Hibernating over the winter? Travel with a local, go off the beaten path and experience a different side of the Philippines. Whether you're a yoga enthusiast, a beach bum, a nomad or simply have itchy feet, this is one trip that has something for everyone.
 
Our main stop is in Palawan, voted "The Top Island in the World" by Conde Nast Traveler's readers. Also known as The Last Frontier, it is simply the most beautiful place on earth. If you want to see, learn about and eat your way through my beautiful country as much as possible, without worrying about organizing or driving, then this is the perfect tour for you.

Highlights include:
Island Hopping
Underground River
Villa Escudero
Taal Volcano
 
Puerto Princesa
Aptly nicknamed “the city in a forest.” It has been named the Philippines’ cleanest and greenest city. Swim and snorkel on an island that disappears completely at high tide. Enjoy picturesque spots with white, sandy beaches perfect for sunbathing.
Puerto Princesa is the gateway to the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park (popularly called the Underground River), a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. The cave system stretches for a total of 24km underneath the mountains, and the river itself winds its way through 8.2km of it. Besides being one of the longest underground rivers in the world, it is also one of the very few that outflows directly to the sea.
Visit Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm, a prison without walls where minimum-security inmates roam freely, offering a unique approach to reforming criminals. They are responsible for farming and office-related work, as well as for supervising the tasks of the medium-security inmates. Most take care of the rice paddies, coconut plantations, corn fields and vegetable plots scattered across the prison grounds.
Staying in a city-centre hotel close to the mall and other tourist spots and two nights in a rustic nipa hut (type of stilt house indigenous to the cultures of the Philippines) by the beach.
Optional full day experience at a yoga retreat house with classes, meals and massage.
 
Villa Escudero
A self-contained working coconut plantation. Enjoy the Philippine Experience show and watch the country’s cultural legacy come to life. Paddle a native bamboo raft on still waters of the river. Be serenaded with classic Filipino songs while on a carabao-pulled carriage on your way to a dining experience of authentic Filipino dishes, kamayan style (option to eat with your hands) by the waterfalls, the sound of rushing water with your feet submerged in cool water.
 
Taal Volcano
Said to be the world's smallest active volcano and the second most active volcano in the Philippines. Board an outrigger boat for the 30-minute trip across the lake to Taal Volcano Island. Trek uphill through the hardened black lava to the rim of the crater, where you will have impressive views down into the green lake beneath, as well as the Taal Lake itself.
 
Manila
The capital of the Philippines. Mod cons available.
Optional tour to Intramuros "The Walled City," is the oldest district in Manila. This is what remains of the fortified city, which was the seat of power during Spanish Colonial times.