Please note that the following text was written in 2019, shortly after our trip, and was originally penned quickly for friends who were planning similar travels. Looking back on it now, I realize it lacks some details, like exact prices. However, I do remember that we withdrew an equivalent of about 450 GBP in total during our trip and used cash for everything, including meals and attractions.
Reflecting on this journey after some time has passed is quite interesting. It was our first big trip together, exploring Asia with just our backpacks. I wonder how it would be different now, without the financial constraints we faced as students. We'd probably be more willing to spend money on things like island hopping. Before, we didn't splurge on private tours or extra days of activities, but now I'd be more open to it. Still, there's something special about traveling on a tight budget and having plenty of time to spare.
When planning a trip to the Philippines, it can be overwhelming to see how much there is to do across the country's 7,000 islands. It's impossible to see everything in just two weeks. We focused on two main areas: Palawan & Coron and Cebu & Bohol, each of which would need at least two weeks to explore properly. Transportation took up a lot of our time, making it tough to split our time evenly between them.
Some new places, like Siargao Island for surfing or Donsol for swimming with white sharks, are becoming more popular. However, there are ethical concerns about some of these activities, like feeding animals to keep them in one spot for tourists. This can disrupt their natural behavior and have long-term consequences.
Day 1 - Singapore
We flew from London to Singapore with British Airways. The flight departed at 8:00 PM and landed at 4:00 PM, lasting 13.5 hours. How to survive jet lag? DON NOT SLEEP. Stay up all night (maybe with short naps) so you arrive feeling tired enough, do a quick sightseeing tour, then go to bed early and wake up at a normal time. Jet lag is always a mix of factors, but we managed to adjust without any issues.
Singapore is a great place for a layover, and it's worth spending a day here. Especially in the evening, there's a lot to see - the Gardens by the Bay and Marina Bay shows (they're close together, so you can catch both in one evening with a quick walk). The metro runs from the airport, making it very easy to get around the city and back to the airport.
We stayed our first night at the Hotel 81 Orchid, which is part of a chain with many hotels in the area, each with different interior designs. It was one of the cheapest options with a private room and bathroom. The area to stay in was okay, a bit far from the metro (about 10-15 minutes' walk), which is something to consider, especially with luggage (we had backpacks) in the scorching heat. On our return, we stayed in the city center, which I'll describe later, and that was a better option, but be prepared for sleeping in a shared room.
Singapore is better in the evening than during the day. It's worth seeing the light show first at Gardens by the Bay, then at the Marina (the shows are shortly after each other). However, we quickly returned to the hotel to treat our jet lag ;)
Day 2 - Puerto Princesa
The next day, we headed back to the airport. It's worth arriving early and allowing time to explore Jewel – the newly opened (in 2019 ;)) mall at the airport, located outside the terminal. It's truly impressive; you can grab a bite at one of the cafes (there are several), but the main attraction is the incredibly impressive fountain – the largest in the world inside a building. Light shows are held every hour, but they weren't happening in the morning when we visited – we caught them later on our return through Singapore.
We flew with Cebu Pacific – a Filipino budget airline. When buying tickets, it's worth paying attention to whether the flight is operated by Cebu Pacific or CebGo – the latter being an even cheaper carrier under Cebu Pacific, where smaller luggage is allowed (our carry-on, which was free with Cebu Pacific, would have been an additional charge with CebGo – though the flight prices themselves weren't higher). Almost always, to fly anywhere in the Philippines, you'll have to transfer in the capital - Manila, or possibly Cebu – but there are no direct flights. There's no time difference between Singapore and the Philippines. We flew via Manila but didn't leave the airport. No one recommended staying in the city; from all the blogs we read, everyone who decided to spend the night there advised against it, suggesting just taking connecting flights on the same day. The reason being safety (or lack thereof) and extreme poverty. We didn't check this ourselves, so we can't verify it.
Another thing to consider when booking flights is the odd scheduling of flights in "waves" – for example, there were several flights to the same destination within a few morning hours, then a long gap. We had to do some maneuvering with this, and we found the best combination through Google Flights. We purchased flights directly from the airline's website and each flight separately (combining them was more expensive). This meant we had to "exit" the airport, where we sorted out a SIM card, had something to eat, and then returned (going through security again, but everything went very smoothly).
Edit 2022: I'm not sure if I would opt for self-transfer again! If buying flights together means the airline handles the transfer, so we don't have to leave the airport - we would definitely pay for that convenience. Primarily because in case of a delay in the first flight, they would rebook our second one.
The SIM Card
There are two operators – SMART and Globe. What we did was one person took one card, and the other took the other – it was a great idea because rarely did both of us have signal ;) Almost always, however, only one of us had it, and we had to rely on each other for that. They have shared booths at the airport, which are easy to miss. Payment is cash only - there's an ATM at the airport, and we withdrew from our Revolut card. The ATM charges a fee for every foreign card, I believe it's 250 PHP. At the SIM card booth, they'll offer you HUGE packages like 50GB, etc. We knew we didn't need that much. We both got 3.5GB, and it was enough for us – for maps, sometimes Instagram, and many places had Wi-Fi (their cards also offer an additional 1GB for an app of our choice: Netflix, Youtube, etc. We chose Instagram). When buying the SIM, the staff immediately set it up for us, installed the app for the additional 1GB, etc. It took a few minutes; they were really skilled 😉 Just make sure to figure out how much data you need, how much you'll actually use, and don't fall for a gigantic package (especially since it's better for both people to have different SIM cards, so in our opinion, one SIM with a larger package isn't necessarily a good idea).
We flew into Puerto Princesa in the evening. A taxi from the airport (or rather a tricycle – welcome to the Philippines, this is the main mode of transportation here) will always be much more expensive, maybe around 100 or 200 PHP, and you can't negotiate it (we tried for a bit). You have to exit the airport (turn left after leaving the terminal and follow Google Maps), and outside the gate, tricycle drivers will approach you – a ride costs around 10 PHP. At this point, we decided to just walk to our hotel. The route was fine, but if it's not just a few minutes' walk, it's better to take a tricycle.
For accommodation, we chose Amor's Place. The hotel was very decent, clean, with its own bathroom. Breakfast was white bread, sugary jam, and peanut butter – that's the norm in the Philippines, and it's hard to find something better ;)
We went for a bite to eat at Puerto Princesa City Baywalk Park – we were probably the only foreigners there, just locals. It's a meeting place, with food stalls and kids playing. The road was a bit scary :D but not that long (again, you can take a tricycle).
Day 3 - Sabang
The next day, we woke up and took a tricycle to San Jose (also known as New Market) station. From there, jeepneys depart – the cheapest option, but also a long and tedious journey, mainly used by locals. They did everything to convince us that we needed them and that they were the only option ;) But we were looking for minivan departures, and after a few minutes of circling and asking people, we found it. Look for the yellow sign - where the tricycle dropped us off and where the jeepneys depart. Then you have to walk past the station and across a large square until you reach several minivan stands.
Our destination was Sabang. There's an underground river there (one of the many "7 wonders of the world" ;)). You can book a one-day tour in Puerto Princesa, including transportation to/from Sabang (departure around 7 in the morning, 2 hours' drive), and a river tour – it's not much more expensive, but:
You need to arrange it the day before, and we had a late arrival,
There aren't many attractions in Puerto Princesa itself, and we wanted to move on.
We left at 10:30 (relatively late, but we weren't in a hurry), and without a reservation – I don't know if we would have been able to get on the early departures without one.
The journey wasn't terrible, but looking back at the entire trip and a few similar rides, it was definitely the worst in terms of standards and daring driving. And it's worth noting – minivan drivers in the Philippines drive very fast. Baggage goes on the roof, so it's worth making sure it's securely tied down to avoid losing it on a sharp turn ;)
In Sabang, we arrived directly at the beach, where there are several cottages and one luxury hotel further along (just a reminder, this information is from 2019).
We stayed at Hill Myna Beach Cottages - we had a small cottage with a bathroom, a bucket of water for flushing the toilet, a fan for air conditioning, and electricity for only a few hours a day. Not very luxurious, but it had its charm; we were in a beautiful place! The food was good, but the wait was incredibly long. No one was in a hurry there 😊
For the rest of the day, we just lazed around. We only took care of the formalities for our trip to the underground river the next day - we filled out some form that expedited everything for the next day (see the map further down).
Day 4 - Underground River in Sabang & El Nido
We woke up at 8 am to be at the Sabang Boat terminal. The first thing to do is to buy entry permits for the underground river. Once the ticket booths open (around 8 am, I believe), you take a number. At the booth, the attendant found our form that we filled out the day before, and we paid for the entry permits. We bought the boat separately - right when buying the permits, it's worth talking to other tourists doing the same and arranging to share a boat. Right next to the ticket booth is another counter where the boats are waiting for us - each boat takes up to 6 people. Organized tours take a minivan and go by road – what a waste! ;)
We woke up at 8 am to be at the Sabang Boat terminal. The first thing to do is to buy entry permits for the underground river. Once the ticket booths open (around 8 am, I believe), you take a number. At the booth, the attendant found our form that we filled out the day before, and we paid for the entry permits. We bought the boat separately - right when buying the permits, it's worth talking to other tourists doing the same and arranging to share a boat. Right next to the ticket booth is another counter where the boats are waiting for us - each boat takes up to 6 people. Organized tours take a minivan and go by road – what a waste! ;)
After a few minutes, we arrived at our destination – a short walk, an audio guide, and then we boarded another boat, which took us into the rocks (the same skipper from the boat in Sabang was our guide on the second boat).
Then we returned, had some food, checked out, and moved on - to El Nido. Theoretically, there are no direct vans – everywhere it said that you have to get to Salvation (where the roads to Sabang, Puerto Princesa, and El Nido intersect), but our minivan was full, and everyone was heading to El Nido. The driver may stop at Salvation and switch passengers. Even if we had to transfer there, it shouldn't have been too problematic; it was clearly a significant transportation hub. There were several shops and lots of minivans. There are many of them (if not from Sabang, then from Puerto Princesa), so I think it wouldn't be a problem to catch one. According to my notes, it was supposed to cost 400 PHP, but I didn't write down how much we actually paid.
Potential change – we decided not to go to Port Barton, but many people recommended it to us before heading to El Nido. It might be worth spending one or two nights there. It might be harder to find transportation (I think you can't avoid transferring at Salvation), but there are direct minivans to El Nido.
In El Nido, we arrived at the minivan station (El Nido Transport Terminal), and the only option there is to take a tricycle. It's best to stay near the El Nido port – we chose the Big Mike hostel. The room was described as a 4-bed one, but it was actually two connected rooms for 4 people each ;) Other than that, it was fine; the place was run by a very nice woman who made eggs in the morning, with the usual white bread, jam, and peanut butter. Plus a banana per person ;) I can't find this accommodation anymore, so it's possible that it's no longer operating.
Initially, we booked 3 nights in El Nido, but during planning, we realized that an extra night would be useful. We chose the Frendz hostel – more expensive, better standard, but we were very disappointed with the atmosphere! It looked great, but it felt like being in Ibiza, with only rich white kids on their trip of a lifetime, with suitcases, partying in the evenings, etc. Not our vibe at all; we actually preferred our poor little hostel from the first nights :D But they had a rooftop pool with a view of the bay, so we don't regret it – it was nice to take a dip in fresh water for a change.
As soon as you arrive in El Nido, it's worth arranging a ferry to Coron – they fill up 1-3 days in advance, and they can be canceled due to weather. We didn't know about this and left it until the last day, where all the ferries were canceled the day before due to a storm at sea, and our departure was full - I don't remember how we managed to get seats! So it's better to arrange it right away. There are two companies, one departs at 6 am, the other at 8. They cost the same, and tickets can be purchased at the same offices as for island hopping (there are many of them everywhere). I think you could even do it online in advance, but we wanted to do it on-site and verify all the options.
Day 5 - Island Hopping
In El Nido, we needed a whole day for an island hopping tour. Every agency offers the same routes, labeled as tours A, B, C, and D. I believe A and C are the most popular (because they're the best), and we chose tour C at the Boutique Artcafe office. Each agency offers the same thing, from our understanding - each agency buys the opportunity to operate a particular route from some organization (?) and you can't just go wherever/however you want. In our tour, kayaks in Big Lagoon were included, but there were many of them parked there, and many people were using them - I think we overpaid. You also have to pay extra for a mask and fins, but you can't do without them, and it's definitely worth it!
It would be best to opt for a private tour - even for a larger group, the cost is similar, and you can set sail earlier and avoid crowds. While adhering to designated routes is necessary, with a private boat, you can adjust the plan somewhat and steer clear of places where all the groups tend to converge. Nonetheless, it wasn't bad; there were quite a few people, but without crowds. We're all tourists there, doing the same thing, so it's hard to blame anyone ;)
Day 6 - Nacpan Beach
For the next two days, we rented a scooter (otherwise, we'd have to take a tricycle, which is more costly and less comfortable). On the first day, we headed to Nacpan Beach – one of, if not the best, beach we visited during the entire trip. It was immense and deserted. I think if we were to do it again, we'd opt to stay there for a night – there were a few small hostels right on the beach. We spent the whole day there, the sun burning us intensely even while sitting in the shade and only briefly stepping into the water a few times. That's when we learned the importance of applying the highest SPF sunscreen NON STOP and avoiding the sun – and still ended up with a tan (back in 2019, before people knew that SPF 50 should be used daily and everywhere ;)). We listened to an audiobook and relaxed. After several days of moving around and sightseeing, it was a much-needed day of rest.
Day 7 - Corong Corong & Marimegmeg Beaches
The following day, we headed to Corong Corong Beach and caught the sunset at Marimegmeg – neither as stunning as Nacpan, but the journey was much shorter. Generally, there aren't many budget-friendly activities there apart from the beaches – island hopping would be the best option, but it's a costly attraction if you're traveling on a budget. El Nido is very touristy, with loads of young people traveling from all over the world. I was a bit disappointed by this; it was very crowded and lacked authenticity. As for dining options, we highly recommend Happiness Beach Bar (they also have a hostel) – great for dinner and drinks; Café Athena – literally across the street, where we had breakfast (French toasts with mango) and they were delicious.
Speaking of food... the Philippines isn't exactly a destination for foodies. For lunch, it's rice with meat in sauce. For breakfast, white toast with jam and peanut butter. Sometimes (also for breakfast), sweet rice with meat. Szymon ate everything, but after a few days, he was feeling a bit under the weather ;) Additionally, it's only instant coffee, must have milk and sugar. Fresh juices - forget it, you have to repeat three times not to add milk and sugar. Unfortunately, there's a strong influence from the States (especially evident in their love for basketball – hoops are everywhere, and every gate at the airport had its TV showing NBA games).
Day 8 - Coron
Next, we headed to Coron. Again, upon arrival, we took a tricycle to our hotel. We stayed at Macky’s Hidden Inn – highly recommended, decent standard, private rooms, and good breakfasts (for the Philippines; we notified them the day before if we wanted breakfast). On the first evening, we rode a scooter to a small hill with a sign saying "Coron" (a la Hollywood ;)). It's a popular spot for watching the sunset.
In Coron, the best experiences are the island hopping tours – in our opinion, even better than in El Nido. We booked one the day before, with a stop at Barracuda Lake – the best place we visited in the entire Philippines! On the second day, we wanted to go there again. We went in the morning to the boat departure point to look for a private transfer, but it wasn't worth it for them to sail to just one spot, so the price would be like for a full day. In the end, we decided on a tour, booking directly with the skipper on-site, and it was cheaper than through an agency.
Day 9 - Waterfalls & Night Ferry
The next day, we rented a scooter and headed to Conception Falls, which turned out to be a disappointment at the end of the dry season because there was no waterfall :P Then, we went to Ocam Ocam Beach, but it was quite rocky, and the water didn't invite us to swim. Besides island hopping, there aren't many other attractions in Coron, so two full days are enough. The last highlight in Coron was a night cruise to see fireflies, with dinner at a floating restaurant – magical. The fireflies were not very visible, but the glowing plankton (like sparkling water) was stunning. After that, dinner with live music – highly recommended. We arranged it at the same office where we booked the island hopping tour on the first day. It's crucial to check when there's a full moon – around the full moon, the nights are too bright to see the fireflies/plankton, but many agencies still sell these tours. Another thing to consider is to look for a tour where the meal is served at a floating restaurant for an additional attraction :) I don't remember the price difference.
In Coron, we highly recommend a fantastic spot for, wait for it – lobsters! It's called Lobster King, where you select your lobster from the water, and then they prepare it for you – we recommend the option with butter and garlic. It was delicious and quite generous in portion! You won't find lobster cheaper anywhere else in the world. We also dined at Levine’s Eatery – amazing views because you ascend a few floors and dine on the rooftop terrace, and it was just across the street from our hotel.
Day 10 - Travel to Boracay
And so our adventure began – we attempted to reach Boracay Island via a combination of land and sea travel. Our elaborate plan relied on an express boat, which unfortunately was no longer in service. The only option left was a boat that ran all day but only to Mindoro Island (San Jose port), where we had to take a minivan to the other side of the island (Roxas port), then another boat to Caticlan and a transfer to Boracay. There, we were supposed to have just one evening and a night's stay – we arrived at 2 in the morning and had to wake up at 5 to catch a boat back to Caticlan and then to Tablas. It wasn't a disaster, as we managed to do it all "only" in one day, but we only attempted this route because flights routed through Manila seemed like a waste of time. Unfortunately, the reality is that it's better to rely on planes when changing islands, as there is a lot of outdated or incomplete information online (and I wrote this in 2019 – I can only imagine it's even harder to find reliable sources after two years of tourism hiatus).
Now, Boracay. Why were we so determined to get there, even for just one night? In 2019, Boracay was reopening for the first time after a year-long closure, supposedly to allow the island to regenerate from tourism. Honestly? It seemed more like a time to develop the island with more hotels. It was also much more expensive compared to other places in the Philippines. You have to pay a terminal fee at every port, and in Caticlan, for Boracay, it was definitely the highest. The same went for tricycles – no one wanted to charge us so much anywhere else, and there was zero room for negotiation. Our hotel was just a few minutes from the beach, which was said to be known for its stunning sunrises – due to our early wake-up call, we took a stroll there, but it wasn't the most breathtaking sunrise we'd ever seen. We quickly went back for our luggage and bid farewell to Boracay. From conversations with others, it seems Boracay is either loved or hated. We spent only a few hours there and were exhausted, so our experience may be very unrepresentative – but we wouldn't recommend it.
Day 11 - Travel to Tablas
From Caticlan, we took a boat to Tablas, our final stop in the Philippines, and it was wonderful! We stayed at the Footprints Hotel – secluded, with a few cottages, the whole beach to ourselves, a restaurant (which was great because we didn't have to leave for lunch/dinner), free SUPs and kayaks. Just as we were leaving, we found out that at night, you can see bioluminescent plankton when you enter the water! There are few things in life I regret, but not indulging in a skinny dip there is one of them :P Every evening, we spent on the beach, as the total darkness allowed us to admire the stars and the Milky Way.
Day 12 - Waterfall Moped Tour
For one day, we rented a scooter to explore waterfalls – again, it turned out so-so, as with the end of the dry season, they weren't very impressive. The first one, Mablaran Falls, turned out to be a gathering place for locals – great atmosphere! We could swim and jump from a rope. The second one, Busay Falls – there, upon the locals' encouragement, we jumped into deep but small lakes (a bit scary, but super fun!). The next waterfalls were right near Busay Falls, and we followed these instructions:
"Once you leave Busay Falls you will need to jump back on your bike and backtrack til you reach a fork in the road. It is here that you will take the right-hand turn instead of the left as you did when you headed to Busay. OR drive back from Busay parking lot for five minutes and then ask locals where is Dulom Falls."
And we found it, but it was a very small place, which turned out to be a family gathering spot, so we caused quite a stir by showing up and inviting ourselves in ;)
Other attractions on Tablas include the Looc Fish Sanctuary and the southern part of the island – we didn't go, so we didn't do much research, but we met a couple on the way to Tablas who had been to Boracay for a few days (by the way, they also had very negative opinions about that island) and they stayed in the south of Tablas, and one day they visited the beach at our hotel – they said their area was better :D Perhaps.
After two days on Tablas, we took a boat back to Caticlan with (2GO Travel).
There we spent the night in an Airbnb, highly recommended - the host picked us up from the port, and the next day he took us to the airport.
Day 13 - Return to Singapore
The next day, we had a flight to Manila and a connecting flight to Singapore.
In Singapore, we stayed until the evening of the following day. This time, we stayed in a capsule hotel called BEAT, which literally means beds behind curtains. A big plus for the location, the standard was good, we had a double bed, and there were plenty of showers, so there were no issues with the bathroom.
Day 14 - Singapore
We spent this entire day on Sentosa Island – where Universal Studios is located, among many other attractions, most of which are paid, but there is plenty to see even without spending money. There are artificial beaches, a viewing point – the southernmost point of continental Asia. Then we returned to the city center, walked again to Gardens by the Bay to see them in daylight. After that, we headed to the airport (we left our luggage at the hostel – there was no problem with that).
Here are a few tips:
In the Philippines, there are indeed no mosquitoes, so there's no need to buy insect repellent sprays, which are often necessary in other Asian countries. Although we had them just in case, we didn't have to use them at all.
It's always a good idea to have sunscreen with you. Since we were traveling with carry-on luggage, we took two small containers with us and then bought more on the spot (every 2-3 days, as we used a lot).
A water bottle is an essential item to have. There was always a place to refill it, and we drank a lot. Even small hotels had water dispensers, so we didn't have to pay for it.
We brushed our teeth only with bottled water, not tap water, to prevent any stomach issues. Although we didn't have major stomach problems, it's always good to be prepared when traveling in Asia.
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