Contiki Review: 5 core memories from my Philippines Island Hopping trip

In the turbulence of my twenties, I have felt drawn to the kind of freedom that can only be found on a sunny beach or boat. Looking out over crystal clear blue waters and wondering only whether to snorkel at sea or sunbathe on deck, whether it’s going to be a Pad Thai for dinner or a new, local speciality, who I might meet at the beach bar and from what corner of the world they’re from. Going into 2025, I knew I wanted an adventure along those lines. Having already visited and loved Bali and Thailand earlier in my twenties, I wanted to travel somewhere new and to meet new people to share the experience with… after a little bit of research, Contiki’s Philippines Island Hopping stepped into view.

From breathtaking beaches to authentic Filippino food and of course, dancing the night away in the world’s karaoke capital, here are just a handful of my highlights.

Exploring the Underground River

We kickstarted our trip with a visit to a UNESCO World Heritage site, voted one of the new 7 Wonders of Nature. A short 15-minute boat journey took us to the National Park where the river is located. After collecting our fashionable orange helmets (safety first), we were ready for the tour to begin. The views were stunning where the aqua-green sea met the limestone landscape, as we approached the underground river itself. Our guide then paddled us through at first narrow cave systems which opened out into huge stretches of water, adorned by grand limescale formations.

Everyone had been given an earpiece that acted as a guide, informing us of exactly what we were seeing at each point in the cave. This, along with using as little artificial light as possible, is done to help preserve the underground river by reducing noise and light pollution but also consequentially creates a peaceful stillness hard to find elsewhere. Watching the bats flutter above and hearing about the vast ecosystem surrounding us, we were all left in awe at this natural wonder and its history.

The Karaoke Capital

If you didn’t already know, the Philippines is often considered the world’s karaoke capital… and we could certainly see why. Some of the most memorable moments of the trip were made by the music that accompanied them. Wherever we were, the music followed. On our first night in Puerto Princesa, we played (a very long game of) pool as an incredible live band belted out hit after hit, before we eventually took to the dancefloor for Kylie’s ‘Can’t Get You Out of My Head’.

On the last night at the Isla Experience, we were treated to live music from talented duo Ron (on guitar and vocals) and Amz (drum and vocals) who made the journey specially from the mainland across to Darocotan Island to conclude our Contiki trip in style. It was one of the girl’s birthdays so when offered the mic, she took to the stage for a rendition of ‘Dancing Queen’, and that she was! With the ocean and roaring bonfire behind us, the music kept coming with encore after encore until we reluctantly called it a night, with a whole new playlist of songs ready for the long journey back to London.

Island Hopping Day Trip

A fan favourite from the trip was the island hopping day trip from El Nido. We set sail early to make the most of the day and soon stopped for our first snorkel. Though I’ve snorkelled around the world, the marine life here rivalled even that of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. The crystal clear water, colourful fish in every direction and coral life below was even more special than I’d hoped. Before long, we’d arrived at a stunning, pristine beach that we could enjoy almost to ourselves. After grabbing a fresh coconut, we were treated to a delicious buffet lunch of traditional Filipino food and fresh fruit. We sat under the shade of the palm trees, played volleyball and simply admired our surroundings before boarding the boat ready to round off the day with another snorkel stop and more sunbathing (or burning…).

Filipino Food

Getting to gorge on new culinary delights is often a deciding factor in where I choose to travel so some of my core memories from this trip definitely came in the form of food. Our visit to Nanay Elena’s House took the food to a whole new level! The feast she prepared for us was all freshly-made, home-cooked food from ingredients at her farm. A definite favourite was the spring rolls (I lost count of how many I ate). In true Grandma style, there was so much food on offer that we couldn’t possibly go hungry!

Speaking of authentic experiences, we also got to experience a boodle fight on our last night of the trip, as part of our MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Special Stay. Using our hands, we devoured yummy local food that was served to us on a long banana leaf. Trying to eat noodles using your hands is as I’ve discovered, harder than it looks! Finally, when talking of Filippino food, I can’t not mention the delicious, sweet mangoes the Philippines is known for. There are smoothie stalls all over and I highly recommend you have a fresh, cooling mango smoothie at every opportunity because I will be thinking about them for a very, very long time.

The Isla Experience

The Philippines has no shortage of beautiful beaches and as part of the tour we got to visit some of the best, from watching the sunset at Las Cabanas to lounging in the shade of the palm trees that line Nacpan beach. However, I think our trip to Darocotan Island for the Special Stay takes top place for “breathtaking”. We approached the Island from the boat, where the turquoise sea meets the golden-white shore, set against a backdrop of lush greenery and dotted with rustic beach huts. If paradise exists, this is it. There were plenty of activities to while away the afternoon, with yoga, a cooking class, snorkelling to a shipwreck or simply enjoying the sun, sand and sea of this remote island paradise. We enjoyed one last night together tucking into our boodle fight and singing our hearts out to ‘Country Roads’ as a group of strangers from across the world turned friends. Waking up in our beach huts to the sound of the waves and getting one last glimpse across the Island and out to sea was a truly special send off for a trip of a lifetime.

This 9-day adventure wrapped up everything I needed in a trip. Having a brilliant Trip Manager and Tour Guide to show us all the best places and work behind the scenes to ensure everything went as smoothly as possible meant we could completely immerse and enjoy ourselves. The trip delivered the perfect balance of relaxation, adventure and breathtaking views and better yet, I got to meet a whole bunch of wonderful people from across the world to share the experience with.