Experience overview

Our Simply Philippines holiday moves at a leisurely pace between the islands of Bohol, Palawan and El Nido. Gaze over the Chocolate Hills, cruise through Puerto Princesa National Park and spot diverse wildlife from dolphins to tarsiers, in between plenty of R&R; time on picture-postcard beaches.

At a glance

  

Highlights

  • Soak up Cebu’s unique history
  • Dive Bohol’s coral reefs
  • Spot tarsiers in a forest sanctuary
  • Gaze over the Chocolate Hills
  • Navigate Palawans underground river
  • Snorkel El Nido’s underwater wonders

Cebu, Bohol, Chocolate Hills, Puerto Princesa Underground River, El Nido


Sample Itinerary

Day 1
Arrive Cebu

On arrival in the Philippines, you'll be met by your private guide, who will accompany you to your Cebu hotel.

Day 2
Boat to Bohol & Panglao Island

Set off to the port in time for your ferry to Tagbilaran, the capital of the island province of Bohol, where you’ll meet your local guide and head to your hotel on Panglao Island.

Day 3
Relax on Panglao

Spend a day at leisure in Panglao’s picture-perfect paradise, laying on the beach, snorkelling in the shallows or trekking to hidden waterfalls.

Day 4
Tarsier sanctuary, Chocolate Hills, river cruise

Head over the bridge to Bohol, driving through a bucolic landscape of coconut plantations and small villages, to the Tarsier Sanctuary in Corella. Wander through a small section of the sanctuary, keeping your eyes peeled for dozing tarsiers, and possibly meeting famous conservationist ‘Tarsier Man’ Carlito Pizzaras. Continue inland to a viewpoint near Carmen, for panoramic views across Bohol’s famous Chocolate Hills. This unique landscape of conical hills, covering an area of 20 square miles, turns brown during winter, making them look like domes of chocolate, but is lush green during summer. Soak up the scenery before driving south to Loboc for a leisurely cruise along a picturesque section of river, with palm trees and jungle foliage lining the banks, enjoying a typical Filipino lunch as you travel.

Day 5
Pamilacan Island

Depart early for Pamilacan island to board a motorised outrigger and spot dolphin and whales offshore. The boat crews are former fishermen who previously made an income hunting the whales, but now safeguard the future of the marine life through tourism. Several cetacean species, including the playful spinner dolphins, can be spotted in these waters year round, and at least six different types of whales are seen between April and June, though these sightings are rarer. Enjoy lunch prepared by the locals on Pamilacan Island, then transfer back to your hotel where the rest of your day will be at leisure.

Day 6
Boat & plane to Puerto Princesa

Transfer to Tagbilaran and board the ferry to Cebu, from where you’ll catch a flight to Puerto Princesa, the capital of the island province of Palawan. Meet your local guide and set off along a winding road to your Sabang hotel where the rest of your day will be at leisure to wander along the town’s calm, pristine shoreline.

Day 7
Underground river cruise & jungle trek

Start out early to avoid the crowds, and spend the morning exploring Puerto Princesa Underground River. After a 45-minute boat ride from Sabang, take a short walk through the jungle to the cave entrance to board a shared paddle boat for your subterranean river journey. Drift through giant caverns and cathedral-sized chambers, full of dramatic geological formations lit only by the boatman’s torch. The caves are home to a complex ecosystem, and several species of crab, giant spider and snake can only be found here (though you’re only likely to spot bats and swallows!) Reunited with your guide at the cave entrance, trek for a couple of hours along a well-worn jungle trail back to your hotel, where the rest of your day will be at leisure to relax in your natural surroundings.

Day 8
Drive north to El Nido

Embark on the drive north to El Nido town at the tip of Palawan, where you’ll board a shared boat to your chosen resort. The rest of your day will be at leisure to relax.

Spend a few days getting to know this stunning region. Take advantage of the varied watersports, including paddleboarding, windsurfing and kayaking to neighbouring deserted islands. If you can tear yourself away from the reefs, there are excellent trekking and hiking trails into the jungle.

Days 9 to 11

Beach time

 

Day 12

Relax until it’s time to fly to Manila for your onward flight.

 

Booking Policy

  • English speaking, local guide
  • All accommodation listed
  • Land transportation by private air-conditioned vehicles
  • Any domestic flights listed (unless marked otherwise)
  • All admission fees at attractions, temples and activities as mentioned in the itinerary
  • All meals listed
  • Entry visas
  • International airport departure taxes
  • Any meals not listed in the itinerary
  • Drinks, other than water on activity days
  • Personal expenses (laundry, telephone, drinks, tip...)
  • Travel insurance
  • All other services not listed in 'inclusive'    

Please note: During high season periods (such as Christmas and New Year) hotels often levy a surcharge and these are not included in the above prices. Your consultant will be happy to advise you of these.

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Personalised design
We’ll plan your trip around your specific interests, tastes and preferences, providing helpful tips and honest advice based on firsthand knowledge of the destionation.
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Authentic Experience
Our expert guides and brilliant travel concierges are hand-picked to provide a genuine experience, bringing you destination to life with care and passion.
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Responsible Travel
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It is easy to customize your Simply Philippines tours with us

What our clients say about us

Leslie
Feb 2023
star star star star star
An amazing trip out together by Stephen at My Way Travel! This was our second trip ( went to Vietnam and Cambodia 2019). Stephen is great to work with- very flexible and listens to what we wanted to do. This trip was originally scheduled for April 2020. A honest company that asked if I wanted my deposit back and I said no - that I would use it in a future trip! How many companies around the world did this???? We had great guides In Bangkok and Chiang Rai and Chiang Rai. Fon was full of energy and fun in Bangkok. Ann was one of the best guides I have ever had- she took us to a couple of places not noted on the tour. We went for a hike at a waterfall and visited the cave where the Thai boys were rescued in the cave. Both Ann and Fon gave us wonderful suggestions for restaurants. I would absolutely recommend Stephen and My Way Travel! We plan to use him again in planning Bali!
Lida
April 18, 2023
star star star star star
Our group of 26 people traveled to Japan & Thailand with My Way Travel, and had an incredible time. This was our third trip with My Way Travel and the trip was planned perfectly with every detail accounted for. Our tour guides were exceptional in every way. They exuded a warmth and friendliness that immediately put us at ease, making our trip more enjoyable. Not only were they amiable, but they also had extensive knowledge about the places we visited. We would highly recommend My Way Travel to anyone planning a trip to Asia.
Erik
July 28, 2023
star star star star star
We have just returned from a 16 Day/15 Night trip to southeast Asia including stops in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand planned by Stephen at My Way Travel. We reached out to My Way Travel with quite a tall order asking them to arrange a trip for us that included visiting 9 cities in 15 nights! From the first point of contact, our experience with My Way Travel was absolutely fantastic. Stephen was very attentive and let us customize our tour however we pleased. All of the hotels he booked for us were incredible and the tour guides and drivers made us feel like family. It was very easy to keep in touch with Stephen throughout our trip via Whatsapp. The only thing we really needed during our trip was to add baggage for one of our flights and he was able to take care of it the day before we arrived at the airport. All the drivers/guides showed up on time and made transferring from airport to hotel to tour to wherever extremely easy. I will definitely recommend this company to anyone that plans on traveling to Asia.
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