Bookers can book up to 3 rooms (sleeps 6 people) under one booking.

Loyalty and early access bookings open Wednesday May 24.

You must pre-register to receive an early booking code to access bookings during this time.

General bookings open Monday May 29.

If the route sells out, a second week will be added. 

Week 2 dates are: November 23 – December 2, 2023

Note: Week 2 itinerary may not be exactly the same as the first week.

Alcoholic drinks are not included and are at the expense of the guests throughout the trip.

During the Island Hopping Expedition, you will be given a wristband to load with money to use on drinks and other personal spending at the base camps throughout the trip. Any money not spent will be returned to you after.

All other drinks in El Nido and Boracay can be purchased using cash or credit card, when available.

While on the Island Hopping Expedition, Avoid drinking too much alcohol. Of course you will want to enjoy a few beers and sample some of the local rum around the fire at night, however don’t make yourself a liability. Nobody want to have to look after the drunk guy. Tropical hangovers are a nightmare and you don’t want to miss out on the day activities if you are trying to recover from the night before!

This is not your typical TBL booze cruise but also not detox/rehab/yoga/meditation retreat boat. This is the ultimate expedition to remote Filipino islands!

Yes, there will be a DJ on the route. That said, they will not be playing music every night of the trip.

Expect 3-4 big party nights with a DJ on this route!

Yes! That said, please coordinate with the rest of the group so we don’t end up with 15 Sounboks on the Paraw boat, though that would be pretty epic!

Yes, there will be a photographer on route to take photos so you don’t have to!

Diving will also be available in Boracay should you wish to book.

All diving must be booked and paid separately by the guests.

Massages must be booked and paid separately by the guests.

Additional activities in Boracay can be booked directly through the hotel.

Once you arrive in Manila, you will need to take a connecting flight to El Nido to meet the group.

The domestic flight from Coron, where the Island Hopping Expedition ends, to Boracay, are included in the cost of your booking.

All additional domestic and international flights are at your own expense.

There is no 24h electricity on the Islands. However there is solar charging on the boats and generators in some of the base-camps so you will be able to charge batteries on some of the nights.

We recommend that you fully charge your batteries the night before you board the boat. Remember to pack a Flashlight or Head-torch.

The Philippines operates on 220V supply voltages (USA is on 120 V). You will need a voltage converter when plugging any US-electronics in to charge.

Most electrical outlets in the Philippines are non-grounded two-pronged outlets of either type A (North-American standard) with two flat parallel pins.

Sometimes and not guaranteed, they haveType C (European style) with two round pins.

Wifi will be available at the hotels in El Nido and Boracay. That said, remember we are in the Philippines and Wifi may be spotty.

No Wifi will be available during the island hopping Expedition. 

If you need to work remotely during this time, this is not the trip for you.

Yes, both hotels offer full bathroom amenities with flushing toilets and fresh water shows in each room.

There are no baggage restrictions on the boats. We recommend that you store your valuables such as passports and wallets deep inside your large bag which will be stored inside the luggage room or out of the way inside the hull.

Extra bags can be stored on the boat during the island hopping Expedition. The baggage will be kept dry at all times, however if you are traveling with a laptop we suggest to store it in a waterproof dry bag to avoid accidents.

While bags must be moved to and from the remote base camps each day, the local Paraw boat crew will assist with carrying your bags. That said, it’s always appreciated if you can lend a helping hand!

We are travelling to very remote area of the Philippines so we do as much as we can to avoid accidents. The crew is trained in response to emergency situation and look out for dangers but no matter how much we take care, it is still up to the travellers to help to look after themselves and avoid mishaps.

You will be given a ‘Safety Orientation’ by your expedition leader. This will include Water Safety as you will be spending a lot of time getting in and out of the water. Please notify the crew if you are not a strong swimmer and they will keep an extra eye on you.

There are small critters in the tropical water that can sting you. A rash-guard top whilst swimming can protect you from some of these. The worst are things living on the reef so never stand, touch or pick up anything from the reef and you should be fine. Reef shoes are also recommended.

Dehydration is a common cause of accidents and feeling unwell. You will be required to bring your own refillable water bottle and drink lots of water. There are large containers of purified drinking water on-board for you to keep your bottle topped up.

Up to date and accurate information about all aspects of malaria, including risks and prevention, is readily available to you from travel health clinics, travel healthiness and via the web. Because it is a complex and rapidly changing issue, we do not want to recommend whether or not to take malaria medication.

Northern Palawan is generally a low risk area. Occasionally it comes in small outbreaks and consequentially the local health office will have a warning, we will be advised and pass on the warning to travellers. It is not that very common for an outbreak during November. Be more cautious on Dengue fever which is more common and can be contracted anywhere in southeast Asia, especially in town and cities. There are no medicine to prevent catching Dengue so be always cautious. Dengue and Malaria normally appears mid monsoon season which is July-September.

It is advised to minimize the risk of Malaria and Dengue through bit avoidance. Bring lots of mosquito repellent and long sleeve clothing, it also advisable that when with children. In town it is better to get Air-conditioned rooms because mosquitoes are most active early in the morning/ late afternoon. Town and larger population have more disease carrying mosquitoes than those of small islands and villages.

Sleeping arrangements in the islands are set up near the beach to get a breeze thus reduce mosquitoes. Nets will always be setup for sleeping. Traveling in South Palawan needs extra precaution any time of the year. Sand-flies are very common in the beaches- villages and base camps in the islands. Some people react badly on sand-fly bites, long sleeves during sunset is advised for those special folks who attract mosquitoes and sand-flies.

The best ointment or repellent for mosquitoes and sand-flies in our expedition is Kwan Loong oil, a Singaporean mentholated oil.. You have to re-apply every 30min but it is effective and much safer than any DEET products. If you can get it before coming to Palawan from Asian pharmacies or you can get it in the Expedition office in El Nido and Coron.

As of May 18, travellers will need:

• Passport with at least six months validity from arrival date in the Philippines
• International outbound ticket
• Proof of Covid vaccination status or proof of a laboratory-based rapid antigen negative test result within twenty-four (24) hours prior to the date and time of departure from the country of origin.
• All travellers must fill in the eArrival Card

Requirements can change frequently so please check here or online for updates ahead of your travels.

These are the latest COVID-19 vaccination requirements as of May 18, 2023:

• Fully Vaccinated Travellers:  Pre-departure COVID testing is no longer required for fully vaccinated travellers, to include Filipinos and foreign nationals.
• Unvaccinated/Partially Vaccinated Travellers:  A laboratory-based rapid antigen negative test result within twenty-four (24) hours prior to the date and time of departure from the country of origin is required for entry to the Philippines.

Please look here or online for the latest entry requirement information.

The Lead Booker should email us at info@thebucketlust.org to cancel the booking. The date this email is sent is counted at the cancellation date for the purpose of calculation any cancellation fees that may be due.

All payments need to be made via our website by debit or credit card (we cannot accept bank transfers).

The total price of your booking is split into three instalments set out in the Payment Plan on your booking page.

The total price of your booking is split into three instalments according to your Payment Plan.

It is the Lead Booker’s responsibility to ensure all payments are made on time.

If you miss an Instalment payment deadline your booking is liable to cancellation.

As your payments go towards paying multiple different parties (hotels, tour  suppliers, flights, events staff, activities, restaurants etc.) in order to deliver your holiday, it is very important that Instalments are paid on time. 

If we are unable to pass your payments on to the yacht suppliers before the deadlines, they may cancel your booking without refund.

Once the room is booked, the Lead Booker can invite their guest to make payments of their choice towards the total price via the booking page. That way you won’t have to send money back and forth.

If you are joining through Crew Finder and the room balance is already full paid then you cannot make your payment to us. You will need to arrange payment internally with the Lead Booker.

We do not charge card fees. Contact your bank as they may charge their own card fees or foreign transaction fees.

If it says failed/pending it means that the payment has not and will not go through. First of all, please try to pay from another browser. Google Chrome is most compatible. If your payment is still declined, please contact your bank to check the following:

1. Not enough funds in the account.

2. Maximum daily limit set by the bank for a transaction.

3. Default block on international transfers – check your bank to ensure they allow international transfers with your card.

4. Your bank requires you to activate 3-D secure, a feature that we support. 3-D secure is an extra layer of security where you are redirected to your bank to submit a personal pin code in order to identify the buyer before the purchase goes through. If the bank that issues your card does not support Verified by VISA / Secure Code by MasterCard and American Express SafeKey, then the transaction may be declined and another card needs to be used.

Yes – use our Crew Finder facebook group to find available spots in rooms that have already been booked but that have spare spots available.

The Crew Finder group is a forum to connect people looking for spots with those who have already made a booking and are looking for extra guests to join their room

Looking for a spot in a room?
Make a post on the Crew Finder group explaining who you are, which event you want to attend [The Philippines Route] and what your budget is. The more information you give about yourself the more likely you are to be invited to join a room!

Booked a room and looking to fill spare spots?
Make a post on the Crew Finder group explaining who you are, what your crew is like, what event you are attending and the price of the spot you are willing to sell. 

We recommend getting to know each other a bit and then deciding if you are a good match for each other. Remember you will be living together on a yacht for the week so its important that you get along.

If the booking is not already fully paid for the new guest joining the booking can make payments directly towards the total price using our website.

If the booking is already fully paid for the new guest joining will have to make payment directly to the lead booker of the booking.

Feel free to send us an email at info@thebucketlust.org to confirm the details of the booking before you make payment.

Whilst we hope that everyone is honest and fair, we cannot guarantee this and cannot be held responsible for any fake accounts that may exist. We also cannot guarantee that you will get on with everyone you meet on Crew Finder or be held responsible for payments, shared costs or sleeping arrangements that you agreements between yourselves.

If you’re unsure or uncomfortable with a deal, don’t go through with it and book directly with us instead.