Philippines
I’m really excited to share my experiences and tips for my favorite country so far! The Philippines is made up of over 7,500 islands in which I’ve only explored about 12. Each island I visited had its own personality and different beautiful experiences to offer. I’ll be breaking down each island I have visited individually, but for now here are a few things you need to know.
Visas. Most countries are allotted a 29-day free Visa. Upon arrival in the Philippines they will ask for your outbound flight so be sure to have proof of one. If you are unsure of where to fly or do not have an outbound flight, there are tons of cheap one way flights you can buy to neighboring countries. You can find the best prices on flights on www.skyscanner.com. If you are looking to extend your stay, vise extensions are super easy and can last up to 3 months, but be sure to not overstay your Visa or you will have to pay a fine of 1000 PHP.
Currency. The Filipino Peso, the exchange rate between Filipino Peso and the USD is $1 - 5 PHP. When purchasing anything or when making a transaction, be sure to bargain! Although some tour prices are fixed, you can bargain for almost everything including things like souvenirs, Tricycle rides and much more. Rest assured there is a local price and tourist price for everything. When bargaining you’ll have to learn the find line between staying respectful and not getting scammed. Usually vendors will start at about double the price they can actually sell you an item for. Stand firm when bargaining down, you’ll most likely be able to get them down to at least 2/3’s of the originally price offer, but like I said, be respectful, they’re just trying to make a living.
Island hopping can be complicated! Ferries, trains, planes and tricycles oh my! There a million factors which make island hopping through the philippines complicated. If you don’t have 2+ weeks to visit, it may seem impossible to do more than a couple islands. Be sure to do your research in advance to decide which islands you would like to visit and the route you will have to take. Plan loosely as plans and schedules will always change. Make sure to look at ferry and plane schedules as most only leave on certain dates and times.
Monsoon Season. Typically, monsoon season is between June - October, so if you are traveling during this time, be prepared for delays and cancelations for flights and ferries. They don’t mess around with bad whether and transportation. Every time I’ve visited the Philippines I’ve experienced some sort of delay or cancelation so this is why I stress so heavily about being flexible when traveling this country, which brings me to my next point!
STAY FLEXIBLE. Like I said, island hopping can be complicated due to multiple factors with weather being a major one. Make sure to have travel insurance to cover yourself for flight changes. Ferries can range from $10-$40 depending on distance of the ride and flights range from $20-$150+. Check out https://12go.asia/en for prices on flights, ferries and transportation not only in the Philippines, but all over Asia. Also, be sure to download GRAB, it's the Filipino Uber.
Best time to travel. Dry season is between November to April, However keep in mind this is the busiest time of the year for tourist meaning the most expensive as well. Not to mention the hottest time of the year in the Philippines. Personally every time I have visited it's been during slow season which I have loved, but you also risk the temperamental weather during monsoon season.
Weather. Like I just mentioned, the weather is very temperamental in the Philippines. If you are planning to travel during monsoon season like I normally do, be prepared for cancelled flights fairies and a few rainy days. Now, take weather forecast serious but lightly. A lot of the time, unless it's an actual monsoon, online forecast will say it's raining on an entire Island when in actuality it's only raining on a small part of the island and sunny on the rest.
Filipino People are absolutely incredible! They are typically always super nice to travelers, particularly in the less touristy areas, and everyone speaks english as well. Every time I’ve been to this incredible country, I have met nothing but welcoming people. I even met two beautiful girls on Siargao that I still keep in touch with to this day!
It's very safe. Do not let mainstream media influence your idea of the safety of the Philippines. Yes the southern islands are a no-go for tourists but, you're absolutely safe on the more touristy Island up north. Of course there is crime in any country! Travel smart, be aware of your surroundings and do your research on countries that you’re traveling to beforehand. I’m shocked at the negative response I get sometimes from people that don’t travel often when I tell them about my love for the Philippines. The love I have for this country is insane.
This one's for the ladies! MEN LOOK AWAY, which means they’re most definitely going to read this… lol This is something all of you should know beforehand, but it is surprisingly hard to find tampons. Unless you're in a major city, be sure to be fully stocked before you travel to the smaller islands. If you're on the search, check out some of the Pharmacies, you’ll be lucky if you find them on the small islands. But like is said, stock up in one of the major cities like Manila or Cebu. This leads me into my fifth tip.
Toilet paper. This sounds insane but, when traveling to more remote islands, you should always have baby wipes or tissue on you. If you don’t have any on you and are using a public toilet, check the outside of the stall near sinks or before you walk in. Some of the time they’ll have a roll for to grab before getting in the stall, but most likely you won’t be finding any haha. Baby wipes are KING when traveling y’all, I never travel without them. No matter what country I’m traveling too.
Last but not least, HAVE FUN. This is an incredible country that offers diversity from each individual island for its beauty and adventures to be had. Stay flexible, spend as much time exploring here as possible and just have fun! The Philippines is hands down still one of my favorite country for the 4th year running! When traveling here get ready for some incredible experiences chasing waterfalls, island hopping, diving and swimming in some of the most beautiful waters in the world.