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Bangka boats moored in a calm bay beneath limestone cliffs in the pink light of dawn, El Nido

Sample journey · 12–15 days

Palawan and the Visayas, island by island

El Nido, a boat expedition to Coron, Bohol & Cebu

Photo: Wilfriend Royce Quiras / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

The Philippines is best understood from the water. In northern Palawan limestone cliffs rise straight out of the sea, hiding lagoons and sandbars, and between El Nido and Coron lie hundreds of islets where only fishing families live. Further east, in the Visayas, Bohol offers something quite different: hills, rivers, tiny tarsiers in the forest and reefs off Panglao.

This sample route is for couples and friends who want active days on the water and quiet evenings. At its heart is a multi-day boat journey from El Nido to Coron, with nights in simple island camps; if you'd prefer more comfort, the same crossing can be made by fast ferry. We'd tune the stays, pace and islands to you and to the season.

The route

The journey

  1. Manila
  2. El Nido
  3. Islands to Coron
  4. Coron
  5. Cebu
  6. Bohol
  7. Cebu
  1. Pinagbuyutan island from above, with its white strip of sand and clear water, near El Nido

    01Days 1–5 · El Nido

    Bays among the limestone

    After a night in Manila, a short flight to El Nido. The first day needs nothing more than a walk along the shore and watching the boats come back into the bay at dusk. Then island days in Bacuit Bay: kayaking in the lagoons before the other boats arrive, snorkelling on the reefs and lunch on the sand. One morning is well spent on long Nacpan beach, where there's nowhere to hurry to.

  2. A traditional Filipino outrigger boat in clear turquoise water

    02Days 6–8 · The islands between El Nido & Coron

    Three days by bangka

    A traditional outrigger bangka heads north through the Linapacan islands, some of the clearest water in the country. Days are for swimming, snorkelling and fish grilled over a fire; nights are spent in simple bamboo huts on island beaches. It isn't luxury: it's quiet, stars and the feeling of being far from everything. When the sea is rough the route sometimes has to change, so we choose reliable local operators and the right season.

  3. Limestone islets and a turquoise cove with boats in the Coron area, Palawan

    03Days 9–10 · Coron

    Lagoons and sunken ships

    On Coron island, fresh and brackish lakes lie among jagged cliffs, reached by short but steep paths. Divers come for the Second World War Japanese shipwrecks in the bay, and some of the shallower ones can be seen while snorkelling too. In the evening, a climb up Mount Tapyas for the sunset, and hot springs not far from town.

  4. The rolling Chocolate Hills in soft evening light, Bohol

    04Days 11–13 · Inland Bohol

    Hills, tarsiers and a river

    A flight to Cebu and a ferry of about two hours to Bohol. Inland lie the Chocolate Hills, which turn brown in the dry season, and a forest sanctuary where, quietly, you can see tarsiers, among the smallest primates in the world, sleeping through the day. In the afternoon, a slow trip along the Loboc river between the palms, or kayaks against the current.

  5. A river among palms, with boats and floating huts along the bank

    05Days 14–15 · Panglao & Cebu

    Reefs before heading home

    The last days are on Panglao, joined to Bohol by bridges: a morning boat to Balicasag reef, where turtles are often seen, and an afternoon in the shade by the sea. Then the ferry back to Cebu and a flight home from Mactan-Cebu International. On a shorter trip, the Bohol section could shrink to three nights.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    Kayaking El Nido's lagoons

    Still water between limestone walls, best early while it's quiet.

  2. 02

    Nights on the islands

    Simple huts on empty beaches, a fire and skies without light pollution.

  3. 03

    Coron's wrecks

    History under water, for divers and, at some sites, snorkellers too.

  4. 04

    Bohol's tarsiers

    Tiny, huge-eyed primates, watched quietly and from a distance in a sanctuary that protects them.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • More comfort

    Instead of island camps, the fast ferry from El Nido to Coron and stays at quiet island resorts with a villa by the water.

  • For divers

    Extra days in Coron for the wrecks and on Bohol's walls, and, in season, the reefs of Malapascua north of Cebu.

  • With the mountains

    Begin with a few days among the Cordillera rice terraces around Banaue and Batad, a cooler and quite different face of the Philippines.

  • Longer in the Visayas

    After Bohol, a ferry to Siquijor, a quiet island of waterfalls and beaches, or a few surfing days on Siargao.

Practical considerations

  • The dry season generally runs from around November or December to May; from June to October or November rain and typhoons are possible, and inter-island boat trips don't always run.
  • Domestic flights between Palawan and Cebu aren't daily or direct in every season, so we'd plan the route around the current schedule.
  • Small planes and boats have strict luggage limits; a soft bag and a dry bag for electronics are very useful.
  • Some island sites charge environmental fees, and visitor numbers in the lagoons are limited to protect them.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

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