Asia · March to April 2024
The Philippines
Twenty-seven days in 2024: Siargao, Cebu, Bohol and El Nido.
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The day-by-day diary, what we learned and what we packed.
We spent 27 days in the Philippines in spring 2024, from 24 March to 19 April. After landing in Manila we flew to Siargao, then moved on to Cebu (Moalboal and Oslob), crossed by ferry to Bohol (Loboc, then Panglao) and finished in El Nido on Palawan. It meant a lot of flights and boats, but the islands were all different, and the people we met were lovely everywhere we went.
Where we went
Siargao was our first island and we stayed six days at Camanolo Homestay. We did a land tour to the Magpupungko Rock Pools and Sugba Lagoon, a boat trip to Sohoton Cove, the Three Island Tour, and a day on hired scooters. On Cebu we went canyoneering down to Kawasan Falls and snorkelled the sardine run at Moalboal, then spent an evening doing karaoke with the locals in Oslob. Bohol gave us the Chocolate Hills, the tarsiers and the Loboc River, and Panglao had the beaches and Hinagdanan Cave. El Nido was the last stop, with island-hopping Tours A and C, a zip line and a day at Nacpan Beach.
Getting around
The Philippines is spread over more than 7,000 islands, so plan your route around flights and ferries. We flew CebuGo from Siargao to Cebu, took the ferry from Oslob across to Bohol, and flew Air Swift from Bohol to El Nido. Our driver met us at Siargao airport, and later we hired scooters to explore on our own. Budget a travel day for each move between islands.
When we went
Late March into April is the dry season. The typhoon season usually runs from about June to November, so bear that in mind if you're booking island-hopping.
In the water
Most of our best days were spent in or on the water. Canyoneering at Kawasan Falls took us through jungle and turquoise pools, over slippery rocks and past waterfall after waterfall until we reached Kawasan Falls itself. At Moalboal we snorkelled just off Panagsama Beach with millions of sardines and a few sea turtles. In Bohol we saw whale sharks at Taug and, that evening, fireflies on the Loboc River. El Nido's Tours A and C covered the Big Lagoon, the Secret Lagoon and Helicopter Island.
On land
Bohol's big sightseeing day took in the famous Chocolate Hills, and on the same day we visited the Tarsier Conservation Area and walked through the Man-Made Forest, a tunnel of mahogany trees. In Panglao we swam in the cool underground pool at Hinagdanan Cave, and in El Nido we did the zip line over the hills and sea, which we'd recommend to anyone.
The people
Filipino hospitality is what we remember most. The staff at Kermit Resort in Siargao went out of their way for us, the staff at Moonlit in Panglao were excellent, and in Oslob we spent the day doing karaoke with the locals.
Philippines weather this week