Beauty of the Philippines

Once you have arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport, you are welcomed by an airport representative for your private transfer at around midday, travelling by air-conditioned vehicle into the heart of Manila City Centre.

The rest of the day is yours to settle in and get a first taste of the city's energetic restaurant scene and modern malls.

Today is free for you to continue exploring Manila. You might spend the morning browsing the boutiques and galleries around the city centre, before finding a spot for dinner among the city's many restaurants this evening.

This morning, a private guide accompanies you on a half-day sightseeing tour of Manila, beginning at Rizal Park to learn about national hero Jose Rizal before continuing into Intramuros, the walled city built by the Spanish more than 400 years ago.

Wandering its historic streets, you visit Fort Santiago, once a military headquarters and prison and today a symbol of the country's fight for freedom, and Casa Manila, a recreated 19th-century Spanish colonial home furnished with period antiques. The tour continues to San Agustin Church, the oldest stone church in the Philippines and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, before you are returned to your hotel.

From here, you transfer to the airport for your onward domestic flight to Tagbilaran in Bohol. On arrival at Bohol-Panglao International Airport, you are met by a driver for the private transfer to your accommodation in the Loboc area.

After breakfast, you are collected from your hotel for a full-day private tour to Anda, on Bohol's eastern coast, accompanied by a local guide.

The day begins at Quinale Beach, with its powdery white sand and turquoise water, ideal for a relaxing swim or stroll, before continuing to the Cadapdapan Rice Terraces in Candijay, where hillside paddies carved by generations of local farmers offer sweeping views across the valley.

From here, you visit Cabagnow Cave Pool, a natural limestone cavern with emerald-blue waters where you can swim or make your way down via a ladder, before a refreshing dip at Can-umantad Falls, the tallest waterfall in Bohol, then head back to your hotel.

This morning, you are collected for a full-day countryside tour of Bohol with a local guide. You begin at Baclayon Church, one of the oldest stone churches in the Philippines, dating back to 1727, where a small museum displays religious artefacts from the 16th century.

From here, you continue to the Corella Tarsier Sanctuary to see the tiny Philippine tarsier, among the smallest primates in the world, in a protected natural habitat. The tour continues with a cruise along the Loboc River aboard a floating restaurant, where you enjoy a buffet lunch of Filipino dishes accompanied by live traditional dance performances.

Afterwards, you pass through the Bilar Man-Made Forest, a two-kilometre stretch of towering mahogany trees forming a cool, shaded canopy, before arriving at the Chocolate Hills, more than 1,268 cone-shaped limestone mounds that turn a rich brown in the dry season, giving them their name. The day continues with your transfer on to Panglao, where you check in to your beachfront accommodation.

Today is free for you to enjoy Panglao. You might spend the day relaxing on the white sands of Alona Beach, or venture out to explore some of the Philippines' best diving spots around nearby Balicasag Island.

Before sunrise, you're collected from your accommodation and transferred to the port for a fast ferry crossing of the Bohol Sea to Cebu, taking around two hours. On arrival in Oslob, a mandatory orientation briefing from local marine staff is followed by your whale shark encounter, swimming and snorkelling alongside the whale sharks for 20 to 30 minutes under the guidance of your guide, who shares insight into their biology and behaviour.

Afterwards, you make your way back towards the ferry terminal. Lunch is included today at Bohol Bee Farm, known for its organic, home-grown dishes and ocean views, before you continue on to Cebu to check in to your accommodation for the night.

Please note: Children aged 7 and under are not permitted to swim with the whale sharks, though they may watch from the boat. Whale shark sightings can't be guaranteed, and alternative sites are used if none are present on the day.

This morning, you transfer from your hotel to Mactan-Cebu International Airport, where an airport representative assists you, for your onward flight to Boracay. On arrival at Godofredo P. Ramos Airport in Caticlan, you are met by a representative for the transfer to your accommodation, travelling by road to Caticlan Jetty Port, by boat across to Cagban Port, and by road again to your resort.

The rest of the day is free for you to settle in and enjoy Boracay's famous coastline - perhaps a stroll along the powdery sand of White Beach, or further afield at the quieter Puka Beach.

A further free day awaits in Boracay. You might venture out to the Bat Cave on the island's western side, with its boulder-strewn entrance, or simply spend the day relaxing along Bulabog Beach or the quieter cove at Baling Hai Beach, ideal for swimming and snorkelling.

After breakfast, you are collected from your hotel for the transfer back to Caticlan, travelling by road to Cagban Port, by boat to Caticlan Jetty Port, and on to Godofredo P. Ramos Airport for your onward flight to Manila, where this trip comes to an end.