I’ve been in the Philippines for more than 8 years and can say I find this country a very safe place, especially for families. Words which might consider as having good merit considering I have traveled to more than 50 countries, being a digital nomad and all.
Filipinos absolutely love children, and themselves have many of them. Not only will your children have plenty of mates to play with, but you can expect your entourage to be treated with added reverence and respect, on top of what is usually awarded to foreigners visiting this country.
For example, running some errands, I stayed in Manila for two months on two separate occasions. Being one who likes to walk in search of a park with beer in hand, walking from one 711 to another, I must have walked over 130km in that city. My recommendation: what looks like a green patch on a google map is not a park and not worth visiting at all, but what I did find was friendly people everywhere, more friendly the poorer neighbourhood it was. “Hey Joe, come join us for a beer!” they would always holler to me as I made my way about this megapolis of 20 million people.
You’ll probably not want to venture with your family as I did, but at least this could give you some assurance when taking them to the bountiful, family-friendly locations here.
You can write to us for tips, as we ourselves are a budding little family that loves to travel, or you can check out our suggested travel routes, since there is so much to see in this country that it cannot all be experienced in a single sweep.
Although some destinations may be considered more family-oriented than others, such as the Campuestohan Highland Resort Theme/Water Park, that might not be such a convenient location based on your travel path and I generally found that any of the tourist destinations I went to are all family friendly.
We offer private, custom boat tours in and between the popular tourist destinations of Coron and El Nido in Palawan. We can also offer you advice on good places to see in the Philippines, because we ourselves are a budding family who love to travel and know a lot about this country.
For the tours we ourselves organize, Palawan was voted best island in the world two years in a row and the area between El Nido and Coron was dubbed as having the clearest waters in the world.
By choosing to hire your own, private boat, not only do you not have to share your journey with strangers, often younger backpackers who join the group tours, but you can proceed from island to island at your own pace, and choose the type of accommodation and experience you prefer.
For example, something that could be enjoyable for the kids is cliff jumping into the ocean at a certain spot along the way.
Besides kayaks, even a crystal (see-through) kayak, you can also rent our wakeboards or wakesurf boards.
Use of snorkeling gear is free and there are truly beautiful snorkeling sites along the way, in such clear water that can host such beautiful creatures but also the many pearl farms sprinkled along your route and which require very clear waters.
At night you can choose to sleep in an air-conditioned hotel, fan huts on small island beaches, camping on beach, even camping on your own deserted island. When staying overnight on a beach, you also have the option of the crew preparing a bonfire for you, with accompanying music if you so wish. This can be a truly magical experience, because the sky is often clear and, with no city lights nearby as obstruction, the milkyway is radiant and robust over the South East Asian sea. And sometimes there are active plankton in the ocean, so you get so see sparkling stars around your feet as you wade into the water as well as sparkling stars above!
For the more adventurous, there are also jungle trails on some of the islands, giving you the opportunity to pass through and visit remote villages that regular tourists simply never see and where the locals are very hospitable.
But the most important perhaps is that the area between El Nido and Coron is off the beaten path. Occasionally some group tours pass through, but it is easy for our boatmen to navigate a path that avoids other tourists so that you can enjoy paradise to yourselves and at your own, relaxed pace.
For tours around only Coron and El Nido, our private tours are arranged to avoid as much as possible the crowds of the group tours, while our multi-day tours between the two can include the most popular Coron sites.
You can check out the possible places from the 52 paradise white sand beach islands scattered throughout the area in our sample itinerary, and write to us a quick note so that we can discuss and find the perfect plan for you.
You can check here for other parts of the Philippines and here for suggested travel routes, because with over 7,000 islands, the country is simply too large to see in your average two week vacation, even an entire month! The information has been collected across the web, but we ourselves have already seen a lot of it and eventually plan to visit every corner.
The Philippines, with its vast archipelago of over 7,000 islands, offers a myriad of family-friendly destinations catering to both locals and international tourists. Here’s a list of places and activities that families can enjoy:
When traveling with family, especially with young children, it’s always a good idea to check the amenities and activities offered by accommodations. Many resorts in the Philippines cater specifically to families with kid-friendly pools, play areas, and organized activities. Always consider the age and interests of the children when planning activities.
In addition to my general advice at the top of this page, from a seasoned traveler who has traveled around the world for decades, I’d say my best advice anywhere is to simply exercise respect to the locals and you can expect the same in return. Respect their country by not leaving garbage anywhere, even if you see it around, avoid any display of arrogance, and you should have no problems whatsoever.
However, if you’d like to practice extra precaution, you can check on my tips for traveling through the Philippines. Or just send us a note and we’d be happy to help! Below are some tips of safe travel in general.
Experience the thrill of island hopping in the Philippines
Traveling with family can be a joyous occasion, but safety should always be a top priority. Here are some general tips for ensuring a safe family holiday travel:
Remember, while it’s essential to be cautious, it’s equally important to enjoy the journey and create wonderful memories with your family. Safe travels!
Yes, very safe. Filipinos love children, have a lot of them and you will only receive more respect and reverence when you travel with them.
Very much so. Because Filipinos love children so much, they often think up many fun things for their children to do, and basically any tourist site, excluding those which are potentially dangerous (bunji jumping, sky diving etc), will be ideally suited for the entire family.