Philippines Island Hopper - 17 Day Trip

Welcome to Palawan, formerly known as the gateway to heaven. Maybe we made that part up but if you're looking for paradise then look no further, my friend! We start the day by jumping aboard a short flight to Puerto Princesa before getting picked up in our very own private minivans. Look up the word "unspoilt" in the dictionary, and you'll see a picture of Port Barton as the definition. The small, idyllic, fishing town is where we spend the next few days off the tour. We stop to have lunch with a local family, try out some delicious Filipino grub and chat about the workings of life in paradise. Check in to our beachfront hotel, yeah we're fancy. Watch the sun go down bev in hand, before venturing out to grab dinner and maybe even a sex on the beach! We mean the drink obviously…

Island Hopping the Philippines is an experience like no other. We hop on a long tail boat and sail the day away. If you think you've seen beauty, wait till you see Palawan's rainbow-coloured reefs, beautiful majestic turtles and the crystal clear colour of the waves. Great Barrier what? Head to golden sand beaches and reenact your best Baywatch scene whilst jogging out the water in slow motion. You've built up an appetite after a 'Shell of a good time' did you see what we did there? Because we saw turtles? No? Ok. We have lunch in a small fishing village. Have a few hours free time to chill, whether you prefer attempting to form a human pyramid on the beach with your TruFam or top up those tan lines whilst sunbathing in ya speedo. The time is yours to spend however you like! Sailing in the Philippines is 10 outta 10! We cruise back to Port Barton where we freshen up and check out the best bars and restaurants in town!

That's right, we're going to El Nido, the star attraction of Palawan, the George Clooney of the Philippines if you will. If you're looking for good vibes, good times and good beer, El Nido is the place to be. Roam around the town and do some shopping before settling into our accommodation, putting on a bit of lippy and grabbing dinner with your now inseparable TruFam. El Nido is known for producing one of the best sunsets in the world, so hold your TruFam, ice-cold beer in each hand and savour this moment forever. It really is bloody magical.

Day 5 and what a day it is! We're jumping on our famous traditional Banca boats and heading out to island hop to some of the best locations the island has to offer. Think, crystal clear blue lagoons, kayaking with your new BFF in what can only be described as paradise. It's been scientifically PROVEN that jumping in the sea can cure pretty much any hangover. I mean maybe not scientifically but it's defo a long-living Tru theory we stand by. Grab your snorkel and dive under to see the magic of the Philippine Sea or re-energise sunbathing on the golden sands. We stop for a local style lunch before heading back to the hotel around sunset. There's some time to chill out before we meet up for dinner with the TruFam.

Time to explore El Nido by land! We start our day with a Mission Impossible-style zipline experience. We'll zoom from beach to beach taking in these incredible views sure to get your blood pumping. After an adrenaline-filled morning, we head to Nacpan Beach, one of the Philippines most famously pristine beaches lined with palm trees so lush you might question reality. Beach time and an epic sunset will surely ensue.

Have a relaxed morning taking in our last few hours on the magical island we called home for the past few days. Grab a snorkel or just simply lay out on the beach and top up ya tan before we leave to catch the ferry to Coron. After living our ultimate beach babe life, we head to Coron. Spend the afternoon relaxing or checking out the local shops. TIP - Grab a smoothie they're delicious. Recharge those batteries before a night on the town. Unpack that shit shirt, your favourite floral dress or those linen trousers you've been dying to wear as we're heading OUT OUT. Let's hear you say it! CO-RON! CO-RON! CO-RON! We thought it was catchy?

After a wild night on the town, we're up and out to sail around Coron. We've pulled out all the stops for you guys. Don't worry, the days just keep getting better and better. We land on some of the most beautiful beaches in the world whilst sailing through turquoise lagoons. After an afternoon of fun, bury the most hungover TruTraveller 7ft deep in the sand, snap those insta beach shots or do competitive handstands on the ocean bed floor we sail back to Coron to freshen up for dinner.

TO THE WESTTTTTT TO THE EASSSTT

*Sang to the tune of from to the window to the wall* NEXT STOP CEBU. We catch a short flight over to Cebu. Relax in the hotel, unwind from a crazy few days and use some good wifi to shoot across your photos from the past few days. Enough to make any group chat jealous. In the evening we head out to grab some drinks!

We pack up and head to the seaside town of MoalBoal! Hope you've brought your appetite as we will be having lunch with the locals - lechon style! (for those of you brave enough to try the local delicacy.) Bellies full, energy buzzing and spirits high we'll make our way to the stunning Simala Church! Think Disney Castle on steroids. It's astonishingly beautiful and one thing you HAVE to see in person. The Simala Church has a long-standing myth that miracles happen here, so if you're looking for the next big Facebook to invest in or you just really want your crush to text you back, then here's the place to be. As we said, miracles can happen here. After a walking tour and short history lesson, we continue on to Moalboal where we have some free time to enjoy the afternoon! Grab a coffee, spend far too much money on keyrings and fridge magnets or treat yourself to a massage. You're on holiday after all.

We're up early to explore the waters around Moalboal. We're heading to some of the best snorkelling spots the Philippines has to offer. Suncream up, no one likes a snorkel mask tan line. You get the chance to see a rainbow of coloured coral reefs and marine life swimming around you. Pack the GoPro kids because it's a good’n. TURTLES! If you've ever dreamt of swimming alongside turtles in their natural habitat, then get that pencil ready - WE'RE TICKING IT OFF YOUR BUCKET LIST BABY. There's something magical about swimming with our hard-shelled, old AF, unproblematic green friends that can really bring a happy tear to anyone's eye. Jump back in the sea again later that day, and you are in for a treat! We're taking you to a drop off where this phenomenon only happens in 2 locations in the world. SARDINE RUN. Hundreds of thousands of sardines swimming simultaneously in a giant school. You wouldn't believe it until you've seen it. Jump in and experience this spectacle first hand, live the dream and film your best David Attenborough narration along to this phenomenon. In the evening we head to explore the nightlife and boogie the night away!

Wake up we're going canyoneering! Don't know what canyoneering is? WELL LET ME TELL YOU! Imagine picture-perfect, aqua blue waterfalls then throw in some adrenaline junkie, high action jumping off everything and anything vibes. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity really. If parkour 24/7 isn't your thing or you're too hungover from last night's antics, then you can float the headache away bobbing along down the river before reaching the falls to bask in the sun. Whatever your thing, it's a SICK day! We finish the day with a lazy evening to recharge those batteries before we head to our next destination!

Today we head to Cebu airport before catching a short flight to Caticlan and then a 15 minute boat road to the idyllic island of Boracay! Buckle up, it is a beauty. Known for it’s incredible nightlife and white sandy beaches, we can’t promise you won’t fall in love with the island and the 10/10 vibes there. If you ever had the urge to pack up and move across the world, well.. Boracay may just convince you too. We check into the hotel for our last 3 nights so unpack your last pair of clean socks, that shirt that's now far too creased that you've been saving to wear and settle in. We arrive late afternoon, so let’s explore! Sunsets in Boracay are next level. We’re talking an ombre of golden oranges blending into lilac’s and deep purples. Yep, I-N-S-A-N-E. So we’ll watch the sun go down over a few beers on the beach or join a sunset cruise for cocktails. Afterwards, we see where the night takes us. Psssttt.. It’ll be one of Boracay’s best cocktail bars!

Today’s a lazy morning, wake up when you like and grab a fruit smoothie nearby. The morning and early afternoon are free to explore, so head to the beach and catch some rays or perhaps hit the shops and grab some souvenirs for back home.. Or a postcard (We did say you might want to move here and never return!) Late afternoon we’re going Paraw sailing as the sun goes down! Never heard of it? Paraw sailing is a local sail boat activity in Boracay which uses two outriggers and two sails and calmly and gently sails you to the very best viewpoints and spots around the island. Thought last night’s sunset was good? Wait till you see this one TruFam! As the sparkling stars replace the sunset, we’ll head out for dinner together and grab a few beers. It’s the penultimate night.. It’s only right! Right?

It's our last full day together as the TruFam we've become. We're not crying, you are. As always, we're ending our trip on a high... Did someone say BOAT PARTY?! We'll set sail, dance the day away and take it all in for one last time. We're pretty much all professional beach babes at this point so grab your favourite snorkel & mask and jump straight in those tropical waters or even better, grab yourself a floatie, kayak or paddle board and chillax while reminiscing on what we can only assume has been the best 16 days of your life. In the evening we head out for a farewell dinner over sunset cocktails. Our last Hurrah, the final act of the show. One last performance and we're not ending without a standing ovation! Dance on the table, order 2 desserts or simply have 1 too many shots before proceeding to tell every single one of your TruFam how much you love them. Hey, we love ya too!

It's departure day and time to check out of the resort and it's time to say goodbye. BRING IT IN YA BLOODY LEGENDS, IT'S BEEN A BLAST. After 17 epic days together it feels more painful than Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake's breakup. We've loved every minute. Goodbye isn't in our vocabulary, we're rubbish at them, and there's nothing good about saying bye. SO WE SAY SEE YOU NEXT TIME! If you're carrying on your wild adventures, our Travel Ninja is on hand to help with anything you heart desires.