3 Weeks in the Philippines

In April 2023 I decided to visit what was essentially “the last frontier” for me in South East Asia; The Philippines. I’ve been to almost every other country in region previously, from Myanmar to Malaysian Borneo and onward to Indonesia. But I had never made it to the Philippines before. So I was very excited to explore some of the 7000 tropical islands here.

Since I only had 2.5 weeks, and had many places I wanted to visit, across several (relatively far apart) islands, I planned my trip quite extensively before leaving. I had wanted to visit Coron, El Nido, Bohol and Siquijor. But mostly, I wanted to go on a snorkelling “expedition” from Coron to El Nido for a few days.

Coron Island is known for it’s stunning lagoons and karst landscapes. The expedition was supposed to be some of the best snorkelling and intact reefs outside of the coral triangle, and El Nido is known for its boat trips and nightlife. Then onwards from here, Bohol is famous for the chocolate hills and Loboc river fireflies (and also Tarsiers) and Siquijor is known for being a less touristy island, with a laid back feel and stunning house reef accesible from the beach.

In hindsight, I wish I had done my trip in reverse, as I ended up going from (in my opinion) the best parts of my trip, to the “least best” parts (I mean none of the Philippines is bad!!!). But I wish I had spent more time in on the expedition, and built up to the snorkelling here, as it was just UNREAL!

So, If I was coming again, I would probably do a very similar itinerary, but do it in complete reverse and end with the expedition and Coron.

My itinerary was:

• 1 Night in Manila after arrival
• 4 Nights in Coron
• 2 Nights Expedition from Coron to El Nido
• 3 Nights in El Nido
• 1 Night in Bohol
• 5 Nights in Siquijor

If I was going again, I think the perfect itinerary would be:

• 1 Night in Manila
• 2 Nights in Bohol
• 3 Nights in Siquijor
• 3 Nights in El Nido
• 3-4 Nights on the Expedition Island Hopping
• 3 Nights in Coron

I would also consider adding in different islands. Obviously, if I do go back, I would want to go to different places, so probably I would look at Siargao, Cebu, Balabac region of Palawan and Luzon region North of Manila. Hopefully, I’ll get the chance to visit these places at some point in the future.

You can read all my blog posts from the Philippines here: