Whaleshark swimming in Donsol & beach holiday in Visayas
Experience real highlights in the Philippines on this private round trip, which is designed for 11 days (10 nights): swim with the peaceful whale sharks around the “whale shark capital” Donsol, get to know the “Queen City of the South” Cebu and enjoy several beautiful beach days, in the Visayas.
Day 1: When you land in Manila, you will be taken to the Bayleaf Intramuros, which is a nice hotel in the middle of the historic old town. If you arrive to Manila early, you might have time for a walk in the old town which is a very nice place for a little stroll.
Day 2: is the departure to Donsol. You will be transferred to the airport, and board the plane to Legazpi. On the plane, while approaching Lagazpi, you will be able to see one of the landmarks of the region and the whole country: the majestic Mount Mayon, also called “Mayon Volcano”. This is known as one of the most beautiful volcanoes in the world because of its almost perfect cone shape.
The Mayon volcano in the Bicol region is one of the most beautiful volcanoes in the world. Photo of Tom Falcon under the CC BY-2.0 license
Upon your arrival, you will travel directly to Donsol, which takes around 90 minutes.
Around sunset you can take an adventurous “Firefly River Tour”.
Day 3: After breakfast, you will attend the morning briefing, which is a prerequisite for participating in whale shark swimming. The current rules have been developed in collaboration with the WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature – Philippines, wwf.org.ph) to ensure the most animal-friendly interaction possible.
Swim with the biggest sharks in the world. Photo by Mark Lehmkuhler under the CC BY-ND 2.0 license
At around 8 o’clock the 3-hour whale shark experience starts, and with a bit of luck you will swim – equipped with snorkel, diving mask and fins – with the peaceful giants of the sea. On the shore you can then treat yourself in one of the local restaurants before returning to the simple beach resort.
Day 4: After breakfast, you will return to the airport of Legazpi and then transfer to Cebu via Manila. You will arrive at Mactan-Cebu International Airport and will be taken to the classically furnished Montebello Villa Hotel with a beautiful garden. Here you will spend the next two nights.
Day 5: Today is the big privately guided sightseeing tour in Cebu. You will experience highlights such as Fort San Pedro (the country’s first Spanish settlement), the colorful Carbon Market, the Yap-San Diego Ancestral House (the country’s oldest Chinese house) and Busay. We invite you to a delicious and authentic lunch with a magnificent view of the city.
One on the wonders on the private Cebu Sightseeing Tour, Magellan’s Cross
(Photo by Camilla Steen)
Day 6: After breakfast you will be transferred to the seaport and from there you will take a fast ferry to Tagbilaran, the capital of Bohol. Your next destination is on the very beautiful beach of Panglao, and your accommodation is the South Palms Resort.
Day 7: After so much adventure, the first thing you need to do is relax! Enjoy the beautiful beach, good food, go snorkelling or have a massage in the excellent spa. You are now starting your beach holiday.
Day 8: Early in the morning set off for Pamilacan Island, a small island where dolphins often frolic. We will organize a fishing boat from a local family, with whom we have been working together for several years. After the dolphin show, a simple but delicious breakfast will be prepared on the island. The corals in front of Pamilacan invite you to snorkel, and before returning to the South Palms Resort, enjoy a typical lunch with local delicacies and spend some time relaxing in a hammock.
Day 9: Of course there is also a private guided Bohol sightseeing tour in your program. In addition to the world famous Chocolate Hills, you will see the a butterfly farm, the Tarsier Sanctuary in Corella the man-made forest, enjoy a river lunch on the Loboc river, and the adventurous souls can try the Loboc river zip-line.
The cute Tarsiers in Bohol, photo by whologwhy: under the CC BY-ND 2.0 license
Day 10: On your last day you will return to Manila. From the South Palms Resort you will transfer to the airport in Tagbilaran and return by plane to the Philippine capital. This is where the circle closes, and you will spend one last night at Bayleaf Intramuros.
Day 11: You will be taken to the airport after breakfast.
This private tour for 2 persons we can offer for a total of 2600 euros. Included are all transfers (private cars, vans, fast ferries and Philippine fishing boats) all nights including breakfast. All excursions include at least one local guide, one lunch each for sightseeing trips and in Pamilacan. For the brokered domestic flights a total of another 400 euros (including all service and administration fees). [As of: March 2018]
If you are interested in this exclusive tour, please fill out the following contact form below, and we will contact you as soon as possible and advise you individually on this round trip.
Of course we can customize this trip for you and also combine it with other destinations such as Anda and Siquijor.
