Surprising new Asian destination Aussies are flocking to

In 2022, 112,500 Australian residents returned from visits to the Philippines. In 2023, that number more than doubled to 233,170. For every month in 2023, the number of Australian residents returning from visits to the Philippines was higher than the corresponding month in 2022.

That’s still well short of the 286,170 Australians who visited the Philippines in 2019 but enough to see the country enter the top 10 most popular destinations for Australians travelling overseas – but only for the month of January 2024. Both Singapore and Fiji eclipsed the Philippines in the number of Australian visitors they received in 2023, but January 2024 saw the Philippines bump them out of the top 10.

Coron Island in Palawan, where the water is as clear as gin.Credit: iStock

The post-pandemic recovery has been spectacular in some South-East Asian countries, but the Philippines still has some way to go before it gets back to the heady days of 2019. In January 2024, more Australians returned from short-term visits to both Thailand and Vietnam than in January 2019 while the Philippines still lagged its figures for that month by about 1500.

The drawcard

Beautiful El Nido in Palawan.Credit: iStock

What the Philippines does best is islands. At the northern tip of Palawan, the town of El Nido – the Nest – teeters on the edge of the stunning Bacuit Archipelago, a marine reserve with 45 limestone islands and gin-clear water. Among the favourites: Pangalusian Island, Miniloc, known for its aquamarine lagoons, and Lagen, about 45 minutes’ ride by outrigger canoe from El Nido village.

Boracay quickly became a backpacker haven.Credit: iStock

Apart from falling asleep in your hammock, the activity list includes picnics on near-deserted islands, visits to secret lagoons or the caves of Snake Island, sailing, windsurfing and jungle hikes. The diving is exceptional. You could spend all your time in and around Palawan, but other options are the Calaguas group of islands, east of Manila, and the islands around the Caramoan peninsula in Camarines Sur, featured in several seasons of the reality TV series Survivor. Apo Island, off the south-eastern tip of Negros Island, is one for the nature lover, a protected marine reserve with pristine coral gardens and marine life.

There have been some missteps. The island of Boracay, a backpacker favourite, used to be party central, a noxious brew of bars and cheap hotels that pumped raw sewerage into the sea. Then in 2018, the government under then president Rodrigo Duterte closed the island for six months, demolished hotels and bars and imposed a 30-metre setback from high tide.

Some of the Philippines’ more unusual landscapes include the Chocolate Hills on Bohol island.Credit: iStock

Compared to some other countries in the region, the Philippines goes all out to attract Australian visitors. Prices range from backpacker-friendly bamboo and thatch beach shacks to glossy resorts with private-pool villas, at a pocket-pal price. Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth are all connected to Manila with non-stop flights aboard Qantas and Philippine Airlines as well as low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific Air. Make it a one-stop flight and the choice of airlines expands to include Scoot, Cathay Pacific and Air Asia X.

Anyone with an Australian or New Zealand passport gets a visa on arrival, allowing them to stay for up to 30 days. It’s also low-risk. Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade applies the warning “exercise a high degree of caution” to the Philippines, the second level on DFAT’s four-stage travel advisory ladder. That’s the same advice level DFAT applies to Thailand, Indonesia and the UK. A few areas are flagged “Do not travel” including central and western Mindanao, the Zamboanga Peninsula, the Sulu Archipelago and the southern Sulu Sea area, where a separatist Islamic insurgency continues.

Qatar’s award-winning business class seats, the Qsuites.

Yet another good reason to put the Philippines on your wish list is appetising business class airfares for onward travel to Europe. In May, you can fly return from Manila to Paris with Qatar Airways in one of their renowned business class Qsuite seats for just over $7000. Or how about Manila to Milan return flying Emirates, business class, also in May starting at $3267 – wow!