Anyone who has searched for a flight to the Philippines knows it is nothing like booking Rome or Athens. There is no direct flight, prices jump without any obvious reason, and every booking site throws up dozens of routes with stops in cities you may struggle to place on a map. Booking flights to the Philippines with kids makes each of those decisions weigh double. And yet families who got it right come back smiling and say it was the best holiday they ever had. So how do you get it right?
Planning flights to the Philippines with kids
First, understand how the route is built
There are no nonstop flights from Israel to the Philippines, so every ticket includes at least one stop. Most routes go through the Gulf cities, through Bangkok or through one of the East Asian hubs, and continue from there to Manila or Cebu. What separates a good route from an exhausting one is usually not the price but the hours spent waiting along the way.
A one-hour connection sounds tempting, but a small delay on the first leg is enough to miss the second, and with tired children that is a real nightmare (our tips on flying with a baby help with the youngest travellers). On the other hand, a twelve-hour stop in an airport drains everyone before the holiday has even begun. Many families find the comfortable range is three to six hours. That is enough time to eat something, stretch your legs and change a nappy without running. Our guide to connecting flights and layovers goes into more detail.
There is a third option that many parents only discover on their second trip: turn the stop into a destination. A night or two in Bangkok on the way out, for example, works wonders. The kids sleep in a real bed, start adjusting to the local clock, and the long journey becomes two manageable legs.
When to fly and when to book
The dry season in the Philippines runs roughly from December to May. The sea is calmer, the skies are blue and the chance of tropical storms is low. The trouble is that everyone knows it. Israeli families concentrate on the Hanukkah and Passover holidays, and prices in those weeks climb accordingly.
If you have flexibility, use it. Flying a week before the holiday or a week after can save a family of four a meaningful sum. January and February are excellent months for weather, and the hotels are less crowded. Even if the children miss a few days of school, most parents find it is worth it.
As for when to book, there is no magic formula, but there is a rule of thumb: for long flights with a connection, start tracking prices three to five months ahead. Set price alerts on several routes at once, and do not fall in love with one airport. Sometimes a flight to Cebu is cheaper than Manila, and it is also closer to the islands most families want to reach. It is also worth knowing about Arkia’s flights to the Philippines.
Domestic flights: where the budget slips away
The Philippines is an archipelago of more than seven thousand islands. It sounds romantic. In practice it means almost every move between regions requires a domestic flight or a ferry. This is the expense that surprises families most, and not only because of the ticket price. Baggage limits on domestic flights are strict, and an extra suitcase can cost almost as much as the ticket itself.
The common mistake is trying to see everything. A family that plans five islands in two weeks will spend a large part of the holiday in airports and ports. It makes far more sense to choose two or three areas and build a logical route in which every domestic flight shortens the journey instead of lengthening it. If you want to see in advance which airlines fly where, how long each leg takes and how to combine the international flight with the domestic ones, you will find it all in the guide to flights and connections in the Philippines (in Hebrew), which lays the information out in an organised way.
Which route suits your children’s ages
Not every island suits every family. With small children, Bohol is an almost safe bet. It has calm beaches with shallow water, relatively short drives and the tarsiers, tiny primates with enormous eyes that kids keep talking about for months after the trip. The island’s famous hills are a fun stop for all ages too.
With older children, Palawan offers more adventure. In El Nido and Coron you sail between lagoons in colours that look filtered, jump into the water from the side of the boat and snorkel among bright fish. It is a long day on the water, so it suits children who already know how to swim and enjoy it.
Boracay is a good finale for almost any trip: a long white beach, a calm sea and sunsets that are hard to forget. Many families leave it for the last few days, to rest before the long journey home.
Where to save and where not to
It is hard to save on the international flight beyond good timing. The rest of the holiday leaves more room to play. Local food is relatively cheap, and most children quickly fall for the fresh mango and the fried rice. Family rooms or small villas with a kitchenette help cut the cost of breakfasts and snacks.
Hotel location, however, is not the place to economise. A cheap hotel far from the beach or from the port where the tours leave will end up costing you more, in money for transfers and in time and patience. Likewise, do not skip good travel insurance that also covers water activities – our guide to comparing travel insurance explains what to check.
A few words on how long to go for
Because of the distance, a holiday of less than two weeks in the Philippines usually feels too short. Two days go on flights, another on acclimatising, and suddenly very little time is left to enjoy. The time difference between the Philippines and Israel plays its part as well. In two weeks you can comfortably combine two areas, and in three weeks you can add a third island and slow the pace.
According to the experience gathered at the Lametayel Philippines centre, families who give more days to each area enjoy themselves more and tire less. It sounds obvious, but when you are planning with a map and a list of attractions in front of you, it is very easy to be tempted into squeezing in more and more destinations.
Before you click “book”
Run through a few small things that make a big difference. Make sure every family member’s passport is valid for at least six months from the date of entry, and check the current entry requirements for Israelis. Compare prices including baggage, not just the basic fare. Leave a spare day before the flight home, because weather and ferries do not always respect your schedule. And in high season, book island tours in advance, because the good spots go quickly.
The bottom line
The road to the Philippines is long, and there is no point pretending otherwise. But those who plan wisely, with a reasonable connection, a focused route and accommodation in the right place, find it is worth every moment. The children will remember the lagoons, the tarsiers and the sunsets, not the hours of waiting at the airport. And anyone who wants up-to-date Hebrew guides to accompany the planning will find what they need at the Lametayel Philippines centre.
