Philippines

In short

• Manila, on Luzon, is the capital and the main international gateway.
• Palawan, with El Nido in the north, is the island for limestone lagoons and boat trips.
• Boracay and Bohol are in the Visayas; Siargao, off Mindanao, is the surf island.
• Each hotel guide here lists hotels chosen from public, checkable data, with a price check link for every one.

This guide covers 6 places in the Philippines, and arriving passengers register with the free eTravel system within the 72 hours before arrival. The country is made up of thousands of islands in three main groups.

Luzon, in the north, holds Manila. The Visayas, in the centre, hold Boracay and Bohol. Mindanao, in the south, is the gateway to Siargao, while Palawan stretches south-west on its own. Most trips pair Manila or Cebu with one or two islands.

Where to go in the Philippines

Where to go in the Philippines depends on the beach trip you want: lagoons and island hopping, a long white beach, surf, or hills and wildlife. The table sets out the 6 places covered here.

Palawan and El Nido: lagoons and limestone

Palawan and El Nido are the reason many people first look at the Philippines. Palawan is a long, narrow island province in the west, and Puerto Princesa, its capital, is the base for the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

El Nido, at the northern end of the island, faces Bacuit Bay and its limestone islands, lagoons and small beaches. Most days there are spent on boat tours between them. The town itself is small, and many resorts sit on beaches outside it, so the choice of base shapes the trip.

Boracay, Bohol and Siargao: three island styles

Boracay, Bohol and Siargao are three island styles. Boracay is a small island off the north-west tip of Panay, and its White Beach is lined with hotels, restaurants and sunset boats; it is the most developed beach island in this guide.

Bohol, in the Central Visayas, mixes land and sea: the cone-shaped Chocolate Hills and the tarsier, a tiny primate, inland, and the beaches of Panglao Island, joined to Bohol by bridges, on the coast.

Siargao, off the north-east coast of Mindanao, is known for surfing, especially the break called Cloud 9, and for island hopping and lagoons nearby. It has a slower, more rural feel than Boracay.

Manila: the gateway city

Manila is the gateway city for most international flights, and many travellers stay one night on the way to the islands. Intramuros, the walled Spanish-era city, holds San Agustin Church and Fort Santiago, while Makati and Bonifacio Global City are the modern business districts, with many hotels and restaurants.

Getting into and around the Philippines

Getting into and around the Philippines mostly means domestic flights between islands, with ferries on shorter crossings.

• eTravel: arriving passengers register on the official eTravel site, which is free. The official eTravel FAQ says you may register within 72 hours before arrival, and airlines check the QR code before boarding.
• Visa: rules depend on nationality; check them with an official Philippine government source before booking.
• Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport and Mactan-Cebu International Airport are the main gateways.
• Domestic flights serve Puerto Princesa, El Nido, Caticlan, Kalibo, Bohol-Panglao and Siargao; ferries link Cebu with Bohol, and Caticlan with Boracay.

How the hotel guides are made

How the hotel guides are made matters, because we have not stayed at these hotels. Each list is chosen from public, checkable data: the hotel’s own website, its location, the facilities it lists and its guest score on booking sites, with the date checked.

We show a star category only where an official register lets us check it; otherwise the facilities and the guest score do that job. Every hotel has its own price check link, and no hotel pays to be listed. Read the editorial policy for the full method and the disclosure for how the site earns money.

When the Philippines is not the right trip

The Philippines is not the right trip for every plan. Island hopping between Palawan, the Visayas and Siargao usually means a flight back through Manila or Cebu, so a short trip works best with one or two islands.

Boat tours and small-island flights depend on the weather, so leave a spare day before an international flight. For a single-island trip with shorter transfers, the Indonesia guide covers Bali; for Europe, start with Spain or Portugal. Read more about the site.

Hotel guides for Philippines

Each list compares hotels by area, price level and guest score, and explains how they were chosen.

• Best Hotels in Bohol
• Best Hotels in Boracay
• Best Hotels in El Nido
• Best Hotels in Manila
• Best Hotels in Palawan
• Best Hotels in Siargao

Common questions