Philippines Travel Forum

hi

me and g/f planing to fly to manila next month and will stay there 2 days.we could not decide about our next destination.could you please recommend any good destination for a backpacking couple on the beach 100-150 km around Manila to spend some time while we learn about the country and decide for our next stop
any suggestions would help a lot
thanks in advance

If you are looking for a place in and around manila, you can go to corregidor island. there is a regular tour there where they pick you up 73am from Manila Bay and bring you back 345pm. Although its more of a historical tour than a "laze in the beach type".It's mainly trekking.. because there is NO beach. I think they have an overnight package where you can trek in the island itself.

If beach destinations is your cup of tea, the Philippines is the best place to go =) From Manila, the nearest beach area is Batangas. I often stay in Eagle Point Resort, where you can take a boat to their private beach (Sepoc beach). The snorkeling sites are fantastic!

Another beach that is good is Pagudpud. We stayed in Saud Beach Resort and was very satisfied wit their service. To go there, you can go via Pangasinan-Ilocos Sur-Ilocos Norte route. Check out the VT pages.

By plane or boat, you can go to Coron, Palawan. Another haven for back packers and beach lovers.

Have fun!

Hi there! another option within the km radius you mentioned is to go to Subic bay freeport. it used to be a US naval base and now a government-managed property for leisure and recreation. lots to do inside the bay, beaches, nightlife, shopping, lazing around, ocean theme park and an interactive zoo. lots of hotels to stay with. see www.subicbay.com.ph

to go there, locate nearest Victory Liner bus station (Pasay city, Quezon city in Manila) and take bus bound for Olongapo. trip is around 2-3 hours

I'm a little confused by the 2 days mention. Do you mean 2 days for manila then have more time for onward travel? And the 100 km radius - does that have particular significance?

The Philippines has a very well developed bus system as above poster mentions and you're probably better off thinking in terms of time than distance. Getting in and out of Manila at rush hour is a multi-hour experience, even if only a short distance.

That all said, I'd add Puerto Galera to your short list of options.

thanks for all your replies

i would like to stay in manila 2 days on arrival and apply for my chinese visa and stay close manila just on the beach for 4 days before i collect my visa and start to discover the country thats why looking for a beach around manila especially good for travelers
your suggestions will help a lot thanks again

The closest to Manila good beaches, as already mentioned, are in Subic-Olongapo area (north-west) and Batangas-Anilao area (south). From Batangas, after a 1hour+ sail, you can get to White Beach, Puerto Galera, a good and low cost place for backpackers. From there you can go south to Calapan and Roxas and take the boat to Caticlan - Boracay, a beach famous in all SE Asia. And from there, you will have many choices.

Is there any significence to the 100 to 150 km radius?

If it is time, IE within 2 hours of Manila, then you could fly to many nice destinations within the Philippines.

Someone has already mentioned Boracay. That is about a one hour flight then a half hour ride on a bangka boat.

You could fly to Tagbilaran Bohol in about an hour, then catch a taxi to Alona beach in about half an hour.

A little bit longer trip would be Camiguin Island. Plane to CDO, then private van to Balingoan then boat to Camiguin. About 4 hours or so.


Regards: Jim Sibbick