Contiki has introduced its Philippines Island Hopping experience, giving travellers the chance to explore the country’s most famous tourist hotspots in under two weeks.
There are two versions of this trip – the nine-day version goes to Puerto Princesa, Port Barton and El Nido, while the 13-day version includes an additional sea safari adventure to the Coron Islands.
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 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 four-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, seaside 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.
Both trips include internal flights, boat transfers and all other transport – along with all accommodation and various meals.
Find more information, visit Contiki.
Traveloka data has shown a spike in travel expenditure among Indonesian residents as travel resumes, with Vietnam being the destination that saw the biggest improvement in demand.
Expenditure on international products, ranging from flight tickets and hotels to attractions, has doubled in 2023 over 2022.
Singapore and Japan were most popular among Indonesians, but Vietnam has shown to be a strong contender, noted Traveloka’s CEO transport, Iko Putera.
“The strong demand to visit Vietnam is because Sapa and Danang are becoming viral on social media – (this shows) that people always look for new experiences and are keen to (discover) new hidden gems,” said Iko.
He added that Vietnam’s affordability was also a key factor, especially as airfares and hotel rates are more affordable than that of other South-east Asian destinations.
Yento Chen, CEO, Destination Tour Indonesia, opined that Vietnam draws Indonesian travellers with its diverse offerings – from both green and snowy landscapes to culture and culinary – without the need to travel long distances.
While tours to Halong Bay, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi were popular once, Sapa and Phu Quoc are now winning hearts, particularly for winter breaks, according to Yento.
He added that Vietnam “appeals to incentive groups as well as families and adventure travellers” as the country offers “more experiential travel”, which is highly sought after by Indonesians.
The five-day tour package to Sapa is the most popular at G-Tour, shared tour manager Angelina Samudera, with most bookings being made between December and February during the snow season.
“Sapa is the perfect destination for Indonesians who want to see snow because it is close by, (has) easy access, and (is) visa-free. The price is affordable but the facilities are quite complete,” stated Angelina.
G-Tour has seen a 20 to 30 per cent rise in bookings for Vietnam in 2023, and Angelina hopes to nurture this growth by creating attractive packages combining Hanoi, Halong Bay and Sapa. Setting its target on young travellers seeking adventure, the company is also developing new packages to Danang and its surroundings.