The Ultimate Island Hopping Adventure in The Philippines

For your island-hopping adventures, you will be cruising on a traditional outrigger boat, known locally as a 'banca'. These sturdy vessels have been a staple of Philippine coastal life for centuries, serving as both fishing boats and water taxis. The unique design of the outrigger canoe allows it to navigate shallow coral reefs and marine life without causing disturbance, and is an eco-friendly choice for exploring the country's islands.

Citizens of many countries can enter the Philippines without a visa for a stay of up to 30 days. These countries include the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, the European Union member states and Australia. If you wish to stay longer than the allowed visa-free period, you can apply for an extension at the Bureau of Immigration in the Philippines. Where a visa is required, some nationalities can obtain a visa upon arrival for a fee, allowing a stay of up to 59 days. If your country is not on the visa-free or visa-on-arrival list, you will need to apply for a tourist visa before travelling.

Your trip includes internal flights from Manila to Puerto Princesa and from Busuanga to Manila. You'll travel on either Cebu Pacific or Philippine Airlines and you'll be allowed to travel with up to 7kg of hand luggage and 20kg of checked luggage per person.

On Day 8, there will be a free afternoon in Coron. If you are PADI certified, it's a great opportunity to opt to book a scuba diving session, which you can arrange and pay for directly with your host. If you think this is something you'd like to do, it's important to contact your host before your arrival in the country to let them know that you're interested and provide the necessary details. Your host will check that you are a certified diver and whether you have been scuba diving in the past year; this information is crucial for safety and eligibility purposes. If you have not been diving within the past year, a refresher course or tune-up session will be mandatory to ensure you are comfortable and proficient with diving procedures and equipment and your host can assist in arranging this. Once all the necessary information is provided and any required refresher courses are completed, your host will finalise the booking of your scuba diving session and send you a confirmation with details about the dive.

Your host will provide two-seater kayaks, perfect for beginners and beyond. These kayaks are lightweight, stable, and easy to manoeuvre. Their design makes it nearly impossible to tip over unless done intentionally (which you might choose to do for fun!). Before you set off your host will give you all the necessary information to use the kayaks safely.

This trip visits locations where daytime temperatures can be extremely high during the times of year when this trip operates. High humidity and limited access to shade can also be factors, and warm temperatures can continue into the nighttime, which additionally influence the body’s ability to cool down. Personal care should be taken to keep cool as best possible in the conditions, such as wearing appropriate clothing and proper hydration. Very high temperatures can impair an individual’s physical abilities to perform an activity that they may otherwise be able to do competently at cooler temperatures. People may experience symptoms associated with dehydration and Heat Stroke. Your guide(s) are trained to mitigate the risks associated with high temperatures, by carefully managing the intensity of the activity, and to provide the appropriate support response should someone feel ill during the trip. Should you experience health issues during your trip you should inform your guide immediately so the proper care can be provided.

There will be a supply of filtered drinking water available that your host will provide throughout the journey, so be sure to bring a refillable water bottle (1-2L)

Tips are not included in the trip cost. These are entirely at your discretion but there is an expectation to tip for good service. For this trip we recommend approximately $45-$50 per person for the main tour leader, plus $50-$55 to be shared by other local guides and drivers.

Of course, you are free to tip more or less, and the amount should be reflective of your perception of service and quality – a tip is not compulsory and should only be given when you receive excellent service.

Your local host will strive to follow the planned itinerary, but adjustments may be necessary for your safety and comfort due to weather or sea conditions. Boat transfers are handled by independent companies that usually run on schedule, but can be delayed or cancelled at short notice due to weather or mechanical issues. Should a cancellation occur, your guide will arrange alternatives and reschedule any included activities whenever feasible.

If major itinerary changes result in significant additional costs (like extra hotel nights), these expenses would be the customer's responsibility, to be reimbursed through travel insurance.

Sure can! Over 70% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.

Our team of Adventure Hunters co-create exclusive adventures which are run by highly vetted, specialist hosts. The trip is run by our trusted host partner in the destination. We only work with independent, local, in-destination experts who know the very best places to explore and how to stay safe. Read more information about the local teams we partner with. You’ll be introduced to the host straight after making a booking via the Much Better Adventures platform.

Much Better Adventures refer to the UK Government’s official travel advice when designing trips and monitoring trip operations. We recommend that all customers are familiar with the practical information provided on the Government’s FCDO website, where current travel advice can be found by searching for the applicable destination(s).

For customers joining this trip from other international destinations – please also read the official travel advice applicable to your country of residence/origin, as this may differ.

Our recommended travel insurance provider is Campbell Irvine.

Travel insurance is compulsory for all of our adventures and you are required to provide your policy information before departing.

Your insurance should include adequate protection for overseas medical treatment, evacuation/repatriation, your baggage and equipment and the specific activities involved on your adventure. We also strongly recommend it includes cancellation and curtailment insurance, should you be unable to join your trip for specific reasons such as illness.

We fully endorse Campbell Irvine as their insurance offers all of the above, so get in touch with them or call on 020 7938 1734 to get your insurance sorted. We suggest that you book travel insurance as soon as you book your adventure, just to cover you for any last-minute life changes. We know you’re an active lot and injuries do happen!

We recommend checking out the country-specific information and also talking to a travel nurse.

We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates on a daily basis so this does mean that prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.

If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.

All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy (18+) as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. Children can be accommodated on some private departures.

You're always in good company on one of our adventures.

Our trips are typically made up of a mixture of solo travellers and small groups of 2 or 3 friends, with most in their 30s-50s.

Our sociable adventures are solo-friendly by design and naturally attract outdoorsy people with a shared mindset; a love for adventure, a desire to push themselves and meet awesome, like-minded people along the way.

It’s this camaraderie that has so often turned a great adventure into a life-changing one.

Don't just take our word for it:

• 95% of people rate the group dynamics on our trips 5/5
• 90% of people recommend joining a trip to make new friends
• 75% of people have met people on our trips that they would now consider friends

See here for more info about the Much Better Adventures tribe.

Interested in a more exclusive experience? Opt for a 'Private Group' through the dates and prices tab to book this adventure for just you and your chosen companions.