Philippines: Snorkel & Stargaze — Self-Launched Palawan Adventure
10 days · Philippines (Palawan)
Topdeck charges £1,050
No-markup version: ~£685 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A 10-day self-launched version of Topdeck's "Philippines: Snorkel and Stargaze" journey from Manila to Coron, hitting the same classic Palawan route: Puerto Princesa, sleepy Port Barton, a remote beach camp night, El Nido's lagoons and a ferry hop to Coron. Instead of a guided group coach, you'll use local buses and shared vans, join the same island-hopping boats that operators run (bookable via Klook/GetYourGuide or directly at the pier), stay in hostels and beach guesthouses, and organise your own stargazing and bonfire night. Everything here is flexible — you set the pace, and you'll almost certainly spend less than half the package price.
Day-by-day
Fly into Manila & Makati night wander
Manila
Land at Ninoy Aquino International (MNL), get a local SIM from the arrivals hall (Globe or Smart, ~£8-12 for 30GB), and take a Grab or meter taxi to a hostel in Makati or Poblacion (~£6-9, agree the meter or use Grab to avoid overcharging). Settle in, then walk the Poblacion bar strip in the evening — rooftop bars and street food stalls, much cheaper than a tour-organised dinner. Get an early night: tomorrow is a travel day.
🚌Grab or airport taxi from NAIA to Makati, ~£6-9
🛏Hostel dorm in Poblacion/Makati (e.g. Z Hostel or Junction Hostel area)
- →Settle in and sort local SIM + cash withdrawal
- →Walk Poblacion bar district
- →Street food dinner at a local eatery (carenderia)
Manila → Puerto Princesa → Port Barton
Port Barton
Fly Manila to Puerto Princesa (PPS) with Cebu Pacific or AirAsia — book 2-4 weeks ahead for the best fares (~£25-45 one way). From Puerto Princesa airport, take a shared van straight to Port Barton (roughly 3.5-4 hrs, ~£7-9 per person); vans leave from the airport/terminal through the morning and early afternoon. Arrive in Port Barton, check into a beachside guesthouse, and eat at one of the seafront grill spots. Note: the van arrival is your own arrangement, not a paid tour transfer.
🚌Domestic flight MNL–PPS ~£25-45 + shared van PPS–Port Barton ~£8
🛏Beach guesthouse or hostel in Port Barton (e.g. Elsa's Beach Cottages area equivalents)
- →Fly to Puerto Princesa
- →Shared van to Port Barton
- →Sunset walk along Port Barton Beach
Port Barton island hopping & sea turtles
Port Barton
Book a join-in island-hopping boat trip the evening before at the beach or through your guesthouse — these are the same boats the tour uses and cost around £12-18 per person including lunch and snorkel gear. Typical stops include German Island, Exotic Island and turtle snorkelling points in the marine sanctuary; you'll also get reef viewing and a beach lunch. Boats usually leave ~9am and return mid-afternoon. Bring reef-safe sunscreen and cash for the small environmental fees.
🚌Walk to the beach; boat tour departs from Port Barton pier
🛏Beach guesthouse or hostel in Port Barton
- →Join-in island hopping boat tour (Port Barton)
- →Snorkelling with sea turtles
- →Coral reef snorkelling stops
- →Beach lunch on a tropical island
Remote beach camp, bonfire & stargazing
Port Barton beach camp
Instead of a fixed group camp, arrange a night at one of the simple beach camps a short boat ride from Port Barton (ask your guesthouse — several local families run basic nipa huts with dinner and a bonfire, roughly £18-25 per person including a BBQ dinner). Spend the afternoon swimming, then eat grilled fish and rice, light a bonfire, and stay up for the stargazing — Palawan's low light pollution makes it spectacular. Bring a headtorch, mosquito repellent and a light sleeping layer.
🚌Short outrigger boat transfer from Port Barton beach (~£4-6 each way)
🛏Basic beach camp / nipa hut with shared facilities
- →Swim off a remote beach
- →Group-style BBQ dinner with local hosts
- →Bonfire and stargazing
- →Karaoke with the camp family (optional)
Beach camp → Taytay (Fort Santa Isabel) → El Nido
El Nido
Boat back to Port Barton in the morning, then pick up a shared van or bus heading north to El Nido (~4-5 hrs, ~£9-12). Break the journey in Taytay to see Fort Santa Isabel, the 17th-century Spanish coastal fort overlooking the bay (entry a few pence; a short tricycle hop from the highway). Arrive El Nido in the late afternoon and check into a hostel or guesthouse in Corong Corong or town. Sunset drinks at a beach bar are optional and cheap.
🚌Boat back to Port Barton ~£5 + shared van Port Barton–El Nido ~£10 (stop in Taytay)
🛏Hostel or guesthouse in El Nido town / Corong Corong
- →Return boat from beach camp
- →Visit Fort Santa Isabel, Taytay
- →Shared van to El Nido
- →Sunset at Corong Corong Beach
El Nido slow day: Lio Beach, yoga & Las Cabanas
El Nido
Take a tricycle to Lio Beach for a relaxed morning — free public access, calm water and a few cafes. Join a drop-in yoga and meditation session (several spots in El Nido and Lio run sunrise/evening classes, ~£7-9). In the afternoon either hike or tricycle to Las Cabanas Beach for its limestone-cliff views and the famous zipline across to Depeldet Island (~£14-17, book locally). Alternatively, the canopy walk near town runs around £18-20.
🚌Tricycles around El Nido, ~£1-2 per hop
🛏Hostel or guesthouse in El Nido town / Corong Corong
- →Morning at Lio Beach
- →Drop-in yoga & meditation class
- →Las Cabanas Beach and limestone cliffs
- →Optional zipline to Depeldet Island (~£15)
- →Optional jungle canopy walk (~£19)
El Nido Tour A: Big Lagoon, Secret Lagoon & Seven Commandos
El Nido
Book the classic El Nido 'Tour A' join-in boat trip — the exact same stops as the tour itinerary's lagoon day. Book through Klook, GetYourGuide, or any of the many tour offices on El Nido beachfront (roughly £22-30 including lunch and snorkel gear). Stops typically include Big Lagoon, Secret Lagoon, Shimizu (Simizu) Island and Seven Commandos Beach. Go for the earliest departure (~7-8am) to beat the crowds at Big Lagoon. Pay the eco-tourism development fee (~£4) once, valid for 10 days.
🚌Walk/tricycle to El Nido beach departure point
🛏Hostel or guesthouse in El Nido town / Corong Corong
- →El Nido Tour A join-in boat trip
- →Big Lagoon kayaking and swimming
- →Secret Lagoon
- →Shimizu Island snorkelling
- →Seven Commandos Beach
Ferry El Nido → Coron
Coron
Take the fast ferry from El Nido to Coron — Montnegro or Atienza lines run most mornings, roughly 4-5 hours, ~£20-28 one way. Book a day or two ahead at any El Nido travel agency or online. Sit on the top deck for the island views, and bring snacks, water and motion sickness tablets (the crossing can be choppy). Arrive Coron town late afternoon, check into a budget hotel, and wander to the bay for sunset and a cheap seafood dinner.
🚌Fast ferry El Nido–Coron ~£24
🛏Budget hotel or guesthouse in Coron town (e.g. Lucky Tito's / Jurias Garden equivalents)
- →Top-deck ferry views across the Calamian Islands
- →Sunset walk along Coron waterfront
- →Seafood dinner at Coron public market
Mt Tapyas sunset & Maquinit Hot Springs
Coron
Sleep in, then climb Mt Tapyas in the late afternoon — around 700+ steps, 20-30 minutes up, free entry, best at sunset with views over Coron Bay and the surrounding islands. Afterwards, take a tricycle to Maquinit Hot Springs (~20 mins, ~£3 each way, entry ~£3-4) for a soak in the natural saltwater pools. Finish with a farewell dinner at a local grill house. If you want diving, Coron is a world-class wreck-diving base — a discovery dive runs around £60-80 booked directly with a dive shop.
🚌Tricycle to Mt Tapyas trailhead and Maquinit Hot Springs, ~£6 total
🛏Budget hotel or guesthouse in Coron town
- →Climb Mt Tapyas for sunset
- →Soak at Maquinit Hot Springs
- →Optional discovery scuba dive (~£70)
- →Farewell dinner at a local grill house
Depart Coron (Busuanga Airport)
Coron
Fly out from Francisco B. Reyes Airport (USU/Busuanga), about 30-40 minutes by shared van from Coron town (~£4-6). Book a Cebu Pacific or AirAsia flight back to Manila in advance (from ~£30-45), or extend your stay in Palawan — you're free to add days in El Nido, Port Barton or head to Cebu/Bohol on a cheap domestic flight. Keep some cash for the airport terminal fee and souvenir shopping.
🚌Shared van to Busuanga Airport ~£5 + domestic flight USU–MNL from ~£35
🛏—
- →Shared van to Busuanga Airport
- →Optional extension in Palawan or onward Southeast Asia travel
Self-launched vs. Topdeck
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Topdeck | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£685 | £1,050 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £365 per person (35%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Topdeck-style trips? Check them out here.~£685
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 Philippines: Snorkel & Stargaze — Self-Launched Palawan Adventure cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £685 per person for 10 days in Philippines (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 Topdeck?+
Yes — Topdeck charges around £1,050 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £685 — a saving of roughly £365 (35%) per person.
How long is the Philippines (Palawan) trip?+
This itinerary runs 10 days, covering 10 day-by-day stops through Philippines (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, backpacker trip through Philippines (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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