Best Holiday Activities in The Philippines 2023/2024
Situated in the Western Pacific Ocean, the Philippines consists of 7,641 islands divided into three groups: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The country offers bustling cities, good food, picture-perfect sandy beaches, and majestic mountains worth visiting in any holiday season. The Philippines has many activities to participate in, so you will need close to two weeks to scratch the surface of what this beautiful country offers. Below is my opinion on the best holiday activities in the Philippines 2023/2024.
1| Kalanggaman Island
If you’re okay with taking a long journey to this island from Cebu City, this tourist attraction should be on your list during your Philippine holiday. A gorgeous sandbank with clear blue water and powdery white sand, Kalanggaman Island is a hidden treasure in the Philippines.
My friends and I used a tour package which involved getting a van in the early morning to take us from our hotel to the most northern point of Cebu, where we would board a boat at Maya Port to Malapascua Island. We would then be greeted by a couple of company members explaining the journey to Kalanggaman Island.
Once you arrived at the island, we had around 1.5 to 2 hours to walk around, relax under the palm trees and have some food before returning. The sandbank was long and fun to swim around. The sand bank only appears for part of the day and disappears once the tide goes up again, so having up to 2 hours to spend on the island was enough for us.
We then made a return to our hotel at around 7 pm. We were honestly so tired by then, so make sure you plan nothing that evening, as you will need some time to sleep and recover if you choose this method to get to the island. However, if you a conveniently staying closer to this island away from Cebu City, then do not miss a chance to visit this island during your Philippine holiday, as it is stunning and should be on your list as one of the best places to visit.
2| Island Hopping Tour in Palawan
There are abundant islands and beaches to explore around Palawan to spend quality time on and to have the best time. I booked an island hopping tour with a local company that offered different island tours. We wanted a snorkelling site, so we opted for an island tour which included this and were not disappointed. We boarded a speedboat shared with four other guests and went around to each destination in our tour package. This package included a tour of snake island, which showcased a sandbank connected to a neighbouring island, and beautiful beaches, including papaya island. In total, we explored around five different islands that day, but there are so many more islands to explore, so if you do get additional time in Palawan, this could take up a good, fun-filled few days of your Philippine holiday in Palawan, visiting these great places.
3| Whale Sharks, Cebu
One of our trip highlights and amazing places to visit was witnessing these gentle giants in Cebu. Once you join this activity, you take a boat just a few minutes off the land, and locals on paddle boats encircle the leading boat to attract whale sharks using shrimp. We then slowly entered the waters and came close to these magnificent creatures and other marine life.
The government does have strict guidelines and advised everyone not to touch the animals, and there were mentions of a hefty fine or even jail time if we did! In reality, the workers on the paddle boat would be on the lookout and blow a whistle if tourists were coming too close to the whale sharks. This experience was a memorable moment for all of us and is a memory that comes to mind when we think about our holiday in the Philippines. It is safe to swim around them and a holiday attraction worth doing if you are in Cebu, as it was one of the best things I did amongst several of the major attractions Cebu had to offer.
4| El Nido, Palawan
El Nido is a stunning island that is a popular destination if you are coming to the Philippines. The entire island has several Golden sandy beaches, stunning beach resort and hotels, magical blue lagoons, majestic limestone cliffs, and crystal-clear waters are reasons to visit this place. When my friends and I visited, we spent a few days in the main town centre and later at a resort right at the beach, and we enjoyed both stays very much. We couldn’t have asked for a better place to end our trip on this beautiful island and would recommend it as a holiday destination and a main attraction of the Philippines.
We initially used a taxi service to get to our hotel but later used rented scooters. I recommend using a rental scooter to get around, but be careful with it, mainly when roads are wet or potholes, especially if it is your first time renting scooters. Generally speaking, the streets are safe with little traffic, so getting around the island this way is nice.
There are several beaches scattered around the island. The most famous one is Nacpan Beach. This is a large stretch of sand with impressive views of the sea and surrounding hilltop landscape. Unfortunately, on my way to Nacpan beach, I did injure my wrist, so I had to go back to my hotel and rest (to find later that I had a small fracture of my wrist back in England!) while my two friends went on to visit this beach, but they really liked the beach, and given that it was a big beach, there was plenty of space to relax and unwind.
We enjoyed spending time on other beaches like Las Cabanas beach, which was a beach that had low tide and shallow sea waters, which made the water appear very clear and pleasant to walk around. The beach is generally quiet, with a few restaurants (some were overpriced) where you can grab a few drinks and hang out. I liked this particular beach because a zipline runs over the beach to the neighbouring island, and this was a fun activity to partake in. We did have to trek up a steep hill to get the start of the zipline, but once we got there, it was fun to look around when ziplining and take in the beauty of the surroundings. Once you reach the end of the zipline, you then have to go down the hill and cross the shallow sea waters back to Las Cabanas Beach.
In general, the best time, if you want less rainfall, is from December to February time when the average temperature is cooler and less humid too. December is a great time to visit, too, as Christianity is the predominant religion in this country, and many Filipino Christians plan activities for the festive season. This includes beautiful lights and Christmas trees displayed in the area, making it fun to get involved with the Christmas spirit during these public holidays.
There are plenty more beaches and activities to take part in on this island, and I would recommend visiting El Nido if you are planning a Philippine holiday.
5| Badian Canyoneering and Kawasan Falls Tour
The canyoneering tour in South Cebu was unforgettable and one of the top tourist attractions if you are looking for an adventurous time in the Philippines. I found out about this experience from watching YouTube videos and was excited and booked this tour. Now I am afraid of heights, and I knew there would be some jumps, but I was too excited at the time and booked onto this without really thinking about how high these jumps would be. When I went onto the tour, a couple of jumps were terrifying to me, particularly the final jump at Kawasan Falls. But let me tell you that it was worth it, so take advantage of this opportunity to trek through this beautiful jungle, going through clear turquoise water and rocky terrain with a guide to ensure you safely get through.
Regarding safety, we do go through a safety talk beforehand and follow our guide on where to jump to avoid any rocks below when jumping. You will see other travellers using different tour companies too, but it was not overcrowded, which made the experience better. We wore safety gear, including helmets, and overall we did feel safe with these guides who have been doing this for many years.
These are the best holiday activities in the Philippines 2023/2024; if you plan on visiting, whether with friends or the whole family, you will find something for everyone, whether it be adventurous attractions, to simply enjoying resort life and the lovely welcoming Filipino residents and Filipino culture. I hope you enjoyed reading this blog!
Do you have top experiences to share about your time during your Philippine holiday that is not listed above? Please feel free and comment below!
If you enjoyed reading this blog on ‘Best Holiday Activities in The Philippines 2023/2024’, please feel free to read my other blogs at https://www.mymemoriesabroad.com/category/blog/ or head to my Pinterest profile to have a look at travel photos which will hopefully inspire you to book your holiday to remember at https://www.pinterest.co.uk/mymemoriesabroad/.