Islands of the Philippines on a Shoestring — Self-Launched
10 days · Philippines
G Adventures charges £1,380
No-markup version: ~£685 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A DIY island-hop from Manila through Siquijor, Bohol, Panglao and Moalboal, covering the same ground as the G Adventures 10-day shoestring trip but booked independently. Budget flights, public ferries and buses replace private transfers, hostel dorms and family-run guesthouses replace the group hotels, and you book snorkelling, canyoneering and the Chocolate Hills tour yourself via GetYourGuide, Klook or directly with local operators. Same beaches, same tarsiers, same sardine run — roughly a third of the price.
Day-by-day
Arrive Manila — Makati & Poblacion
Manila
Land at NAIA and take the yellow airport metered taxi (approx PHP 400-500, ~£6) or a Grab to a hostel in Makati/Poblacion. Dorm beds around Poblacion run £10-14. Spend the late afternoon wandering the street art and small galleries around Poblacion, then eat and drink cheaply in the same neighbourhood the tour uses — craft beer bars sit alongside £3 street-food stalls. Buy a local SIM (Globe/Smart tourist SIM, ~£8 for 30 days of data) and sort your ferry and flight tickets for the coming days tonight.
🚌Airport metered taxi or Grab, ~£6
🛏Hostel dorm, Makati/Poblacion (~£12)
- →Poblacion street art walk
- →Local SIM card setup
- →Book Dumaguete flight and ferry tickets
Fly to Dumaguete, ferry to Siquijor
Siquijor
Take a morning Cebu Pacific or Philippine Airlines flight Manila–Dumaguete (book 3-6 weeks ahead for ~£35-50 one way). From Dumaguete airport, a tricycle or taxi runs ~£2.50 to the pier, then catch the fast ferry to Siquijor (~£6-8, roughly 45 minutes; Ocean Jet and Aleson run several crossings daily). Check into a beach guesthouse around San Juan or Paliton — private fan rooms start ~£14, dorms cheaper. Sunset on Paliton Beach and dinner at a local grill.
🚌Domestic flight ~£42, tricycle ~£2.50, fast ferry ~£7
🛏Beach guesthouse, San Juan, Siquijor (~£14)
- →Manila–Dumaguete domestic flight
- →Public fast ferry to Siquijor
- →Paliton Beach sunset
Siquijor waterfalls, caves & reef
Siquijor
Rent a scooter for the day (~£7 including fuel) and loop the island. Hit Cambugahay Falls early (entry ~£1) before the tour crowds, then the old balete tree fish spa and Cantabon Cave with a local guide (~£3). In the afternoon snorkel or dive Tulapos Marine Sanctuary (~£4 entry, gear ~£4) or head out with a local bangka boat for ~£10. Siquijor is the cheapest diving in the trip — a two-tank dive is around £30 with a local shop.
🚌Scooter rental ~£7
🛏Beach guesthouse, San Juan, Siquijor (~£14)
- →Cambugahay Falls
- →Cantabon Cave
- →Tulapos Marine Sanctuary snorkelling
- →Optional two-tank dive (~£30)
Ferry to Bohol — homestay & tarsiers
Bohol (interior)
Ferry Siquijor–Tagbilaran via Larena (~£8-10, allow 2-3 hours depending on routing). From the pier take a local bus or share a van towards Loboc/Bilar (~£2). Book a night in a family-run homestay or guesthouse in the Loboc or Bilar area through Booking.com or Agoda (~£15 with breakfast). Spend the afternoon at the Loboc tarsier sanctuary (~£3 entry) — a genuine conservation site rather than the roadside cages — and take a short paddle or river cruise on the Loboc river.
🚌Ferry ~£9, local bus/van ~£2
🛏Family homestay/guesthouse, Loboc or Bilar (~£15)
- →Siquijor–Bohol ferry
- →Loboc tarsier sanctuary
- →Loboc river walk
Bohol farm morning & Chocolate Hills
Bohol / Panglao
Ask your hosts if you can join the morning's farm work — many Loboc and Bilar homestays are happy to include guests, and it's the closest DIY equivalent to the tour's homestay moment. Share a home-cooked lunch with the family (~£3). In the afternoon hire a tricycle driver for a half-day loop to the Chocolate Hills viewing deck (~£8-10 for the vehicle, ~£3 entry), then continue south to Panglao and check into a guesthouse near Alona or Dumaluan Beach (~£15).
🚌Tricycle half-day ~£9
🛏Guesthouse, Panglao (~£15)
- →Homestay farm morning
- →Chocolate Hills viewpoint
- →Transfer to Panglao
Panglao snorkelling & beach day
Panglao
Free day on Panglao. Join a shared bangka island-hopping trip to Balicasag and Virgin Island (~£18-22 including boat, snorkel gear and marine fees, bookable the day before through any dive shop or your guesthouse). Alternatively dive Balicasag with a local operator (~£35 for two tanks) or just rent a mask and hang out on Dumaluan Beach. Eat at the Alona strip in the evening — grilled fish and rice for ~£5.
🚌Tricycle hops ~£3
🛏Guesthouse, Panglao (~£15)
- →Balicasag/Virgin Island bangka snorkelling
- →Optional Balicasag dive
- →Beach time
Ferry to Cebu, bus to Moalboal
Moalboal
Ferry Tagbilaran–Cebu (~£12-14 fast ferry, book a morning crossing), then walk to the South Bus Terminal and take the air-conditioned Ceres bus to Moalboal via Bato (~£3, around 3 hours). Check into a dive hostel or guesthouse in Panagsama Beach (~£12-15). Sunset swim and dinner on the strip — Moalboal has excellent, cheap dive-shop bars.
🚌Fast ferry ~£13, Ceres bus ~£3
🛏Dive hostel/guesthouse, Panagsama Beach (~£13)
- →Tagbilaran–Cebu ferry
- →Bus transfer to Moalboal
- →Sunset swim at Panagsama
Sardine run snorkelling
Moalboal
Walk off the beach at Panagsama at 7am and swim 30 metres out to the sardine ball — free if you have your own mask, or ~£6 to rent gear. Later, join a shared boat to Pescador Island with a local dive shop for snorkelling or a two-tank dive (~£15 snorkel trip; ~£30 for dives). Afternoon on the White Beach sandbar, ~£2 by tricycle.
🚌Tricycle to White Beach ~£2
🛏Dive hostel/guesthouse, Panagsama Beach (~£13)
- →Sardine run snorkelling
- →Pescador Island boat trip
- →White Beach
Kawasan Falls canyoneering
Moalboal
Book a Kawasan canyoneering trip a day ahead — either through your hostel or a local operator, or via Klook (~£30-38 per person including guide, helmet, life vest, transfers and lunch). It's a 4-5 hour route of jumps, slides and swimming through turquoise gorges finishing at Kawasan Falls. Go early to beat the crowds. Evening back in Moalboal for a final dinner.
🚌Included in canyoneering package
🛏Dive hostel/guesthouse, Panagsama Beach (~£13)
- →Kawasan Falls canyoneering with guide
- →Kawasan Falls swim
Fly out via Cebu
Moalboal / Cebu
Take the early Ceres bus back to Cebu South Bus Terminal (~£3) then a Grab or MyBus to Mactan-Cebu airport (~£3) for your onward or international flight — Cebu has direct connections to Manila, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and beyond. Allow 4 hours total from Panagsama to the terminal.
🚌Bus to Cebu ~£3, taxi to airport ~£3
🛏—
- →Transfer to Mactan-Cebu airport
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£685 | £1,380 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £695 per person (50%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£685
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Islands of the Philippines on a Shoestring — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £685 per person for 10 days in Philippines. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £1,380 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £685 — a saving of roughly £695 (50%) per person.
How long is the Philippines trip?+
This itinerary runs 10 days, covering 10 day-by-day stops through Philippines.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, beaches, backpacker trip through Philippines, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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