PHILIPPINES

“The world is a book, and those who do not travel on read one page.”
— St. Augustine

There are so many places to stay, eat and drink in each country, it just comes down to a matter of budget, choice and time. Below is an account of each island we visited in the Philippines, where we stayed, things we enjoyed doing and places we ate & drank that were memorable.

Manila

The capital city. We did not spend any time here other than a quick overnight layover to get to Bohol.

Belmont Hotel - Recommended, it’s clean, close to the airport with comfortable beds and blackout shades.

Philippines Airlines - We used this airline when traveling between islands, but compared prices on Google Flights.

Transport - I recommend arranging transportation through your hotel, hostel or a shuttle service to avoid hassles at the airport when you arrive.

Bohol & Panglao

Fantastic islands famous for the Chocolate Hills, home to the Tarsier, beautiful waterfalls, the Napaling Reef and one of the best places in the world to free dive.

Bird of Paradise - Loved our stay at this boutique 8 room hotel. Amazing pool, located in a quiet walkable neighborhood with cafes & restaurants near Alona Beach on Panglao.

Hertz Rental Car - We rented a car for the week. It was affordable, and easy to navigate around, driving was on the right side of the road.

Overgrown Cafe & Bar - A fabulous coffee shop we frequented a LOT. The owner Kim is fantastic, the caffeinated drinks are wonderful and the lite bites & cocktails are a bonus. Link to their Instagram page.

Toto e Pepino - This was our favorite dinner place within walking distance of our hotel. Always busy, Italian owners and delicious pizza & pasta.

Bamboo Place - Great place to grab a bite or drink with late night DJs playing house music. The owner Simone is fun to chat with.

Activities We Enjoyed

Taking a free diving course with Blue Freedom Apnea, visiting the Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary, climbing to the Chocolate Hills viewpoint, Loboc River Cruise, snorkeling the Napaling Reef, wandering around the Bohol Bee Farm, swimming in Hinagdanan Cave & the Camugao Waterfall, strolling on Alona Beach & watching the sunset. Here is great resource for things to do: Stoked to Travel

Coron, Palawan

Palawan is one of the most beautiful islands in the Philippines, and is likely the one you will see all over Instagram. Coron is a city on the northern end and is known for its gorgeous fresh water lakes and bright green & blue lagoons. It is also a spot with some of the best wreck diving, with WWII ships at the bottom of Coron Bay.

Arriving at the airport your only option for transport to your hotel are shuttle buses that leave only when full… Expect to wait.

Outpost Hostel Coron - We chose a private room at this hostel and it was perfect. The infinity pool, delicious & affordable food and people at this hostel made it a memorable stay. They also had some of the best banana french toast I’ve ever had,

We took tricycles (trikes) to get around. These are motorbikes with an enclosed sidecar that are relatively safe and very affordable (about $1.50 USD to get anywhere in town).

The Brewhouse - Great craft beer & bites that’s a part of a ‘food hall’ style venue that has many options for food and live music at night.

Pacifico Coron - Had some great sushi here, big menu lots of good food.

We honestly ate at our hostel most evenings because the food was so great, and the breakfast was included in the cost of the room.

Activities We Enjoyed

Private boat tour of the lakes & lagoons focused on ‘Tour A’ (we used Get Your Guide), scuba & WWII wreck diving in Coron Bay with Umali Divers, sunrise climb to Mount Tapyas & heading into the town center to grab some street food and watch the locals play basketball & volleyball. This is a great resource for things to do: Journey Era

Getting from Coron to El Nido (or vice versa)

Most people chose to visit both Coron & El Nido when visiting Palawan. There are 3 options for traveling between the two islands:

  1. Fly using AirSwift (the only direct option)

  2. Take a ferry (book using 12Go)

  3. Take a 3 Day 2 Night island hopping excursion using Buhay Isla or Tao

We intentionally planned extra time, and chose a Buhay Isla excursion which we absolutely LOVED. It was an adventure, rustic and fun. Read more about our experience here. Taking the ferry or an island hopping excursion can be a rough & unpredictable way to go based on the weather & seas. Be sure to read more about these options here before you choose.

El Nido, Palawan

Palawan is one of the most beautiful islands in the Philippines, and is likely the one you will see all over Instagram. El Nido is at the northern end, and a popular stop for Palawan. The town has a ton of accommodations options, good restaurants and a fun nightlife.

Last Frontier Beach Resort - We enjoyed this adults only boutique hotel that was just outside of town. It is on the beach (not a swimable one), and within walking distance of a few great restaurants (below). The beach in town and where we stayed are not great for swimming due to tides and rocks. But they are great for walking on.

We took tricycles (trikes) to get around. These are motorbikes with an enclosed sidecar that are relatively safe and very affordable (about $1.50 USD to get anywhere in town).

There are countless restaurants, cafes & bars in El Nido, below are a few we tried.

Bella Vita - Cute place, on the water with amazing sunset views, delicious Italian food & great cocktails.

Food Truck - Just like the name says, a food truck style place. Good cheap food.

Hama Coffee El Nido. It was perfectly minimalist, great coffee, gorgeous views and fast wifi.

Cala Restaurant - An upscale dining experience. On the pricier end, but great food and a solid wine selection.

Activities We Enjoyed

Sadly we were either under the weather or had bad weather for the majority of our time in El Nido, so we did not do any of the popular activities here other than enjoy the nightlife.

Boracay

Best known for its expansive beautiful White Beach, and sadly for being shut down in 2018 for over-tourism & a massive clean up effort. Tourism is king, it is the most commercialized island in the Philippines so there are activities, shopping, food and drink for everyone.

The Strand - Great boutique hotel just a few blocks from the White Beach at the far quieter end. Great pool, large rooms and a good breakfast.

Kasbar - Middle eastern food on the beach, amazing baba ganoush

Activities We Enjoyed

Golfing at Fairways & Bluewater, strolling the beach and swimming. This is a great resource for things to do on Boracay: Stoked to Travel

Additional Philippines Travel Websites, Podcasts & YouTube Videos:

Below are some great resources on what to do, where to go & overall planning advice for your adventure.

Want more? …Check out my Island Hopping in the Philippines travel blog for more details and photos or my Travel Resources page for more great information on travel planning