Contiki, the social travel brand for 18-35s, has announced its first ever trip to the Philippines. Its name is Philippines Island Hopping, and it gives travellers the chance to explore the country’s most famous tourist hotspots in less than 2 weeks.
There are two versions of this trip. A 9-day version that goes to Puerto Princesa, Port Barton and El Nido, and a 13-day version – the Philippines Island Hopping Trip with Boat Expedition, that includes an additional sea safari adventure to the Coron Islands. And in an industry-leading move, Contiki invited a group of past travellers for an exclusive first glance at the newly-launched trip.
Both trips include many island adventures, such as a boat ride through the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Subterranean River National Park, an island hopping day trip in Port Barton, a Jeepney ride to Nacpan Beach, and a unique Special Stay and MAKE TRAVEL MATTER ® experience at the Isla Experience in Daracoton Island – which directly contributes to the welfare of the locals.
The optional 4-day Boat Expedition takes travellers to some of the undiscovered gems in the Philippines, including Palawan Calamian’s Group of Islands (Northern Palawan archipelago) and famous attractions such as Coron islands, Cullion and Linapacan. It includes a private boat, the chance to go snorkelling in Coral Garden, sea-side camping in Coron and a visit to Turtle Islands.
Among the included experiences is a Filipino-classic tricycle ride to Las Cabanas for a beach sunset, and a traditional boodle fight. Travellers will also have a chance to visit a local’s house for an authentic locally-grown Filipino Meal. Contiki makes the Philippines – which can be challenging for solo travellers to navigate – much easier to explore. Both trips include internal flights, boat transfers and all other transport – along with all accommodation and various meals too.
After receiving well over 1,000 applications, Contiki selected a lucky group of past travellers to be the very first to experience the trip. Jetting off on an all-expenses-paid adventure, the group had the exclusive chance to try and test the trip before its first public departure.
“My favourite experience from the trip was trying all the traditional foods from the different restaurants. And also visiting the local village. Especially Nanay and hearing her story about how she earns money for her family through this”, says Terri-Anne Mattadeen, a past traveller from the USA.
“Visiting Darocorton Island was amazing. Other than that, snorkelling, swimming at the beautiful beaches, and also meeting the local people. They were very welcoming, which I always enjoyed”, says Laura Reid from Ireland
“For me, the special stay at Darocorton Island was a highlight. I just really enjoyed being with the locals. Such beautiful sights. And the sunset was just perfect. I actually felt relaxed. It was really nice just to kick back and have that nice view when you’re sitting on your bed, waking up in the morning”, says Christian from Australia. Christian was born in the Philippines, and aimed to trace his roots back through this trip. This was the first time he was visiting the country since moving to Australia in his childhood.
“I had heard a lot about the culture of the Philippines. It’s very friendly, warm, and welcoming. And as soon as we stepped off the boat to the islands, we got that tenfold from all the locals. It’s really nice to go back and just interact with everyone”, says Christian.
Additionally, among the past travellers was Nathan Lust, a TikTok influencer from Australia with over 5M followers for his quirky dance videos. “My favourite part of the trip was the Isla Experience Special Stay – snorkelling, canoes, huts – it was everything you want from a remote island stay, and of course what a spot to dance, it’s absolute paradise!”, says Nathan.
“The Philippines is a major in demand destination for travellers worldwide, particularly those from the Gen-Z demographic. We’re thrilled to now be satisfying that demand, on a trip that makes visiting the Philippines so very easy – and fun too!”, says Adam Armstrong, CEO at Contiki.
“The Philippines has been one of the most sought-after destinations in Asia, specifically for its island-hopping experiences. This has been many years in the making, and we really wanted to make sure that we include only the best spots & something for everyone. We’re so happy to be able to launch this trip, which showcases the wonderful beaches, marine adventures and culture that the Philippines has to offer,” says Taryn Welsh, Operations Director, Asia at Contiki.
“It’s really important to us that we take into consideration what our travellers think about our trip. That’s why we made the decision to invite a few past Contiki travellers to go on the Philippines trip before the first departure and give us their feedback.”
“We’re seeing a growing demand for various destinations across Asia, and more so for the Philippines. We created 2 itineraries to provide options to different types of travellers – as everyone should see the Philippines, but not everyone is down for beach camping.
“We hope to visit many more destinations in Asia in the coming years”
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