It is built for backpackers who want variety, from lagoons and coral reefs to waterfalls and surf, and a social hostel at every stop. Every night is at a Mad Monkey hostel, so the island logistics come with people to share them with.
Travellers who plan the Philippines with Stippl tend to move a lot: a typical trip has almost six stops, so six islands in sixteen nights is right in line with how people really travel here.
Plan Philippines in Stippl
Day-by-day planning, stays and budget in one app, with every place from this guide already on the map.
Download the appWhy this route works
Flights do the heavy lifting between the island groups, and ferries handle the short hops in the Visayas, so you never lose a whole day to transport. It starts with Palawan's postcard lagoons, moves through the varied middle of the country and ends on Siargao, where the surf makes it easy to stay longer if you have the time.
The route at a glance
6 stops, 16 nights, one Mad Monkey at every stop.
| Stop | Nights | Sleep | How you get there |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manila | 1 | Mad Monkey Manila | Your arrival flight |
| Nacpan Beach | 3 | Mad Monkey Nacpan Beach | Fly to El Nido, then about 45 minutes north to Nacpan |
| Panglao | 3 | Mad Monkey Panglao | Fly from El Nido to Cebu, then a fast ferry to Bohol |
| Siquijor | 3 | Mad Monkey Siquijor | Fast ferry, about 2 hours |
| Dumaguete | 2 | Mad Monkey Dumaguete | Ferry, about an hour |
| Siargao | 4 | Mad Monkey Siargao | Fly from Dumaguete to Siargao via Cebu |
Best time: December to May, the dry season, when the seas are calmer for the boats and the islands are at their sunniest.
Manila
Most trips to the Philippines start in Manila, and one night is enough to see the best of it before you fly on.
Day 1Intramuros and Binondo
Walk Intramuros, the Spanish walled city of 1571 and the one part of Manila built to be walked. See Fort Santiago, where José Rizal spent his last night, and San Agustin, the oldest stone church in the country. Then eat your way through Binondo, often called the oldest Chinatown in the world.
Sleep: Mad Monkey Manila is in Poblacion, Makati's nightlife district, with a rooftop bar, an all hours café and a pub crawl. Book a bed at Mad Monkey Manila.
Read more: things to do in Manila
Nacpan Beach
Nacpan is four kilometres of golden sand north of El Nido, big enough never to feel busy, and the base for the lagoons Palawan is famous for.
Getting there: Fly to El Nido, then about 45 minutes north to Nacpan.
Day 2Fly to El Nido, ride to Nacpan
Fly from Manila to El Nido and ride north to Nacpan. Spend the rest of the day on the beach in front of the hostel.
Day 3The lagoons by boat
Book the island hopping tour that takes in Big Lagoon, the karst walled inlet El Nido is sold on, the Small Lagoon you can only enter by kayak and the Secret Lagoon behind its gap in the rock.
Day 4Cadlao or Las Cabañas
Kayak out to Cadlao Island, skipped by every standard tour, or spend the afternoon at Las Cabañas, El Nido's sunset beach with a zipline out to an island.
Sleep: Mad Monkey Nacpan Beach is right on the sand, far from the El Nido crowds. Book a bed at Mad Monkey Nacpan Beach.
See our Nacpan Beach guide for more on what to do there.
Panglao
Panglao is the beach island off Bohol, and the base for Bohol's two classics: the Chocolate Hills and the tarsiers.
Getting there: Fly from El Nido to Cebu, then a fast ferry to Bohol.
Day 5Ferry to Bohol, sunset on Panglao
Fly from El Nido to Cebu and take the fast ferry to Bohol. In the evening, head to Alona Beach, the island's short, lively strip of sand.
Day 6Chocolate Hills and tarsiers
Spend a day inland: the Chocolate Hills, over a thousand cone shaped mounds, the tarsiers at the Tarsier Foundation's forest at Corella, which is the responsible way to see them, and lunch on the Loboc River cruise.
Day 7Reefs and a cave
Snorkel straight from the shore into the sardine ball at Napaling Reef, or take a boat to Balicasag for the turtles. Finish with a swim in the underground pool of Hinagdanan Cave.
Sleep: Mad Monkey Panglao has a pool, events every night and dorms of every size. Book a bed at Mad Monkey Panglao.
Read more: things to do in Panglao
Siquijor
Siquijor is small enough to ride round in a day and full of waterfalls, cliff jumps and folk stories about healers.
Getting there: Fast ferry, about 2 hours.
Day 8Ferry to Siquijor
Take the fast ferry from Bohol and spend the evening at Paliton Beach, white sand and leaning palms that are best at sunset.
Day 9Ride round the island
Rent a scooter and ride the coast road: Cambugahay Falls with three tiers of turquoise pools and rope swings, the coral stone church at Lazi and the 400 year old enchanted balete tree.
Day 10Cliff jump at Salagdoong
Jump from the five or ten metre platforms at Salagdoong Beach, then find Lugnason Falls, a quieter waterfall that is usually empty.
Sleep: Mad Monkey Siquijor is where the island's nightlife happens. Book a bed at Mad Monkey Siquijor.
See our Siquijor guide for more on what to do there.
Dumaguete
Dumaguete is a relaxed university town on Negros, and the hop between Siquijor and your flight to Siargao.
Getting there: Ferry, about an hour.
Day 11Short ferry to Dumaguete
The ferry from Siquijor is short. Spend the evening on the seafront boulevard.
Day 12A day in town
Keep it easy before the next flight, and use the day to rest, eat well and plan the surf.
Sleep: Mad Monkey Dumaguete has a bar and a restaurant, so the evenings sort themselves out. Book a bed at Mad Monkey Dumaguete.
Siargao
Siargao is the surf island, and the end of the route: four nights of waves, palm trees and island hopping.
Getting there: Fly from Dumaguete to Siargao via Cebu.
Day 13Fly in and see Cloud 9
Fly from Dumaguete via Cebu to Siargao and go straight to Cloud 9, the reef break that made the island, with a boardwalk out over the waves.
Day 14Island hopping: Naked, Daku and Guyam
Take the boat out to Naked Island, a bare sandbar with nothing on it at all, then Daku, with its fishing village and lunch on the sand.
Day 15The palm road and the rock pools
Ride the palm tree road to the coconut viewpoint and Maasin River with its diving platform, then cross to the east coast for the Magpupungko rock pools, which only exist at low tide.
Day 16Sugba Lagoon
End at Sugba Lagoon, turquoise water between forested karst on the west side, reached only by boat.
Sleep: Mad Monkey Siargao has a pool and something on every night, on the surf island. Book a bed at Mad Monkey Siargao.
See our Siargao guide for more on what to do there.
Getting between stops
| From | To | How |
|---|---|---|
| Manila | Nacpan Beach | Fly to El Nido, then about 45 minutes north to Nacpan |
| Nacpan Beach | Panglao | Fly from El Nido to Cebu, then a fast ferry to Bohol |
| Panglao | Siquijor | Fast ferry, about 2 hours |
| Siquijor | Dumaguete | Ferry, about an hour |
| Dumaguete | Siargao | Fly from Dumaguete to Siargao via Cebu |
Times are a guide. Check the day before you travel, because boat and minivan times change with the season and the weather.
Turn these stops into a route
Pick your favourites and Stippl orders them, adds travel times and builds the day-by-day.
Frequently asked questions about Philippines
Five or six is comfortable if you fly between the island groups and take ferries for the short hops. More than that and the transport starts to eat your days.
For the long legs, yes: Manila to El Nido, El Nido to Cebu and Dumaguete to Siargao are all flights. Bohol, Siquijor and Dumaguete are linked by ferry.
At the Tarsier Foundation's forest in Corella on Bohol, which is the responsible way to see them.
Yes. Cloud 9 is for experienced surfers, but there are gentler breaks and plenty of surf schools for beginners on the island.
Want this route with the nights already filled in? Open it in Stippl, change the nights, add a stop or swap the order, and keep the whole trip in one place. Or build your own Mad Monkey route on our Mad Monkey page.
