Philippines Luxury Journey: Manila, Palawan, El Nido & Boracay with Secret Retreats

Highlights of this Secret Journey through the Philippines

• Explore Intramuros and Binondo, the world’s oldest Chinatown.
• Visit two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: San Agustin Church and the Puerto Princesa Underground River.
• Drift through one of the world’s longest underground rivers, a natural wonder.
• Witness both sunrise and sunset in El Nido’s Bacuit Bay, framed by dramatic limestone cliffs.
• Stroll the powder-soft sands of Boracay’s White Beach, famous for sand that never gets hot.
• Optional extension to Coron’s hidden lagoons and limestone peaks.

Your Secret Journey through the Philippines begins in Manila, where you will find modern skyscrapers standing beside Spanish churches and Chinese temples. Amid the energy of the capital, you will discover quiet corners that tell the story of a city shaped by centuries of trade and cultural exchange. As you walk through the cobblestone streets of Intramuros, history seems to whisper around every corner. In Binondo, the oldest Chinatown in the world, you will taste traditions that have thrived here for over four centuries.

From Manila, your journey flows south to Palawan, often called the “last ecological frontier of the Philippines.” Here, you will glide by canoe into the Puerto Princesa Underground River, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. Inside, you will be surrounded by cathedral-like chambers of stalactites and stalagmites, accompanied by the flutter of bats and the echo of dripping water — a world where nature reveals its artistry in silence and shadow.

Further north, in El Nido, you will find the sea shifting from emerald to sapphire, framed by dramatic limestone cliffs rising from Bacuit Bay. Known as the “Island of the Sun,” this is where you will witness both sunrise and sunset in all their brilliance. Days can be as active or as slow as you choose — snorkeling vibrant coral gardens, kayaking through secret lagoons, or simply letting the rhythm of the waves wash all thought away. Here, luxury is not about what you bring with you, but what you take home: the memory of untouched beauty.

Your journey continues on the shores of Boracay, where you will walk along White Beach, famous for sand so fine it stays cool beneath your feet. By day, you will swim in calm turquoise waters or wander down quiet stretches of shoreline. By night, you will find lanterns glowing, music drifting across the sand, and an energy that invites you to join in or simply watch under the stars. Boracay offers both serenity and vibrancy, and you will be free to enjoy both.

And if your heart longs for more, you may choose to add Coron, where you will uncover dramatic limestone cliffs, hidden lagoons, and secret lakes — a place where the Philippines still feels wild, untouched, and astonishing.

This is more than a holiday. On this Philippines luxury journey with Secret Retreats, you will find heritage, wilderness, and island beauty interwoven into an experience that stays with you long after the journey ends.