Practical Information » Asia » Far East » Philippines »

Philippines

Getting Started & Practical Information

When to Visit

What the Filipinos call their "Cold Season" may be laughable to most foreigners, but their hot and rainy season are definitely as advertised. Hot season runs from about March to May as temperatures are regularly in the 80s-90s°F (30-35°C) and have high humidity, although the mountains may be 10-20°F (6-10°C) cooler. The rainy season (June-November) is also very humid, but it rains more, as temperatures remain fairly consistent with those of the hot season. The Cold Season rarely experiences temperatures lower than TEMP (25 C) except in the mountains when they are again 10-20°F (6-10°C) degrees cooler. During this time humidity remains high so it still feels hot. Manila has an average low of about 70°F (21°C) in the cold season, but with high humidity most people still feel hot.

The busiest times for tourists in the Philippines are during local Catholic holidays when the locals travel and during Chinese holidays when the Chinese (who consist of the majority of tourists to the Philippines) travel. This basically means the Christmas-New Year week along with days like Easter (which changes each year) to Chinese New Year.

A final point to consider before planning your travel is local holidays or festivals. Holidays can make travel either more attractive, such as for large festivals, or less attractive due to tourist site closings and more expensive transportation options, so make sure you look into this before booking your trip. Here is a list of the Philippines's Holiday Schedule.

Weather

Although weather can be generalized based upon years past, for more up to date weather patterns and predicted future weather patterns, visit weather websites like weather.com; many local news sources also have information for international weather forecasts.

Tours & Cruises

If you're looking for a pre-arranged trip, that involves little effort on your part, then you should consider going on an organized tour or cruise. Organized tours and cruises vary from all expenses included to only daily tours and perhaps hotels included in the price, but all the options below will help you arrange all the details so you don't have to worry about finding the best deal or right hotel.

Gap Adventures: Known best among young adults, Gap Adventures provides local transportation, housing, and food, which cuts costs and introduces the local culture, but can also be challenging for those seeking luxury.

Gecko's Adventures: Active in "responsible" tourism, Gecko's Adventures provides local transportation, housing, and food in small group settings.

Intrepid Travel: Boasts more "off the beaten track" destinations; do your research though since some tours are very adventurous and involves camping and local hotels.

Road Scholar: For older adults, Road Scholar offers tours with an educational emphasis; formerly known as Elder Hostel.

Philippines Department of Tourism: This governmental body has a listing of accredited local tour companies, home stays, and more.

Guidebooks

If you are just traveling on business and have little free time or are already familiar with the Philippines, you may not need anything more than SafariTheGlobe.com's Mini Guide to the Philippines! However, if you need more detailed and up to date information, there are a couple guidebooks available for travel in the Philippines.

Lonely Planet: Great maps and updated often with comprehensive housing information, restaurants, & transportation options. Backpackers and adventurers love these guidebooks.

Rough Guides: Cover various aspects of travel from culture to getting by on the cheap.

Visas

Many foreign nationals need a visa to enter the Philippines, however the requirements for citizens of different nationalities varies. To learn more about who need visas, what type of visa is needed, what requirements are needed to obtain a visa, and visa costs, please visit the Official Website of the Philippines's Department of Foreign Affairs or your nearest Filipino Embassy.

Health & Insurance

Every part of the world has different health concerns and diseases, including the Philippines. Before traveling, consult with a physician to learn more about your destination and what steps you can take to prevent illness. At the time of writing, visitors were required to show proof of having received a Yellow Fever vaccination upon arrival to the Philippines. This proof is not always checked, however to return to your home country or travel onwards, most countries require that you show proof of having been vaccinated. Additionally, a number of other immunizations are strongly recommended, so visiting your physician prior to travel to the Philippines is essential.

Many health insurance providers don't cover health care that is provided outside your home country. Before going abroad check with your health insurance to see if they cover international care. If not, consider purchasing an international medical insurance option, preferably from a company that specializes in international medical insurance.

Transportation

Unless you're on an organized tour or working with a travel agent, you will have to arrange some transportation. The below links can greatly help you start your planning, first by finding a flight to the Philippines, then with domestic airlines and car rental agencies. If you don't know where to begin, try the "Flight & Rental Car Search Sites" to learn competitor's prices during your trip.

Largest International Airlines: Air France, American Airlines; British Airways; Cathay Pacific; China Southern Airlines; Delta; Emirates; KLM; LAN; Lufthansa; Qantas; Singapore Airlines; United Airlines.

Largest Filipino Airlines: Cebu Pacific Air & Philippine Airlines

Largest Rental Car Agencies in the Philippines: Avis; Budget; Europcar; Hertz; & National.

Flight & Rental Car Search Sites: Expedia.com; Farecast.com; Kayak.com; Orbitz.com; & Travelocity.com.

Housing

Housing options are numerous in most tourist destinations, but every individual seeks out something different when it comes to housing. The below links should help you get started, with low- to high-end hotels, hostels, and camping options.

Popular International Hotel Conglomerates: Accor Group (various price ranges); Choice Hotels (low- to mid-price range); Hilton (various price ranges); Hyatt (high-end to resorts); InterContinental Group (mid- to high-price range); Marriott Family (various price ranges); Starwood Hotels (high-end); Wyndham Hotels (low- to mid-price range).

Hotel Search Sites: Expedia.com; Kayak.com; Orbitz.com; & Travelocity.com.

Hostels: Although there are many hostel websites, some of the most popular and reputable include hostels.com, hostelworld.com, & hostelbookers.com.

Camping: Camping is still a foreign concept in the Philippines. Currently there are few organized and official options, plus there are few parts of the country that camping is safe.

Opening Hours, Expenses, & Tipping

The Philippines is on a similar time schedule as much of southern Europe, but hours are more sporadic and many people work six days a week. Shops tend to open at about 9:00 am and close between 5:00-8:00 pm. Weekends in the Philippines are Saturdays and Sundays, but the country's most popular attraction is their beaches, which are obviously always available.

The Philippines is a fairly inexpensive country, especially in relation to much of Europe. Hostels can cost as little as 400-900 pesos ($10-20), and up to 8,000 pesos ($175) for a nice hotel in Manila or a resort catering to tourists. Food is similar, with local restaurants serving food for as little as 30 pesos ($1), but mall food and western restaurants are perhaps a little safer and a little more expensive, starting at about 90 pesos ($2.50) for local dishes and up to 1,300-2,100 pesos ($30-50) for western food. Transportation also offers numerous options with jeepneys, buses, and even taxis fairly reasonably priced, while air travel is similarly priced to much of Europe.

Tipping is growing in popularity, especially in western restaurants and hotel. However, many of these places automatically add a 10% service charge, so before tipping, check to see if this service charge has already been added; if not, tip up to 10%.

Crime & Safety

The Philippines is not an extremely safe destination. Petty theft is common, but more importantly kidnappings for ransom are not unknown, especially at times of political instability. Violence has been known to erupt in the southern islands, particularly Mindanao when tension between the government and the local Islamic extremist groups rises. Also, showing your wealth has led to both locals and foreigners alike to be attacked so showing any signs or wealth are not wise. Before going to the Philippines check with your country's foreign (state) department to learn if the country is safe or if there are any areas to avoid.

This page was last updated: December, 2011