Have two weeks planned with the wife and kids, have the flights to manila sorted (cebu pacific promo), but where to head to after that is why im asking here (don't want to go overseas with them yet as it would be too much of a Headwrecker, they are 2 and 4 years old) I have' nt been to either Palawan or Boracay as of yet, is it somewhere you could take to kids just to cabbage out for two weeks just looking for ideas, and of course the traps, that await me, just want a heads up of where not to go and what to watch out for and the not friendly child zones will be going for mid july thanks
Maybe consider Shangri-la Resort Mactan Cebu. They have (been a couple years since we were there) a great indoor kids play area and outdoor kids pool area. Rather expensive but would be offset not flying to the other locations. Five restaurants to choose from, close to the airport with pickup service.
I've been to Boracay once.....and I will never go back. Crowded, rooms/drinks/food are way too expensive, pushy street vendors, the little town on the island is a cesspool, locals are arrogant and rude, the ferry getting there is overpriced and a hassle, once off the ferry you have to deal with getting an extremely overpriced trike ride, any side activities you could sign up for are at least triple the going rate anywhere else in the country, need to learn Korean or Chinese to talk to any other tourists, police stop you from building a sand castle.....but you can pay some little snots a ridiculous amount to build one for you, can't drink/eat on the beach. I'm sure there is a lot more I hated about being there that I have forgotten. The only thing positive I remember about Boracay was when I got on the ferry to leave that crap-tourist-trap of an island. Never been to Palawan myself but from what I've heard it is much better than Boracay and is a much better value.
You would need a very large bank acc for the shangrila resort for two weeks! If I had a choice between Palawan and boracay it would be Palawan and probably elnido area. I really don't see the attraction of boracay and why so many people go there amazes me and especially for people who fly from the eu countries when they could just go to one of the party islands in the med.
What about Siquijor? Not so far and not overcrowded. I believe it is a better alternative for Boracay. For Coron (Busuanga, Palawan) you have to fly over Manila or to fly to El Nido and take a ship. I saw once a recommendation for Port Barton (San Vincente, Palawan). This would a nice place for you on Palawan. I do not take any responsibility for the link because it is already four year old.
Agree with the good doc above...not much to do on Siquijor however, you can see the island in a day or two, but I guess with kids that young all you need to do is plonk them down on the beach and kick back. The disadvantages are that things move ultra slowly by Philippine standards. Almost as slow as back home from where I come from. There mañana is known as "dreckly" (directly), except there is not as much rushing about as you get with mañana That may be an advantage if you wish to cabbage about however! In my opinion one of the distinct advantages of Siquijor is that it is officially a Child Friendly Zone. You will have locals coo-ing at the kids 24-7, so trustworthy local female babysitters are ten a penny. Thus if you plan a lazy afternoon "c'mon baby, let's trying adding to the brood" diversion you can be guaranteed necessary peace and quiet whilst the waitress' Ate earns P50 or so entertaining the kids on the beach. Easy Peasy, the same would go for taking the good lady out to sample the nightlife. Er, what nightlife? I don't know the San Juan strip all that well on Siquijor, but that's where you will find the odd cafe, bar and most of the hotels. The kids held me at gunpoint last time in July forcing me to visit a cafe in San Juan and a very pleasant visit it was. Can't remember the name of it for the life of me, but a bistro type effort with a European-Filipino type fusion menu, all locally produced...loads of gap year kids hanging about, so it had that funky and hip vibe...a new one for Siquijor. I think this forum provides an over view of Siquijor, I'm a little too busy to review all the hotels n restos, how to get there etc, but pm me if you are interested and have found a resort and I'll give you the lowdown. Cheers, C
Was in Boracay last summer and it's not the Boracay of 15-20 years ago. Seems that Koreans have made some major investments in the island. Crowded and expensive. Might be a good place to party, but with kids, probably not your kind of place. Only been to El Nido in Palawan, but have heard good things from others about areas near to Puerto Princesa, which is convenient to get do due to airport. El Nido has an airport, but it's pretty much a charter flight (i.e. expensive) or an 8 hour bus ride from Puerto Princesa. I've didn't stay in the city proper, but on an Miniloc island. It was very nice, but cost similar to Shangri-La on Mactan. Panglao Island had kind of gone the way of Boracay, but not as bad last time I was there, which was 5 years ago. If Boracay is a good indication, things can change quickly. If you don't mind a nice long bus ride there are some islands off Cebu, like Malapascua Island and Bantayan Island that are supposed to be laid back and nice.
