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Itineraries/Asia/Philippines

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.

12 nights
Family of 4
~A$10,920
3 stops
Manila2n
El Nido (Palawan)5n
Panglao (Bohol)5n
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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.

1

Manila

2 nights
Fly 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 stay: Family hotel in Makati or Bonifacio Global City (BGC)
2

El Nido (Palawan)

5 nights
Fly 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 stay: Family beach resort near El Nido town
3

Panglao (Bohol)

5 nights
Fly 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 stay: Family beachfront resort on Alona Beach

Good to know

Estimated cost

The ~A$10,920 estimate covers accommodation across all 3 stops. Flights, daily spending, activities, and transport are additional — use SaveToRoam’s savings planner to track it all.

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