How to get there — Philippines

The Philippines are roughly 14 to 16 hours flying time from the US East Coast, 13 hours from Los Angeles, 8 hours from Sydney and 16 hours from London, with at least one stopover on most routes. There are no nonstop flights from Europe at the time of publication. Manila (Ninoy Aquino International, NAIA) and Cebu (Mactan-Cebu International, CEB) are the two main international gateways. From the United States, Philippine Airlines flies nonstop from Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York to Manila; United and Delta serve the route via Asian hubs. From Europe, the most common routings are Singapore Airlines via Singapore, Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong, Qatar Airways via Doha and Emirates via Dubai. Round-trip fares from Europe typically range from €500 to €900 when booked two to three months ahead, and can climb past €1,200 over the Christmas and Chinese New Year peaks.

Once in the country, the domestic flight network is dense and inexpensive. Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines link Manila to Puerto Princesa (Palawan), Coron, Cebu, Davao and Caticlan (the gateway to Boracay) in 45 minutes to 1 hour 30. Book these internal segments as soon as your dates are confirmed: the cheapest fares disappear quickly, particularly in the dry season. Expect to pay €20 to €80 one-way in economy depending on demand.

Ferries and banca boats (motorized outrigger canoes) handle shorter island-to-island links: the El Nido–Coron fast ferry (4 to 5 hours), Cebu–Bohol (2 hours), Coron–Puerto Princesa, and so on. These crossings are weather-dependent and can be cancelled at short notice during the wet season. Always build a buffer day into your itinerary to absorb such disruptions. For airport transfers from NAIA in Manila, the Grab rideshare app is the safe default — unmetered taxis routinely overcharge new arrivals.