Hi everyone! So my boyfriend and I are hoping to do a year in Australia (leaving towards the end of 2021) because his whole family already live out there in Perth, plus it'll give us a chance to hopefully do some travelling too. My birthday is at the end of January and I've suggested we go to the Philippines as a birthday trip, so I wanted to ask where you guys would recommend most for first-time travel in that country?
We would also only plan on going for about a week max. I know there's so much to see and do there, but I figured if we really liked it we could always go back another time for longer :) there are so many different islands and each one offers so much, so I'm struggling a bit haha. I'm mainly looking for somewhere with amazing scenery, and somewhere we can do some day trips and explore a bit! Thanks in advance
For your first time in the Philippines, you could head to Borocay, Siargao, El Nido, or Coron. I personally think El Nido is a great place to stay a week because you can do a lot of things, plus it's just absolutely stunning. It's famous for its limestone formations. You can book day tours to the surrounding islands and check out different beaches and lagoons. Plus, if you ride a motorbike you can also head to Nacpan Beach and Duli Beach which are both really long so you'll definitely be able to find a quiet spot. Plus, Nacpan and Duli Beach literally have the clearest water I've ever seen!! If you need more information on El Nido, you can check here: https://notanotherbackpacker.com/en/el-nido-in-palawan/.
Definitely go to Coron if you can, there's some amazing snorkelling/diving spots and you can do loads of different boat trips out to the surround islands etc... Plus some good bars for nightlife. Go to Island Boy restaurant for the best vegetable curry EVER! (Photo from our boat trip with Big Dream Boat Man, around the Coron islands)
I think Siargao would be an amazing place to spend a week! There is so much to see and explore across the whole island. It's great for surfing, partying.. you can go island hopping and visit lagoons etc.
I don't think you can go too far wrong with any island in the Philippines though :) Hope you have a wicked time!