The 7 biggest mistakes on a first trip to the Philippines

I have lived here since 2021 and inspect hotels and boats myself, and I see the same mistakes over and over. None of them are about money. They are about distance, weather and time.

1. Underestimating internal transport. A 90 km road transfer in Palawan is five hours, not ninety minutes. Domestic flights are cheap but they cancel, and a missed connection can cost you an entire island.

2. Booking too many islands. Four islands in ten days means four travel days, four check-ins and almost no actual holiday. Two bases plus one day trip is nearly always better.

3. Ignoring the habagat and amihan seasons. The wet monsoon does not hit the whole country at once. When Palawan is closed, Siargao is perfect.

4. Booking the wrong side of the island. In El Nido, Boracay and Panglao, being 800 metres away changes the entire experience.

5. Taking the last flight of the day back to Manila. If it cancels, your international flight is gone. I always plan a buffer night in Manila or Cebu.

6. Paying for tours on arrival. Peak season sells out the good boats, and the remaining ones are the overloaded ones.

7. Not carrying cash. Many islands still have one ATM, and it is often empty on a Sunday.