Philippines
Suggested Itinerary
Day 1 - Manila
Arrive in Manila, the vibrant capital of the Philippines, and be greeted at the airport by your private driver for the short ride into town. Check in to the Peninsula Manila Hotel, serving the elite of Manila and the world for the past several decades. The 500 rooms of the Peninsula offer every amenity befitting the discerning luxury traveler. The Peninsula is located in Makati, Manila's most upscale district, where you'll have access to world-class shopping and dining on every corner.
After freshening up, join your guide for a private city tour, taking in the historical areas and diverse neighborhoods of metropolitan Manila.
Visit Intramuros, the walled city, where Manila was founded by the Spanish in the 16th century. In this area, you will find Manila's main cathedral, with its 4,500-pipe organ, and the St. Augustine Church, oldest church in the Philippines, also home to an antiquities museum.
Quiapo is a lively residential district with a Roman-style plaza, well known for its shopping and seemingly endless outdoor bazaars, and home to the busy Quiapo Church, site of the annual Black Nazarene Festival. Every January 9, this sculpture of a dark-skinned Christ is paraded through the streets of the city before throngs of the faithful. The statue was carved in Mexico by an Aztec carpenter before being brought to Manila by the Spaniards, and is believed to have miraculous powers.
Have lunch in the Binondo neighborhood, Manila's Chinatown. During the colonial era, the Chinese were permitted to trade in Intramuros, but not to live there, and so they settled across the Pasig River from the old city. Chinatown's main thoroughfare is Ongpin Street where you will sample mainland specialties brought by recent arrivals to the community, or the local Chinoy (Chinese-Filipino) style.
Visit the bizarre Coconut Palace. Commissioned in 1981 by eccentric First Lady Imelda Marcos for $37 million, the octagonal structure is built entirely of local hardwoods and coconut shells, and was intended to honor Pope John Paul II's visit to the Philippines. The Pope, however, declined such ostentatious lodgings. After the fall of the Marcos regime, the Palace was converted to a museum.
Dine at the elegant Sala, one of Manila's finest restaurants, before hitting Makati's bustling nightlife district of swank bars and lounges that's among the liveliest in Asia. Try Café Havana, in the Greenbelt shopping center, for top-notch cocktails and salsa music and dancing.
Day 2 - Manila
Following breakfast, your driver will take you to the Orchard Golf and Country Club in Cavite, with two championship courses designed by Arnold Palmer and Gary Player, for a day on the links. Formerly a mango orchard, the club's lush, tropical grounds have been designated a bird and wildlife sanctuary.
Non-golfers can find their own retreat at Sanctuario, Manila's premier spa. Ease your aching muscles with a soak in one of the spa's teakwood baths, or indulge in a package of treatments including ingredients such as jasmine, ginseng and avocado.
The Peninsula also has a top-notch fitness center with a gymnasium, jacuzzi, swimming pool set in a landscaped terrace, sauna and steam room.
Recap your game in the evening with a dinner at the home of a top Filipino golfing champion.
Day 3 - Taal Volcano
Arise early and helicopter from Manila to Lake Taal and the spectacular Taal Volcano. Situated within the lake, Taal Volcano is an active caldera covering 14 square miles of craters and cones, the heart of which is another lake, called Crater Lake, which contains another small volcanic island.
After your aerial tour, explore the region's stunning geology up close, as you travel across the lake in a small wooden boat before ascending the crater on foot or on horseback.
In the evening, after your return to Manila, celebrate your stay with a traditional Filipino dinner at the home of one of the Philippines' most prominent families, who will throw a fabulous fiesta and pig roast in your honor.
Day 4 - Banaue
Take a short flight from Manila to Baguio (50 minutes), the mountain capital of northern Luzon. From here, transfer to private helicopter for the dramatic flight over the northern Cordillera Mountains to Banaue. Check in to the Banaue Hotel — basic, but the best in town, remember, Banaue is fairly remote — and then go with your private guide for a tour of the area.
Banaue is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, famed for its amazing, emerald-green, mud-walled rice terraces — some 20,000 hectares of them created by hand labor over 2000 years ago by the Ifugao tribal people. Your guide will lead you to the best viewpoints to take in and photograph the spellbinding terraces and steep hillsides, before taking you to the more remote terrace sites of Hapao and Hungduan, which are also UNESCO sites.
Have dinner at a casual local restaurant chosen by your guide, where you can dine family-style on Philippine specialties such as adobo, crispy chicken or pork slow-cooked with soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, bay leaf, and black peppercorns; pansit, a Filipino version of Chinese stir-fried noodles; or lumpia, Filipino spring rolls. Make sure to pair your dinner with a couple of bottles of the de facto national brew, San Miguel.
Day 5 - Batad
Go by private 4x4 down the rough road out of town to nearby Bangaan, where there is still more astounding terrace scenery. From here, the road climbs several rocky miles up to the Batad Junction, where you will go with a guide for the easy 45 minute walk down to Batad.
Batad is a village cut off from the rest of the world, encircled by an amphitheater of terraced slopes even more breathtaking and inspiring than those at Banaue. In the center of this dramatic scene is a small grouping of traditional Ifugao homes and guesthouses.
Your guide will give you a tour of the area, including a visit and lunch with a local family of Ifugao villagers, where you will learn all about their agricultural lifestyle and tribal customs.
Ifugao culture revolves around rice, with an elaborate cycle of feasts and rites marking its cultivation and harvest. Partaking of the rice beer (bayah), rice cakes, and betel nut is an indelible practice during the festivities and ritual activities. Carved wooden figures of rice gods, known as bul-ul, play an important part in the festivities and also guard the granaries of individual families.
After lunch, climb back up above the terraces to take in the stunning views, and perhaps rest at one of the cafes that dot the hills for more extended contemplation.
Alternately, hike into the hillsides surrounding the town to the picturesque Tappia Falls for a cooling swim at its base.
In the late afternoon, retrace your steps up to the Batad Junction, where your driver will take you back to Banaue be aware, though, that the return hike is more strenuous.
Day 6 - Legaspi and Mt. Mayon
Return to Manila and change planes for a flight to Legaspi, Luzon's southeastern hub; the historic city is named for Manuel López de Legaspi, the Spanish conquistador who conquered the Philippine Islands in the 16th century.
Check in to the simple but comfortable Hotel Venezia, before taking your private car out to view Mount Mayon, the dramatic and highly active volcano that rises 8125 feet above the Albay plains in a near perfect cone that rivals Mount Fuji in sheer beauty. Mayon is in a constant state of activity and is monitored carefully by the expert Philvocs volcano watch agency; you will be met a local geologist who will take you around the slopes of this natural wonder, while giving you an overview of its history and a lesson in volcanology.
Though we understand that some clients may have objections, if you choose, you can attend a cockfight at Sabong Stadium in the small town of Daraga. Cockfighting is a very popular pastime in the Philippines, and several hundred spectators pack the stands to watch the bouts.
In the evening, return to Legaspi and settle into your room where your private verandah offers a sunset view of the Mt. Mayon's striking silhouette.
Day 7 - Boracay Island
In the morning, fly from Legaspi, via Manila, to Caticlan, a small port town on Panay Island (three hours). From the airport, it is a short pump boat ride (30 minutes) out to Boracay Island, the Philippines' top beach destination. Boracay's fine white sand and sparkling blue waters rival any to be found in the Caribbean or South Pacific.
On the magnificent strand of the island's famed White Beach, is the Mandala Villas and Spa — a chic, world-class wellness retreat with only 12 modern, glass-and-teak villas, for the ultimate in privacy and comfort.
Spend your afternoon strolling White Beach, or try some of Boracay's plethora of water sports, from kite surfing and jet skiing to sea kayaking and sailing.
Enjoy dinner by the beach at La Reserve, famed for its fresh king crab, lobster and fine wines.
Day 8 - Boracay Island
In addition to its reputation for beautiful beaches, Boracay is renowned as a windsurfing destination. On the opposite side of the island from White Beach, Bulabog Beach is protected from ocean swells by offshore reefs, creating smooth conditions perfect for windsurfing and kite boarding. If you'd like to try your hand, a windsurfing lesson with a top local pro can be arranged.
If you wish to get away from the water for awhile, there is also the opportunity in Boracay to play golf, at the Bluewater Resort Golf and Country Club, or perhaps go for an afternoon ride at the Boracay Horse Riding Stables, where expert instructors can accommodate all levels of experience.
One of the best ways to get around Boracay is by scooter. If you're willing to brave the local motor-tricycle traffic, your guide can arrange for you to hire your own to zip up the main road to its end at remote Puka Beach another beautiful stretch of white sand and palm trees where the locals come in the mornings to gather puka shells for jewelry.
Relax in the afternoon or evening at the Mandala Spa, where a wide variety massages, wraps, scrubs, are offered in addition to yoga classes, watsu and detoxifying treatments.
Day 9 - Pamalican Island
Return to Caticlan by boat and fly via Manila to the pristine, private, and remote island of Pamalican, home of the ultra-exclusive Amanpulo Resort one of the most beautiful beach escapes in the world. (Five hours total). Your hour-long flight from Manila will be aboard an Aman plane dedicated to guests at Amanpulo.
Pamalican, located in the Cuyo archipelago, is a low-lying coral island surrounded by seven square kilometers of untouched reefs, and flanked by immaculate white sand beaches. It is an idyllic tropical haven of sun and sand, where you can live out your Robinson Crusoe fantasies in total luxury, with your own large private villa surrounded by palm trees, and personal attendant at your disposal.
Spend the afternoon wandering the perfect white-sand beaches, or lounge by the resort's 100-foot pool, shaded by bougainvillea-covered trellises.
In the evening, dine in Amanpulo's restaurant, serving exquisite Asian and Continental cuisine, with views over the Sulu Sea for a backdrop.
Day 10 - Pamalican Island
Rise early for a complimentary yoga class, followed by a breakfast on the poolside terrace.
The waters around Palawan contain some of the best dive spots on earth, with reefs and atolls teeming with tropical fish and exotic marine life. Take one of the resort's launches on diving, snorkeling, or beach-combing excursions around the island with Amanpulo's expert staff. For certified divers, boat, drift, nighttime and underwater photography dives are available, while novices can enroll in a two-day course to earn their PADI Open Water certification.
In the afternoon, schedule a massage in the resort's open-air massage sala to unwind. Dinner this evening will be a special experience: a private dinner prepared by Aman chefs and served to you on the beach by the light of your own personal bonfire.
Day 11 - Pamalican Island
Spend another day on the water, cruising the Sulu Sea, fishing or windsurfing. Amanpulo keeps a variety of boats for island hopping, fishing and lazy-day sailing, including the 34-foot Dolphin 11. Full- and half-day excursions are available to nearby secluded islands for picnicking, swimming and exploring.
Pamalican Island's sand-bottom blue lagoon makes for world-class windsurfing from December to April when the northeast trade winds blow (on average, about 20 knots).
The resort's 25-foot, centre-console game boat is equipped with a six-line spread for game fishing.
From March until October, Pamalican is a nesting site for green and hawksbill sea turtles. At night, if you are lucky, you will be able to watch the turtles coming ashore to lay their eggs. Tour the Amanpulo hatchery where the eggs are protected until the baby turtles can be released back into the sea.
Alternatively, Amanpulo's fleet of boats is available for a private moonlit cruise, to be followed by a barbecue on a secluded beach.
Day 12 - Manila
After breakfast, board the private Aman plane for a quick flight (one hour) to Manila, where you will spend your last night in the Philippines back in the comforts of the world class Peninsula Hotel.
Day 13
Fly Home.