Destinations
The Philippines, island by island.
Three levels: the must-visit islands, the destinations I recommend to clients after inspecting them, and my personal hidden gems. Every guide covers hotels, beaches, mistakes to avoid and how long to stay.
Must visit Philippines
The islands that belong in almost every itinerary, with the areas and hotels I have seen with my own eyes.
Palawan
The 650 km green province that holds the country's best water.
7 to 12 nights to combine two bases properly
Bohol
Chocolate Hills, tarsiers and the easiest island in the country to travel with children.
4 to 5 nights
El Nido
Limestone cathedrals, hidden lagoons and a town where the beach you sleep on matters more than the hotel.
4 to 5 nights
Coron
Shipwreck diving, karst lakes and the clearest freshwater lake I have seen in Asia.
3 to 4 nights
Siquijor
Waterfalls, folk healers and the most relaxed island in the Visayas.
3 nights
Cebu
Canyoneering, sardine runs and the country's best-connected hub airport.
4 to 5 nights
Boracay
Four kilometres of powder sand, done properly since the rehabilitation.
3 to 4 nights
Siargao
Surf, palm forests and island hopping without the crowds of the bigger destinations.
5 nights
Expert recommendations
Destinations I have personally visited, inspected and regularly recommend to clients: fewer people, same water.
Camiguin
A volcanic island of seven cones, cold springs and a sunken cemetery.
3 nights
Southern Leyte
Whale sharks without the crowds, and a coastline nobody markets.
3 nights
Moalboal
A sardine tornado you can reach by swimming straight off the beach.
3 nights
Bantayan Island
The white-sand island Cebuanos keep for themselves.
3 nights
Anda (Bohol)
Bohol's east coast, where the beaches are empty and the reef is intact.
2 to 3 nights
Port Barton
El Nido's scenery, a fraction of the crowd, and dirt roads that keep it that way.
2 to 3 nights
Hidden Gems
The places I keep for curious travellers: islets, sandbars and villages where the tourist crowds simply do not reach.
Pintuyan
Whale sharks without the Oslob crowd, on the strait between Leyte and Panaon.
2 nights
Burgos (Southern Leyte)
Sogod Bay's dive base, quietly excellent and completely uncrowded.
3 nights
Limasawa Island
Where the first Catholic mass in the Philippines was held, still barely visited.
Day trip, or 1 night if you want the island to yourself at sunset
Pamilacan Island
A former whale-hunting island, now Bohol's best spot for dolphins and rays.
Day trip; overnight only for divers wanting an early manta search
Balicasag Island
A tiny marine sanctuary island with turtles you can see from the beach.
Day trip; 1 night only if diving early morning before day-trip boats arrive
Linapacan
The turquoise water between Coron and El Nido, with almost nothing built on it yet.
2 to 4 nights as part of an island-hopping expedition, or 1 night as a standalone stop
Maosonon Island
A blink-and-you-miss-it sandbar island off Padre Burgos, ours alone most mornings.
Half-day or day trip only
Canigao Island
A sandbar island off Matalom with a house reef better than most resort destinations.
Day trip, or 1 night camping for a sunrise swim before the day-trip boats arrive
Kalanggaman Island
The double sandbar island everyone photographs and almost nobody times correctly.
Day trip, or 1 night camping if booked well in advance
Apo Island
One of the country's oldest marine sanctuaries, and still one of its best turtle dives.
Day trip; 1-2 nights if diving multiple sites without a rushed schedule