Manila and Palawan
A night in Manila, two in Puerto Princesa, then eight among the islands of Bacuit Bay at El Nido.
- 11 nights
- Four stays
- Philippines
- Islands, lagoons, reef, limestone
Eleven nights in the Philippines, from old Manila to Palawan's underground river and the limestone islands of Bacuit Bay. The time at El Nido is split between two island resorts, Lagen and Pangulasian.
- Length
- 11 nights
- Pace
- Four stays
- Style
- Islands, lagoons, reef, limestone
- Route
- Manila to Puerto Princesa to Lagen Island, El Nido to Pangulasian Island, El Nido
- ManilaOne night
- Puerto PrincesaTwo nights
- Lagen Island, El NidoThree nights
- Pangulasian Island, El NidoFive nights
01
Days 1 to 2 · one night
Manila
A day with a guide in the walled city of Intramuros, Fort Santiago and Rizal Park, then on to Makati, with a Filipino lunch or dinner along the way.
Where you stay
Raffles Makati
Raffles Makati is an all-suite hotel in Makati's business district, with 32 suites, each with floor-to-ceiling windows over the skyline. It has the Writers Bar and Long Bar, a rooftop bar, a spa and a pool.
02
Days 2 to 4 · two nights
Puerto Princesa
A flight to Puerto Princesa and an afternoon in town: the Palawan Museum, Plaza Cuartel, the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, the Iwahig prison farm and a local brewery. At dusk, a walk on the Baywalk, a boat across the bay and a smaller boat into a mangrove estuary to see the fireflies. The next day is a boat journey through the caves of the underground river, and a guided climb up Ugong Rock, with a zipline down from the top.
Where you stay
Amorita Resort, Puerto Princesa
Amorita in Puerto Princesa sits on a stretch of coast edged with mangroves and gardens, close to the city and about 10 to 15 minutes from the airport. It has 68 suites, among them pool villas.
03
Days 4 to 7 · three nights
Lagen Island, El Nido
On to El Nido and out to Lagen Island, to a cottage over the water. The next day is snorkelling on the reefs of Imorigue Island in Shark Fin Bay and a kayak through the mangroves, looking for birds, snakes and monkeys. On the third, a half day by private boat to snorkel off Nabat Island and at Lopez Reef, with the afternoon free.
Where you stay
Lagen Island
Lagen Island sits between a four-hectare forest and a calm, shallow lagoon in Bacuit Bay. It has 51 rooms, from forest rooms and suites to water cottages on stilts and beachfront cottages, with floors and furniture made from timber recycled from old Filipino houses.
04
Days 7 to 12 · five nights
Pangulasian Island, El Nido
A short move across Bacuit Bay to Pangulasian, with snorkelling on the house reef. Days by private boat follow: kayaking and snorkelling in the Big Lagoon, a swim in the Small Lagoon and a picnic on a quiet island; then the reefs at Pinisil Island, a kayak into a half-collapsed cave, and a walk through the limestone forest on Lagen. The last days are free, with diving from the resort or a guided walk through the island's forest and caves, and dinner on the beach. On day 12, a speedboat and a flight back to Manila.
Where you stay
Pangulasian Island
Pangulasian Island faces a 750-metre white sand beach in Bacuit Bay, with forest behind and a marine sanctuary in front. It has 42 villas, some raised on stilts in the canopy and some with their own pools, along with an infinity pool, a spa and a dive centre.
Ways to make it yours
- Dives from the resort's dive centre at El Nido
- A traditional Filipino hilot massage at the spa
This is a sample. The hotels, the pace and the order are where we start, not where we finish: every journey is designed around the people taking it.
Made around you
Most travel is bought. This is designed.
Before anything is booked, we talk: who is travelling, how you like to spend a morning, and the hotel preferences below the obvious, from the kind of bath you like to the time you wake and how much daylight you need in a room. You see options where options matter and clean recommendations where they don't.
The same person remains your point of contact from the first reply to the trip after next. No handovers. No team.
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