Ahh you’re thinking about visiting the Philippines? Good, you’ve come to the right place – I have put together this 30 day Philippines itinerary for you to follow and you won’t regret it. The Philippines, home to waters that are just that perfect shade of blue, the greenest palm forests, the sweetest fruit, the friendliest people, super pro active anti plastic initiatives and the drunk before dinner happy hours fuelled with triple rum and cokes. The Philippines does not disappoint and anyone who says differently, is lying.

So first things first, I’ve popped down some important bits that you need to consider before booking your trip. This itinerary will then take you through the places we visited during our 30 days, where to stay, eat and watch the sunset.

Visa Requirements

Travellers from the UK can enter the Philippines for a period of 30 days for free. You can also get a tourist visa from the Philippine Embassy before you travel which will allow an initial 59 day stay. Please note that you will need onward travel plans as you are likely to be asked at the airport for outbound flight confirmation.

Transport

By Air: it is pretty easy to fly between destinations in the Philippines and if you’re constrained by time then you’re probably going to have to especially if you’re going between the Visayas and Palawan, Palawan and Manilla etc. For instance, we flew Manila – Puerto Princesa, El Nido – Cebu and Cebu – Siargao and then Cebu-Boracay. I would recommend booking your flights in advance if you can, as they are not as ‘cheap’ as you might expect. The main airlines are Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines, Air Swift and Air Asia.

By Land: In terms of travelling over land, on Palawan the most popular (although extremely uncomfortable) mode of transport is minivan and on Cebu we travelled a couple of times on the Ceres buses. We found that it was easiest to book the minivans through our hostels and for the buses e.g. between Cebu and Moalboal we just turned up at the bus station.

By Sea: Last but not least, travelling by sea. The Philippines is made up of something crazy like 7,200 islands, so you’re probably going to want to take a boat or two at some point. We used OceanJet ferries where possible, they are pretty organised, although it can get a little cramped on board. Do be aware as well when getting your ferry tickets that you will also need to pay a luggage fee and a terminal fee – usually at separate windows to where you pay your ticket fee.

Sim Cards

The internet in the Philippines leaves more than a lot to be desired. That being said you can pick up a sim card real cheap and you’ll be surprised at the places it works and it doesn’t. City centres nah but remote island with no roads – sure thing. There’s two main network providers, Globe and SMART. We bought one between us and just used hot spots on our phones. We paid 990 for 8gb for 30 days but I did see some much better deals for things like 30gb for 30 days. It is best to grab a sim card at the airport as then it’s sorted as soon as you arrive and saves you faffing around.

Best Time To Go:

If you take any advice from this blog post then let it be this. Don’t end up in the Philippines in the wrong season!

High Season: December – April
This is easily the best time to visit as the weather will be the driest and the best across most of the country.

Low Season: Jun – September
Probably best to avoid this time of year as typhoons are common and can cause days of torrential rain.

We went in January/February and the weather was gorgeous, the only place where the weather wasn’t amazing was Siargao but it wasn’t a problem.

Currency

The currency used across the country is the Philippine Peso, if you have the time to get some cash before you go I would. ATMS are not easy to come by, for instance there isn’t one in Port Barton and the 1 they do have in El Nido is frequently out of cash by 4pm. In bigger cities you will be fine, but it will make your life easier if you are more prepared.

THE PHILLIPINES – A 30 DAY ITINERARY

When we were planning our trip we decided that we were going to skip Manila as the capital didn’t offer what we were looking for in our trip. Instead we just transferred through, we booked our flight as one ticket through Air Asia and flew Bangkok Don Muang – Manila – Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

1 Night: Puerto Princesa.

I cannot give you much of an opinion on PP as we only stayed one night before jumping on a bus to the beaches further north. Our accommodation was lovely though, so if you are looking for somewhere to stay then I highly recommend Cleon Villas Pension.

3 Nights: Port Barton

Transport: 3 Hour Minivan 500P (approx. £7) per person.

We really loved our time in Port Barton and it really is the ultimate chill out place. If you’re looking to lay in a hammock, read a book and head to reggae bar for triple rum cokes and insanely good acoustic music at happy hour, then this is your place. We also did a boat tour here which was glorious, German Island was a particular highlight and we got to see our first turtle!

Note you will have to pay 50P per person for the environmental fee to enter Port Barton, you will then get a little certificate – don’t lose it, as you will need to show proof you paid the fee to go on the boat trips.

Where to stay:
Budget: Russell Place
Mid Range: Jungle bar. Restaurant & Hut
Splash the Cash: V.Villas

Good Food & Drink:
Gorgonzola for Pizza
Mabuti Eat & Chill
Reggae Bar for triple rum and cokes

4 Nights : El Nido

Transport: 4-5 Hour Minivan 600P (approx £8.50) per person.

You can’t come to Palawan and not visit El Nido. Yes it’s touristy, yes it’s popular but it is worth it. Now I wouldn’t stay in El Nido town itself, I would recommend staying in Corong Corong beach area, as the town is a bit hectic and dusty and just a bit bleugh. It is super easy to get a trike into town for 50-100P though, so you’re still super close.

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Where to stay:
Budget: The Cavern Pod Hotel & Specialty Cafe
Mid Range: Cuna Hotel
Splashing the Cash: Frangipani El Nido

Good Food & Drink:
Falafel wraps from Holy Smoke Grill
Happiness Bar
Ghandi’s Revenge

Tips:
– Boat tour A is worth the money, we did ours with the Art Café and were very impressed.
– Go to Republica Bar for sunset, if you want a seat over looking the sea get there an hour or so before sun down.

3 Nights: Coron

Did I mention yet that your travels in the Philippines might not go quite to plan? It is not uncommon for flights/buses/ferries to be cancelled or delayed by MANY hours. Basically, there are two (if both are in working order) ferries every day. Unfortunately, one of the ferries had broken down and there were no tickets for 4 days to Coron, so we didn’t get to go. Please don’t tell me how great it is.

Anyhow, what I can tell you is that if we had made it to Coron we were going to fly with Philippines Airlines from Busuanga – Cebu. We won’t talk about our lack of forethought on the latter. Let’s just say don’t stay at the Mad Monkey!!

4 Nights: Malapascua & Kalanggaman Island

Transport: 4 Hour Bus from Cebu to Maya Port 225P (approx £3.30) per person. 30 minute Ferry from Maya Port to Malapascua 100P (approx. £1.50) per person.

Malapascua is a gorgeous little slice of paradise and we only wish that we had spent longer there. If you’re looking for somewhere to put your feet up and do little more than bask in the sun and drink a few beers, then this is your place. There are no roads on the island and no roads means no trikes or cars which makes it extra peaceful. Malapascua is super small, you can walk from one end to the other in less than 40 minutes. We just loved it here. Ooh and if you’re in to diving, the dive scene here’s pretty big as it’s the place to dive with Thresher sharks.

Kalanggaman Island what a place. A place where the water really is that perfect shade of blue and the sand really is that white. Most visitors to Kalanggaman hop on a boat tour from Malapascua. It’s about an hour’s boat ride and the only accommodation options on the island are tents, so most people only go for the day. It will cost around 1300P (approx. £19) per person, the boats leave at 9am and you head back at about 4pm. The cost also included lunch. Don’t miss a visit here – honestly, so worth it.

Where to stay:
Budget: Budget Inn Malapascua
Mid Range: Evolution Dive and Beach Resort
Splashing the Cash: Tepanee Beach Resort

Good Food:
Ocean Vida
Angelina Beach Pizzeria

Tips:
– Walk across the island to the north side and chill on Langub Beach.
– Grab a drink at the bar and use the sunbeds on the beach at Evolution Resort.

2 Nights: Moalboal

Transport: 30 minute Ferry to Maya Port 100P (approx. £1.50) per person. 4 Hour Bus Maya to Cebu 200P (approx. £2.95) per person. 3.5 Hour Bus Cebu to Moalboal 170P (approx. £2.50) per person.
Note* that travel will take most of the day, it took us 10 hours to get from Malapascua to Moalboal.

If you are looking to swim with turtles, visit the stunning Kawasan Falls and watch the sardine run then you should stop by Moalboal for a couple of days. I wouldn’t stay longer than that because there’s not a great deal in Moalboal and there are definitely better beaches. But for Kawasan falls alone it is definitely worth coming to.

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Where to stay:
Budget: Island Girl Bed & Breakfast
Mid Range: Tongo Hill Cottages
Splashing the Cash: The Blue Orchid Resort

Good Food:
Shaka for smoothie bowls
The French Café

Tips
– Stay in the Panagsama Beach area.
– Getting to Kawasan falls is pretty easy, all the trike drivers will know where you want to go. We just walked out of our hostel and agreed a return fee with a driver. If you can (and want to avoid LOTS of people) then I would aim to get there before 8am.
– Just off Panagsama Beach, walk out from Chilli Bar, you can snorkel with turtles and see the sardine run. But please keep your distance and respect the marine life (you wouldn’t believe how many people we saw standing on/kicking their feet/chasing turtles!!).

4 Nights: Siargao

Transport: 3 Hour Taxi to Cebu Airport 2500P (approx. £36.00) there are much cheaper options i.e. bus but our flight was at 11am, so we just chose the least stressful mode of transport. 1 Hour Flight with Philippine Airlines to Siargao approx. £60.00pp Return

Siargao renowned for epic surf spots, an incredible amount of palm trees and a pretty relaxed vibe. No you don’t need to ride a motorbike *screams from the top of her lungs* and there is certainly more to the island than surfing.

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Where to stay:
Budget: Avocado Tree Hostel
Mid Range: General Luna AirBnB
Splashing the Cash: Isla Cabana Resort

Good Food:
Kermit for dinner, just be prepared to wait.
Bravo for tapas and drinks.
The Deli for baguettes.

Tips
– Hire a Binggo with a Driver for a tour of the island. We hit up Alegria beach, TakTak Waterfall, The Viewpoint over the Palm Tree Forest, Magapungko Rock Pools and that frequently instagrammed palm lined road.

2 Nights: Bohol

Transport from Siargao: 1 Hour Flight to Cebu with Philippine Airlines.
2 Hour Ferry to Tagbilaran Port, Bohol 525P (approx. £7.50) per person.

No doubt you’re planning a trip to Bohol for the Chocolate Hills and the Tarsiers. They were the only reasons we included the island on our itinerary and that’s what we saw. Make sure to go to the Tarsier Sanctuary in Corella and not the so-called ‘Conservation Centre’ in Loboc. Note: I would make your stop here brief – there are so many more beautiful beaches on other islands.

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Where to stay:
Budget: Moon Fools Hostel
Mid Range: Island World Panglao
Splashing the Cash: South Palms Resort

Good Food:
Shaka – right next door to Moon Fools
Luna Rossa

3/4 Nights: Siquijor

Transport from Bohol: 1.5 Hour Ferry from Taglibaran to Larena Pier, Siquijor

Second to Malapascua, Siquijor was my favourite island, helped very much by the gorgeous accommodation that Josh picked. We spent three nights here, but if you’re wanting to take it slowly, I could have stayed for so much longer.

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Where to stay:
Budget: Isla de Paz Beach Resort
Mid Range: Tropical Fun Ta Sea Rentals
Splashing the Cash: Mandala Tribe Treehouse

Good Food:
Monkey Business 

Tips:
– Be sure to grab a few beers and head to Paliton Beach for sunset
– Try and get to Cambugahay Falls before 9am to avoid the crowds.

1 Night: Cebu City

Transport from Siquijor: 3 Hour Ferry via Tagbilaran (Bohol).

Other than as a stopover I would avoid staying in Cebu city all together. However, it’s a central base for the Visayas region and it just made sense in terms of our flight times up to Boracay.

Where to stay:
Budget: Murals Hostel & Café
Mid Range: Maayo Hotel
Splashing the Cash: Best Western Plus Lex Cebu

Good Food:
Salad Stop at Ayala Mall

3 Nights: Boracay

Transport from Cebu: 1 Hour Flight with Air Asia to Caticlan Boracay 2000P approx. £30pp

We met quite a few people during our time in the Philippines that were shocked when we said we were ending our trip in Boracay. In 2018 Boracay closed to tourists for six months to undergo a huge clean up of the area. Well six months well spent, we were so glad we decided to end our trip on this rightly popular paradise island. The town is still undergoing quite a lot of work but the beaches are undeniably beautiful, walking along White beach between stations was glorious and I definitely would not miss Boracay off your itinerary.

Do note though that there are quite a lot of rules that have now been put into place. For instance, on arrival at the port you will need a hotel or hostel reservation in order to be allowed entry – so no winging it. Drinking on the beach is banned and single use plastics are a big no – but that’s only a good thing!

Where to stay:
Budget: Hostel Avenue
Mid Range: Everrich Resort
Splashing the Cash: The District Boracay

Good Food & Drink:
Supermagic Burgers
Nonie’s
Paraw Beach Club

Thank you so much for reading, have you ever been to the Philippines? Is it on your bucket list? Let me know in the comments.

Need more trip inspiration check out my posts about Singapore or further afield in New Zealand.

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