Island Hopping in the Philippines – Back to Manila and the Journey Home

by Alan Cole · Published Monday, January 5th, 2026 · Updated Saturday, January 3rd, 2026

My attempts at eating again yesterday had backfired, and I was feeling a little unwell once more this morning — not quite what was needed on a long journey home, but it was what it was.

The holiday had been a Much Better Adventures trip, so all transfers and internal flights had been arranged for us. The itinerary advised not to book a flight home from Manila any earlier than 6 pm, so we assumed we’d be dropped at the airport sometime in the mid-afternoon. We were therefore a little surprised by a 5:30 am breakfast, ready for a 6:00 am departure from Coron.

We made the half-hour drive to Busuanga Airport and boarded the first flight out. The route took us over surf-lined, jungle-clad islands before landing in Manila shortly after 9:30 am. This was where the official trip ended, so we said our goodbyes and then faced the question of what to do next — our flight home wasn’t until 11:30 pm, giving us 14 hours to fill.

We left our luggage at the airport and decided to take a Grab (the local equivalent of Uber) into the city — a small adventure in itself, given that we’d never even used Uber before. All went smoothly, and we were dropped outside the National Museum of Natural History, housed in an impressive building beside a large pedestrianised park and several other museums.

The museum seemed to have more security than the airport, but we spent an enjoyable morning wandering through the exhibits. By this point, though, the diarrhoea had properly returned. I was feeling sick again and developing flu-like symptoms, so I didn’t stray too far from the toilets.

We later took another Grab back to the airport, where it quickly became apparent there wasn’t much to do. Instead, we wandered out again to a nearby mall, complete with high-end shops such as Gucci, Prada and Porsche. We had a light lunch, briefly considered seeing a film, but couldn’t find anything that appealed. Instead, we simply relaxed in the pleasant surroundings, sipping ginger ale and peppermint tea. It was calmer than the airport — and, crucially, the toilets were close by.

Eventually, it was time to return to the airport for our first flight: an eight-hour leg to Dubai. Unsurprisingly, I avoided all in-flight meals but made full use of the toilets. The transfer in Dubai went smoothly, and we were soon on another eight-hour flight to Birmingham, where once again the food was firmly declined.

By the time we landed, I was tired, worn out and flagging after barely eating for over a week. Still, I managed to keep going. After a shuttle to the train station — and several more toilet visits — we boarded a train to Shrewsbury, then another to Borth. Finally, more than 43 hours after leaving the hotel in Coron, involving three flights, countless taxis, minibuses, shuttles, trains and stops, we were left with just the small matter of a three-minute drive home.

Home at last.

Despite being ill for much of the trip, I hadn’t really missed out. I’d still spent plenty of time in the water — swimming, snorkelling, kayaking — and generally having fun. Everything had been well organised and ran smoothly. We’d visited more islands than I can remember and experienced several very different sides of the Philippines: from the vast sprawl of Manila, with its extremes of wealth and poverty, to quieter rural areas, deserted hills and beaches, and the tourist hubs of El Nido and Coron.

We’d seen fish, turtles, seabirds, lizards and countless birds; sampled local dishes; spent a night under the stars; cruised for hours on bangka boats; travelled cross-country by minibus; and bounced along jungle tracks in trikes and tuk-tuks. The weather had been kind, the hotels comfortable, and there was never a dull moment.

I’m not sure we’d choose to travel over Christmas again — it felt as though we missed out on some of the festive atmosphere back home. On the upside, thanks to my dodgy stomach and assorted ailments, I managed to lose over 5 kg. Considering I’d normally gain that much on holiday — and then gain it again over Christmas — that’s a net swing of nearly 15 kg. Not quite the plan, but I’ll take it.

The only question now is: Where next?

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Mum x says:

Monday, January 5th, 2026 at 7:34 am

Well I never thought I’d hear you say having diarrhoea on a wonderful holiday had any sort of upside…..I guess every cloud has a silver lining !
As you say though you did persever and enjoyed lots of experiences ,Hope Anna managed to enjoy it too. Certainly sounded well organised.
Once again thanks for the blogs ….it saves me time and money as I just sit here and read all about it

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