried vegetables are common ingredients, though they can often be replaced with healthier alternatives.

What is the best food in Philippines?

Here are the 36 dishes that define Philippines:

1. Adobo

Adobo - Best Food in the Philippines

 

No list of Filipino food would be complete without adobo.
A ubiquitous dish in every household in the Philippines, it’s Mexican in origin.
But Filipinos found that cooking meat (often chicken and pork) in vinegar, salt, garlic, pepper, soy sauce, bay leaves and other spices was a practical way to preserve it without refrigeration.
This cooking style can be applied to different meats or even seafood.
Chiken adobo is the most famous version.

Abe Serendra, Serendra Plaza Serendra Plaza, Taguig City, Luzon Philippines;

2. Lechon

The lechon is the most invited party guest in the Philippines.
The entire pig is spit-roasted over coals, with the crisp, golden-brown skin served with liver sauce, the most coveted part.
In Cebu, the stomach of the pig is stuffed with star anise, pepper, spring onions, laurel leaves and lemongrass resulting in an extremely tasty lechon, which needs no sauce. Now, they have lechons stuffed with seafood which is more expensive. Usually lechon is popular in filipino big occasions like weddings, debuts and other big celebrations.

Elar’s Lechon, 151 Quezon Avenue Corner Speaker Perez Street, Quezon City, Luzon 1114 Philippines;

CnT Lechon, 1377 V. Rama Avenue Guadalupe, Cebu City Philippines;

3. Sisig

Sisig - Best Food in the Philippines

Nothing goes to waste in Filipino food, TRUST ME!
In the culinary capital of Pampanga, they turn the pork’s cheeks, head and liver into a sizzling dish called Sisig.
The crunchy and chewy texture of this appetizer is a perfect match for a cold beer.
Serve with hot sauce and Knorr seasoning to suit the preference of you and your buddies.

4. Crispy pata

Not for the easily spooked, this pork knuckle is simmered, drained and deep fried until crisp.
The meat is tender and juicy inside, with a crisp, crackling exterior (skin).
Served with vinegar, soy sauce and chili, so yummy!

5. Chicken Inasal

Chicken Inasal - Best Food in the Philippines

Yes, it’s grilled chicken.
But in Bacolod, this is no ordinary grilled chicken.
The meat is marinated in lemongrass, calamansi, salt, pepper and garlic and brushed with achuete (annatto seeds) oil.
Every part of the chicken is grilled here from the paa (drumstick), pecho (breast), baticulon (gizzard), atay (liver), pakpak (wings) and corazon (heart).
It must be eaten with a generous serving of garlic rice, with some of the orange oil used to marinade the chicken poured over the rice.
You can go chicken crazy at Manokan Country where there is a row of authentic Inasal restaurants.
There is this Mang Inasal restaurant which can be found in every malls in the Philippines which has tasty and tender chicken barbecue.

Aida’s Chicken, Fr. M. Ferrero St Manokan Country, Bacolod, Negros Occidental Philippines;

6. Taba ng talangka

The fat of a small variety of crabs are pressed and sauteed in garlic.
This cholesterol-laden Filipino food is often used as a sauce for prawns or eaten with fried fish and rice.
The best taba ng talangka comes from the provinces of Pampanga, Tarlac and Bulacan.
It’s worth buying a bottle or two from the markets there, or pasalubong shops like Bulacan Sweets.

7. Pancit Palabok

When Filipinos have guests, they don’t skimp.
The pancit palabok served on most birthday parties oozes with flavors and textures.
The noodle dish is layered with rice noodles, a rich orange sauce made from shrimp broth, pork, hard boiled eggs, shrimps, chicharon (pork rinds) and sometimes squid.

8. Bulalo

Despite the perennial heat, Filipinos often enjoy sipping piping hot bulalo soup made with from freshly slaughtered beef.
The broth is rich with flavors seeped from the beef  and its bones after boiling for hours.
The bones are big, meaning more bone marrow to enjoy.
In Santo Tomas, Batangas, there’s a row of restaurants along the highway serving bulalo.

9. Arroz Caldo

Arroz Caldo - Best Food in the Philippines

Candice Lopez-Quimpo
While chicken soup soothes sick Westerners, Filipinos turn to arroz caldo, a thick chicken rice porridge.
Cooked with ginger and sometimes garnished with a hard-boiled egg, toasted garlic and green onions, this Filipino food is sold in street-side stalls.
If dining al fresco doesn’t suit, there’s the Via Mare outlets around Manila.

10. Fish tinola

The freshness of Philippines’ rich marine life can be tasted in its fish tinola.
The simple sour broth is flavored with onions, tomatoes and sampalok (tamarind) and cooked over coco-lumber firewood for hours.
Cebuanos know to go to A-One, a small hole in the wall known, cooking up to 200 kilos of fish daily.
A-One, Rd. North 6, North Reclamation, Cebu City

11. Kare-kare

One of the most favorite dishes of Filipinos. This stew of oxtail has the most delicious sauce made from ground toasted rice and crushed peanuts.
Banana blossom, eggplants and string beans add more interesting textures, making it a complete meal on its own.
It’s eaten with steamed rice and bagoong (shrimp paste).
While mom’s kare-kare is always best, the version at Cafe Juanita is authentic.

Cafe Juanita, 2 United St Kapitolyo, Pasig, Luzon Philippines;
Everybody’s Cafe, MacArthur Highway Dau, San Fernando, Luzon Philippines;

12. Ilocos empanada

Yes, its name reveals its Spanish origins.
But its ingredients are all local.
Grated unripe papaya or bean sprouts, egg and loganiza (pork sausage) are stuffed in the empanada and deep fried, accompanied with a spicy vinegar sauce.
Get this staple Filipino food from stalls beside the cathedrals in Vigan and Laoag.

13. Sinigang

Sinigang is a stew of fish, prawns, pork or beef soured by fruits like tamarind, kamias or tomatoes.
Often accompanied by vegetables like kangkong, string beans and taro, this stew is best eaten with rice.
A modern, but delicious spin on Sinigang is Sentro 1771’s version called Sinigang Corned Beef.

Sentro 1771, 2/F Greenbelt 3, Makati, Luzon Philippines;

14. Tapa

Filipinos are huge rice eaters, and breakfast is no exception.
A tap-si-log consists of thin slices of dried marinated beef served with fried egg and garlic rice.
While it is breakfast fare, it’s also a quick, satisfying meal you can eat anytime and available in most places.
Making it accessible all the time and even available for deliveries, Tapa King serves it in the classic, sweetish and spicy versions.

Tapa king, #13 Ano 96 Street, Brgy. Hagdang Bato, Libis Mandaluyong City 1552, Manila, Luzon Philippines;

15. Dinuguan at puto

It may not look appetizing.
But this black dish of pork and pig innards — stewed in fresh pig blood seasoned with garlic, onion and oregano and eaten with a white puto (rice cake) or steamed rice — is a comforting dish for many Filipinos.
The MilkyWay Cafe’s version tastes homemade and clean.

MilkyWay Cafe, 2/F MilkyWay Bldg, 900 Arnaiz Ave (Pasay Road) corner Paseo de Roxas, Makati, Luzon 1200 Philippines;

16. Laing

Laing - Best Food in the Philippines

This dish of taro leaves cooked in rich coconut milk is an everyday staple in Bicol.
Morsels of meat and chili are added to give punch to the Laing.
It’s eaten with steamed rice.
The authentic versions from kitchens in Naga and Albay are most delicious.
In Manila, it can be found at Dencio’s.

Dencio’s Bar and Grill, Gateway Mall, Araneta Center Aurora Boulevard, Cubao, Quezon City, Luzon Philippines;

17. Pinakbet

Up north in Ilocos, the vegetable dish of okra, eggplant, bitter gourd, squash, tomatoes and bagoong (shrimp or fish paste) called pinakbet is a favorite.
And now, this healthy, cheap, and easy to cook dish has made its way around the archipelago.
It is cooked in most households and local restaurants.
Try it at Max’s Fried Chicken in Manila.

Max’s Restaurant, Ayala Avenue Ground Floor, Convergys Building, Makati, Luzon Philippines;

18. Sinugno

Cooking with coconut milk is common in the province of Quezon, south of Manila.
Freshwater tilapia fish is grilled then simmered in coconut milk and chili.
It’s definitely freshest when eaten close to the fishponds as they do in Kamayan Sa Palaisdaan.

Kamayan sa Palaisdaan Hotel & Resort, Brgy. Dapdap, Tayabas City, Quezon Philippines;

19. Bagnet

The lechon kawali, the deep fried pork, is a popular Filipino food all over the country.
Meanwhile, bagnet, a siimlar dish from the northern province of Ilocos, is coveted for its irresistible crunchy skin dipped in the sweet-sour vinegar sukang Iloko.
Buy it from the markets of Ilocos, or try it at Cafe Juanita.

Cafe Juanita, 2 United St Kapitolyo, Pasig, Luzon Philippines

20. Pork barbecue

In a country where almost everything is marinated, skewered and grilled in the street corners, everyone has their favorite barbecue meat.
Pork is the most popular.
Cebu is known for barbecue stalls along Larsian Street just off Fuente Osmena Circle.
Manila residents are addicted to that from Ineng’s, which has many outlets in Metro Manila, for its big, chunky pieces of pork with a perfect, salty-sweet marinade.
Ineng’s, Dela Rosa Car Park, Dela Rosa Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City, Metro Manila

21. Longaniza

Every province has their version of the pork sausage called longaniza.
It varies from sweet to garlicky to spicy.
Usually eaten for breakfast with garlic rice, fried egg and a dipping sauce of vinegar.
Zoricho, 118 Silver City, Frontera Verde, Ugong, Pasig City, Metro Manila; +63 2 571 3269

22. Bicol express

A fitting tribute to people who love coconut and spicy food is bicol express, a fiery chili, pork and coconut milk stew.

23. Balut

No trip to the Philippines would be complete without sampling its famous balut.
Vendors peddling these eggs on the street chant “Baluuuuut!” to entice buyers.
This 17-day-old duck embryo is boiled, served with rock salt or spicy vinegar and is often consumed with beer.

 

24. Fish kinilaw (Ceviche)

Also known as ceviche. Filipinos have their own version of this dish. The day’s fresh catch is dressed in palm coconut vinegar, ginger, chili and spices.
Each province has its own way of preparing kinilaw.
Most wet markets will prepare this for you.
Most popular in Cebu is to eat it in Su-tu-kil, the row of seafood eateries (Lapu-LapuCity, Mactan,Cebu).

25. Inihaw na Liempo

Inihaw na Liempo - Best Food in the Philippines

A Filipino-style barbecue using a popular pork part: liempo (pork belly).
Arguably, the best is Cebuano style — a slab of liempo stuffed with herbs and spices and roasted.
The result is juicy flavorsome meat inside and crackling skin outside.

26. Bibingka

For many Filipinos, Christmas is marked by the scent of bibingkas cooking at dawn.
These rice cakes are made by soaking the rice overnight, grinding it with a mortar stone and mixing in coconut milk and sugar.
Laborious.
The batter is poured into clay pots with banana leaves, with coals on top and below.
It’s garnished with salted eggs, kesong puti (white cheese made from Carabao’s milk) and slathered with butter, sugar and grated coconut.
Best eaten hot from weekend markets.
The best one is from Aling Linda at the Sidcor Sunday Market at Centris Mall, Edsa, Quezon City.
For the rest of the week, there’s Via Mare or Ferino’s Bibingka with branches all over Metro Manila.

Cafe Via Mare, Shop 138, Greenbelt 3 Ayala Center, Makati, Luzon Philippines;

27. Suman at manga

Sold along the roadside, suman are sticky rice snacks steamed in banana or coconut leaves.
There are many versions of suman, depending on the ingredients and leaves used.
These Filipino food snacks are often paired with sweet ripe mangoes.
They’re cheap snacks, which travel well.
They can be bought from roadside stalls, or enterprising vendors peddling them on buses.

28. Halo-halo

Many people joke that the Philippines has two seasons: hot and hotter.
Cool off with some halo-halo.
In Manila, MilkyWay Cafe offers the best halo-halo with finely shaved ice and a generous serving of leche flan, gulaman, pearls (tapioca), ube, banana, kaong, beans and garbanzos, milk and a scoop of ube ice cream. The best halo-halo for me are the ones in La Paz market in Iloilo City and of Mang Inasal.

29. Buko pie

Go loco over coconut.
In the province of Laguna, buco pie (young coconut pie) wars are hot.
Each claims to be the best. Also, if you visit Iloilo, in Oton there are plenty of stalls selling buko pies along the highway.
Orient D’ Original may have a tacky name but this pie shop has been a favorite for 45 years.
They serve the pie hot, with a delicious filling with generous layers of tender coconut meat.
Orient D’ Original, National Highway, Los Banos, Laguna, +63 4 9536 3783

30. Puto bumbong

Puto Bumbong - Best Food in the Philippines

These may look like miniature chimneys along the roadside stalls, but that’s what gives the chewy purple snacks their name.
Traditionally, purple mountain rice was used to make these, steamed in bamboo tubes, then served with butter, panocha (brown concentrated sugar) and grated coconut.
The Via Mare chain has been consistently producing chewy snack for years.

Cafe Via Mare, Shop 138, Greenbelt 3 Ayala Center, Makati, Luzon Philippines;

31. Turon

This fried banana with langka (jackfruit) or banana all sealed in a lumpia wrapper is our version of a sweet spring roll.
It is peddled around the cities and towns for the perfect merienda (mid-morning or afternoon snack).

32. Pan de sal

Pan de sal are small oval buns often eaten by Filipinos for breakfast. A brownish crust conceals a soft and fluffy inside. The best pan de sal is baked in an oven using firewood, naturally infusing the wood flavor into the bread.
Everyone has their favorite bakery, but Pan de Manila with outlets all over Metro Manila is consistently delicious.

Pan de Manila, lower GF dela Rosa carpark 2, Makati, Luzon Philippines;

33. Taho

Brown sugar syrup is stirred into warm soybean custard and topped with sago pearls.
Traditionally sold by vendors walking the streets calling out to those at home, but can also be sourced from supermarkets and restaurants.

34. Tablea tsokolate

A customary hot chocolate drink that stems from Spanish colonial times, tablea tsokolate is made from tablea de cacao — bittersweet, thick flat chocolate disks.
The traditional version is available at Adarna Food and Culture.

Adarna Food and Culture, 119 Kalayaan Avenue Diliman, Quezon City, Luzon Philippines;

35. Halayang ube

The ube or purple yam is a popular ingredient used for desserts and here it’s made into a sweet halayang ube (ube jam).
For decades the nuns of the Good Shepherd Convent in Tagaytay have been producing this jam.
Their product is smooth and creamy, and helps provide a livelihood to the single mothers who make them.

Good Shepherd Convent, Gibraltar Road Benguet, Baguio, Luzon Philippines;

36. Leche flan

This is a popular dessert among locals — an egg and milk-based custard capped off with glistening caramelized sugar

Food during multi-day island hopping boat tours

Food served on our boat tours - Best Food in the Philippines

Being on the beach on a sunny day is the best especially when you are being served with fresh caught fish. In our multi-day island hopping between Sibaltan (El Nido) and Coron or vice versa, our boat crew would usually catch some fish while you are enjoying yourself on the beach or snorkeling and grill it on some charcoals. This is paired with rice, the staple food of Filipinos and tastes better if you dip your grilledf fish into a bowl with vinegar, soy sauce, kalamansi and some small chilis (which are very spicy by the way).

If you are coming from Sibaltan, our boat crew would do the marketing there. You must coordinate with your boatman if you have some diet specifications and requests. One of the advantages of customized private boat tour is, YOU ARE IN CONTROL. Meaning, its between you and your boatman to make things better and easier especially with communication.

Our daily budget for food per meal per person is 250 pesos. Some people may want to have fancier food, like more seafood like crabs, lobsters, oysters huge shrimps which cost a lot but still possible for an extra cost.

Ample seafood on our boat tours - Best Food in the Philippines

We also have another option which is suitable for people who are adventurous and want to catch their own fish which could be more fun and exciting. We have spear guns for rent which you can use and by the help of our boat crew, you might be able to catch a fish or two and will serve as your meal for FREE, if YOU ARE LUCKY ENOUGH!

If there are some fruits available in the market, our boat crew can serve you some fresh mangoes and pineapples, whichever is available.

When it comes to drinks, we offer FREE fresh spring drinking water. If you are reluctant and do not feel safe to drink it, you may bring your own distilled water. If you want to enjoy the beach with some beers, you are welcome to bring with you some. This will be better if you can inform your boatman and request an icebox where you can keep your beers cold throughout the day. On the other hand, for those who are looking forward to have some coconut juice, in some islands during your multi-day island hopping boat tour, there are plenty of coconut trees where you can get fresh coconuts. You may ask one of our boat crews to climb and get some for you. Some islands could give it to you for free but some may charge you 30-50 pesos each.

Philippines is rich in seafood, if I were you, I would grab this opportunity to taste it. Filipinos love to eat and are great cooks. They usually like dipping grilled food into a bowl with soy sauce, vinegar and kalamansi. Also, you should not be surprised if they serve your meal with rice, three times a day. Oh, please do not forget to taste our mangoes. We have the sweetest mangoes in the world, trust me!

Book your customized private island hopping boat tour with us and get to experience real filipino island life and delicious food! Click the photo below:

 

Palawan boat tours - Best Food in the Philippines

Boat tours itinerary between El Nido and Coron

drone-shot-coron-twin-lagoon-palawan

 

This page gives a general impression of what is offered on our private or group, custom boat tours between El Nido and Coron. The same as that offered by everyone else, since the best spots are the same, except that our tours are completely customisable. No rushing with the pack, go at your own peace and leisure. We can pick you up and drop you off at the fanciest resorts (our recommended options), or you might be content with our basic default options, such as tents on beach, simple hotels or bamboo huts. Make sure to check out the general conditions.

In addition to our suggested travel itinerary to the entire Palawan area, this page covers a suggested itinerary what concerns our custom private or group tours between El Nido and Coron. Most of our customers are interested in tours from El Nido to Coron or vice versa, so lets focus on that, although the information here can be useful for smaller customized tours within it.
By the way, here are our general prices compared to the competition:

our prices

First of all, where to start? Coron or El Nido (where we also organise tours)?

Coron to El Nido tour

Drone shot of a ship wreck in Black Island, Coron

This direction is generally better because, starting December of 2019, the authorities have come up with a troublesome rule whereby entry tickets to the popular Kayangan Lake, Twin Lagoons and Barracuda Lake are valid only for a single day. Therefore, it is not possible to buy these tickets in advance and use them for our tours starting in the south (El Nido). For such tours, others options are available, as explained in the next section.

Note that many of these sites can be flooded with tourists, so if your prefer to get off the beaten path, just tell your boatman your preferences and they’ll help you choose the perfect route for you!

View at the top of Kayangan Lake, Coron

Girl friends from Singapore having fun in Twin Lagoon

Besides being able to see these spots on the way south, another good reason for starting your tour in Coron is that the boats generally depart next to the public market. Meaning that if you have any special culinary requests, you can pick out your goodies from a rich assortment of fresh seafoods, meats and vegetables prior to launch. The crew will be happy to cook them for you on the boat. If you prefer fancier food for an additional price, you may inform your boatman.

If your schedule permits, there are some other sites around Coron which are not on the way south but worth a visit, and which we can arrange as separate tours prior to heading south.

El Nido to Coron tour

This was my previous favourite, because if you have time, I found it nice to end your visit to the Palawan area by taking an overnight ferry from Coron to Manila. They have nice cabins if you want an upgrade, and it can be fun with the karaoke party in the evening, where guests can sing in between the professionally hired singers. I find this a fun, relaxing way to complete your visit to the area, as opposed to flying back.

Note that our tours both start and end in Sibaltan, a nice archaeological village with much nicer beaches than El Nido and a nice chill spot to relax before heading north. Furthermore, there are many more islands and snorkeling spots to see on the east side of the peninsula, where the waters are much calmer than the open ocean on the El Nido side of the peninsula, and it is only a one hour van ride from El Nido.

The only downside is that, due to the regulations described in the Coron to El Nido section above, it is not possible to visit those popular spots near Coron as part of your multi-day tour, although:

  • it is possible to visit Twin Lagoons if you go by the back entrance;
  • on the way up you can see a lot of nice spots such as Malcapuya Island, Banana Island and Bulog Dos, which can be far and more expensive to visit from Coron;
  • you can see many more spots around Coron with a full day tour starting from Coron, which we can also organise; and
  • the three spots mentioned above are rather touristy and not such must-sees compared to the many beautiful spots along our multi-day tour which are pristine, off the beaten path and where it might be rare to see a single tourist.

Some of the beautiful spots you may see along our multi-day tour

Magransing Island

Wakesurf or wakeboard surf anywhere along the way!

Mix shots around Patoyo Island

Maosonon Island

Cliff diving

Araw Beach

Dimancal Island

Dimansig Island

Bulog Dos Island

Malcapuya Island

The sand in Malcapuya island is so powdery fine that you just want to eat it

Banana Island

Skeleton Ship Wreck

Ending the day with a colorful sunset

More info on our private or group, custom boat tours (El Nido, Coron, and in between)
Suggested travel itinerary for all of Palawan
We can also organise for you private or joiner El Nido only tours, on Coron only

Or go ahead and…

book-tour-now

[rev_slider alias=”instagram-gallery”][/rev_slider]

Month plus trip

If you have only about two weeks to travel through the Palawan area, I would suggest my travel itinerary for this shorter time frame. If you have about a month, this page is for you. If you have more than that, at the bottom of this page is a link to other worthwhile places you can visit in the Philippines. 

I’d suggest you fly into Puerto Princesa. Generally I’d say it is not worth staying there, but if you do you can check out the link for things to do and where the live music scene is. 

You can grab a van to Sabang, which takes about 4 hours, but at the airport we grabbed a cab for about 2-2,500p which took us there in about half the time, the cab driver played my music via his bluetooth, and the ride was much more comfortable. 

Sabang is a nice town to hang out in for a bit, you can check out the underground river tour, and once you’re ready to move on, I’d suggest the next stop would be Port Barton. Ideally ask around and get your own private boat there, because the inland route can be somewhat lengthy and complicated.

From Port Barton you can try to get a boat to El Nido, or van it somehow. El Nido is good for a few days, but be warned that the famous lagoons are quite packed with tourists. The town itself though does have a good live music scene, zipline and other fun stuff, so if you have a whole month, then the town is good for at least a couple of days. 

I wrote this for a friend who wanted to rent a motorbike and boot around Palawan island for a couple of months, but I would not suggest this, because you’d have to return the bike back to Puerto Princesa at some point and it would be difficult to move on from there, or you’d have to cover your same tracks. 

From El Nido you can beach hop your way to Sibaltan and continue on to Coron from there as explained in my shorter term suggested itinerary

Sibaltan is a village well worth visiting, a cool place to hang out for a few days, and if you ask around the locals, you can rent a motorbike and head south for a bit of a drive. 

Once you are back in Sibaltan you can catch a ferry to Linapacan and hang out there for a bit, or if you have the budget for it, either hire a private boat or join or form a group tour to take you on a multi-day boat tour to Coron. There are 82 paradise beach islands along the way, with excellent snorkeling in fantastically clear waters, caves to explore, cliff diving into the ocean and a Spanish fortress. 

Coron itself has a fair amount to offer and a fun nightlife, again good for at least a couple of days. From there you can rent a motorbike fairly cheaply and worth a few days trip around the island. 

On from Coron

You should be able to spread out the above over a nice one month period. You might even consider renting a motorbike in Puerto Princesa to do a loop to the south, where there is a crocodile farm, and potential problems with Muslims in the far south, but I haven’t heard too much in terms of rave reviews concerning this — at least an option worth considering. 

If you are out of time I’d suggest taking the 2Go ferry back to Manila. It is a fun overnight slow ferry with the usual karaoke party. You can sleep comfortably and save on accommodation, even get a cabin if you want to be fancy. 

But if you do have lets say another month, as my friend for whom I wrote this page has, I’d suggest you can head eastward to explore some of the Visayas. 

If you have about a month, I’d suggest to fly from Coron to Cebu, rent a motorbike in that city and make your way around that island, at some point hopping over to the island of Siquijor before making your way back to the city of Cebu. 

If you have more than a month then you can doddle your way towards Cebu by taking a ferry to the kitesurfing haven of Cuyo, from there a ferry to the city of Iloilo, rent a motorbike there (we have a contact if you need) to make your way around that island of Panay and Guimaras, then the island of Negros before you make your way to Cebu. 

The Philippines is obviously not a country you can visit in a mere two weeks (this page only covers less than half of it). There are more than 7,000 islands and best to approach it like it is instead many countries. It’s a great country to visit, because English is an official language and almost everyone speaks English quite well. It is also Christian, so you are not frowned upon for drinking beer, and unlike a lot of other places in South East Asia, the locals clean up their garbage every day and generally maintain a respect for their beautiful nature. 

 

Custom private or group kitesurfing or kiteboarding boat tour expeditions between El Nido and Coron

Boracay-Kitesurfing

 

Imagine endless virgin kitesurfing territory through one of the most beautiful places in the world, sprinkled with 82 islands of beach paradise. When you’ve had enough of kitesurfing you can snorkel in fantastically clear waters, explore caves, cliff dive, and experience Filipino rural life off the beaten path. 

You can check out the different kitesurfing camps along our route to get a general idea of the different conditions. Cuyo is the best and most consistent, but a bit hard to get to and not along our own route. During the right time of year (below paragraph) there is plenty of wind along our route and the experience is that much better because of the variety and more things to do.

Unfortunately, our two sails have been eaten by ants and I no longer manage my kitesurfing camp, but if you bring your own gear and come at the right time of year (usually around November to end of February – check out weather forecast), you are guaranteed to have a bombastic time. 

Check out this video of a Brazilian couple who enjoyed kitesurfing in virgin waters off a deserted island across from our old kitesurfing camp:

Your boat captain always knows where are the good beaches to launch from, depending on the weather and direction of wind, and there are many places along our route. Check out more info on our general route with our private custom boat tours, or you can join or form a group to reduce costs. 

Generally the boat (with captain and about four crew) by itself costs 45,000p (about $900) for four days, plus or minus 5,000p for each additional or less day, plus 1,000p for each additional person above one, plus 200p/meal/person, plus an average of 500p/person/night for accommodation. You can stay in a tent on a beach, on the boat for free, up to very fancy resorts. The choice is up to you as our tours are completely customisable. 

AND! For a change of pace or if the winds are not strong enough, you can use your kiteboard as a wakeboard. We also have two you can rent, as well as two wakesurf boards.

For an instant quote just fill in the form here, as it depends on your chosen route, number of days and number of people. It will automatically calculate approximate food costs each, accommodation, some popular places if you want to visit those, to give you a total per person cost. Let us show you around paradise!

book-tour-now

Multi-day party boat tour expedition between El Nido and Coron

cyc-beach-coron-palawan-drone-shot

Go on an all-inclusive four or five day party boat tour between El Nido and Coron for as little as $25 per day (or for free if you round up enough people for us)! Chat with others to form a group according to your available schedule. Camp on remote beaches under the stars after an evening around the fire and live music.

 

See fantastic snorkeling in the clearest waters in the world. Get off the grid and experience unspoiled nature in rural Philippines, where you can party with the locals. Our boat is equipped with many games, such as paddle board tennis on the beach, volleyball with net, bocce ball, frisbees, decks of cards, even beach bowling with coconuts and plastic bottles! You can even request a kayak, wakeboards and wakesurf boards for unlimited use during your multi-day tour!


A bit of wakesurfboarding around Coron

The tour costs as little as 12,000p for a four day tour, less than half the price of the competition, and includes food, accommodation, entrance fees and as much booze as you can handle. And for each person you can bring with you, we’ll give you a 1,000p discount. Meaning that if you invite 12 others, your tour will be for free, or you can even earn something! When in the party towns of El Nido or Coron you could spread the news and form a group, or post requests in advance on such forums as tripadvisor in El Nido or Coron. Find people that you get along with for a great experience. You can even use our personality test if you find people online before you meet them. If you get together enough people to hire your own boat, you will be in charge of where go and the daily itinerary. Here are some of the spots you can see along the way, but there are 82 islands in total along our regular route, those being just some of the main ones.

 

Here’s a video of the cliff diving spot, a must see for true partiers:

Here’s a vid showing how clear the water and fantastic the snorkeling is:

Following are our prices per person in pesos based on the number of people on the tour and number of days. You can combine your tour with any other groups trying to form as shown on our boat schedules page.

* Note that this does not include transfer costs between Sibaltan (the start or end point of our tours) and El Nido, about one hour drive away. It is a great village to see or stay at, hence we leave it up to you whether you want to stay or go. Price for van is 2,000p for 1-5pax or 3,500 for 6-12pax. More vans can be arranged.

Or if you’re not in the mood for partying but would prefer to hire your own private tour for a romantic vacation or for your own family or small group of friends, check out more info here.

To join or organise a party tour, click here or this below button (alternatively you can discuss with others to form a group):

join-or-form-group

Exit mobile version