Was condsidering a month in the PPs to do some island hopping, is a month enough time to see the majority of the worth see places, ideally I'd like to not move around more than 1-2 times per week. Anyone done similar trips?
Phllippines duration
What do you mean by 'Worth Seeing'?
There's quite a few Islands and although each has the 'Philippines' theme, I gather they're all a bit different (the couple I've visited did). So are you talking about swimming with the whale sharks at Oslob, or scuba diving or?
So the answer is; Depends what you're interested in...
There are some places that a foreigner (and even a non-local Philippine) needs to be very careful (or avoid) due to the relatively high kidnap risk.
The Philippines is kind of spread out a bit. You should pull up a map and locate places of interest to you.
https://www.travelonline.com/philippines/map.html
For me, I even think Manila is worth a look. Since many long distance flights first land there I would at least take a few days there.
Best to have some sort of plan in mind for what to see and do besides arrival and departure airports. Some areas of the P.I. can be a little rough. Lots of bus long rides or even local flights to get to some places. (Lots and lots of islands!)
https://www.travellerspoint.com/guide/Philippines/
Check your visa requirements. Best to have a return flight and not try to show up with a one way flight. Normal stuff - have back up sources of spending money and not try to go everywhere with a single debit card. (You could lose a single card or damage it or someone could steal it.) Always research any scams you might encounter.
I have taken some long bus rides in the P.I. Some bus rides are a little chaotic. I have been on buses where everyone brought their bags into the bus and plonked them down in the aisles. The local people did not trust the security of the storage area under the seating area. Good idea to NOT leave money, passport, jewelry in any bag not in eyeball range. My passport is in a zipper pouch on a lanyard inside one of my pants side pockets. Lose, damage or get your passport wet you are in deep doo-doo!
Don't fully trust any person you did not know back home! Always think safety first!
Good luck.
Avoid Mindanao area. Always keep an eye on your things especially when traveling in crowded area, this everyone should do wherever.
Lots of places to visit. Popular destinations are El Nido Palawan, Boracay Island which undergone a 6th month rehabilitation & now operational, Cebu City like Oslob, Ilocos area like Vigan which is a world heritage site then go to Pagudpud Island.
Quoting karazyal
For me, I even think Manila is worth a look. Since many long distance flights first land there I would at least take a few days there.
I'm not a fan of Manila but I agree it's definately worth a look.
Fort Bonifacio is interesting.
A month is enough to see some highlights, but by no means all of them. Season matters a lot in your plans too as some areas are more wet, and where exactly you want to go, and what you want to do. I greatly enjoyed Coron, Lagazpi, Cebu, Donsol, Palawan, Subic Bay, and Puerto Princesa. I spent just over six weeks there and it wasn't nearly enough but I think a lot really depends on what your focus is.
If you are a scuba diver or just a nature lover I would not miss Coron or Palawan. You can take a lot of day trips from both.
I always see the "avoid Mindanao" posts everywhere. Mindanao has some of the safest cities and places in the world. Yes the SW, and to an extent the entire western part of the island, is not a good idea to travel in. However, Davao City is considered one of the top 10 safest cities in the world. Siargao Island hasn't had a homicide since 1996. Not too many places in the world can say they haven't had a homicide in the past 20+ years. Mati is another great Mindanao destination with one of the nicest beaches in the country.
Places to visit: El Nido/Coron (Palawan) is a must. Cebu island, not the city, including, Oslob, Moalboal, waterfalls, northern islands. Siargao is amazing. Bohol, Boracay, There are so many amazing places in Philippines that are not on travel sites/blogs, etc.
My overall favorite place is Siguijor. There is really nothing there, but it is just amazing.
If you need any insights or help with your journey here please feel free to ask. I have lived in Davao City for the past 16 months now on basically a staycation that has never ended. I have traveled a lot in the country.
Quoting Ewishki
I always see the "avoid Mindanao" posts everywhere. Mindanao has some of the safest cities and places in the world. Yes the SW, and to an extent the entire western part of the island, is not a good idea to travel in. However, Davao City is considered one of the top 10 safest cities in the world.
I think the only suggestion like that on this thread was by a Philippine member, but yes Davao City has a very good reputation for safety.
That's probably something to do with the 'Death Squad' vigilantes that operated there some time ago.
An Aussie friend spends a lot of time there and really loves the place, but he's always extremely careful whenever he travels outside the city.
So there's good and bad on/around Mindanao, which is why it would be wise for the OP to do plenty of research before visiting the island(s).