Manila & Palawan: Jungle Trekking, Local Eats & Epic Beaches — Self-Launched
9 days · Philippines (Manila & Palawan)
G Adventures charges £705
No-markup version: ~£468 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A DIY version of G Adventures' 9-day Manila-to-El Nido Romie trip: base yourself in Makati, hike and cook with the Dumagat community in the Sierra Madre foothills at Mount Purro, eat your way through Binondo Chinatown by jeepney, fly to Puerto Princesa for the Underground River, then bus north to El Nido for lagoon island-hopping and limestone-peak sunrises. Costs are rough backpacker estimates in GBP and exclude international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive Manila — settle into Makati
Manila
Land at NAIA, grab a Grab (ride-hail) or the airport bus to Makati — Grab is ~£5-7 and far easier than the metered taxis. Check into a hostel dorm in Poblacion/Makati (Lub D Makati, Z Hostel or Junction Hostel all run dorms around £12-18). Spend the afternoon easing in: walk Poblacion's backstreets, eat at a carinderia, and pick up a local SIM (Globe or Smart tourist SIM ~£8 for 30GB). If you're there before 4pm, squeeze in a self-guided walk of Intramuros — Fort Santiago entry is ~£1.50, Manila Cathedral and Postigo del Palacio are nearby and free to enter.
🚌Airport to Makati: Grab ~£6
🛏Hostel dorm, Makati/Poblacion (~£15)
- →Arrive and check in
- →Poblacion neighbourhood wander
- →Optional self-guided Intramuros walk (Fort Santiago ~£1.50)
Mount Purro Nature Reserve — Dumagat cooking & jungle swim
Mount Purro, Rizal
Mount Purro Nature Reserve sits in the Sierra Madre foothills about 2 hours from Makati. The easiest independent route is a Grab or hired van to Barangay Calawis, Antipolo (~£25-30 one-way split between travellers you meet at the hostel), or join the reserve's own day-trip transfer if booked ahead. Day packages include a guided farm-to-table cooking demo, a hike to the river for a swim, and a Filipino lunch cooked over a bonfire with the Dumagat community — book direct with Mount Purro Nature Reserve (roughly £25-35 per person for the day package). Stay overnight in their basic fan/aircon rooms or camping huts to catch the sunrise hike the next morning.
🚌Grab/van Makati to Antipolo ~£27 return split
🛏Mount Purro Nature Reserve room or hut (~£18)
- →Calawis cooking demonstration
- →Mount Purro hike and river swim
- →Bonfire dinner with Dumagat hosts
Sunrise summit, then back to Manila
Mount Purro - Manila
Get up before dawn for the short sunrise hike up Mount Purro ridge — it's an easy 1-1.5 hour climb with big views over the Sierra Madre when the weather plays along. Breakfast at the reserve, then head back to Makati by mid-morning. Afternoon free: nap off the early start or browse the Ayala Museum (entry ~£7) if you want a dose of Philippine history. Book your Manila–Puerto Princesa flight tonight for the cheapest fares (Cebu Pacific and AirAsia run several daily, ~£30-50 one-way if booked a few weeks out).
🚌Van/Grab back to Makati ~£14
🛏Hostel dorm, Makati (~£15)
- →Sunrise hike up Mount Purro
- →Optional Ayala Museum
Binondo Chinatown by jeepney and on foot
Manila
Do the Chinatown food crawl under your own steam — it's the most fun and cheapest way. Take a jeepney or LRT to Carriedo, then graze Binondo's streets: lumpia at Quik Snack, hopia at Eng Bee Tin, dumplings on Ongpin Street, and a bowl of mami somewhere with plastic stools and a queue. A guided Binondo food walk on GetYourGuide/Klook runs ~£25-35 if you'd rather have the stories, but honestly ~£10 of street food covers an excellent afternoon. Evening: rooftop drink in Poblacion or a Manila Bay sunset walk along Roxas Boulevard.
🚌Jeepney/LRT/Grab around town ~£4
🛏Hostel dorm, Makati (~£15)
- →DIY Binondo street food crawl (~£10)
- →Optional guided Chinatown food tour (~£30)
- →Manila Bay sunset walk
Fly to Puerto Princesa
Puerto Princesa, Palawan
Fly Manila to Puerto Princesa (~1h20, ~£30-50 one-way). From the airport it's a short tricycle or Grab to the city centre; hostels like 100% Cafe Moto Hostel or Sheebang Hostel run dorms around £10-14. Afternoon is easy: Puerto Princesa is a low-key, spread-out city — hire a tricycle driver for a couple of hours (~£10) for Baker's Hill, the Immaculate Conception Cathedral and the Baywalk. Sort your Underground River permit and El Nido bus ticket this evening (see day 6).
🚌Domestic flight ~£40; tricycle ~£4
🛏Hostel dorm, Puerto Princesa (~£12)
- →Baker's Hill and city cathedral
- →Baywalk at sunset
Underground River, then the road to El Nido
Puerto Princesa - El Nido
The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River is a UNESCO site and the day's highlight. Book the official permit through the city tourism office or a local operator the day before (~£22-28 including permit, boat and transfers from the city); you need your name on a permit slot, and tours leave early. You'll be back in town by early afternoon — take a shuttle van or the Cherry Bus/Roro Bus to El Nido (~5-6 hours, ~£10-13 for the van, ~£7 by ordinary bus). Arrive El Nido town, check into a hostel around Corong-Corong or the town centre (Spin Designer Hostel dorms ~£14-18).
🚌Underground River tour transfer included; van to El Nido ~£12
🛏Hostel dorm, El Nido (~£16)
- →Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park tour
- →Evening walk along El Nido beach
El Nido island hopping — Tour A
El Nido
Book a Tour A island-hopping trip direct with any of the accredited boat operators on El Nido beach or via Klook/GetYourGuide (~£20-28 including lunch, boat, lagoon fees and environmental fees). Tour A covers the Small Lagoon, Big Lagoon, Secret Beach, Hidden Beach and Seven Commandos — bring reef-safe sunscreen, a dry bag and cash for the kayak rental inside the Big Lagoon (~£6). Boats leave around 8-9am and return mid-afternoon. Tonight, sunset drinks at Corong-Corong beach are the local ritual.
🚌Walk to boat station
🛏Hostel dorm, El Nido (~£16)
- →El Nido Tour A island hopping (~£25)
- →Big Lagoon kayak (~£6)
- →Corong-Corong sunset
Taraw Peak sunrise and slow El Nido day
El Nido
Climb Taraw Peak for sunrise — a steep, hot, roughly 1-1.5 hour scramble over limestone (guide strongly recommended, ~£10-15, arranged the night before with a local guide; some sections need hands). The view over the Bacuit Archipelago is the best in town. Rest up, then either kayak the coast (~£8 for a half-day rental) or take a tricycle to Las Cabanas Beach for a swim and the zipline. If you have energy for a second boat day, Tour C (Matintin Island, Secret Beach, Helicopter Island) runs the same ~£25.
🚌Tricycle ~£3
🛏Hostel dorm, El Nido (~£16)
- →Taraw Peak sunrise hike with local guide (~£12)
- →Kayaking (~£8)
- →Las Cabanas Beach and zipline
Last beach morning and departure
El Nido
Swim, eat a long breakfast, and pick up any last souvenirs before your onward travel. If you're flying out of Puerto Princesa, allow 6 hours for the van back (~£12) plus the flight; alternatively, El Nido's small airport (Lio) has direct flights to Manila and Cebu in season (~£60-90 one-way, pricier but saves a day). From Manila, onward international flights or a few extra days in the Philippines.
🚌Van back to Puerto Princesa ~£12 or flight from Lio
🛏—
- →Beach morning
- →Onward travel
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£468 | £705 |
| Duration | 9 days | 9 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £237 per person (34%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£468
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Manila & Palawan: Jungle Trekking, Local Eats & Epic Beaches — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £468 per person for 9 days in Philippines (Manila & Palawan). This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £705 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £468 — a saving of roughly £237 (34%) per person.
How long is the Philippines (Manila & Palawan) trip?+
This itinerary runs 9 days, covering 9 day-by-day stops through Philippines (Manila & Palawan).
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, beaches, hiking trip through Philippines (Manila & Palawan), self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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