Philippines
The Philippines is one of those places that I kept seeing epic photos and videos of on social media, which made me desperately want to go there for myself. Spending three weeks in the Philippines was a travel dream come true.
I absolutely loved the Philippines and am hoping to go back soon. I loved the chill island vibes that we found everywhere, the friendly locals and stunning natural scenery.
Compared to other popular backpacking destinations in South East Asia it felt still relatively untouched. It’s the perfect place if you want to go on island adventures, meet cool people and disconnect from reality for a bit.
I also loved that it wasn’t just about beaches. While we undoubtedly went on awesome island hopping tours, we also had lots of fun canyoneering in waterfalls and hiking to beautiful viewpoints.
Here you will find all my top Philippines travel tips!
Quick travel facts about the Philippines
Where are the Philippines? The Philippines is an archipelagic country in South East Asia, composed of over 7,600 islands.
How to get there: You can find the cheapest flights to the Philippines via SkyScanner.
Currency: Philippine Peso (PHP) – see the latest exchange rate here.
Electrical plugs in the Philippines: Types A, B & C – I recommend an international adapter so you can use it on multiple trips.
Capital city: Manila
Best time to visit: The Philippines is a tropical country and is affected by monsoons. The best time to visit the Philippines is from November to April during the dry season, when there is less chance of rainfall.
October and May are considered “shoulder months”, when the weather starts getting worst but isn’t as bad as the wet season, from June to September. You will also find less crowds during the shoulder months.
You can see some weather averages for every month in the Philippines here.
How to travel around the Philippines: Travelling around the Philippines can be a bit of a pain. Transfers always end up taking forever so take that into account when you plan your itinerary.
To travel between islands you can usually get a ferry, or even get cheap flights on SkyScanner for the longer distances. Within islands you can easily arrange minivan or taxi transfers for long journeys.
For short land journeys most people either rent scooters or use tuk-tuks.
Visa requirements: Most passport holders don’t need to apply for a visa to travel to the Philippines for stays up to 59 days. Click here to see all the visa requirements.
