We are a family operation managing private custom boat tours in the beautiful Palawan area, and are happy to help travelers with their plans through the country, having traveled a lot of it ourselves and planning to visit it all.
If you have roughly two weeks to visit the Philippines, considering the country has more than 7,000 islands so not enough time to see it all, another possible route is to see the cream of the crop and end your tour with the option to visit us!
Just one example of the many, beautiful remote islands in this area.
End that leg for a few days of tours in Coron, then fly off to the country’s most famous destination, Boracay. Good for about three days, then continue on to the neighbouring island of Panay (open this link to better understand the suggestions below).
The famous White Beach of Boracay Island.Bask in the heated wok bath at the Campolly Camp Site, where you can also white water raft.Mararison Island you can visit or stay at on your way south, as well as several islands.After some hotsprings you can dance on the beach to rave and a fire show.
Here you have several options. Our favorite is the western route (pictures above) but which may involve some tenting, but lots of fun and adventure. The eastern route could be more comfortable, with less to see, but for hiker’s, there is our favourite lover’s waterfall.
A private pool just down from the Kataw Falls on Panay Island.
If you book a multiday Palawan expedition tour with us and our schedule allows it, you can stay up to two nights with us for free (our airbnb page). We are located about 10km from at least five beautiful beaches, we love to host guests and love to cook, my wife traditional Filipino food and me my crazy Canadian hot and spicy. Otherwise, there are several beach-side resorts in the area we can recommend you to stay at.
La Puerta Al Paraizo Beach Resort, about 6km from our house. Many nice resorts to stay at in this area.
Another option is, instead of flying to Boracay, you can take a much less expensive ferry from Coron to Cuyo island, famous for its kitesurfing, then continue on to Iloilo City, from where you have the option to visit us, after which you can make your way to Boracay and fly from there back to Manila.
If taking the first option of flying to Boracay, after visiting us you can fly back to Manila out of Iloilo City or make your way back to Boracay along another route and fly back to Manila from there.
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 which are mostly almost empty and only occasionally frequented by one of the multi-day boat tours.
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.
Private tours are ideal for romantic couples who want their own space away from the crowds, whereby we’ve actually organized many marriage proposal package 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, and 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
If this is your second time to the country and you have already seen the top sites last time, we suggest a more detailed tour of the Visayas region, as there is lots to see!
The total cost for a two week vacation along this route would be from 1,000 – 2,000 USD depending on how fancy you choose your accommodation. Go here for other tours
You can also do this entire page’s route backwards, but we chose it this way because Boracay is more of a commercial party zone for kitesurfers, while Siargao offers a departure like a chime, a note to be remembered. You’ll never want to leave but at least you’ll bring the scent of the ocean with you.
Get the heck out of Manila dude, and straight to the beach. Get your vacation right on track!
Accommodation in Boracay
If you have the time there are great islands just to the north, and instead of flying to Cebu, you can wind your way there, tons of things to see along the way.
Here are a few top options for accommodation, or click on one of the buttons to see all options (from booking.com).
If you have enough time you can check out the islands of Panay and Negros to get to Cebu by bus and ferries. Lots of jewels along the way.
Flight from Boracay to Cebu
If possible get out of metropolis Cebu asap and on your way to Bohol Island.
Accommodation on Bohol Island
Interesting scenery to explore, after which you can check out the ever elusive and magical …
Accommodation in Siqijor
We then want to get back onto Cebu island for a few more dazzling adventures.
According to Rome2Rio this route is taken care of by Ceres Liner.
Once the ferry lands on the southern tip of Cebu Island near Santander, you can take an hourly bus to Oslob to check out the whale sharks, before heading back up to MoalBoal to enjoy the waterfalls canyoneering and other fun goodies, and where you can stay the night before moving on.
In other words, if you choose to take a slower path from Boracay along land, entering central Visayas at
Dumaguete instead of Cebu (by plane), you can go first to Oslob/Moalboal, then counter-clockwise to Cebu, or
fly into Cebu City, then clockwise direction, eventually flying out of Dumaguete instead.
If flying in to Cebu, your overall path as explained on this page would look approximately like this (the land way to Dumaguete and fly out of Cebu route is shown on a similar map above):
Accommodation in MoalBoal
After MoalBoal you would head back south to the ferry and on to Dumaguete if flying on to Siargao or on to Siqijor if you had taken the slower land route through Panay and Negros islands.
Now that you have had a totally awesome journey through the very heart of the country, you can start to wind down in the country’s surfer capital, hippy hang out, lots of live music, and a chill hanging joint before you re-enter the hustle and bustle of the big city. You will not want to leave!
Would suggest this if you have a short time but enough budget and determination for a lot of flying. The last two legs back to Manila are relaxing by water.
The total cost for a two week vacation along this route would be from 1,000 – 2,000 USD depending on how fancy you choose your accommodation. Go here for other tours
Get the heck out of Manila dude, and straight to the beach! A really awesome place.
Accommodation in Siargao
Surfer capital of the Philippines with a good reputation worldwide, happy hippy hangout and lots to do and see. Make sure you study it thoroughly to decide how long you want to stay at least.
Here are a few top options for accommodation, or click on one of the buttons to see all options (from booking.com).
Flight from Siargao to Boracay (requires stopover in Cebu)
Flight from Siargoa to Cebu
Flight from Cebu to Boracay
Accommodation in Boracay
Boracay is the hotspot of the country, one of its big kitesurfing capitals where many competitions are held – including international ones. But because it has become such a famous party beach, the authorities clamped down and now it is only possible to get onto the island with proof of prepaid accommodation. The authorities have really cleaned up the place and now it is more expensive, but with a slightly more laid back but still great party scene. There are also some off the beaten path islands just to the north, so lots to see in the area.
Now to continue can get a bit tricky and you’ll have to decide according to your budget and schedule. There are several options:
A cheaper route might be Boracay down south to Puerto Princesa, where you can check out the Underground River Tour, one of the declared seven wonders of the world. But it is quite touristy, not so hot in the end, and you will lose at least one entire day. There are more things to see here, so perhaps consider saving for a Palawan tour only some other time. Below you will find flight ideas.
If you are short on time and have the budget, you can find different ways to go directly from Boracay to El Nido, such as for around $110 by Air Swift, if you can manage a flight, or possibly by Air Asia.
Or possibly a flight from Boracay to Coron, then boat trip down to El Nido then fly back to Manila from there (options shown below). Personally though I prefer ending the entire tour in a relaxing way by taking the overnight party ferry from Coron to Manila (link at the very bottom).
Some live music but not really a town worth visiting. But up the coast towards El Nido there is the famous Underground River Tour, but also the nice little beach towns of Sabang and Port Barton. These are good to visit on a tour of Palawan only, as there are other wonders to see on the island, such as 6m long ocean alligators!
My personal accommodation choices can be found through the link above, including information on the Underground River Tour.
Good party town, lots of live music, great lagoons and beaches, and a pretty funky zipline! You can find my personal experiences through the El Nido link above, including the El Nido boat tours, which we can also arrange for you.
Another party town, some live music. Good for diving, 8 shipwrecks, nice lagoons and beaches too. More locals here and more of a chill hangout than El Nido.
At this point you have a juicy decision to make. You can take one of the daily ferries, which can include the 3.5 hour fastcraft, or you can dillydally your way north on a multiple day custom private or group boat tour, since there are 82 paradise beach islands along the way and off the beaten path. This could easily or probably be the highlight of your trip to the Philippines, as per feedback from our guests. Minimum 2 days, 4 being the most popular. If you can round up enough interest to form a group, you can go for free, otherwise the boat itself costs about $1,000 total for a four day trip, not including food, accommodation and entrance fees (the site will calculate total costs based on the number of people and days).
We can also arrange tours for you around Coron only.
Another party town, some live music. Good for diving, 8 shipwrecks, nice lagoons and beaches too. More locals here and more of a chill hangout than El Nido.
Boat or flight back to Manila
You can catch a flight back to Manila:
but personally I prefer taking the overnight 2Go ferry. A nice relaxing way to end your stay in this beautiful country before hitting the mega people traffic and busy life of Manila, and possibly your last chance to get some more Filipino karaoke in! (Mostly professional singers with occasional customers.)
Practically everyone had looked forward to that period when school is not open due to any other reason but the holiday. There is no doubt that you often wish that every day is a holiday and that is because you get to do whatever you want. The Holiday could be a festive event which centres on some theme, sometimes on more or one unique aspect of society. It could be a religious event or a national celebration to be observed. In every case, there is then no need to work (for self or the government).
Agreeably, there are still individuals that feel compelled to work continuously as they enjoy it. If there is no other reason why you shouldn’t do work, how about your health? The body needs rest from work to replenish whatever is lost hence the need for a holiday sometimes. In the holiday you get to make up for the much-wanted sleep. You can choose to sleep late in the morning and not skip breakfast. You can relax your mind by reading a good book. You get to break away from your regular and to do that one thing you love to do or more. You create memories when you go for holidays, beautiful ones that leave a smile on your face. You stand to benefit a lot when holidays are taken like some medication.
All over the world, people go on holidays and how that is done mostly is to change the location for a while, People moving from place to place finding the comfort they need. Europe happens to be one continent with a lot of ideas and places for a holiday. Some of the countries in Europe are Italy, Germany, Belgium, Croatia, United Kingdom, and Denmark to mention but a few.
Riga, Latvia: Jurmala is a popular beach resort for locals and is just a short ride of about 25km. Accompanied by the enchantment of the fresh air, pine trees, and a smooth atmosphere, there is guaranty to have your stress eased out.
Limerick, Ireland: In here lies King John’s castle of the 13th century right next to the River Shannon. The medieval castle has undergone refurbishment and now has interactive exhibitions.
Jersey, The UK: The perfect foodie destination! The Bohemia restaurant on the hotel and spa Green Street in Jersey offers first-class services as well as a delightful, intriguing and wonderful experience.
San Sebastian, Spain: San is divided into three areas, partly reflected in its three beautiful beaches; the Ondarreta beach, the Zurriola beach and the famous Concha beach each with lovable spots. Thomson holidays got you covered
Dordogne Valley, France: Fun activities provided by the Dordogne River include swimming and canoeing and at the heart of the valley stands the city of Rocamadour. Also not to be missed are the medieval towers that look like a set from GOT (Game of Thrones).
Athens, Greece: Named after the goddess Athena, Athens has always been at the cultural fore. As the city strives to meet up with the present world, it has equally amassed a deal of beauty from the iconic Acropolis, rising above the city, to the enchanting up and coming neighbourhoods and art galleries like Thomson al fresco etc.
Paris, France: A city where the former library of King Charles V, and home to great architectural projects, the Grande Arche de la Defense. A blend of past, present, and the future.
Milan, Italy: The best clothing awaits you, gifted with an impressive part of Italy’s heritage; Holidays in Sardinia which is a great city of art. It offers an incredible shopping experience for all taste and pockets, shop at bargain prices. And you can also check out Lake Garda (large lake in northern Italy). Lake Garda holidays got you covered.
