Images of the Philippines always look so iconically tropical and idyllic. It is still an affordable budget destination to travel to. And more importantly, travel in the Philippines with kids sounds adventurous without being overwhelming.
Yet somehow, despite the lure of white sand beaches and coconut trees, the Philippines still seems to be a less popular tourist destination than other parts of South East Asia…
There is plenty of chance to get away from the crowds. Plus, there are over 7000 islands in the Philippines; and that alone makes it sound appealing!
Our travel itinerary in the Philippines with kids
- Manila > Roxas City (plane to Roxas City, Cebu)
- Roxas City > Kalibo (local bus to Kalibo)
- Kalibo > Caticlan (local bus to Caticlan)
- Caticlan > Boracay (ferry)
- Boracay > Caticlan (ferry)
- Caticlan > Manila (plane to Manila)
Read on to find out what we loved most about traveling in the Philippines with kids…
Manila
I think we swore a few times under our breath and looked back and forth from each other to the view of absolute chaos out the window in Manila. What had we done?!
Arriving in Manila is an assault on all the senses.
We flew from Singapore. But Manila; it’s loud, busy, dusty, dirty, and the traffic is not for the faint-hearted. It was a timely reminder again to take it easy on arriving at a new location, and give it time. We have decided that for us, it takes us 24 hours to adjust to a new place; and in Manila it did. We ventured out timidly on our first evening, deciding it was safer to NOT cross the road, and to instead find dinner on the side we were already on…
But by day two we were ready. We decided we were here, and we better embrace it.
It was a good choice! We took a GrabTaxi into downtown Manila (an adventure in itself!) and explored the old Intramuros, Fort Santiago and San Augustin Church.
And sights aside, we were on the hunt for Halo-Halo; the most famous of Filipino desserts…
With regards to the public transport and embracing that; we decided we had nothing to lose and it was now-or-never…
We spent the rest of the day hopping on and off the old Jeepneys – just buying a ticket to anywhere – and riding them until it was time to change on to the next one!
Are we ready for this?
Tricycles were next! Slightly terrifying in midst of most of the 4.5 million tricycles in the Philippines; and I have to confess we sent Gavin out as a trial run first to figure out how they worked and what it was like!
He came back beaming, and with a new friend. After that, I lost count of how many tricycle trips we took. Picking anywhere random on GoogleMaps as a destination to show to the driver and off we went!
For a family of four (NZ-sized) people, three of us could fit in the side car which meant Gavin always rode either side saddle or straddled behind the driver.
- Read the full story about our adventures in Manila here.
Roxas City
Roxas City is the capital of the Panay Island province of Capiz. However it is much more well known as the seafood capital of the Philippines…
Things to do in Roxas City
- Eat seafood at Baybay Beach: Only 3km from the city, Baybay Beach is packed with small seafood restaurants and stalls.
- Meet the local fishermen: This was a highlight of Roxas City for us! Each evening the fishermen come into the beach hauling their catch of the day. Join in! It’s a fun and busy time to be part of.
- Sunset on the beach: This is best time to get out and enjoy the beautiful beach. Locals are out wandering and there are plenty of restaurants and market stalls lining the beach where you can sit, have a cold beer and enjoy the golden hour.
- Ride a tricycle to town: The flat stretch between Baybay Beach and Roxas City is perfect to get comfortable riding the Philippines style of tricycle. (We may have done this several times just for fun!).
Getting to Roxas City from Manila
By Air
Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines serve flights to Roxas City from Manila. Travel time to Roxas City is approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour by plane.
By Boat
It is possible to travel to Roxas city by boat from Manila and takes around 16 hours (not sure if I would recommend this style of travel in the Philippines with kids; but it is an option!).
By Bus
Roxas City is approximately 3 hours by bus from Iloilo City and around 3 hours from Caticlan, Malay, and Aklan.
Exploring Kalibo
Kalibo was a great choice for us! Perhaps it was a bit of a stepping stone between the big smoke of Manila, and the beaches of Boracay, but Kalibo surprised us in a good way!
Things to do in Kalibo
- Kalibo Markets: The central market in Kalibo is super interesting! It isn’t as huge as some Asian markets so a good place to find your feet and check out a Southeast Asian wet market…
- Check out Museo It Akean: A beautiful museum with exhibits about local Aklan culture and history.
- Bakhawan Ecopark: An awesome day out and definitely a unique point of interest with kids. A park amongst the mangroves with boardwalks, small cafes and an information centre.
- St John the Baptist Cathedral: Stunning architecture and traditional style paintings and art inside.
Kalibo Markets were basically on our doorstep. Size-wise, the markets were perfect for a fun introduction to Filipino markets without being overwhelming (as some SE-Asian markets can be!).
Gavin made friends with some of the men making flat breads, and the boys wandered around getting free samples from all kinds of different food stalls.
The Bakhawan Eco-Park is an admireable project set up by various NGO’s and government agencies, with the goal of restoring the mangroves and educating people about the value of estuary eco-systems.
The boardwalks are made almost entirely of bamboo, and are well-maintained and sign-posted with information. A great day out in the Philippines with kids and a good example of a successful attempt at local eco-tourism.
Getting to Kalibo
PS. Getting to Kalibo was ‘interesting’… It was only two hours, and as cheap as chips, but did you know you can indeed fit 19 passengers in a Toyota Hiace Van and drive at breakneck speeds and overtake?! We survived! But did learn from our experience and pay the cheap ticket price to book two extra seats for our next Filipino bus journey…!
Caticlan
Boracay Airport is not actually on the island of Boracay, rather on the mainland of Panay Island just next to Caticlan Town.
To get to Boracay Island from Boracay Airport you have to take a tricycle to the Caticlan Jetty Port, about a 5 minute ride away. The jetty is around 1km west of the airport terminal so if you are traveling light it is also possible to walk.
There are plenty of restaurants and shops in Caticlan and surrounding the Jetty Port if you have extra time between your boat to Boracay or while waiting to check in for your onwards flight.
Arriving in Boracay
We were in two minds about visiting Boracay. It had become renowned as an over-developed tourist trap, and we were on a mission to find places that were off the beaten track.
By chance in one of my AirBnB browsing sessions I stumbled across a family-owned apartment for rent that was right on the other side of the touristy White Beach of Boracay, in Tambisaan. And it led me on to do a bit of research about the different sides to Boracay. It wasn’t all white sand and resorts!
We spent a week in Tambisaan, and felt very attached when it was time to go. From Tambisaan it was a five minute ride by e-trike to White Beach, or about a 45 minute walk (with kids!). We spent our days walking or getting a lift to town, buying vegetables at the market, drinking coconuts on the beach, paddle-boarding and swimming.
Each evening we met up with the local kids and wandered down to Tambisaan Beach, or to the little private beach right in front of our apartment.
Where we stayed
- Manila: Zen Rooms Sunshine City Suites, Mandaluyong
- Roxas City: San Antonio Resort
- Kalibo, Panay: Ati-Atihan Festival Hotel
- Tambisan, Boracay: Nene’s House, Tambisan
- Roxas City: The San Antonio Resort was a great find!
Only 5 minutes by tricycle from the airport, and literally across the road from the beach. The kids loved the swimming pools. A great choice for a couple of nights and an easy gateway to buses that will take you in the direction of Boracay…
- Kalibo: Ati-Atihan Festival Hotel was simple but spacious.
The family room was enormous, and the location of the hotel meant it was a one minute walk to the central Kalibo markets… and, it was in a road that doubled as a parking lot for tricycles and tuk-tuks! A good choice to explore Kalibo from.
A little word of warning for Manila (you need embrace it)
- Manila: We stayed in Mandaluyong and although the price was kind on the budget, it was somewhat a shock after flying in from Singapore’s friendly and clean streets.
The hotel itself was extremely basic, and borderline with levels of cleanliness. We arrived in the evening and were tired, and did question what to do.
However, we decided that we had no idea where to begin looking for something ‘better’. And that right at the moment we were safe and had somewhere to sleep. The next important thing was heading out to find food, and the hotel was in a good location with various (convenience store/fast food/food court) options within a few minutes walk.
It definitely took us time to adjust. And for Manila, its just as well we did because we ended up coming back to Zen Rooms for another two nights on our way out of the Philippines… Breakfast was questionable, but by then we had adjusted to the chaos, and found comfort in the familiar; chaotic it may be!
(Perhaps, better the devil you know!?)
Where to stay in Borocay, Philippines with kids.
- Boracay: We can’t rave enough about Nora and Markus’s AirBnB Nene’s House in Tambisaan.
Staying here really gave us a taste of the Philippines, and we loved it. Not to mention Nora organising a birthday party for Oscar’s 4th birthday, inviting all the neighbourhood kids for cake and spaghetti!
Budget for travel in Philippines with kids
We had two and a half weeks in the Philippines with our kids and spent an average of $85 USD per day.
- Average spend: $42 USD per day
- Average accommodation: $43 USD per day
One thing we’d do if we went again…
I am not sure if we would recommend Manila as a stop in the Philippines. We read that before we went, but wanted to try it anyway, and are glad we did. It was certainly an experience! But with hindsight, next time we would fly directly to whichever island we chose to explore.
More about travel planning for Philippines and beyond…
These are the companies we use while traveling fulltime as a family and that we would recommend to anyone planning and booking travel.
- Booking.com – The best all-around accommodation booking site that constantly provides the cheapest and lowest rates. They have the widest selection of budget accommodation and it’s easy to filter and sort into price and availability with all the extras you are looking for personally. (We love the flexible cancellation policy!).
- Hostelworld– The largest inventory of hostel accommodation in the world.
- Skyscanner – This is by far our favourite flight search engine. They are able to search small websites and budget airlines that larger search sites often miss. We book all our flights through Skyscanner.
- GetYourGuide– Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace for tours and excursions offered all around the world including everything from walking tours, to street-food tours, cooking classes, desert safari’s and more!
- SafetyWing – A global travel insurance that covers people from all over the world while outside their home country. You can buy it short or longterm; and even if you are out of the country.
- World Nomads – Travel insurance tailored for longterm travel and nomads (including those who have already left home). Don’t forget travel insurance for your adventure in the Philippines with kids!
Read more about travel in Asia
- The ultimate travel guide for Japan with kids.
- Fushimi Inari Shrine: Walking up Mount Inari.
- Taiwan with kids: A complete Travel Guide.
- Taiwanese food: The real deal traveling in Taiwan.
- Pakistan with kids: A complete guide to travel in Pakistan.
- Money in India: Using ATM’s, withdrawing and carrying your money safely.
- How to use a squat toilet: Everything you didn’t want to ask…
- Our complete packing list for travel in India.