Manila + Cebu: the Philippines without connections across ten islands
Seven thousand islands make the choice frightening. Start with two points: the capital for history and Cebu as a base for reefs, waterfalls and Bohol.
Where to start with the Philippines
The main mistake is trying to cover the archipelago in one trip: flights and ferries link the islands, and the logistics eat the days. The sensible scheme is one base with radial trips. Cebu suits best: a large airport, reefs nearby, a ferry to Bohol, waterfalls and canyons two hours away. Manila supplies the historical context and is usually the entry point anyway.
Manila: two days
Intramuros, the Spanish walled city inside modern Manila: Fort Santiago, the church of San Agustin, walls you can ride around on bamboo bicycles. The National Museum with Luna's «Spoliarium». More than two days is not worth giving the capital: the city is hard work, with traffic that can absorb half the daylight.
Cebu and around: eight days
In the city itself, Magellan's Cross and the basilica of Santo Nino, where the Christianisation of Asia began. Then the south of the island: Kawasan with canyoning down a turquoise river and jumps into waterfalls, Moalboal with a million-strong sardine run right off the shore — snorkelling without a boat. Bohol is two hours by ferry: the Chocolate Hills, tarsiers in the sanctuary, the beaches of Panglao. Malapascua in the north is for divers, where thresher sharks come up in the morning. A separate day belongs to the north of the island: Malapascua and Bantayan have white sand and almost no development, reached by bus and boat, and that is a proper move rather than a day trip.
About whale sharks, honestly
In Oslob in southern Cebu whale sharks are fed to bring them to the boats, and buses run there daily. It works, but it disrupts the animals' behaviour: they stop migrating and get injured by boats. If you want to see them without that, there are places where the encounters are chance — Donsol and Southern Leyte. The choice is yours, but the difference is worth knowing.
When to go
December–May is the dry season and the best time. The peak for weather and for people is January–February. From June to November comes the rainy and typhoon season; typhoons more often strike the eastern part of the country, and Cebu and Bohol suffer less than Luzon, but the risk is there. April and May are the hottest.
Bohol in one or two days
The ferry from Cebu takes about two hours to Tagbilaran. The Chocolate Hills are more than a thousand near-identical cones that turn brown in the dry season, hence the name, with a viewpoint at Carmen. The tarsiers at the Corella sanctuary are tiny nocturnal primates with enormous eyes: they may not be touched and may not be photographed with flash — they die of stress, and that is not an exaggeration. The Loboc river has floating restaurants, and Panglao has beaches and the dive sites off Balicasag.
Getting between the islands
Three ways. Domestic flights are fast and cheap, but baggage is counted strictly and flights are cancelled in bad weather. Ferries are the main inter-island transport, from fast craft to overnight boats with cabins; timetables change, and everything stops in a storm. Within an island there are jeepneys (converted jeeps running as buses), tricycles for short hops and motorbike hire. Leave a margin: logistics here eat more time than the map suggests.
Practical matters
The Philippines is visa-free for a Russian passport for a short stay — check before travelling. English is a second official language here, which makes everything easier. Domestic flights are cheap but strict about baggage. Cash pesos are needed constantly on the islands: card terminals are far from everywhere. Typhoon season is worth weighing when choosing insurance: cancellations and reschedulings are routine here, and basic policies do not cover them.
Moscow → Manila → Cebu City
Route and nights go into the form — adjust the date and passengers.