Philippines Holidays — Palawan, Boracay, Cebu, Siargao & More
Philippines
Holidays
7,641 islands of white sand, turquoise lagoons, world-class diving and the warmest people in Asia — the Philippines is South-East Asia's greatest secret
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Flight Time
13–14h from London (via Dubai, Doha, Singapore or Hong Kong)
Best Time
November to May (dry season); Palawan best December–April
Country
Philippines
Suppliers
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Philippines Holiday Guide
The Philippines is one of the most extraordinary archipelagos on earth — 7,641 islands of white-sand beaches, turquoise lagoons, world-class diving, ancient rice terraces, vibrant cities and some of the warmest, most welcoming people in Asia. Stretching over 1,800km from the Batanes Islands in the north to the Tawi-Tawi archipelago in the south, the Philippines offers an almost overwhelming variety of landscapes and experiences.
Palawan — consistently voted the world's best island — is the crown jewel: the UNESCO-listed Underground River, the extraordinary limestone karst lagoons of El Nido and Coron, and some of the finest diving in the world. Boracay's White Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in Asia. Siargao is the surfing capital of the Philippines and one of the most laid-back islands in South-East Asia. Bohol has the extraordinary Chocolate Hills and the world's smallest primate (the tarsier). Cebu is the gateway to the Visayas and the best place to swim with whale sharks.
The Philippines is 13–14 hours from the UK (via a connection in the Middle East or Asia). The best time to visit is November to May (dry season) — the typhoon season runs from June to October, though Palawan and the Visayas are less affected than the north.
Average Temperatures
Jan
26°C
Feb
27°C
Mar
28°C
Apr
30°C
May
30°C
Jun
29°C
Jul
28°C
Aug
28°C
Sep
28°C
Oct
28°C
Nov
27°C
Dec
26°C
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Call 01282 960 460Top 8 Things To Do in Philippines
The world-class islands, lagoons, dive sites, surf breaks and cultural experiences that make the Philippines one of the most extraordinary destinations in Asia.
Palawan — The World's Best Island
Palawan is consistently voted the world's best island — a long, narrow island of extraordinary natural beauty stretching 450km along the western edge of the Philippines. The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River (a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature) runs 8.2km underground through a spectacular cave system. El Nido and Coron, at the northern and southern ends of Palawan respectively, have some of the most extraordinary island-hopping scenery in the world — towering limestone karsts, hidden lagoons, white-sand beaches and crystal-clear water.
El Nido — Limestone Karsts & Hidden Lagoons
El Nido, at the northern tip of Palawan, is one of the most beautiful places in the world — a bay of towering limestone karst islands, hidden lagoons, white-sand beaches and extraordinary marine life. The four island-hopping tours (Tour A, B, C and D) visit the Big Lagoon, the Small Lagoon, the Secret Lagoon, the Secret Beach, Shimizu Island and Cadlao Lagoon — each more extraordinary than the last. El Nido is also the gateway to the Bacuit Archipelago and the remote Linapacan islands.
Boracay — White Beach & World-Class Sunsets
Boracay's White Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in Asia — 4km of powdery white sand and crystal-clear turquoise water on a small island (10km long) in the Visayas. The beach is lined with resorts, restaurants and bars. The northern end (Station 1) is the most beautiful and least developed. D'Mall (Station 2) is the main commercial area. Bulabog Beach on the east coast is the best kitesurfing and windsurfing spot in the Philippines. Boracay was closed for six months in 2018 for environmental rehabilitation and has emerged cleaner and better managed.
Cebu — Whale Sharks, Canyoneering & Diving
Cebu is the gateway to the Visayas and one of the most diverse destinations in the Philippines — the whale shark interaction at Oslob (controversial but extraordinary), the Kawasan Falls canyoneering adventure (rappelling down waterfalls through a turquoise canyon), the Tumalog Falls, the Moalboal sardine run (millions of sardines in a bait ball just 20 metres from shore), the Malapascua Island thresher shark dives and the Camotes Islands are all within easy reach of Cebu City.
Siargao — The Surfing Capital of the Philippines
Siargao is the surfing capital of the Philippines and one of the most laid-back and beautiful islands in South-East Asia — a teardrop-shaped island of coconut palms, mangrove forests, crystal-clear lagoons and world-class surf breaks. Cloud 9, the famous hollow right-hand reef break, hosts the annual Siargao Cloud 9 Surfing Cup (one of the most prestigious surfing events in Asia). The Sugba Lagoon, the Sohoton Cove (with its jellyfish sanctuary and cave), the Magpupungko rock pools and the island-hopping to Naked Island, Daku Island and Guyam Island are all extraordinary.
Bohol — Chocolate Hills & Philippine Tarsiers
Bohol is one of the most distinctive islands in the Philippines — home to the extraordinary Chocolate Hills (1,268 perfectly cone-shaped hills that turn chocolate-brown in the dry season, a UNESCO World Heritage candidate), the Philippine tarsier (one of the world's smallest primates, with enormous eyes and the ability to rotate its head 180 degrees), the Loboc River cruise, the Panglao Island beaches and the Balicasag Island diving (one of the best dive sites in the Philippines). Bohol is 2 hours by fast ferry from Cebu.
Coron — WWII Wrecks & Kayangan Lake
Coron, at the southern end of Palawan, is one of the world's great diving destinations — the site of a Japanese WWII fleet sunk by American aircraft in 1944, now encrusted with coral and teeming with marine life. The Irako, the Okikawa Maru and the Kogyo Maru are among the most spectacular wreck dives in the world. Above water, Kayangan Lake (the clearest lake in Asia, accessible through a limestone karst) and the Barracuda Lake (with its extraordinary thermocline) are extraordinary. The island-hopping around Coron Bay is among the finest in the Philippines.
Manila — Intramuros, Street Food & Chaos
Manila is one of the most chaotic, vibrant and fascinating cities in Asia — a megacity of 14 million people that rewards those willing to look beyond the traffic and the sprawl. Intramuros, the 16th-century Spanish walled city, is the most atmospheric neighbourhood — Fort Santiago (where José Rizal was imprisoned before his execution), the Manila Cathedral and the Casa Manila museum are all within the walls. Binondo (the world's oldest Chinatown, established 1594) has the best street food in the city. The National Museum of the Philippines is excellent and free.
Explore Philippines on the Map
Key areas, beaches and attractions across the island.
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