Itinerary
Day 1: A Firefly Boat Cruise & the Island’s Most Popular White-Sand Beach
Stop At: Bohol Island, Bohol Island, Bohol Province, Visayas
When traveling from abroad to the Philippines, Manila is usually most tourists’ first point of arrival. It is recommended that you avoid the capital altogether and instead simply use its airport as a layover en route to the island of Bohol. Upon arrival to the island’s capital, Tagbilaran, we drive to the settlement of Panglao. This is our base from which to explore the island and where our lodge is located. We will be hanging out at Alona beach. About 1,500 meters (1,640 yards) long and lined with palm trees, resorts and shops, the white-sandy Alona beach is popular both day and night.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Abatan River, Cortes Philippines
Your tour with us today starts officially at 5:15pm. Please be in the lobby at this time, as your tour guide and driver should be waiting for you there. We are taken by vehicle to the Abatan River Community Life Tour. There we go on a firefly boat cruise. Probably you have never seen something like this before. The tour starts shortly after arrival. Afterwards, we return to our hotel.
Duration: 3 hours
Pass By: Abatan River, Cortes Philippines
Although most activities on this multi-day tour are shared with other travelers, we can make the trip almost completely private, per your request. Typically, the only private activities are the visits to two waterfalls near the city of Dumaguete, watching the sunset at Las Cabanas beach (near El Nido), the sightseeing tour in and around Coron Town, and the island tour of Boracay.
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Hotel Room Bookings & Upgrades Offered After Tour Has Been Purchased
Day 2: Chocolate Hills, a Tarsier Sanctuary & a River Cruise
Stop At: Bohol Island, Bohol Island, Bohol Province, Visayas
We are exploring Bohol Island. Specifically, we see Loboc River (for a cruise), Tarsier Sanctuary, Chocolate Hills, Habitat Butterflies Conservation Center, Bilar Man-Made Forest and Baclayon Church. The highlights are Loboc River, Tarsier Sanctuary and Chocolate Hills. Chocolate Hills’ unique and mound-shaped formations are Bohol’s most popular attraction. During the dry season, the grass-covered hills turn chocolate brown in color. This transforms the area into seemingly endless rows of chocolate kisses. Another highlight is a visit to a sanctuary to see endangered tarsiers. These primates can only be found on a few islands throughout Southeast Asia. Not least is a boat cruise along the Loboc River. Lunch is included in this boat cruise tour.
Duration: 8 hours
Meals included:
• Lunch
No accommodation included on this day.
Day 3: The Region's 2 Best Waterfalls
Stop At: Dumaguete City, Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, Negros Island, Visayas
From Tagbilaran, we go by boat to Dumaguete, a town best used as a base from which to explore the area. Have ready your swimming attire and a towel. The first stop on today’s tour is Casaroro Falls. The other stop is Pulangbato Falls. We return to Dumaguete in the early evening.
Duration: 5 hours
No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.
Day 4: Huge Sea Turtles off Apo Island
Stop At: Apo Island, Apo Island, Negros Oriental, Negros Island, Visayas
As a daytrip from Dumaguete, we head to the port in Malatapay so we can take the boat ride to Apo Island. Big-eyed jacks, bump-head parrotfish, and sea snakes inhabit the reefs of the island. Nevertheless, the highlight for most tourists are the sea turtles. They get so close to swimmers and are pretty big.
Duration: 5 hours
Meals included:
• Lunch
No accommodation included on this day.
Day 5: Swimming with Whale Sharks, Climbing Aguinid Falls & Canyoneering at Kawasan Falls
Stop At: Oslob, Oslob, Cebu Island, Visayas
Today will be a long but exciting day nonetheless. From Dumaguete, we take a boat ride to Oslob. After swimming with whale sharks, we drive to the Aguinid Falls. This is a great place for climbing waterfalls (with a helmet and ropes, of course!). Last but definitely not least, from Aguinid Falls we drive to Kawasan Falls. There we have lunch, which is included on today's tour. Kawasan Falls is a destination popular specifically for canyoneering. After that thrilling tour, we drive to Cebu City. We sleep at a hotel near to the airport.
Duration: 6 hours
Meals included:
• Lunch
No accommodation included on this day.
Day 6: Exploring the Philippines' Showcase Destination, Boracay Island
Stop At: Boracay, Boracay, Malay, Aklan Province, Panay Island, Visayas
We relocate from Cebu City to Boracay Island via a quick flight followed by a quick boat ride. Attractions for today include Bulabog Beach, Puka Beach and Ilig Iligan Beach as well as walking to the top of Mount Luho. Bring swimming attire, a towel and a change of clothes. The day ends with walking along a footpath which runs around the headland and connects White Beach with romantic Diniwid Beach. This is a great place for both bridal shoots and watching the sunset.
Boracay may be a small island but it is huge in its offering of a variety of activities: swimming in pristine clear water, strolling along the sugary white-sanded beach, enjoying the nightlife, making choices on restaurants featuring multiethnic foods and much more. In 2012, Boracay was named the best island in the world from the international travel magazine Travel + Leisure.
Duration: 5 hours
No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.
Day 7: A 'Free' Day in Boracay
Stop At: Boracay, Boracay, Malay, Aklan Province, Panay Island, Visayas
Today is a ‘free day’, meaning without any guided tour. What should you do today? Some tourists visit the waterfalls at Hacienda Maria, Sapsapon Cave and/or a plantation where you could watch a coconut (a.k.a. lambanog) winemaking demonstration. Some tourists bathe in Kawa’s Hot Pot Jacuzzi. We discourage all those activities. We think you are better off windsurfing, kite-boarding, parasailing, paragliding, jet skiing and/or riding an ATV around the island. We also discourage you from making the shared boat daytrip tour which covers the surrounding islands as well as the place where cliff diving is done. That boat daytrip tour is arguably a letdown.
Duration: 8 hours
No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.
Day 8: Arriving in El Nido & Sunset at Las Cabanas Beach
Stop At: El Nido, El Nido, Palawan Island, Palawan Province, Mimaropa
We relocate via a quick flight from Boracay Island to a beach town called El Nido. Today we spend our time in El Nido specifically at Las Cabanas beach. It is a perfect place to eat dinner on the beach and watch the sunset.
As a natural attraction in its own right, the quiet beach town of El Nido is also a great base from which to explore the surrounding marble cliffs, enchanting lagoons, beaches, lush jungle, mangrove forest, prehistoric caves, and waterfalls. Dotted with islands and islets, most of which are inhabited, Bacuit Bay is home to blue waters and lots of marine life such as dugongs, turtles, manta rays, species of fishes, coral reefs and the occasional whale sharks.
Duration: 6 hours
No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.
Day 9: Boat Excursion to Snake Island, Pinagbuyutan Island, Entalula Beach & Cudugnon Cave
Stop At: El Nido, El Nido, Palawan Island, Palawan Province, Mimaropa
The daytrip boat tours from El Nido are pretty straightforward. For the most part, they do not overlap with each other. Each tour has its own highlights. All of the daytrip tours offer amazing attractions, not least for today. Today we join the boat daytrip tour which covers Snake Island, Pinagbuyutan Island, Entalula Beach and Cudugnon Cave. Snorkeling and lunch are included in today’s tour. Water is available for us on the boat, as is the case with the other boat daytrips throughout this tour.
Duration: 5 hours
Meals included:
• Lunch
No accommodation included on this day.
Day 10: Boat Excursion to Helicopter Island, Matinloc Shrine, Secret Beach, Star Beach & Hidden Beach
Stop At: El Nido, El Nido, Palawan Island, Palawan Province, Mimaropa
Today we join the boat daytrip tour which covers Helicopter Island, Matinloc Shrine, Secret Beach, Star Beach and Hidden Beach. Lunch and snorkeling are included in today’s tour.
Duration: 5 hours
Meals included:
• Lunch
No accommodation included on this day.
Day 11: Boat Excursion to Big Lagoon, Secret Lagoon, Shimizu Island & 7 Commando Beach
Stop At: El Nido, El Nido, Palawan Island, Palawan Province, Mimaropa
Today we join the boat daytrip tour which covers Small Lagoon or Big Lagoon (to be determined), Secret Lagoon, Shimizu Island and 7 Commando Beach. Snorkeling, kayaking and lunch are included in today’s tour.
Duration: 5 hours
Meals included:
• Lunch
No accommodation included on this day.
Day 12: Ferry to Coron Island, Sightseeing & Hiking Up Mount Tapyas for Sunset
Stop At: Coron, Coron, Busuanga Island, Palawan Province, Mimaropa
Today we take an early morning ferry ride to Coron Island. Upon arrival in the quiet/low-key village of Coron Town, we are taken directly to our nearby room. Afterwards, we are provided with a guided tour around town. Places to visit today include the public market, Coron Baywalk, the cashew harvest factory and Maquinit Hot Spring. In the later part of the day, we are taken to the stairway entrance of Mount Tapyas. Reaching the top with our tour guide takes around 45 minutes. Watching the sunset from above is a beautiful way to end our day.
Duration: 4 hours
No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.
Day 13: Aquatic Views of Sunken Japanese Warships & Arguably the Most Beautiful Coral on Earth
Stop At: Coron, Coron, Busuanga Island, Palawan Province, Mimaropa
Today we join the boat daytrip tour which covers Lake Kayangan, Twin Lagoon, Sunset Beach, Siete Pecados (a.k.a. Isles of the Seven Sins), Skeleton Wreck, Coral Garden and CYC Beach. Lunch and snorkeling are included in today’s tour.
Siete Pecados is where we see arguably the most amazing coral on earth. Lake Kayangan and the Twin Lagoon are also amazing. As its name suggests, the Twin Lagoon is two separate bodies of water divided by limestone karsts. At high tide, the second lagoon appears inaccessible. There is a small hole in the karsts that we can swim under in order to get to the other side. For those who prefer to climb over the rock formation, a wooden ladder rests above the hole.
Duration: 7 hours
Stop At: Skeleton Reef, Coron, Busuanga Island Philippines
Skeleton Wreck is the most popular of the places to be visited today. The aquatic views from the sunken Japanese WWII ships off Coron Island are listed in Forbes Traveler Magazine as one of the top-10 best scuba diving sites in the world. Note that if you prefer diving over snorkeling, you can book directly with a local dive shop. They usually require at least 2 days advance notice. Also, you would need to show proof of a scuba diving license.
Duration: 1 hour
Meals included:
• Lunch
No accommodation included on this day.
Day 14: Our Tour Ends Today
Stop At: Coron, Coron, Busuanga Island, Palawan Province, Mimaropa
Coron Town is the final destination on our tour of the Philippines. Transportation will be arranged for you to reach the airport.
Arguably the only major tourist destination in the Philippines not included in this 14-day tour is the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park. It can be reached via a quick flight from El Nido. Let us know if you have the time and interest.
In the November-December 2007 issue of the National Geographic Traveler’s Magazine, Palawan was chosen as one of the best island destinations in the world. Sabang is located on the western coast of Palawan Island. This small village is commonly used by tourists as an access point to Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park. This park is one of the most famous tourist destinations in all of the Philippines. There you’ll discover small waterfalls inside caves, as well as rock formations, bats, a deep water hole, river channels, a mangrove forest and marine creatures.
Duration: 2 hours
No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.