The biggest mistakes planning our Philippines trip

No trip goes perfectly the first time, and ours around the Philippines was no exception at all. With the route now fully organized into the itinerary we sell today, here are the mistakes we made the first time that, knowing what we know now, we'd never repeat.

Booking the flight to Siargao too tight. We didn't calculate the layover margin well, and a small delay in Manila left us literally running through Cebu airport. Since then, we always leave at least two hours of margin on any domestic connection.

Not carrying enough cash from Manila. We assumed we'd find ATMs without any trouble in El Nido and Coron. Big mistake: several times we had to wait in a long line or pay extra fees to withdraw money from the only available ATM in the area.

Choosing the cheapest island-hopping tour without researching first. On our first attempt in El Nido, we booked the cheapest tour without properly comparing what each one included. The difference in stops and quality compared to the combined A+C tour was much bigger than the price suggested.

Underestimating accumulated fatigue. Between boats, scooters and long ferries, the pace of an island trip is more tiring than it looks on paper before you actually live it. We planned some days that were too packed and ended up sacrificing experience quality for quantity of activities.

Not booking the Coron-El Nido ferry in advance during peak season. We came close to missing out on seats for the exact date we needed.

The Philippines is pretty forgiving of beginner mistakes, honestly. But avoiding them saves you time and the occasional headache you don't need to have.