The Philippines has a lot to offer, from white sand beaches and rich marine life to mysterious landscapes and beautiful mountains. With so many destinations to choose from it can be overwhelming and difficult to create a route that suits you perfectly, especially if you only have 2 weeks to travel. Here I will describe the route we took and give some recommendations on how to make it even better, based on our experience.
This route is for you if you want to see the main highlights of the Philippines without too many transfers.
Moalboal
Make your first stop in Moalboal to discover the underwater world of the Philippines. Here you will see the unique coral reef sardine run, whale sharks.
Duration: 5 Days
How to get to Moalboal
Maolboal is a small coastal village on the island of Cebu. Cebu Island has an international airport in the city of Cebu. To get to Moalboal from Cebu airport you have two options: take a private transfer or take a public bus. The public bus option is a bit longer and more complicated but much cheaper then the private transfer.
Private transfer
If you want to take a private transfer, you should arrange it with your hotel in advance or at the airport you will find many drivers who can take you there. Make sure you check the current prices beforehand so you don’t overpay. It should take about 3 hours, depending on traffic.
💶 Price: Around 50-80 Euros (53-85 USD)
Bus
To catch a public bus to Moalboal, take a taxi to the South Bus Terminal. It takes about. You can also use the Grab app.
From the south bus station, take a bus to Moalboal. Look for the bus that goes via Barili to Moalboal, Badian or Bato. Tickets can be bought at the bus station.
💶 Price: around 4 Euros (4 Dollars)
🕒 Duration: The trip takes 3-4 hours.
From the Moalboal bus stop you will need to take a tricycle to get to your hotel.
💶 Price: Price around 2-3 Euros (2-3 Dollars)
Where to stay in Moalboal
You can stay anywhere near Panagsama Beach. There are many hotels to suit all budgets and many restaurants.
We stayed at the Maayong Hostel in the private bungalow. The hostel is about 10 minutes walk from the beach.
What to do in Moalboal
The main reason people come here is because of the Moalboal coral reef. The Moalboal coral reef is home to thousands of different fish and marine life. So the main activities here are snorkelling, scuba diving, free diving and on land activities like canyoneering.
- Scuba Diving/ Free diving – 3-4 Days
- Snorkelling/ Sardine run – half Day
- Tour: Whale sharks in Oslob – half Day. Start early Morning
- Tour: Canyoneering in Kawasan falls – half Day. Start any time
- Moalboal´s white beach – half Day
- You can combine half day activities as you wish
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El Nido
Duration: 3-4 Days
El Nido is a small town in the north of Palawan Island. El Nido is the place to discover the unique nature of the Philippines: turquoise lagoons surrounded by limestone cliffs. This type of rock formation is unique to the Philippines and definitely a must see!
How to get to El Nido
If you are travelling from Moalboal, Cebu airport to El Nido, you have 2 options:
Option 1
This option is cheaper but takes longer. You will fly to Puerto Princesa and then take a bus transfer to El Nido. The bus transfer is quite tiring as the road is bumpy.
💶 Price: ✈️ Flight Cebu to Puerto Princesa
20-30 Euros (21-32 USD) with Cebu Pacific
🕒 Duration: 1 hour
💶 Price: 🚌 Bus transfer from to Puerto Princesa to el Nido
5-10 Euros (6-11 USD).
🕒 Duration: 5-7 hours depending on traffic.
Option 2
This option is more convenient and faster. A few times a week there is a direct flight from Cebu to El Nido. This option is more expensive. To get from the airport to the hotel in El Nido, you will need to take a tricycle (tricycle are waiting directly at the El Nido airport) which will take about 20 minutes to get to your hotel.
💶 Price: ✈️ Flight 70 Euros (75 USD) by airSWIFT
🕒 Duration: 1 hour
💶 Price: 🛵 Tricycle – depends where you are going.
Ours was 300 Pesos, around 4,84 EUR / 5,2 USD
Prices are displayed on the banner next to the tricycle parking spot. They are dictated by the government.
🕒 Duration: Around 20 minutes
Where to stay in El Nido
I recommend to stay not far from El Nido. This way you will be close to walk everywhere in El Nido.
What to do in El Nido
El Nido is famous for its island hopping tours to see the incredible nature and unique Avatar like landscapes. There are 4 tours available, Tour A, B, C, D. The most popular are Tour A and C. Each tour takes a full day. If you take Tour A and C you will see the most picturesque places of El Nido.
Other activities on land:
El Nido Via Ferrata Canopy Walk – half day
Las Cabañas Beach – Perfect spot for a sunset – half day
💡 Tip: If you are on a budget, you may want to skip El Nido, as tickets are expensive and hotels and restaurants are pricier (approx. 2 times) than in Moalboal or Coron.
Coron
Duration: 4-5 Days
Continue your exploration of Palawan Island in Coron. Coron offers more unique landscapes, lagoons, lakes, white sand beaches and underwater shipwrecks.
How to get to Coron
If you are travelling from El Nido, you have several options to get to Coron.
Option 1: By plane.
This is the fastest option. Flights are operated by airSWIFT. You will need to book your ticket in advance as they only fly a few times a week. When you arrive at Coron airport, transfers will be waiting to take you to your hotel. They group people by the nearest hotels and take you there.
💶 Price: ✈️ Flight 60-70 Euros / 63-75 USD
🕒 Duration: 1 hour
💶 Price: 🚐 Minibus Transfer: Around 5 Euros / 5 Dollars
(Price will vary based on the distance your hotel is)
🕒 Duration: Around 1 hour
Option 2: By speed boat.
The route between these two towns is very beautiful. It gives you the opportunity to see the different islands and the sea scenery all the way to Coron. However, this route will take some time.
💶 Price: 🛥️ 60-70 Euros / 63-75 USD
🕒 Duration: 5 hours
Where to stay in Coron
We recommend that you stay in the town of Coron, this will make it easier to join the tours as you will be transferred to the starting point of the tour.
Or, if you prefer a quieter place, you can stay at this hotel, which has stunning views. Bear in mind, that it will take some time to get to the Coron itself from there:
What to do in Coron
As in El Nido, the main activity in Coron is island hopping tours. The tours are Ultimate Tour, Super Ultimate Tour, Tour A, B, Island Escapade Tour (white sand beaches).
Ultimate Tour and Super Ultimate Tour combine the main spots of Tour A and B and are therefore quite intense. Take Tour A and B if you want to see everything at a slower pace. Each tour takes a full day.
Other activities on land:
- Maquinit Hot Spring – half day
- Hiking Coron Hill (Mt. Tapyas) – Half day
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