Northern Philippines & Islands on a Shoestring (Self-Launched)

Land at NAIA and make your own way in — the yellow airport metered taxi to Ermita/Malate runs roughly PHP 400-500 (£6-7); a Grab ride booked in the app is usually similar and easier to price. Check into a hostel in Ermita or Makati (Z Hostel, Lub d Makati and Junction Hostels are all solid backpacker picks with dorms from £10-13). Evening: street-food crawl along Remedios Circle or a first taste of sisig and San Miguel.

🚌Airport metered taxi/Grab, ~£7

🛏Hostel dorm in Ermita/Makati, ~£12

• →Self-guided evening food walk
• →Rizal Park at sunset (free)

Long travel day north. Take the Victory Liner or Genesis bus from Cubao or Pasay to Baguio — 5-6 hours, roughly PHP 500-700 (£7-10), aircon and bookable at the terminal on the day. On arrival, do your own orientation loop of Session Road, Burnham Park and the Baguio Cathedral. Optional: a PHP 400 (£6) massage, which is a Baguio institution.

🚌Public bus Manila–Baguio, ~£9

🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Baguio, ~£14

• →Burnham Park and Session Road walk
• →Baguio Cathedral
• →Optional massage (~£6)

Another long but spectacular day. Buses and vans run Baguio–Sagada (via Bontoc) in 6-7 hours for around PHP 500-700 (£7-10); the Lizardo/GL Trans services leave early, so buy your ticket the afternoon before. Arrive in Sagada, an old mountain town of pine ridges and limestone caves — check into a guesthouse and walk the village loop before dark.

🚌Public bus/van Baguio–Sagada, ~£9

🛏Sagada guesthouse, ~£12

• →Village orientation walk
• →Sunset over the Cordillera ridges

Free day to pick your own adventure. Walk or hire a local guide (PHP 500-800, ~£7-11) to the Echo Valley hanging coffins, then tackle the Sumaguing Cave connection or hike down to Bomod-ok Falls (entry ~PHP 510, £7). Guides are required for most cave and trail routes and are booked through the Sagada tourism office or your guesthouse — you don't need a tour operator.

🚌Walking / local tricycle, ~£2

🛏Sagada guesthouse, ~£12

• →Echo Valley hanging coffins
• →Sumaguing Cave connection
• →Bomod-ok Falls hike (~£7 entry+guide)

Jeepney or van from Sagada to Banaue (about 3 hours, PHP 250-350, £4-5), then a second jeepney to the Batad saddle point (PHP 150-200) and a 45-60 minute walk down into the village. Book a family homestay in Batad through Banaue tourism or your Banaue guesthouse a day ahead — expect simple shared rooms and home cooking for around £10-12 including dinner. Spend the afternoon with your Ifugao hosts learning about terrace farming.

🚌Jeepneys Sagada–Banaue–Batad saddle, ~£7

🛏Batad village homestay (shared), ~£11

• →Ifugao village homestay
• →Rice terrace walk with host family

Hike back up to the saddle point and catch a jeepney to Banaue town (PHP 150, ~£2). Check into a guesthouse with a view over the terraces — Banaue has plenty of cheap rooms at £10-15. Afternoon free to walk the Banaue viewpoint and wander the town market.

🚌Jeepney Batad–Banaue, ~£2

🛏Banaue guesthouse, ~£13

• →Banaue rice terrace viewpoint
• →Banaue market

Morning trek along the terraces — the Batad–Bangaan ridge walk is the classic and takes 3-4 hours on your own. Alternatively visit the Hapao terraces by tricycle. In the evening take the overnight bus from Banaue back to Manila (Ohayami Trans, roughly 9 hours, PHP 900-1,000, £12-14) — book in advance at the terminal or online.

🚌Overnight bus Banaue–Manila, ~£13

🛏Overnight bus

• →Batad–Bangaan rice terrace trek
• →Optional Hapao terraces by tricycle

Arrive early and check into a hostel in Intramuros or Ermita for a day of museums and old city. The National Museum complex is free; the Ayala Museum is about PHP 425 (£6). Walk the Intramuros walls, San Agustin Church and Fort Santiago (entry ~PHP 75), and eat your way through Binondo Chinatown — the world's oldest — for lunch.

🚌Jeepney/LRT around town, ~£3

🛏Hostel dorm in Intramuros/Ermita, ~£12

• →National Museum (free)
• →Fort Santiago
• →Intramuros walk
• →Binondo food crawl

Book a cheap one-way Manila–Dumaguete flight on Cebu Pacific or Philippine Airlines — book 3-6 weeks ahead and it's often £30-50 with hand luggage (add a checked bag if you need one). From Dumaguete airport, a tricycle to the port is ~PHP 100, then a fast ferry to Siquijor takes 45-60 minutes for around PHP 250-400 (£4-6); slow ferries are cheaper. Settle into a beach bungalow or hostel around San Juan.

🚌Flight Manila–Dumaguete ~£40; tricycle + ferry ~£5

🛏San Juan beach hostel/bungalow, ~£12

• →Sunset on Siquijor's west coast beaches

Hire a scooter for the day (PHP 400-500, £6-7) and loop the island: Cambugahay Falls and its rope swings, the old balete tree with its fish spa, Lazi Church and the cliff jump at Salagdoong Beach. Snorkel or dive at Tulapos Marine Sanctuary (~PHP 300 entry, £4) or join a boat snorkel trip (PHP 200, plus rental). This island is 65 miles of white sand and very little traffic — ideal on two wheels.

🚌Scooter hire, ~£7

🛏San Juan beach hostel/bungalow, ~£12

• →Cambugahay Falls
• →Tulapos Marine Sanctuary snorkelling (~£4)
• →Salagdoong Beach cliff jump

Ferry from Siquijor to Tagbilaran or Jagna on Bohol (1.5-2 hours, PHP 500-700, £7-10). For a genuine community stay, arrange a homestay in Loboc, Sevilla or the Loboc river villages through Bohol community tourism networks or your guesthouse contact a few days ahead — roughly £12-15 with home-cooked meals. Afternoon with your host family: help in the garden, learn to cook local dishes, and hear about village life.

🚌Ferry Siquijor–Bohol, ~£9

🛏Bohol community homestay, ~£13

• →Community homestay
• →Farm and cooking time with host family

Morning with your hosts, then head for the Chocolate Hills viewpoint (entry ~PHP 100-200). Get there by hired scooter, tricycle or a shared van from Carmen — the classic jigsaw of 1,200 green-brown hills, best in the dry season. Continue to Panglao for the night; Alona Beach has dorms and budget rooms from £14-18.

🚌Scooter/short-hop van/tricycle, ~£8

🛏Panglao/Alona Beach hostel, ~£16

• →Chocolate Hills viewpoint
• →Alona Beach sunset

Early morning tarsier sanctuary visit near Corella (entry ~PHP 150-200) before the day trippers arrive — do it by scooter or tricycle. Then join a boat island-hopping trip from Alona Beach (PHP 1,000-1,500 shared, ~£14-21) to Balicasag Island for snorkelling with turtles and the Virgin Island sandbar. Boats leave the beach and fill up on the day, so no advance booking needed.

🚌Scooter + shared boat, ~£9

🛏Panglao/Alona Beach hostel, ~£16

• →Tarsier sanctuary
• →Balicasag Island snorkelling
• →Virgin Island sandbar

Travel day: tricycle to Tagbilaran pier, ferry to Cebu City (2 hours, PHP 800-1,000, £11-14), then a MyBus or Sunrays bus from Cebu South Bus Terminal to Moalboal (3 hours, PHP 120-160, ~£2). Moalboal has great dorm beds and guesthouses around Panagsama Beach from £12-16.

🚌Ferry + public bus, ~£15

🛏Moalboal guesthouse, ~£14

• →Panagsama Beach evening

The sardine run happens off Panagsama Beach a few metres from shore — rent snorkel gear (PHP 150-200, £2-3) or join a short guided snorkel trip (PHP 300-500). Turtles are common here too. Afternoon: swim, hang out at the beach bars, or walk to the quieter White Beach.

🚌Walking, ~£0

🛏Moalboal guesthouse, ~£14

• →Sardine run snorkelling
• →Turtle spotting

Head to Badian for the famous canyoneering route to Kawasan Falls — 3-4 hours of river swimming, cliff jumps and turquoise gorges. Book a licensed guide operator in Moalboal or Badian the day before (PHP 1,500-2,000 including gear and life jacket, ~£20-28); this is the one activity worth doing guided for safety. Shared vans run Moalboal–Badian in about 45 minutes (~PHP 100).

🚌Shared van to Badian, ~£2

🛏Moalboal guesthouse, ~£14

• →Kawasan Falls canyoneering with licensed guide
• →Kawasan Falls swim

Final morning swim, then bus back to Cebu City (3 hours, ~£2) for your flight out — most international routes leave from Mactan-Cebu International (MCIA), an airport taxi from the city is around PHP 250-350 (£3-5). If you'd rather end in Manila, a one-way Cebu–Manila flight is usually £25-40 booked ahead. Allow 3-4 hours total from Moalboal to the airport.

🚌Bus Moalboal–Cebu ~£2; airport taxi ~£4

🛏—

• →Last morning swim