Places to Visit in Philippines

Written by

Juhi Chheda

April 24, 2021

When you visit a country which is made up of more than 7000 islands it’s impossible to visit them all or even the most beautiful ones in a single trip. Below we have listed the top islands to visit in Philippines. We have taken care to mention those which are easily accessible, have many other things to do besides their beaches and should be the first to discover before you explore the more remote and offbeat islands.

Even if you manage to cover just one of these islands in the Philippines you will come back smitten with the country.

‍Coron

That picture of the perfect green lagoon with crystal clear waters that you see on Instagram or as a wallpaper was probably shot in Coron. These groups of islands is probably the most photographed place in Philippines and let us assure you just as beautiful in real life without any photo filters and special effects.

The biggest and most developed island of the archipelago is called Busuanga but there is a smaller island called Coron which can be a bit confusing. Most people stay on Busuanga and explore the smaller islands on daytips.

Top things to do in Coron:

Go scuba diving and snorkeling at the many wrecks and reefs
Enjoy island hopping
Swim in Kayangan lakes crystal clear waters
Explore underwater mountains of Barracuda lake and enjoy the Twin lagoons.
Spend an evening soaking in the Maquint Hot Springs
Climb up to the Hollywood style ‘Coron’ sign on Mt. Tapyas
Kayak the mangroves to see endemic species of animals, birds and plants.
Ofcourse just be a beach bum!

If you wish to explore the most remote islands of this beautiful archipelago then consider venturing on a Sindbad style exploration aboard a local boat, where you will moor on marooned islands for the night and sleep in tents under the stars while by day you swim in secret lagoon with many fish and enjoy the sun and the sea sailing amongst the beautiful waters. You can opt for 2night, 3night or 4night options of these sailing adventures.

Hop Hostel, Coron, Philippines — Hip Hostel, Coron

Palawan

Voted best island in the world 3 times in a row by Travel & Leisure Magazine has got many flocking to this beautiful island. On the north- east of the island is El Nido which is known for its island hopping tours where you will see krast pillars in the sea, explore sea caves and secret beaches. Further south on the island is the capital city of Puerto Princessa with a nice vibrant vibe and quite a few restaurants. The UNESCO site of the worlds longest navigable underground river is another reason to visit Palawan. The beaches, diving and snorkeling is excellent on this island and so are the inland forests, mountains and waterfalls.

The island is also a popular hop off point for Scuba diving live-aboard boats leaving for the famous Tubbataha Reef. Smaller islands around Palawan also house the few luxury resorts of the region like Amanpulo, Pangulasin Island resort, Cauayan Island resort etc.

Tip: Coron and Palawan together make for a nice one week getaway in Philippines.

Cebu

‍Cebu island is known for its powder white beaches, fantastic diving and also its buzzing capital, Cebu city. It is the oldest settlement in Philippines and has a strong Spanish influence. Cebu city has fantastic food, luxury resorts, a buzzing nightlife and lots of shopping. Head south on the island and there are opportunities to swim with whale sharks in Oslob, enjoy famous waterfalls like Kawasan and try cannoning down its path. The sardine run at Moalboal is another miracle one must experience.

There are many smaller and bigger islands in close vicinity of Cebu. You can easily hop off to Bohol, Sumilion island and Malapascua islands on daytrips of choose to spend a few nights there. So whether you prefer staying on one island and exploring or enjoy island hopping Cebu makes for a complete Filipino getaway and the added bonus is the fantastic air-connectivity the island has making it so easy to reach unlike some places in Philippines.

Bohol

As a neighbouring island to Cebu, Bohol sees many tourists visit for a daytrip and then leave. However stay a bit longer and you will be rewarded. Bohol is known for its chocolate hills and bug-eyed Tarsier, the worlds second smallest primates.

But there is more to see on the island. There are verdant rice terraces, beautiful waterfalls, an eco adventure park where you can go ziplining and kayaking in the night, caves to explore and beautiful beaches to laze on. A day to be spent island hopping to Balicasag Island and enjoying the beautiful beaches of Panglao island is a must in Bohol.

Luzon

Luzon is the home to the capital city of Manila. It is also one of the biggest island of the country. Besides visiting Metro Manila the island offersmany attractions. Treks to volcanos like Taal, ATV rides upto Mt. Mayon perfect cone and Pinatubo’s volcanic lake are popular places to visit. Then there are typical villages in the north like Banauewith verdant rice terrace covered hills, cliffs with hanging coffins and caves of Sagada and beautiful waterfalls waiting to be explored. There are colonial towns, surfing beaches and diving towns like Anilao.