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Philippines Itinerary – Things to Consider

When planning your 2 week Philippines itinerary, there are several important things to take into account. The Philippines is a vast country with thousands of islands (7000+), making travel between them time-consuming. Ferries can be unreliable and journeys often take longer than expected. To optimize your Philippines itinerary, I suggest allowing travel days and visiting islands that are nearby

When deciding on your entry point, consider whether you have to fly into Manila first or if you can fly direct to other airports such as Cebu or Palawan which can save you time and help you make the most of your two weeks in the Philippines.

Two week Philippines itinerary for  first timers

For the best general travel in the Philippines, I suggest spending one week in Cebu and one week in Palawan. This is what I did the first time I visited.

Cebu
In Cebu fly into Mactan-Cebu Airport, a separate island connected to Cebu city by a bridge.

Travel Day to Malapascua island
Head to the north of Cebu by bus or minivan from the Cebu northern bus terminal. Journey time is around 4-5 hours and cost approximately 200-300 pesos/£4/$5. Then take a 40 minute local ferry from Danbantayan port. Please note the ferries are losely scheduled every 30 minutes but will leave when full. You are required to pay an small environmental fee at the port.

Best things to do in Malapascua Island

– Scuba diving with thresher sharks
– Snorkel with baby black tip reef sharks
– Walk across the island to North beach
– Scuba dive Gato island for white tip reef sharks and stunning coral reefs
– eat at Villa Potenciana for amazing Filipino vegan food

Scuba diving with thresher sharks in Malapascua Island, Cebu, the Philippines

Best Places to Stay in Malapascua Island

Hotel Name	Price	Best hotel in Malapascua for…	Compare prices on Agoda & Booking.com
Slam’s Garden Resort	$	Pool and garden area
Tepanee Beach Resort	$$	Beach side
Blanco Beach Resort	$$$	Beach side

Travel day to Moalboal
– scuba diving or snorkelling with the sardines, a huge bait ball of sardines just off the beach

Head back to Cebu city
– consider a day trip to Bohol
– consider a couple of nights on Panglao Island
– fly onwards to Palawan

Palawan
Palawan in the Philippines is known for its stunning turquoise waters and gorgeous beaches as well as nature like caves you can kayak into in Puerto Princesa.

Best things to do in Palawan
– island hopping boat tours
– kayaking
– enjoying the turquoise waters
– marvelling at the scenery and cliffs
– stunning beach at Port Barton

Two week Philippines itinerary  for the ocean & nature

On my third Philippines  rip with my sister, we followed this two week Philippines itinerary that focused on ocean experiences, marine life, and a touch of jungle exploration.

Cebu & Malapascua
First fly into Cebu and then spend a travel day getting to Malapascua Island, a small island off the northern tip of Cebu

What to Do in Malapascua Island

• Scuba diving with thresher sharks
• Snorkel with baby black tip reef sharks, off Datit Dakit in front of Blanco beach resort
• Walk across the island to North beach
• Scuba dive Gato island for white tip reef sharks and stunning coral reefs
• eat at Angelina’s for delicious Italian food
• eat at Villa Potenciana for amazing Filipino vegan food
• eat at the market for cheap, local dishes
• happy hour for sunset at Kokays

Best places to stay in Malapascua Island

Malapascua is a small island and you can walk everywhere. I recommend staying in the south of the island, close to beautiful beaches, dive centres and all the restaurants and the market.

Hotel Name	Price	Best hotel in Malapascua for…	Compare prices on Agoda & Booking.com
Slam’s Garden Resort	$	Pool and garden area
Tepanee Beach Resort	$$	Beach side
Blanco Beach Resort	$$$	Beach side

Then take a travel day to get to Leyte, a hidden gem in the Philippines for 4 nights

Best things to do in Padre Burgos, Leyte

– scuba dive some of the best coral reefs I have ever seen
– ethical whale shark snorkel trip – we saw two whale sharks and snorkelled for almost an hour with them
– night dive for amazing marine critters and macro life
– snorkel at Medicare spot for a chance of turtles
– spot spinner dolphins from the whale shark boat

Where to stay in Padre Burgos, Leyte

Peters Dive Resort was an amazing experience and recommend it for everyone visiting, whether they are diving or doing the whale shark snorkel trip. My sister and I had a double room with AC right on the sea front next to the pool. Lovely open windows in the restaurant make it feel like outdoor dining. Divers get a discount on rooms and the staff were all awesome during our stay and really helpful for figuring out ferries to and from Leyte.

Travel day- Leyte to Bohol
Head from Hilongos or Boto by ferry to Ubay in Bohol (approx 2 hours)a

Stay in Loboc, Bohol for adventure and nature and jungle time for 3 nights.

Best things to do in Loboc, Bohol

– witnessing the sunrise at the chocolate hill
– staying in a jungle hut by the river
– enjoying local Filipino food river side at this lovely resort
– exploring the bamboo man-made forest, planted by elders over 100 years ago
– spotting tarsiers, the world’s smallest primate
– firefly spotting on an evening river boat trip
– ziplining across the river with amazing mountain views or a slower cable car experience

Philippines Tip: Get in touch with Jimboy for an amazing and personal tuktuk tour

Where to Stay in Loboc, Bohol

Hotel Name	Price	Best hotel in Loboc for…	Compare prices on Agoda & Booking.com
Nipa Huts	$	nature, wooden huts
Fox and the Firefly Cottages	$$	wooden huts & food
Loboc River Resort	$$$	luxury rooms

Beach time in Panglao Island

Travel the 50 minute journey by bus, tuktuk or taxi and finish your two weeks Philippines itinerary with some days on the beach in Panglao Island.

The best resort to stay in is Mithi Resort & Spa. My sister and I were completely wowed by this place, from the beach to the swimming pools to the natural cave that they have in the grounds and you can swim in it! I strongly recommend Mithi beach and would love to go back!

Views from the infinity pool at Mithi Resort & Spa on Panglao Island

Manila Airport Hotel

If you have to stay in Manila then I recommend the Belmont Hotel as it had a lovely rooftop pool and you could use the Newport Runway to walk to the airport for check in which was so convenient.

This two week Philippines itinerary is the best for ocean and nature lovers and I would love to spend these two weeks in the Philippines with my sister all over again!

For more on my favourite scuba diving spots in South East Asia, read this blog post