12 Days in the Philippines
Manila's Intramuros walled city, Palawan's El Nido lagoons and island-hopping tours, then Bohol's Chocolate Hills, tarsiers, and Alona Beach. Twelve nights across three islands — the Pacific archipelago that every Australian family puts on the bucket list after Bali.
Plan to save
Your weekly savings target
A$306 / week
to save before you go · A$8,242 total · 27 weeks until you leave
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Your stop-by-stop itinerary
3 stops across 12 nights. Each one chosen so you experience a different side of Philippines.
Stop
01
Manila
2 nightsFly direct to Manila (MNL) from Sydney (8h 35m) or Melbourne via Sydney/Singapore on Qantas, Philippine Airlines, or Cebu Pacific. Pre-book an airport transfer through your hotel — Manila taxi touts are aggressive and rates fluctuate wildly.
Highlights
- Intramuros walled city — Fort Santiago, San Agustin Church, kalesa horse-carriage tour
- Rizal Park and the National Museum of the Philippines (free entry)
- Ayala Museum BGC — small, air-conditioned, Filipino history and gold collection
- BGC food scene for dinner — safer and calmer than Ermita/Malate
- Greenbelt mall and SM Mall of Asia for kids' rainy-day backup
Local tips
- 2 nights in Manila is enough — it's the arrival buffer, not the destination. Use it to shake off the flight and get kids onto Philippines time.
- Stay in Makati or BGC, not Ermita or downtown Manila. BGC is safer after dark, has better family restaurants, and is 20 min from the airport by Grab.
- Intramuros by kalesa (horse carriage, PHP 1,500/hr for 4) is the kid-friendly way to see the walled city — avoids the heat and keeps them engaged for 90 minutes.
Suggested stayFamily hotel in Makati or Bonifacio Global City (BGC)
Stop
02
El Nido (Palawan)
5 nightsFly Manila → El Nido (ENO) on AirSwift, 1h 20m direct, PHP 6,000 pp. Alternative: fly MNL → Puerto Princesa (PPS) then 4-hr van to El Nido — cheaper but a full travel day with kids.
Highlights
- El Nido Tour A — Big Lagoon, Small Lagoon, Secret Lagoon, 7 Commandos Beach
- El Nido Tour C — Hidden Beach, Helicopter Island, Matinloc Shrine (best snorkelling)
- Nacpan Beach day trip — 4 km of empty white-sand beach, 45 min drive from town
- Taraw Cliff sunrise climb (older kids 10+ only — steep and unprotected)
- Las Cabañas Beach sunset walk — the postcard sunset from town
- Kayak rental from El Nido town beach — calm morning paddle
Local tips
- El Nido books out 3+ months ahead in peak season — lock in accommodation before anything else.
- Do Tour A and Tour C (not B or D). A is the iconic lagoons, C has the best snorkelling. B is a cheaper subset of A, D is beaches-only and skippable.
- Tours run on bancas (outrigger boats) with 15–25 people — book a small-group tour if you want calmer snorkel stops. Pack reef-safe sunscreen, water shoes, dry bags, and motion sickness medicine for rough-water days.
Suggested stayFamily beach resort near El Nido town
Stop
03
Panglao (Bohol)
5 nightsFly El Nido → Cebu → Tagbilaran (TAG) or Panglao (IAO) via Cebu Pacific or Philippine Airlines, ~PHP 5,500 pp total. 3-hr travel day with the Cebu layover. On departure, fly Bohol (TAG) → Manila → home.
Highlights
- Bohol Countryside Tour — Chocolate Hills, Tarsier Conservation Area, Loboc River lunch cruise
- Alona Beach island-hopping — Balicasag Island snorkelling, Virgin Island sandbar, dolphin watching at dawn
- Panglao diving / snorkelling day trip (kids 8+)
- Hinagdanan Cave underground swimming pool
- Anda Beach day trip (2 hrs east) — quieter than Alona, no touts
- Loboc floating restaurant river lunch cruise with live music
Local tips
- The Bohol Countryside Tour is a long full day (8 am to 5 pm) — book a private van with driver (PHP 6,000 family) rather than a group tour. Control your own pace, more Tarsier time, river cruise with a kid-friendly menu.
- Tarsier Conservation Area (Corella) over the roadside Tarsier Sanctuary — Corella is the ethical reserve with stricter visitor rules, the other sites stress the tarsiers.
- Alona Beach has gentle surf and good swimming for kids — island-hopping trips depart from the beach each morning at dawn for the dolphin watching.
Suggested stayFamily beachfront resort on Alona Beach
Real cost estimates · calibrated 2026, not glossy estimates
What it costs
All-in for a family of 4.
Here’s what Philippines costs across the four components SaveToRoam tracks. Flights are shoulder-season ex-Australia; travel insurance and personal extras vary.
| Component | Family of 4 |
|---|---|
Flights Return economy flights ex-AU (mid-shoulder estimate) ₱42,500 per person | ₱170,000 |
Accommodation 3 stops | ₱71,500 |
Activities & local transport Activities & local transport (estimated) ₱22,500 per person | ₱90,000 |
Daily food & local transit 12 nights × family of 4 | ₱30,000 |
Trip total Insurance & personal extras separate | ₱361,500 ~A$10,122 |
What it covers
The ~A$8,242 estimate is all-in for a family of 4 — accommodation across 3 stops, shoulder-season flights from Australia, activities and local transport, and daily food. Travel insurance and personal extras vary, so we keep them separate.
What you get
When you use this template, SaveToRoam creates your trip with all 3 stops, every cost component pre-loaded, and a personalised savings plan with a weekly target. You choose your dates — we handle the maths.
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