Kimkim Trip Reviews for Philippines

What a great trip.
It took a long time to get the trip right, but with the great help ofCami we got there, Cami was very patient as this was a special trip for myself and my wife, getting the balance right between having enough time in one place and getting the accommodation right all took time and Cami was very knowledgeable and helpful .
We spent the whole of February travelling the Philippines and hit was wonderful, saw so many places, great trips and excursions, all private as well which was great.
All pick up from hotels, airports, ferry terminals all went great and according to plan, not one thing what wrong which was amazing
Would defiantly use KimKim again and a big thank you and shout out to Cami.

Thank you very much.

From Shirley & Paul

We worked with Sarah and her team to plan our honeymoon to the Philippines, and she was truly incredible from start to finish. During the planning process, she was extremely helpful, responsive, and thoughtful with every detail, from mapping out excursions and coordinating airport transfers. She made everything feel seamless and stress‑free.
Once we arrived, any small hiccups that came up (on the vendor side, never from Sarah’s team) were handled immediately. She and her team were always just a message away, and their quick action made us feel completely taken care of throughout the trip.
One of the highlights was a surprise beachfront lunch with champagne that Sarah arranged for us during one of our excursions. It was such a beautiful touch and made our honeymoon feel even more special and personalized.
We can’t recommend Sarah enough.

We really enjoyed Buko Resort, I forgot to mention in my Google review Ritchelle at Buko but she was AMAZING. Overall, we enjoyed the Philippines, though we were only here a week. The KimKim team put together a good tour of the islands and overall enjoyable experience.

From the start of me arranging KimKim didn’t mind how many alterations/changes made, so in end got exactly what wanted. Not cheap but when have short time-well worth it. Our personal guide was exceptional -informative, perceptive and perfect. The 2 local guides used were very well selected for us-we loved them too. Whole trip smooth, slick, personal and just what wanted.

Hotel Review

Masferré Country Inn

Sagada

Local hosts and good food!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Activity Reviews

Banaue + Sagada + Batad 4D/3N Tour (Day 3)

Philippines

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Banaue + Sagada + Batad 4D/3N Tour (Day 2)

Philippines

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Banaue + Batad Rice Terraces (Day 1: Manila-Banaue)

Philippines

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Banaue + Sagada + Batad 4D/3N Tour Description

Philippines

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip was amazing! We felt confident that all of the planning had been taken care of and the detailed itinerary provided helped us feel like we had all of the information we would need. Everything went according to plan, and all of the guides and hotel staff were great communicators. We felt as though we could ask questions and problem solve if we needed to thanks to the contacts and travel info we were provided. Both of our boat trips were incredible and would highly recommend them to anyone staying near El Nido. The team for the Sibaltan tour was especially generous with their time and helpful during the duration of our trip to that side of the island. Considering how far we traveled I would have expected to feel out of place or confused about what to do when we arrived but our Kim Kim planner helped us fill our days with great recommendations which made the trip feel easy and fun. I would highly recommend this trip as well as Kim Kim in general to anyone planning a trip somewhere they have never been.

Hotel Reviews

Bayleaf Intramuros

Metro Manila

Great value for the price! Location is great in Intramuros with many things within walking distance. The hotel felt very clean and luxurious with great breakfast and restaurants. Staff were very kind and quick to help!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Isla Amara Boutique Resort

El Nido

Beautiful hotel with a luxury vibe to it. Small enough for personalized attention, but large enough to have the amenities we wanted. Breakfast every morning was fantastic! The rooms were clean and felt secure, as well. Isla Amara felt like a very good value for money and we would recommend it for anyone staying in Lio Beach!

Authenticity & Character

Clean, sharp architecture with style

Location

Close enough to walk everywhere we wanted to go at Lio Beach without being noisy

Staff

Very friendly and quick to help

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean rooms, very nice air conditioning

Activity Reviews

Sibaltan Day Tour

El Nido

Fantastic tour! The team picked us up from Lio Beach and drove us to Sibaltan which was super helpful. The whole team was so friendly and helpful throughout the whole trip. It was very cool to see the island that the guide lived on since he knew his way around. It felt like we were able to see a personal view into life on the islands near Sibaltan. Also the crew went above and beyond with all of the food preparations throughout the day. We ate incredibly well, especially for being on a boat in the middle of the ocean!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Island hopping in El Nido - Tour D

El Nido

Unreal! This tour was amazing and our guide was knowledgeable and thoughtful. We managed to see most of the stops with only a few other boats and had them mostly to ourself as a result. One of the best possible ways to see the islands around El Nido.

Quality of Experience

Food

Highly impressed, especially since it was all cooked on the boat

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a wonderful trip to the Philippines!! We were able to really relax and enjoy our time, knowing we didn't have to worry about our excursions and transportation at all. Furthermore, we really liked the dive shops that were chosen - very professional and safe!!

Hotel Reviews

Sheraton Cebu Mactan Resort

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Four Points by Sheraton Palawan Puerto Princesa

Puerto Princesa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Seda Lio

El Nido

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

North Zen Villas

Panglao

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Club Serena Resort

Moalboal

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Puerto Princesa Underground River Day Tour from Sabang

Sabang, Palawan

Maybe my favorite activity- SUCH a fun experience. Jonall was a phenomenal guide too.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sibaltan Day Tour

El Nido

This was a really nice tour overall. A little off the beaten path, so the beaches seemed very private and secluded. Unfortunately, we were not able to hit all of the destinations, because of high winds. Also, our guide was apparently new to guiding, and we had a few strange interactions. We also ended up having to pay for coconut water, which we were not told about prior to - the guide brought it to us, and then asked for the cash later. Luckily, I did bring cash. However, most of the crew was very pleasant, and the food we were given was phenomenal. It was overall a lovely day, just doesn't get 5 starts from me given a few strange moments.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Very comfortable on the way there, but on the way back, the guide made my partner sit on a cardboard box because his shorts were damp. We didn't disembark on the dock, given the winds, so our clothes got wet once more since we landed on a beach. I think the expectations should have been discussed earlier, not when we got into the car.

Island hopping in El Nido - Tour A

El Nido

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bohol Island Day Tour

Philippines

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Diving in Pamilacan Island (3 dives)

Panglao Island

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Diving in Balicasag Island (2 dives)

Philippines

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Canyoneering in Kawasan Falls

Moalboal

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Diving in Moalboal - 3 dives

Moalboal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All locals were very kind and friendly. All drivers except for one showed up on time. This one driver said he was told to be there at 8:00 per the company and our itinerary said 7:00.
Excursions were not always as represented. Example the firefly evening was supposed to be two different boat rides into the bay for a
dinner on a floating restaurant followed by view of the city lights and then the fireflies. In reality it was a river boat ride on a small skip. We never saw the bay or a floating restaurant, it was a buffet on land.
Island hopping in El Nido was amazing however was not as represented. We were told we would go to Big Lagoon, Entalula Island, Helicopter Island, Snake Island and Cadlao Lagoon. The above islands are actually a combination of 4 different tours and we were only able to see 2 of these locations.
The ATV ride was 90% city streets.
The Bohol Countryside Tour was great however we were unable to do the add on cable car tour due to our driver picking us up one hour late. This was not the drivers fault but a time issue between pick up company and Kimkim.
We were scheduled for a sunset sailboat ride and we were told our time was up 10 minutes before sunset.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Perfectly Planned, Stress-Free Family Adventure

We just returned from an incredible family trip to the Philippines that Cami planned for us, and it was one of the most seamless travel experiences we’ve ever had.

We’re from the United States, and flying halfway around the world with a 9-year-old and a 21-year-old felt overwhelming at first. But Cami provided clear, step-by-step instructions for the entire trip, which made everything feel easy. All we had to do was follow the plan and enjoy the adventure.

Cami’s communication while building the itinerary over several months was fantastic. She really listened to what we wanted — an action-packed trip — and offered great recommendations that fit our travel style perfectly.

While I handled the international and inter-island flights myself, every other detail was flawlessly arranged. Every airport pickup, hotel transfer, and excursion transport was perfectly timed and waiting for us. We never had to guess what to do or where to go.

Once we arrived, Ana from Uncharted Philippines became our in-country contact and was amazing. She responded quickly anytime I had a question. It truly felt like we had a personal vacation coordinator in our pocket the entire trip.

The itinerary was full of unforgettable experiences that worked wonderfully for both kids despite the age gap. If you want a perfectly planned, stress-free trip where you can just show up and enjoy, I can’t recommend Cami enough.

Activity Review

Canyoneering in Kawasan Falls

Philippines

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Amazing and Safe Family Adventure Canyoneering at Kawasan Falls was unforgettable! We each had our own guide, which made us feel very safe and well taken care of the entire time. They helped us navigate slippery rocks, encouraged us through every jump and swim, and made the whole experience fun and stress-free. A perfect mix of adventure and safety — highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was a really large trip with 12 people over 12 days. Over $40,000 was paid for this trip not including the price of the airline tickets to get to the Philippines. The planning of this trip spanned around 9 months. The bulk of the planning I needed help with was coordination of transport between hotels, inter island domestic flights, and a few excursions. The core of this was achieved with Sarah. However a few major issues occurred during our trip which could have been better laid out to me or planned differently. One was the ferry from Cebu to Bohol. We wanted to go from Boracay to Bohol so Sarah booked us a flight from Boracay to Cebu then a ferry from Cebu to Bohol. OMG what a waste of a day and an experience I never want to have again. The airport in Bohol was 5 minutes away from our resort, but we ended up spending 12 hours commuting from Boracay to Bohol rather then just taking a flight. If Sarah had pointed out options I would have never taken that ferry. Then a bucket list item of a whale shark tour was completely botched. Our group woke up at 4am to be ready for our whale shark tour but the operator never arrived. I tried to get ahold of the tour operator, Sarah, and her assistant. By the time someone returned a call it was too late to do the excursion. I never heard back from Sarah which left a sour taste in my mouth. A big mess up like that I should hear from the person whom I trusted to make this dream vacation work. I did hear back from Sarah’s assistant with some excuse about dates being mixed up and we would be refunded for the excursion. However missing out on a bucket list item like this feels like only a refund misses the mark on fixing the wrong. Overall the trip was successful and we will have memories of a life time. The transportation companies Sarah provided us with were very nice and punctual. Also our accommodations during our entire stay were excellent. However with the issues we did have, those cannot be overlooked or forgotten.

I’m so thankful for all of the transportation that was prearranged. This made our adventures seemless. The whale shark and waterfall tour was our favorite!

This experience was excellent. Leo and coworkers made sure everything was taken care of once we got there. Excursions were already planned, hotel staff already informed, on ground transportation prearranged.

Hotel Reviews

Isla Amara Boutique Resort

El Nido

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The District Boracay

Boracay Island

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Belmont Hotel Manila

Pasay City

Incredible food. The best food we had all trip.

Authenticity & Character

Location

A walk away from the airport

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

El Nido via ferrata

El Nido

This was my personal favorite as I enjoy climbing more than most things. Great trek to a vista overlooking El Nido and the bay. My dad and I did both routes in 20 minutes so that was the only downside, but we were hustling because of the rain making all the metal walkways a bit dangerous. But it was great if you’re fit and up for a challenge.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Island hopping in El Nido - Tour A

El Nido

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Island hopping in Boracay

Boracay

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunset Sailing in Boracay

Boracay

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Leo was extremely helpful and truly listened to our needs and wants for our trip to the Philippines. He was very knowledgeable and always responded quickly to my questions. The hotels Leo chose for us were beautiful and perfectly suited to our preferences.

When we arrived in Manila, we spent one day on our own. The next day, our tour guide Ana and her husband John picked us up for a canoeing trip and then dropped us off at Planet Dive Resort. The resort was beautiful, and we spent two wonderful nights in Anilao. Ana and John later picked us up and drove us back to Manila. They were amazing hosts—kind, attentive, and they took great care of us throughout the trip.

Ana continued to stay in touch during our visit, which was incredibly helpful and reassuring. Overall, we had a fantastic experience.

We would highly recommend KimKim to anyone looking for help planning a trip to the Philippines or anywhere else in the world.

Activity Reviews

Island hopping in Boracay

Boracay

Celcine, was wonderful. She took us to crystal cove and then snorkeling. It was a fun day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Taal Town, Tagaytay and Taal Volcano

Philippines

This excursion was interesting in Taal, but we were unable to go to the volcano because it is active. John and Ana did make a few stops so we could get a better look.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunset Sailing in Boracay

Boracay

This was a highlight of our trip. We all enjoyed this fun sunset sailboat trip. It was not what we expected, but it was 100 times better than what we expected.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Anilao Snorkeling Day Tour

Anilao, Batangas

Alan our tour guide was wonderful. He knew I didn’t swim very well so he let hold onto the life preserver and took me around to see all the fish and coral. On our last snorkeling stop he led my husband and daughter to see multiple sea turtles.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Alan

Transport

Pagsanjan Falls Day Tour

Anilao, Batangas

This excursion was wonderful and one of our favorite memories. It was relaxing and peaceful along the river. The waterfalls were beautiful. Our tour guide was very friendly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Working with Kimkim and specialist Sarah was easy and accessible. I like the platform of interacting with the specialist (Whats App & Kimkim platform, and email. We went through several versions of our itinerary so I appreciate the patience as this was the first time visiting the Philippines, along with my 91 year old mother. So special care needed to be given. The air and ground transportation went without a hitch. I also appreciated having a local Philippine agent, Angela, who helped with any questions about activities and contacts. Tourist Driver Manila is a reliable agency with comfortable cars and safe drivers -- Ed & Anthony were helpful and patience with us and my mom. We had a wheelchair to transport.

Caba, La Union: Our stay at Solarena Resort was lovely, quiet. It seemed we were the only guests there. The food options were limited, but definitely the stay felt like home, and very familiar to beach living. The staff was accommodating. The hotel is definitely not a "luxury" hotel, but worth the value -- especially since we had a large house with 2 separate beds, 2 TVs (appreciate access to Netflix), our own indoor and out door living area. The hotel also had air conditioning. The hot water for the show was not so hot, but since it was a very humid and hot outside, this was not an issue. The shower actually felt refreshing. Evalyn, the restraunt hostess, along with the other staff were helpful. Evalyn shared her knowledge about how to look for clams at the beach. I found some. This was a nice touch for my personal experience. This hotel is close to the "downtown" area of Caba. I would recommend this place to my family and friends.

Palawan: My favorite island with my favorite hotel, Four Points Sheraton at Sabang Beach. Large, but easy to naviage hotel. Also, a huge pool, great breakfasts, and close to the Underground River. I like that the Four Points had Netflix, and this hotel was easy for me to navigate with my 91 year old mom.

Our only hiccup was that we did not have timely pick up in at Palawan PPA. Somehow Palawonderful Adventures either forgot, or got mixed up. I contacted notified Sarah/Angela. Maybe an hour later our driver picked us up to take us to our hotel. So service was delivered. Palawonderful Adventures made up for the gaffe by sending us a tour agent (Arnel Nalica) who gave extra care to my 91 year old mother, and even held her hand during the Underground River tour and during all of the boat rides. As he explained, he took care of my mother, so I could relax and enjoy myself too. I appreciate the empathy and awareness that he had for his guests.

My only regret, and now that I am aware, was that the Palawan Puerta Princesa Airport was 2 hours away from our hotel, so we did not arrive until evening. The dark, winding roads from the airport to the hotel was unexpected. I actually wished we spent more time on Palawan given the distance, as we only spent 2 nights. Palawan is BEAUTIFUL, and my favorite island.

Boracay: The "Waikiki" of the Philippines -- party atmosphere, if that's what a person wants. However, we stayed at the Crimson Resort and Spa, luxury hotel where we had a private beach -- also fantastic service, fantastic breakfasts, and other restaurants on site. Easy to get other transportation to leave to resort to explore the town and island. I used the beach, spa massages with Hazel (very strong hands!) Helpful staff, lifeguards, and activitie staff -- I think they were all biased towards my 91 year mom as they were attentive to her. The staff arranged for various activities, including parasiling for my 91 year old mom. My only desire was I wish they had Netflix . Otherwise, another hotel I would recommend.

Overall, the contacts, agencies, and transportation set up by Sarah and her team were reliable, and easily accesible. I would certainly recommend Sarah for our next trip.

Choosing Kimkim (and ultimately Leo of Uncharted Philippines) was an absolute heaven sent for planning my families two week adventure in the Philippines. I am a biracial Filipina American who for several reasons has never been able to visit the “motherland”.

There were several places that I wanted to visit and Leo created THE perfect itinerary for me, my husband and adult son. The Uncharted took all of the “work” from our vacation to Manila, Palawan (Puerto Princesa and El Nido) and Boracay . Ana was our contact on the ground and helped to facilitate communication with our activities/tours, guides and accommodations. We had a couple small bumps in the road that quickly remedied and every single guide was so knowledgeable attentive, flexible and gracious. Especially Zeon and Jhon in Manilla and Rich on Palawan . Our accommodations were top notch and in beautiful and active locations yet were not pretentious and felt rooted in local culture and community. We visited the most beautiful beaches, historical sites ,natural landscapes , and cultural hubs. Our tripped was packed with activities yet we didn’t feel rushed or stressed at all.

Uncharted/Kimkim made everything run so seamlessly and easily that It will be difficult for me to travel any other way. I am definitely planing to use them again in 2026 to visit other islands that I couldn’t fit in my itinerary.

In summary, this was hands down the best trip I’ve ever had and as a mom who has historically been in charge of all planning , coordination and organizing … the least stressful!

An 11 out of 10 !!

Hotel Reviews

Belmont Hotel Manila

Pasay City

Beautiful hotel. A little hectic in the lobby upon arrival . Rooms were comfortable and breakfast was really nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to airport and easy to access transportation.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The District Boracay

Boracay Island

Perfect location and staff went above and beyond with transfers and service . Rooms were clean and comfortable. We stayed in the loft suite which was well appointed and clean.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The staff was absolutely fantastic. The transfer to and from the airport was seamless , stress free and easy. Everyone was so friendly. My family really felt at home and cared for.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Isla Amara Boutique Resort

El Nido

This was my favorite hotel on our multi location two week trip to the Philippines. The location was beautiful beds comfortable and we stayed in the celebrity suite that was comfortable and spacious for a 5 day stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Steps from a beautiful white sand beach, near many restaurants including a completely vegan restaurant. Easy to access a tuk tuk or cab to local attractions .

Staff

The staff was very pleasant and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and comfortable but could use laundry service or a contract with a laundry company. I had to take a tuk tuk to a laundry service. They delivered which was helpful .

Hue Hotels and Resorts Puerto Princesa

Puerto Princesa

Great location. Friendly and helpful staff. Comfortable and clean rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bayleaf Intramuros

Metro Manila

Conveniently located. Limited food options for vegans but not a deal breaker. Rooms were clean and comfortable. Staff was friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Pangsanjan Falls & Tagaytay

Philippines

Our guide Jhon was so fun flexible and knowledgeable. From the tours to helping us find places to eat. He made everything so easy and so fun. By the end of the day he felt like family. He really maximized our day without us feeling rushed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manila Day Tour

Philippines

What made this tour special was our guide Zeon (with uncharted Philippines) . My husband is a history buff and really enjoyed conversations with and asking him questions about the sites and historic and current info about the places and spaces we visited.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our rice terraces hike in the Ifugao and Mountain Provinces. Our guide with Uncharted Philippines, Jody, was knowledgeable about the area and had local connections in the villages. The itinerary had to be flexible so soon after Super Typhoon Uwan, and Jody and Cami, our Kimkim representative, worked together to make a safe ad memorable experience. We highly recommend Ki.kim and Uncharted Philippines for a unique, one of a kind experience.

My wife and I arranged a hiking trip to visit the rice terraces in Ifugao and Sagada. We worked with Cami at KimKim and she always answered our many pre-trip questions promptly and accurately.

Our trip followed the devastating 2025 typhoons that greatly impacted the roads and hiking trails in the region. Though people were still digging out and repairing the damage, our trip was still a success. We had to adapt to some minor changes in the itinerary, follow different hiking trails, and stay at a couple of guest houses that still did not have electricity and water. Still, things worked well. Our guide, Jody, and the rest of guides/drivers were very professional. We would highly recommend this trip to other adventure- minded travelers.

Cami did a great job at planning our trip and organizing rides/transfers from the airport and to our excursions! All we knew for sure we wanted to do was go to El Nido and go island hopping, and Cami did all of the legwork! The Belmont Hotel and Seda Lio were great to stay at, she set us up with special honeymoon suites. Overall, we felt much safer having help with booking and planning, would recommend.

Hotel Reviews

Seda Lio

El Nido

We had a great stay and had a very spacious room! Even though the pool was closed for construction, there was still access to other pools if wanted (we didn't bother, we spent time in the ocean). They had a great breakfast buffet, and there is a bunch of other great restaurants walking distance.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Belmont Hotel Manila

Pasay City

It was a great stay that was close to the airport! It was our honeymoon and they had towels set up with swans/roses and dessert for us when we arrived. The transfer to the airport was very smooth. The breakfast buffet was great, but we probably wouldn't recommend their dinner/restaurant, we found out on our last day there are street food vendors just down the street we would've preferred to eat at.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Island Hopping in El Nido - Tour B

El Nido

The island hopping was probably the highlight of our trip!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Island hopping in El Nido - Tour A

El Nido

We had a great time with our private island hopping tour, they even provided an authentic lunch!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sarah was great during the planning process (we had a lot of iterations). She was also helpful during our trip - one of the drivers didn't know where to go for the Pagsanjan Falls excursion and another day, there was miscommunication with our driver and instead of viewing the Taal volcano, we went to the city of Taal. It worked out because we went on another day to view the Taal volcano and were also able to go on a boat ride which we really enjoyed. All of our drivers were excellent and we arrived safely to all our destinations (including when one of the vehicles broke down on the way to the airport - they quickly provided another vehicle to pick us up). Our tour guides were great. Glen, who did the tour of Intramuros and China Town was very enthusiastic. He also had us try some food along the way. Andre who guided us to the Taal volcano was very accommodating. We wanted to try balut and he took us to a place we could try it. Overall, we enjoyed everything we did. The negatives included going to the city of Taal by mistake and wasting time, the waterfall we were taken to after viewing the Taal volcano was disappointing (I wouldn't call it a waterfall, it was nowhere near the pictures on their site and the path there was through people's living spaces), we ended up canceling the hike to mount Daraitan because we realized it would be more difficult than we were anticipating after further research and lastly, we cancelled our food tour because we didn't want to return to China Town again when we were already there a couple days earlier.

We started our trip in Manina for 1 night. The driver that picked us up from the airport was there waiting and ready. But he dropped us off at the wrong hotel. Luckily the right one was across the street. Day 2 Jonathan picked us up and drove us to Ilocos Sur. Jonathan was great. But our hotel Staylite Candon Hotel was not good at all. The water was cold, they provided 1 towel for 2 people, the bathroom was covered in mold, the only gave us 1/2 a roll of toilet paper. We were supposed to stay 2 more nights but we stayed with family instead. Staylite would not give us a refund. Jonathan made some suggestions and took us to Vigan and a US military memorial. I found my uncles name on the wall that fought in WWII and was missing in action for 30 years. His remains were eventually found and he is buried at Arlington. None of my family knew that he was memorialized in the Philippines.
Day 5 Jonathan drove us back to the Manila airport. We took a plane and ferry to Boracay. There was someone there at every step to help us through. That was very nice.

Boracay was nice. But very crowded. The Hennan Park Resort was great. Loved the pool and massage poolside. But too many screaming splashing kids ruined it a bit. Also, guests had their clothes drying out in front of their hotel rooms on a rack and all over chairs and bushes. It made the hotel looked a little trashy.

Day 6 we did a boat tour. We really enjoyed that. The water was so warm. We had to find our way back after the tour. No driver.

Day 7 we were picked up and went to the airport for two flights to Puerto Princesa. Our flight was delayed and we were rerouted. I got in touch with the tour guide and the driver was waiting when we eventually arrived. We missed the firefly and dinner cruise that night. The tour guide gave us a cash refund. But we were still disappointed to miss it. We stayed at the Hue Hotel and resort. It was very nice.
Day 8 we did a bat cave river tour and saw a few monkeys. That was a lot of fun. We would have liked to stay in Puerto Princessa longer. It was the cleanest place on the trip.
We drove to our next hotel Lime Resort in El Nido. The hotel was very nice. We did 2 boat tours. Tour A we were not clear on where to ren Masks and snorkel. We thought it would be on the boat. There was no mention that we had to get them from someone on the beach. Luckily we were able to borrow some on the boat or it would have been a total dud for us.
Tour B the next day we found rentals. The water was great. But one stop (where we saw a lot I'd fish we quickly saw a lot of jelly fish and jumped out of the water.

Day 11 we took a 4 hour ferry to Corona. Again we had someone walk us through every step and a driver was waiting for us to take us to the next hotel The two seasons. The hotel was great. But their tv and tablet were down. So the bathroom had clear glass walls and Zero privacy. My boyfriend and I got to know each other much better.

Both boat tours were great both days. However the last one we rented a kayak, snorkel gear and fins. We were never told anything about how much it would be and were told at the end that it was 1650 pesos. Luckily we had it. The guide promised change for 2000 and we got off the boat and he was gone.

The next day we flew back to Manila and then the next day we flew home. Drivers were ready and waiting for us along the way.

Overall we had a great time on the trip. There are some changes that I would have made.

Considering how inexpensive everything was in Philippines, I think that we paid way too much for the whole trip. I liked the convenience of having it planned out and scheduled and booked for us. But I could have done it for less than half the cost we paid.

Sarah from The KimKim was great and very responsive. The travel agency service was exceptional.

We felt great in the planning process and leading up to our arrival.

1) However, our experience was different. We did not feel like you appreciated or respected our time. Specifically: you had us cross Cebu island TWICE. Moalboal should have happened first and then Oslob for whale sharks should have happened on the FIRST leg and would have put us close to ferry point to go to Siquijor. Instead we spent multiple days sitting in a car going from one place to the next. We trust YOU to guide us on the logistics. Do you think sitting in a car is a fun way to enjoy your vacation? Another example: returning to Dumaguete from Siquijor instead of staying on Siquijor island - especially since our hotel was not close to anything.

2) We wish you had given us all the available options for transportation. For example, we would have paid what it cost for business class on OceanJet business in order to be able to go outside. Additionally, we spent 3 hours on a ferry on one leg to Siquijor when our return was 40 mins - so there was a faster option versus sitting on a slow moving boat.

3) Ethical business partners: for the scuba diving trip, the guide that took Nick repeatedly touched and damaged coral reef.

4) Guides: our guides were very friendly and very nice and professional. However, they had very limited ability to communicate and very limited ability to share local knowledge and culture. We were dropped off at places with little information. Additionally, we didn't have much, if any opportunity to learn on the long car rides.

5) We appreciated responsiveness from travel agent on the ground, but the change in start times on multiple dates was frustrating.

While hotel locations were not great, the hotels themselves were clean and good value.

Hotel Reviews

Moalboal Tropics

Moalboal

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Henann Tawala Resort

Tawala

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lighthouse Point Hotel

Dumaguete

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Harold’s Evotel

Cebu

Clean rooms, friendly staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Moalboal Scuba Diving Adventure

Moalboal

Fabulous instruction, very good equipment. One of our 3 guides repeatedly touched coral, thereby damaging it.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Whale Sharks and Kawasan Falls

Philippines

Loved the canyoneering experience. However, we didn't get to Oslob (because of the driving route being so long) to see whale sharks which is reason for overall review.

Quality of Experience

This is only for the canyoneering experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Excellent and very helpful staff on canyoneering experience

Transport

Bohol / Panglao: Island Hopping and Dolphin Watching Tour

Philippines

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nice friendly staff, but didn't stop at one of the islands on the agenda and then was not helpful with snorkeling - kind of just gave us the gear and told us to go while they waited.

Transport

Bohol Country Side Tour

Philippines

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nice friendly staff, but wasn't able to share any information about places we visited or about the area and culture.

Transport

Siquijor Island Tour & Cambugahay Falls from Dumaguete City

Dumaguete

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport