Backpacking Philippines: Backpacking Philippines Travel Guide and Tips

Backpacking Philippines Travel Guide and Tips

This Backpacking Philippines Guide and Tips is written particularly for foreigners, tourists and ex-pats, wishing to travel around the country. This will supplement whatever information and travel guides you already have about Tutubi's beautiful yet underrated Paradise Philippines!

Cheap Flights to the Philippines:

The cheapest flights to the Philippines are available from budget carriers from Singapore (Tiger Airways), Malaysia (AirAsia) or Cebu Pacific (Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur (KL)), Macau, Thailand (Bangkok), Singapore, China (Guanghzou, Xiamen, Shanghai), Japan (Osaka), Taiwan and Korea) or occasional low fares promo of Philippine Airlines. No information yet on the cheapest of the cheap flights to the Philippines from the US, Japan, UK, Germany, France or other European countries outside of the list.

Philippine Visa Requirements:

Most foreign nationals can visit the Philippines Visa-free for 21 days provided they have a valid passport up to 6 months and a plane ticket out of the country.Visa extensions can be availed at the Philippine Immigration Office for a minimal fee and can be extended up to two years (beyond two years, just a board a plane out of the country even for a day then return for a fresh 21 day visa). Complete information can be found here. The 21 day visa does not include citizens of India and most Middle Eastern countries.

Warning for unaccompanied minors, i.e.children below fifteen years of age, traveling to the Philippines with foreign passports and unaccompanied by parents (unless one of the parents is in the Philippines), inquire about the Waiver of Exclusion Ground (WEG) at the nearest Philippine Embassy of Consulate.

What to wear:

T-shirts, shorts, sneakers, sandals are fine but also bring dresses and attire suited for a particular place, meeting or occasion. Note that some places don't allow sandos, shorts, thongs or flip-flops so be prepared for things like this.

Climate and Weather:

The Philippines has a tropical climate with plenty of sun, generous rainfall, gentle winds, humid and with an average temperature of 26 degrees Celsius. Off-season for tourists is June to October where typhoons and storms visit the country, the cool months of November to February, probably the best time to visit, and and the hot summer months of March to May.

Filipino Time:

Philippine Standard Time (PST) GMT +8, the same time zone as Singapore, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur. Sunrises and sunsets occur at around 6am and 6pm give or take thirty minutes. This is different from the so called Filipino time, by the way.

Languages Spoken:

Filipino is the national language while English is widely spoken and understood. You may want to learn a word or two in Tagalog, where Filipino is based, or Cebuano, which has the most number of native speakers. Learning to speak a few phrases, even with wrong pronunciation, will elicit smiles from locals!

Entertainment, Nightlife, Arts and Culture

Metro Manila thrives with exciting nightlife with bars and restaurants offering live bands, karaoke bars, sometimes spiced up with scantily-clad women in red light districts of Malate in Manila, Burgos street in Makati and Quezon Ave in Quezon City.

Popular venues for performing arts is the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Pasay City, while various museums are present to give visitors a glimpse of culture of the islands of yore. A throbbing art scene is also visible in various art galleries in Metro Manila and around the country.

Watching movies in cinemas cost just around PhP150.00 to PhP200.00 (around US$4 to US$6), still a bargain compared to most of Asia for first-run movies shown in modern movie houses and theaters (sometimes days ahead of showing in the US)

Airport Terminal Fees and Travel tax:

All passenger departures require payment of airport terminal fees prior to departure at airports (except for domestic departures from Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA, formerly Manila International Airport (MIA)), and Mactan-Cebu International Airport where the terminal fee is already included in your plane ticket.

Airport terminal fee for international departures is PhP550.00, while it varies from PhP20.00 to PhP200.00 for domestic destinations. Herewith is the list airport terminal fees for departing passengers.

Travel tax for international travelers, economy class, is PhP1620.00 (around US$38) and is usually included in the plane ticket price (check your plane tickets to verify though).

Travel tax exemptions for OFW with exit clearance OEC

Refer to Manila Airport Guide for information on Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), the gateway to the Philippines. Also refer to this post on airport transfer between terminals

Airport Taxis:

Cabs at NAIA can be specially-marked airport taxis (expensive and flat rate fare matrix depending on destination e.g. PhP550.00 for Makati, PhP770.00 for Quezon City). Metered taxis can be flagged down at the departure area of the airport; on exit, look for escalators or elevators going up to the departure area then negotiate with the taxis there (drivers can be choosy at times or negotiate for a rate) before boarding. (Taxi fare to Makati business district is around PhPhP150 to PhP200, Pasig City and Ortigas area is PhP200.00 range, Manila is PhP150.00-PhP200.00, while those for Quezon city is around PhP220.00 to PhP350.00 depending on traffic)

Manila Domestic Airport has both airport taxis and metered ones. Remember to get the taxi coupon from the dispatcher in case of problems or complaints.

Where to eat and notes on Filipino food:

Philippine cuisine is an eclectic fusion of Filipino, Malay, Chinese, Mexican, Spanish and American influences so prepare yourself for the unique blend of tasteful food available. Cosmopolitan that it is, restaurants from Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Mexican, Vietnamese, Arabic/Persian, European and fast food chains are present and easy to find. Restaurants offering halal food are also present.

One such example is the famous Filipino adobo which is a way of stewing in vinegar, while kare-kare is of Indian origin. The kilaw/kinilaw/kilawin, meat or fish soaked in vinegar, is one of those dishes devoid of foreign influences.

Where to Stay:

Cheap Hotels/Apartelles/Accommodations/Condotels/Homestay/Hostels/Pension Houses/Bed and Breakfast need research and reservation prior to showing up unlike in other countries. In more established tourist areas like Malate, cheap hotels are easier to find. Most of the small backpacker hotels don't have websites so your most logical choice is an actual telephone call or you may ask a Filipino friend/fiancee to search for you.

Budget hotels will cost around PhP500.00+ outside Manila and cities; the cheapest form of accommodations present in these islands, even in Boracay, Puerto Galera, Pagudpud are homestays where nearby households rents out rooms to visitors with rates usually around PhP200.00-PhP350.00 per person. Don't expect them to be air-conditioned though

Interesting Places to See and Things to do,More than the usual Tourist Spots in the Philippines:

The biggest thing about the Philippines is DIVERSITY!

There are so many options you can choose from if your want to explore old Manila, Intramuros, of the whole Metro Manila (composed of the city of Manila and all other sixteen cities and lone municipality of Pateros (Click on the Categories on the right navigation pane to see interesting places and posts)

Include Manila in your Philippine itinerary like a day tour of Intramuros in the old walled city of Manila, Rizal Park, Manila Ocean Park, visits to various Manila museums then hie off to Tagaytay to see Taal Volcanoand another day trip to Pagsanjan Falls in Laguna to "shoot the rapids."

Some tourists like the cold weather of Baguio City (up north) and Tagaytay (nearer to Manila). Others love the cooler and crisper air of Sagada, a favorite backpacking haven full of nature treks, waterfalls and caves besides seeing the famous hanging coffins.

hanging coffins of Sagada: high up Mountain Province

Speaking of the country's rich Spanish heritage, old baroque churches are still extant in many towns while remnants and ruins of Spanish forts and watchtowers can be marveled at. Examples: Fort Santiago in Manila, Fort San Pedro (Cebu and Iloilo), Fort San Felipe (Cavite City), Fort Pilar (Zamboanga City)

Near Sagada are the UNESCO-inscribed Banaue Rice Terraces that look like stairways to heaven.

In Pampanga and Zambales stood Mt. Pinatubo where trekkers can ascend to the crater in three hours past pristine volcanic ash landscape.

Hill Tribes and people still living a tribal culture can be found on several islands. In Mindoro, the Hanunuo and Buhid groups of Mangyan tribe still use the their own ancient script.

Mt. Mayon is green during the rainy season

In the Bicol peninsula towers the majestic Mayon Volcano with it's near-perfect cone while less than two hours from Legazpi City beckons Donsol Whale sharks, locally known as butanding where so many of the gentle giants live in Donsol bay.

Swim with the largest fish in the world in Donsol, a place frequented by locals, foreigners for the giant whale sharks, locally called butanding

Cebu Island, where Cebu City, the Philippines' oldest city is located, is a favorite retirement place for Americans, Australians and Europeans with a nicer city than Manila close to the beach. In January, Cebu City comes alive in full color with the Sinulog Festival.

The Chocolate Hills of Bohol, 1268 limestone hills turn brown during summer, thus the name

Davao City, settled at the foot of Mt. Apo, the highest mountain in these islands, offers less crowded and liveable city peaceful and pleasant weather free from typhoons. Kadayawan Festival in September showcases Davao's best.

The Philippines is a Golf Mecca with lots of golf courses and driving ranges with it's low green fees compared to other countries.

Diving in the Philippines is one of the best with dive sites at the center of the richest marine biodiversity in the world known as the Coral Triangle co-bordered by Malaysia, Indonesia, Timor Leste, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Island. Reputed to be the best dive site in the country is the UNESCO-listed Tubbataha Reefs in Palawan.

Bird Watching, Butterfly Watching, Whale Watching, Dolphin Watching, Dragonfly watching are very enjoyable due to the Philippines' rich biodiversity, said to one of the highest in the world in terms of endemicity. There's a guaranteed sighting of giant manta rays in Ticao Pass in Sorsogon.

Cable Wakeboarding at Lago de Oro in Calatagan, Batangas, Camarines Sur Watersports Complex (CamSur or CWC), Republic Wakepark in Nuvali, Sta. Rosa, Laguna, and Deca Wakeboard Park in Davao City and Angeles City.

Surfing in the Philippines include beaches in La Union, Baler (Aurora), Siargao, and Bagasbas Beach in Daet, Camarines Norte. Wind surfing is an activity in some resorts and places like Caliraya Lake in Laguna province, Bulabog Beach on Boracay and other areas.

Kitesurfing and Kiteboarding can be enjoyed at Bulabog Beach on Boracay said to rival similar sites in Vietnam.

For adventure seekers, the Philippines is a zipline crazy nation with zipline (sometimes called flying fox or cable-gliding) at Outland Adventure in Davao City. Other zip lines in Davao are at Camp Sabros in Digos City, Eden Nature Park in Davao City and Tree Top Adventure Park in Subic Bay, Tagaytay Zipline at Picnic Grove, and La Mesa Ecopark and Quezon Circle in Quezon City (within Metro Manila).

Some of the world's best beaches bannered by the world famous Boracay plus hundreds of virgin islands and undeveloped beaches beckons, majestic waterfalls, unexplored caves (spelunking), kayaking, whitewater rafting, parasailing, water tubing, snorkeling and other water-based activities are yours to enjoy.

The secluded beach of Calaguas Island called Mahabang Buhangin: fine white sand all for yourself, perfect for backpackers

Adrenaline-filled Whitewater rafting in the rivers of Infanta/Real in Quezon, Cagayan de Oro River in CDO and Chico river in Kalinga in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

Massage services and spa are mushrooming with 1 hour massage in Manila typically costing just PhP300 and up. Try also traditional massage called hilot performed by a manghihilot and traditional foot spa/massage of the Cordilleras called dagdagay (or kolkolis)that uses bamboo sticks to massage your feet.

Colorful Philippine fiestas and festivals are there for your visual feast and shutterbugs all year round. Just look for the schedules and start your travel planning there.

colorful festival costume during street-dancing parade

You'll never run out of great suggestion for your travel itinerary!

Public Transportation and Moving Around:

Thinking of driving in the Philippines? You may avail of an international drivers license but not recommended. Filipinos drive like crazy; better let locals do it for you.

In Metro Manila, the fastest way to move around is to use the elevated rails, called MRT (Metro Rail Transit) and LRT (Light Rail Transit) cheap at PhP12.00 to PhP20.00 (about $0.50) depending on distance, then short cab or jeepney rides.

Taxis in the Philippines charge PhP40.00 ($1.00) for the first 500 meters, PhP3.50 for additional 300 meters and PhP3.50 for every two minutes of waiting time. This doesn't hold true in Baguio where the flagdown rate is only PhP30.00 due to lack of air-conditioning (unnecessary because of its cold weather).

Ferries are available to go island-hopping. You may check this site for some ferry companies and their trip schedules. Small outrigger boats, locally known as banca, can be hired at piers and beaches to transport you to nearby islands, go diving or snorkeling.

Cheapest domestic flights in the Philippines are those low fare promos various airlines: Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines (Asia's first airline), PAL Express, SEAir, ZestAir (formerly Asian Spirit), SkyPasada, SkyJet and AirAsia Philippines.

Buses ply EDSA, the megalopolis' main artery but prepare for heavy traffic so take the trains as much as you can. Bus terminals going to the provinces are mostly located in Cubao (Quezon City), EDSA Pasay City, LRT/Gil Puyat, and Caloocan/Monumento. All these scattered bus terminals will be transferred to central bus terminals near Balintawak in the north and the Magallanes in the south in the next few years.(Posts on destinations in this blog have guides on how to get to places you're interested in)

Jeepneys, who trace their origin to abandoned GI jeeps of WW2, offer connecting routes to every nook and cranny of the city and the whole country with preset routes and low fares, one of the cheapest in the world.

Tricycles, motorcycles fitted with sidecars, will get you to destinations in small towns and cities without taxis though, in some towns, cumbersome for lanky and wide-bodied people.

In remote areas, motorcyles are fitted to accommodate more people, called habal-habal or skylab.

Cheap car rentals and vans for hire can be contacted at hotels if they don't have hotel cars (this one usually works in the provinces)

Philippine Shopping Tips:

The Philippines is a shopping mecca with cheap souvenirs, goods and other items. Mall culture permeates in society evidenced by the mushrooming of large malls e.g. SM, Robinsons, Rustans, NCCC, Gaisano et al.

Haggling is acceptable in public markets like Divisoria, Baclaran and other bazaars (locally called Tiangge). If you're a local, you can get a better price if you can speak the local language or get one to haggle for you.

Please read Manila Shopping Guide for more information.

ATM, Banking and Money matters:

Currency used is the Philippine peso divided into 100 centavos. Denominations of PhP0.25, PhP1, PhP5, PhP10 coins and PhP20, PhP50, PhP100, PhP200, PhP500, PhP1000 paper bills.

Travelers checks are not honored in most establishments so better bring cash for most purchases and credit cards (VISA/Mastercard/JCB/Diners Club, AMEX) for those who accept them.

Exchange money at legitimate money changers and be wary of short-changers in hole-in-the-wall money changing shops (lots of them in Malate)

You may withdraw money from ATMs using your VISA/Plus/Mastercard/Cirrus/Maestro/JCB/CUP from several local ATMs. ATM charges apply, usually 3.5% of your withdrawal transaction plus PhP200.00 access fee per transaction.

Current Peso-Dollar exchange rate: US$1 = PhP45.00 (approximately, April 2014)

Safety and Security in the Philippines:

Is it safe in the Philippines? The Philippines, with its share of trouble spots common in the world, is a relatively safe destination and not really a dangerous backpacking destination. Just practice street smarts, similar thing you do in New York, L.A., London or other big cities; dress down so as not to attract attention. There are certain places that should be avoided at night but it should never apply to the whole country or risk losing the chance to see and experience what the Philippines offers to tourists!

Philippine tourism lags behind other southeast Asian countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore but it doesn't mean the Philippines is not a beautiful place. You're missing lots of things should you decide to bypass these paradise Philippine islands.

UPDATED: April 2014

Note: This is a living document. Periodic updates will be made if you will ask questions or leave comments

Labels: Travel Guides

posted by GingGoy @ 5:49 PM,

72 Comments:

At Jan 19, 2008, 11:47:00 PM, Tinunuy said...: wow! thanks for sharing! this guide will be very helpful to travelers out there. :)
At Jan 20, 2008, 10:32:00 AM, Nini said...: thanks for posting this. great info.

from US to our country, PAL is still economical vs. other airlines i.e., northwest, ual or jal

nini
At Jan 20, 2008, 11:05:00 AM, Anonymous said...: Thanks for the information. I'll check the flights offered by Cebu Pacific so I can determine the differences in price with those offered by Air Asia. I'm hoping to go to Pinas again this year.

(:
At Jan 20, 2008, 2:29:00 PM, pusa said...: wow great information and help to those who want to travel the philippines!

btw, congratulations on you new domain! =)
At Jan 20, 2008, 3:11:00 PM, GingGoy said...: ethyl alcohol,thanks for visiting. i also prefer ethyl over isopropic :P

nini, yep, PAL,i heard is still cheapest for direct flights but sometimes,doing more research and slight inconvenience by using promos and cheap connecting flights to neighboring countries can be cheaper (money wise)

kyels, look out for Cebu pacific promos :P

pusa, paki-link naman din :P
At Jan 20, 2008, 4:43:00 PM, x said...: these info aren't only helpful to foreigners but to people like me, too. :) just by reading, i'm excited to go backpacking... er... somewhere someday. haha. :) really. thank you for sharing. i kinda bookmarked the page. hehe.
At Jan 21, 2008, 1:41:00 AM, Anonymous said...: Ay ang galing! Kumpletong information! :) Tutubi, link ko 'to sa blog ko... pakibago na rin po ng link ko to http://sasha-says.com salamat!
At Jan 21, 2008, 5:08:00 AM, Anonymous said...: You really have a great blog about backpack travelling and this post holds a lot of interesting and important information - thanks for taking your time collecting and sharing this with us.

It very popular for Norwegians to travel to your part of the world and I have now updated my blogroll to show to all my readers and friends.
At Jan 21, 2008, 11:25:00 PM, GingGoy said...: acey, will update this page every now and then to add more information. pinas is not a popular backpack travel destination. heck, even the DOT possibly don't know backpackers exist besides the "usual" tourists

sasha, will also update my links. tnx

rennyba, thanks for the update.hope i can show you around my country someday possibly be your caddy while golfing :P
At Jan 22, 2008, 12:26:00 AM, Gypsy said...: Hey thanks for this--great info for my foreigh friends who wanna come to the PH to visit..:)
At Jan 22, 2008, 12:55:00 AM, Ronnie said...: congrats on the new domain titobi. :D will update my blogroll. ;)
At Jan 22, 2008, 4:08:00 PM, Mari said...: Great information. Thanks.
At Jan 22, 2008, 4:52:00 PM, GingGoy said...: gypsy, at least we're doing our part to promote philippine tourism :P

ironnie, thanks for the update

mari,thanks too
At Jan 22, 2008, 11:58:00 PM, rEeYuH said...: wow, new domain.. congrats!

guess it will be mostly on backpacking in pinas... as the title goes. hehe

really informative... i have yet to explore our country and it seems a looong way to go.

thanks for sharing!
At Jan 23, 2008, 9:59:00 PM, GingGoy said...: reeyuh,mostly pinas alright as i'm based here but you'll see sprinkling of asia like HK, Singapore et al :P
At Jan 28, 2008, 10:39:00 PM, Anonymous said...: Uy! New resource. Very useful ito.
At Feb 19, 2008, 8:38:00 PM, Anonymous said...: i always visit your blog for helpful travel hints. will be off to donsol very soon. thanks again! :)

will link you up, k?
At Feb 26, 2008, 1:53:00 AM, Unknown said...: We sell travel guide book online and we're looking for editors to write on philippines travel guide book. Would you be interested?
At Feb 26, 2008, 1:03:00 PM, GingGoy said...: marcus, it's a go for me. you may drop me a note at tutubi AT backpackingphilippines DOT com
At Apr 7, 2008, 8:23:00 PM, Anonymous said...: I think the visa free entry for a stay of no more than 21 days in the Philippines is now applicable to Russian passport holders, but not to Indian and Chinese passport holders. You may wish to verify this information from the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (www.dfa.gov.ph)and amend the information on your website accordingly.
At Apr 7, 2008, 8:35:00 PM, GingGoy said...: anonymous, that information on Indian and Chinese visa-free entry for 21 days was announced by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo herself on TV during her trips to India and China a few months back when she was wooing businessmen to invest in the Philippines. DFA, like other government agencies, has a dismal record in updating online information. but to be sure, contacting Philippine embassy is the best solution. thanks for the comment
At Apr 24, 2008, 3:39:00 PM, Anonymous said...: certainly, a nice read for tourists and filipinos like me who want to go around the country... thanks a lot!! now, i have something to share to my friends who wish to visit our country...
At Apr 27, 2008, 11:18:00 AM, Anonymous said...: nice info.. anyways, xchange link tayo, travel blog din sakin..
At May 19, 2008, 11:11:00 AM, Anonymous said...: nice post. if you're in the metro manila area don't forget to check out eastwood city. it offers alot of modern conviences and modern style entertainments.. if you want to pick-up a word or two of the tagalog language check out http://www.tagalog.com this site has a search engine with lost of sites written in tagalog. salamat po!
At Jun 25, 2008, 11:03:00 PM, Anonymous said...: I believed its fireflies watching not dragonfies. =D
At Aug 12, 2008, 5:42:00 AM, Anonymous said...: Hi Brother please tell me that in cotabato 2 star hotels rates how its will be ?
At Aug 12, 2008, 8:02:00 PM, GingGoy said...: anonymous, tutubi means dragonflies in Filipino that's why i have a special place for tutubi :P

anonymous again, sorry but I've never been to Cotabato. someday maybe...
At Aug 28, 2008, 1:14:00 PM, Anonymous said...: Wow, quite a comprehensive list here!
At Sep 1, 2008, 10:14:00 AM, Anonymous said...: Hi Brother.i want to visit philippine this year last(COTABATO).how is the daily spending money for a normal tourist there in cotabato?i mean food and transportation only....plz answer me ASAP.
At Sep 1, 2008, 9:41:00 PM, GingGoy said...: anonymous, i've only been to general santos city in south cotabato but since it's not an expensive place to live in like in Metro Manila, your budget depends on what you want to do and your preferences. for meals, i can go as low as P100 and up, fare depends on distance but still cheap while hotels, no idea there but P800 and up for a simple room will do. your mileage may vary
At Sep 2, 2008, 3:14:00 PM, Anonymous said...: Anonymous, i am from Cotabato. Glad to know that you want to visit our place. A lot of people are afraid of visiting our place because of rumors which is not all true. There are accommodation located in the center of town and easy access for a transport. For less than Php1,000 is not bad at all. You can have a complete meal at less than Php100.00. If you are not adventorous there's more option at Southseas mall.
At Oct 4, 2008, 1:22:00 PM, Trasherbaycity said...: nice domain...
At Oct 4, 2008, 1:26:00 PM, Trasherbaycity said...: informative domain....nice!...im on "baybay city,leyte" domain too....kuha din ako some of your articles in your domain tanx!...
At Oct 4, 2008, 1:52:00 PM, Anonymous said...: tanx 4 d info.
At Oct 4, 2008, 2:08:00 PM, GingGoy said...: randy, what do you mean by "kuha din ako articles in your domain?" please do not copy without attributing the source
At Oct 4, 2008, 2:53:00 PM, Trasherbaycity said...: ayt no pwobz!....
At Oct 4, 2008, 2:57:00 PM, Trasherbaycity said...: ayt...
At Oct 20, 2008, 12:08:00 PM, Unknown said...: hi tutubi! thanks for visiting my blog :) is it okay if we exchange links? i know you probably don't need it anymore, but it never hurts to ask :)
At Oct 20, 2008, 10:49:00 PM, Anonymous said...: can change american xpress at ayala shopping mall at the eastentrance in the turista shop in cebu if u get stuck
At Nov 5, 2008, 2:08:00 PM, Enaj16 said...: Thanks for posting that very wonderful places in and out of the country,that's a paradise!!!
At Nov 5, 2008, 4:12:00 PM, Anonymous said...: Hi, I would like to go to the San Antonio in January, but im not finding any hotel in San Antonio, can u help me.San antonio is in Nueva Ecija Provinance.Is it safe to go there in philippines.

Thanks.
At Nov 5, 2008, 8:39:00 PM, GingGoy said...: anonynous, no problem with safety there anytime. regarding hotels, there may not be any in San Antonio. you probably wold find one in neighboring Cabiao town.
At Dec 11, 2008, 6:47:00 AM, Anonymous said...: amazing! i like ur article... it'll be very handy for travellers!! atleast people are informed with the real situation coz I think there are places in the Philippines that are misjudged or media reports damaged the place's rep.. is it ok to exchange links?
At Feb 6, 2009, 10:44:00 AM, Anonymous said...: i LOVE Philippines!
At Feb 12, 2009, 10:40:00 PM, Anonymous said...: Manila has a new attraction. At Club Manila East in Taytay, Rizal you can now go surfing in their new wave pool. It's great fun and a cool change from the heat in Manila. The waves are only small, but you can have a good workout and actually surf the wave. They supply surfboards and you can even get lessons if you need.
At Feb 26, 2009, 5:46:00 PM, Anonymous said...: Hi, i was looking in the provences for misamis oriental, cant find it. I did find misamis occidental.
At Feb 26, 2009, 9:26:00 PM, GingGoy said...: anonymous, i have a draft post about misamis oriental. I've been to CDO and Balingoan pier only though...passed by the place going to Camiguin
At Apr 30, 2009, 11:57:00 PM, Unknown said...: i would like to ask the map of from zamboanga city to dakak, to dipolog, to dapitan, to dakak, email me asap...

jldcpunzalan@yahoo.com
At May 30, 2009, 2:29:00 PM, anti-happy said...: hi! may i ask, where that banner picture of yours was taken? it looks like an awesome beachfront... we want to go there! -river
At Jun 1, 2009, 11:40:00 AM, GingGoy said...: river, its from calaguas island ...camarines norte
At Jun 1, 2009, 3:06:00 PM, Dinjo Constantino said...: hi, this is dinjo constantino from Juan Magazine. Was wondering what tie-ups we can enter into for cross promotion of our companies. you may email me at dinjo.constantino@gmail.com should you have any ideas how we can work together:) thanks!
At Jun 9, 2009, 8:45:00 PM, Wolf said...: kudos for this wonderful website. thanks for highlighting the beautiful aspects of our country.
At Jun 9, 2009, 8:46:00 PM, Wolf said...: kudos for this wonderful website. thanks for highlighting the beautiful aspects of our country.
At Jul 29, 2009, 6:04:00 PM, Anonymous said...: Hello Tutubi, want to ask what is the safest way in the means of transportation when backpacking around the Philippines?
At Jul 30, 2009, 1:38:00 PM, GingGoy said...: anonymous, i take the planes nost of the time these days faster and cheaper with various promos of budget carriers. i only take ferries for short trips and not during typhoon seasons. after that provincial buses are ok too. there are only certain places i don't recommend you going mostly in western Mindanao and the ARMM.
At Aug 4, 2009, 8:44:00 PM, Anonymous said...: kuya, me and my classmates want an outing...we're studying in up diliman po pala...we want to go to a place that's cheap and fun...ung parang hindi pa nalulunod sa tourist at malapit lang dito sa qc...heheh...mga 500-1000 po ung budget namin...heheh...salamat po in advance kung matutulungan nu po kami...hahaha
At Aug 5, 2009, 9:47:00 PM, GingGoy said...: anonymous, i don't have an idea of how you define fun so i can't answer your question. i also live in QC near your school. at this time of year, i would recommend hot spring resorts in pansol and take hm transport bus to Calamba.
At Aug 6, 2009, 3:17:00 AM, Anonymous said...: after calaguas, come naman kau sa naga..
At Aug 8, 2009, 12:36:00 PM, GingGoy said...: anonymous, i've been to naga in 2003 but sadly no digicams then...all i have were crappy pictures :(
At Sep 21, 2009, 7:50:00 PM, Anonymous said...: hi....................
At Sep 21, 2009, 7:59:00 PM, Anonymous said...: hi!im erolyn from surigao del sur.......just wanna post to ask about richard poon my ultimate idol hehehehehehe....yah!.........thats true..............
At Feb 26, 2010, 1:25:00 PM, Anonymous said...: Thank you so much for this wonderful info. This is better than the guides at lonely planet and asia.com Do you know of any sites that offer vacation houses to rent on or near secluded calm water beaches for snorkeling? I just want to get away from it all for a bit in a beautiful non-tourist beach area. Would love your input. Thanks
At May 10, 2010, 4:20:00 PM, Anonymous said...: Yah i also wanna same info as Anonymous Feb 26 2010 1.25.00pm. All info kindly sent to me @ eastguy_@hotmail.com .... Thanks
At May 14, 2010, 1:33:00 PM, Resident Visa Philippines said...: This post really shows how beutiful the Philippines was. Feels great to be in the Philippines and to be a Filipino. By the way, this post is very informative and for sure many will gonna love it.
At May 27, 2010, 1:00:00 PM, cebu traveler said...: dyou guys do tie-ups with cebu mountaineers?
At May 27, 2010, 4:26:00 PM, GingGoy said...: cebu traveler, what do you mean by tieups? anyway, nope I don't. There's no other guy here but me :P
At Apr 17, 2011, 2:21:00 PM, Angie Zafra said...: Hi!

We were wondering if we could request for a post of support for our team in your blog. Your blog is one of the top blogs about travel and we hope that we can reach your readers and get them to vote for us. We'd love to win this travel opportunity and as a traveler I am sure you'd understand that. This is a once in a lifetime chance for us.

We are a group of 11 students taking up Masters in Management from the University of the Philippines Mindanao. We work full time in our respective careers and study during the weekends. We are in various fields, including education, government, NGO, banking, food industries.

We are currently vying to win the Intrepid Ultimate Inca Encounter Competition, a worldwide contest, whose prize is to send the entire group to Peru on a hiking expedition to Machu Picchu. We are the only Filipino team in the top 5 and we hope to win it. Currently we're third. Our team name is GOOD CHEETAHS! Our closest competitors come from UK, Portugal, Ireland and Australia

This all started with fun but we're really serious and determined to win because with a week to go, we're in it with a fighting chance. Bringing the Good Cheetahs on the TOP means bringing the FILIPINOs and DABAWENYOs on the TOP!

We would like to request your support for our all-Pinoy team in the form of a short post on how to vote for us. Social networking has always been the best way to send a message here in the Philippines. And I'm sure that the bayanihan spirit is still very much alive.

Some who have shown support include:

Lia Andrea Ramos (2006) BB Pilipinas - posted in FB page
GMA Davao and GMA Testigo and GMA UNa Ka BAi - posted in FB Page
Manila Buelletin - http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/314183/cheetahs-need-your-help-go-peru
SunStar Davao - article being published on the paper tomorrow
Mindanao Mirror - interview for an article tomorrow

If that is not possible, you can just vote for us. Every vote counts in this tight race. VOTING ENDS ON APRIL 24 hence the urgency!

Here's our voting page:

http://incacomp.intrepidtravel.com/gallery/803.aspx

You can the see GOOD CHEETAHS Ranking here...

http://incacomp.intrepidtravel.com/gallery.aspx?orderby=vote

I hope we can count on the Pinoy travel blogging community to help us.

GO PINOY!

Thanks

Angie Zafra and the Good Cheetahs!

Disclaimer: Vote swapping / exchange is not allowed as per Intrepid Rules (That means we cannot vote for someone in return for someone voting for us)
At May 8, 2011, 2:10:00 AM, Anonymous said...: I'm searching for halal food in Boracay, will be in Boracay on the 26 - 28 May 2011. Got any suggestion for that?
At Aug 11, 2011, 5:19:00 PM, Anonymous said...: Could you, please, inform what the exact dates of Ati-Atihan festival in January 2012?
Thank you.
At Aug 11, 2011, 6:12:00 PM, GingGoy said...: anonymous, ati-atihan falls on the 3rd sunday of january which is january 21, 2012
At Jan 5, 2012, 10:34:00 AM, Anonymous said...: Hi great blog! Im visiting my relatives in June for a week do you think that the weather at this time is completely terrible and should i put my trip off until a better time?
At Apr 24, 2012, 5:58:00 PM, broken mcfly said...: hi im planning to go off to puerto galera this october to november 2012 do you think the beach is goo that time of the year? what affordable but nice and clean hotel an you recommend? thank so much this blog really helps for a new traveler like me.

Backpacking Philippines Travel Guide and Tips

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