Heading to the Phillipines in March. We love beaches and snorkeling -any tips on must does? Tips on places to stay? Thanks!

What part of the Philippines are you going to?

I heard puerto princessa is a nice place to go. I havent been but it's on the list. William have u been?

Any part -no plans yet. We have 15 days

Boracay, cebu, Bohol and of course Coron or puerto princesa, Palawan

Chelsea Beaches like Boracay and Palawan would be your best bet. They are both catered to locals and tourists so they're both very tourist friendly. There are some more private ones like Coron, but I think you'd have to know a local to get there and also for safety issues. Remember to haggle as some places mark their prices up really high especially for tourist that are not accompanied by locals!
Emy Leonardo No, I haven't. I've just heard from friends' stories and friend's photos on my newsfeed. Definitely on my bucketlist though.

Aww makes me miss home.

Whale Shark diving in Oslob its the best

Definetly El nido but it's quite a long trip to get there. Beautiful beaches & not so commercialized like boracay. Although we loved Boracay too. If you are heading north there is the pagudpod"Hannah's beach". Their zip line is a must. Enjoy your holiday.

If you have to stay in Manila for your passage to your destination you should stay at this hotel. I stayed there for a couple of weeks. Very friendly, not expensive, clean and close to things. http://www.tripadvisor.ca/Hotel_Review-g298452-d306835...

I hated Boracay. It is extremely commercialized, and ridiculously busy. It also is far from cheap. If you want to stay in a nice area where you can actually enjoy the beach (station 1), you will be paying quite a bit versus the same luxury at better prices elsewhere. Bohol, El Nido, even areas in Cebu would be good bets.
You can take a ferry from Bohol to Cebu if you decide to visit them so you do not have to fly back to Manila to go to them. I wish I knew this before I booked all of my flights.
In El Nido I absolutely loved the Cadlao resort, but regretted not booking far in advance online as it was much cheaper before I booked it. Staying in El Nido is only worth it if you are not within the city, but rather at some sort of resort. I did both.
Boracay Station 1. In February I will be going to Bohol, Cebu and again to Boracay. The beaches of bohol look stunning, and there are some private islands that can be accessed Via Cebu.
One tip that I have is don't take suggestions from Filipinos that haven't traveled the areas they suggest. I found a lot would automatically suggest Boracay, but there is much better places to visit in the country, and that seems to be the only one they think of. Book in advance online, and websites like asiatravel sometimes have good deals.

Thanks so much everyone. I appreciate the input (and have heard similar things Parveen about Boracay)

Parveen I didn't like Boracay either!!
Chelsea Cebu has some nice beach resorts, my home town. My friends was telling me there are new resorts now. Check them out: imperial palace, crimson, blue water , movenpick. This thread is making me want to go home. Haven't been home for 4 yrs.

Emy in the event you go back you can find a condo that is at the Movenpick on AirBnB. I am staying at a condo there February

I hated Boracay, too! It was all just hype. I loved puerto princessa and would totally go visit Coron if given another chance.

Following this post too! I'm heading to a Thailand in December and am considering going to the Philippines after Xmas.
Which month would be better mid Jan or mid Feb?

We always go home January as it is still not too hot.

Jan & FEB are the best.

Cebu is a must! This is why! http://www.lacarmina.com/blog/category/philippines/

Jan. & Feb the best month to go. Visit Palawan.