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