Discovering the Philippines: Crafting Your Ideal Travel Route

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It's hard to imagine a more breathtaking region anywhere on Earth than the Philippines—powdery shorelines, sea water as warm as a bath, and locals whose friendliness knows no bounds.

This nation, comprising exactly 7,107 islands, deserves a detour from the usual banana pancake trail through Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. Its beaches rank among the planet's finest, its dive sites are legendary, and the genuine warmth of Filipino hospitality never wavers.

With so many islets offering diverse culture, adventure, and cuisine, how do you even begin plotting a route and deciding where to head in the Philippines? Fortunately, Charlotte and I spent roughly two months exploring the country and condensed our experiences into a handy guide below. Let's start shaping your ideal Philippines itinerary:

The Capital: Manila

Your trip will most likely kick off in the capital, Manila—a lively city packed with people, Spanish colonial architecture, street sellers, and Jeepneys. Many travelers treat Manila merely as a transit hub to other Philippine destinations, but we suggest spending at least a day here to gear up for the rest of your journey. That gives you enough time to buy a bus ticket north to Luzon, adjust to the pace, and sample street treats like quack quack (battered quail eggs) and caramelized bananas.

Handy Tip: Hop on a Jeepney for as little as 10 PHP and ride to some random spot in the city. Just jump off whenever you feel adventurous!

Accommodation: Reserve your Manila lodging here.

Northern Luzon (Banaue & Batad Rice Terraces)

Northern Luzon often gets overlooked by travelers who gravitate toward pristine white beaches and crystal-cobalt seas instead. Yet we strongly recommend a trip into this mountainous area for a peek into the world of local rice farmers and stunning rugged scenery. The UNESCO-listed Banaue rice terraces are a major highlight of any northern excursion.

Top Tip: Most visitors flock to Banaue because of its UNESCO designation, but just an hour farther up the road (or up the mountain) lie the Batad rice terraces—equally beautiful and far less crowded.

Spending one night here lets you live like the locals in a traditional stilt house built into the terrace. A hike to a nearby waterfall is also on the agenda and absolutely worth it—wear your swimsuit and take a plunge!

Getting There: Overnight buses like Ohayami depart from Manila's Sampoloc area for $19. You can buy tickets a day ahead or on the same day (subject to availability). They leave at 9 PM.

Accommodation: Batad Transient House (a traditional stilt house) for just $11, including a tasty breakfast!

Sagada

Famous for its hanging coffins, the Igorot tribes of the north have long practiced burying their dead in coffins nailed against cliff faces, believing this brings them closer to heaven.

This tradition is slowly fading, so it's a rare opportunity for a deeper insight into traditional tribal life. You can stop off at Sagada on a return bus trip from Banaue to Baguio.

Handy Tip: Sagada has VERY few ATMs, and the one we found had zero cash—leading to frantic calls home to wire money via Western Union. Bring enough cash for your entire Sagada stay.

Accommodation: Book your Sagada lodging here.

Baguio City (Mount Pulag)

No trip to Northern Luzon is complete without visiting its highest peak, standing 2,926 meters above sea level. If that sounds like too much hiking, don't worry—most of the journey is done by Jeepney to a mountain village, where you spend the night in a local house before tackling the summit in the early hours. The total trek from the village takes about 4–6 hours, with a couple of rest stops, until you reach "the sea of clouds."

Handy Tip: Most tour operators will drop you back in Manila if you tell them you want to be let off there INSTEAD of returning to Baguio. Following this itinerary chronologically, that's perfect since we'll be flying south next.

Go With: Mount Pulag Adventures

Accommodation: Book your Baguio City stay here.

Boracay

A small island in central Philippines, Boracay is the country's top tourist magnet—and for good reason. White Beach takes center stage, framing a 4-kilometer slice of paradise that was once voted the world's best beach (check out our guide to the finest beaches in the Philippines). A wide range of restaurants, resort accommodations, and bars line the main beach stations, while the back beach offers ideal conditions for water sports. Bar crawls, cliff jumping, and ATV tours are all available here!

Handy Tip: We suggest spending three or four nights in Boracay. Once you've partied your way across the island, it's probably time to move on anyway!

Getting There: Fly or take a ferry. We opted for the overnight ferry to save on accommodation, boarding from Batangas (reachable by a two-hour air-conditioned bus from Manila). Ferries should be booked a few days ahead with 2GO Travel; they depart at 9 PM and sail overnight to the port of Caticlan for $19, arriving around 7 AM depending on sea conditions. From there, passengers take a 10-minute boat ride to the island.

Accommodation: Hostel Avenue, the only beachfront hostel in Boracay (opened 2017), costs $17 and sits on White Beach.

Coron

Located in Palawan province, Coron is where you'll find those Instagram-perfect dragon-like rock formations that pierce the sky and surround turquoise lagoons below. THIS is one of the reasons we first added the Philippines to our bucket list. Trips to Barracuda Lake (a freshwater lake), Kayangan Lake, and the small and big lagoons are absolute musts during your visit and can be booked a day in advance in the main town. Coron is also known as the shipwreck capital of the world, thanks to numerous sunken Japanese vessels all within a 20-minute boat ride from town.

Handy Tip: The town is quaint and buzzing with other travelers. In our experience, we preferred to avoid the crowds by booking a private charter with another couple to take us to the best snorkeling spots after the hundreds of orange life jackets had already left. That also lets you handpick your sightseeing locations—all for as little as a $25 upgrade over the popular tours!

Getting There: For about $90, we chose to fly from Caticlan (Boracay) to Coron—and boy, was it worth it! Boarding a small 12-seater Air Juan plane from Boracay, you swoop across the Philippine archipelago, marveling at the tiny, Maldives-like islets below. A highly recommended way to see the Philippine landscape in all its glory!

Accommodation: If you're now confident chatting with locals, a cheaper alternative to a hostel on the main strip is to walk the quieter streets of town and find a friendly local who will offer up a spare room for free or half the cost of a hostel. To this day, staying in 'Sheila's' room while she was away at university remains one of our favorite stays from all our travels!

El Nido

Sticking with Palawan, El Nido is the next obvious destination in the Philippines to get your jaw-dropping landscape fix. The town is a traveler's paradise, offering a range of budget accommodations, charming restaurants and bars, and ample diving opportunities. Take an island-hopping tour that includes small and big lagoons, 7 Commandos Beach, Snake Island, and Cudugnon Cave. Tours start at around $26 and cover three or four destinations—oh, and lunch is included too. Sold!

Handy Tip: If your budget allows, we strongly recommend putting some money toward an island-hopping expedition from Coron to El Nido. Sailing among some of the smallest and most remote islets in the Philippines was truly breathtaking. Sandbar slices of paradise, camping on secluded beaches, and snorkeling in some of the clearest waters on Earth were among our favorite moments of the entire Philippines trip—not to mention singing karaoke in a local's home with only the villagers and rum to keep us company. For us, this was THE way to see the real Philippines at its most authentic.

Go With: Buhay Isla runs three- and four-night expeditions between Coron and El Nido ports.

Accommodation: Book your El Nido stay here.

Cebu

Our visit to Cebu focused mainly on one sight in particular: Kawasan Falls. This picturesque waterfall that plunges into a turquoise lagoon below has quickly become an Instagram favorite, and when you see it, you'll understand why. We strongly recommend arriving early to avoid the crowds.

The falls are easily accessible from the main entrance. Take a tricycle from your guesthouse, and the driver will already know where you want to go!

Handy Tip: For more adventurous travelers and an alternative way to reach the falls, opt for a canyoneering experience where you'll be thrilled with 2–10 meter cliff jumps into the azure waters below. Taking a dip in such mesmerizing waters is highly recommended anyway, but doing it with the adrenaline rush of jumping and jolting from the limestone cliffs above is all the more exhilarating. Your experience ends at Kawasan Falls—the perfect finale to such an adventure.

Getting There: Vans regularly leave from El Nido town to Puerto Princesa every hour, heading directly to the airport. You can either explore Puerto Princesa or fly straight to Cebu.

Go With: We chose to canyoneer with Highland Adventures and found them reliable, with all safety measures and equipment in place.

Accommodation: Book your Cebu stay here.

Oslob

It has always been a dream of ours to swim with whale sharks in a natural environment. We are so envious of Kristin's authentic experience with whale sharks in Mozambique, and as avid divers, we eagerly await the day we get to witness such a rare moment!

Although we weren't 100% comfortable swimming with whale sharks while they are being fed, we did end up swimming with them in Oslob as part of a tour we were doing. They are among the most beautiful creatures we have ever seen, gracefully swooping through the waters to collect the fish being served for them. We caved into the experience here, justifying it because the sharks are allowed to come and go as they please—but we look forward to an authentic encounter with much more excitement!

Be My Travel Muse generally does not support animal encounters like this that alter the animal's natural behavior, but it felt remiss to leave this off the itinerary since many people do want to have this experience. It is included here to provide information rather than to encourage participation. More ethical alternatives where the sharks are not fed include the Bay of Los Angeles in California, the Maldives, Mozambique, and many others depending on the season.

Bantayan Island

An off-the-beaten-path island often overlooked by travelers following the main tourist trail, but conveniently located northeast of Cebu. Still a hidden gem, locals will welcome you into their guesthouses with open arms for you to explore powdery, undeveloped white sand beaches, local cafes, fish markets, and—yes—skydiving! You read that correctly: Bantayan Island is home to the only place to skydive in the Philippines, and of course we had to try it!

Handy Tip: Although we went there mainly to skydive, Bantayan ended up being one of our favorite destinations in the Philippines because of its untouched landscape, local food, secluded sands, and, of course, the friendly Filipino people. Take a bike ride between Santa Fe and the neighboring village, stop off at local cafes (which are essentially village houses), and soak up local life while sipping cheap, cold beer. You can thank us later!

Getting There: Take a taxi to Cebu North bus terminal. Board a bus to Hagnaya (3.5 hours from Cebu City for $3.62). At Hagnaya terminal, boats to Bantayan Island leave every hour until 4 PM and cost $3.85.

Accommodation: Book your Bantayan Island stay here.

Visa Requirements

Always check your visa requirements before entering the country, but for most nationalities, you can enter the Philippines without a visa for up to 30 days, provided you have proof of onward travel.

Extending your visa is a straightforward process. You can apply at the Bureau of Immigration for an extension of up to 59 days. We recommend not doing this in Manila; instead, extend on one of the smaller islands like Boracay, where the procedure is much simpler and faster.

Getting Around: Fortunately, travel around the Philippines is relatively inexpensive, though it may require some advance planning.

Buses: Many destinations within provinces can be reached by bus, especially in the north, and often on short notice if seats are available. All buses are air-conditioned, cheap, and some even include a snack. We recommend overnight buses as a perfect way to save on accommodation while traveling from A to B—what's not to love!

Jeepneys: Do take a Jeepney when possible! Not only is it a great way to experience local transport in a souped-up American military vehicle, but it's also cheap.

Boats / Ferries: Given that the Philippines has over 7,000 islands, this should come as no surprise. Many online agents allow you to book tickets in advance (one or two days is enough), and overnight ferries in particular are comfortable and air-conditioned depending on the class. You can also buy tickets directly at the port to avoid fees, but during holidays expect to wait a few days to book!

Flights: Flying between provinces isn't as expensive as it sounds, provided you fly at the right times and between the right destinations. It also lets you see the archipelago from above—we think that alone is worth the price.

Taxis: Many city provinces like Manila and Cebu have taxis, but the cheaper alternative is a tricycle (a motorbike with a sidecar). Tricycles are a great way to zip around and are considerably cheaper than taxis. Always ask to go by meter, and it's worth researching the typical charge per kilometer to avoid being overcharged.

So, have you fallen in love with the Philippines yet? These secluded white stretches of sand, the clearest waters on Earth, the local culinary delights, and the spirit of the Filipino people all make this country one of our favorites in the world. All this, combined with the relative affordability compared to many other beach destinations and the ease of getting around, makes it an absolute must-visit!

We hope this helped you put together an itinerary and figure out where to go in the Philippines. Please feel free to ask any questions in the comments below.

About the Authors: Charlie and Charlotte are the wanderlusting couple behind The Wanderlovers. They traded their city life in London for an action-packed journey across the globe. Hand in hand, they're taking on one country at a time and building a life they don't want to escape from. Through their couples' travel and lifestyle blog, they hope to inspire future travelers that anything is possible if you just buy that one-way ticket … Go Live!

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