The Philippines is an archipelago of over 7,000 islands and is well and truly a paradise on Earth for tourists who seek variety in their tour. With a spectacular tropical climate, amazing landscape views, pristine beaches, a plethora of outdoor activities, mouth-watering cuisine, and friendly people, the Philippines is fast becoming one of the most favored destinations for tourists.
As the Philippines has a lot of islands you’d like to visit across your Philippines tour, and with the variety of options and experiences available, it can get a little messy if your tour isn’t planned with attention. The trip can get a little bit overwhelming, but that can be avoided if you follow some tips and do’s and don’ts during your trip.
Here are the 6 best travel tips for your trip to the Philippines to ensure you have a hassle-free vacation experience.
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Ideal time to visit
It is very important to understand the ideal time to travel to a country before planning your vacation. The time you visit a country could potentially make or break your trip. For the Philippines, it is ideal to travel during the dry season, which is between the months of November – April. This is the season where there are no rains, and also the climate isn’t too hot, which will ensure you have a pleasant sightseeing experience. Ensure you avoid traveling to the Philippines in the monsoon months (June-early November) as there can be torrential rains and typhoons throughout the country, which could throw your vacation into a mess.
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Ensure you have enough time to travel between islands
Most of the places that you’d cover in the Philippines are islands, and you may have to hop islands frequently depend on how tightly packed your itinerary is. The Philippines’ traffic is at chaos sometimes, and the roads could be jam-packed. So this could potentially take a lot of time to travel between islands/cities. Ensure you give enough time to travel and that you don’t have any immediate experiences/activities/plans to do right after you land in the new island, as it may go for a toss if it gets delayed to reach.
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The Philippines is a cash-centric country
Carrying cash in hand during your Philippines tour is a must. While you are in the major cities like Manila, you will find a lot of shops and outlets who will be accepting international cards, and it will be easier to survive without cash but with just your credit cards.
But once you step out of the major cities and venture into smaller islands/towns, finding ATMs can be a really tedious task, and almost many of the small businesses don’t accept international cards, and they accept only cash. So it becomes a must that you should carry cash in hand apart from a credit card throughout the trip as there are many chances that you may end up purchasing in a local business that doesn’t accept cards. Safe than sorry! - Using public transportation is efficient
The Philippines is a huge country with a lot of its attractions strewn across the vast cities/islands. So traveling to several spots of attractions with a particular city/island can be hectic if you don’t choose the right mode of transportation.
The public transportation (buses and metros) in the Philippines is quite efficient. If you are hiring a car or a taxi to travel across to all the spots within the country, it can be very very expensive, and also it is very time-consuming considering how packed the roads are in the Philippines. So by choosing public transportation, you are not only saving money, but you are saving time as well. Not to forget you save the environment too!
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Basic knowledge of Filipino can be quite helpful
The Philippines has an astounding 120-180 languages and dialects spoken across the country, with the common one being Filipino. Although several people speak English, especially in the cities, language can be a small barrier once you cross the major cities to relatively lesser-known islands/towns.
There are many locals who are comfortable interacting in Filipino, and basic knowledge of the local language will help you a lot as you traverse through the country. Also, the locals will be quite impressed by the efforts you had taken to learn their local language and hence be prepared for a warmer reception!
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Choose the right stay options
The Philippines offers a variety of stay options, fitting the budget of every traveler. You can find an accommodation similar to a dormitory if you are looking for cheap options, and at the same time, you can also find villas and hotels with world-class facilities for those who are looking for a luxurious and classy accommodation. Hence, it is very important to understand and plan the type of accommodation you are looking for, as a bad accommodation could break your trip!
Few factors that you can consider while deciding on accommodation are the type of stay, budget, distance from the city center, facilities, etc. All these options will ensure you make a well-informed decision.
Touring the Philippines can be a once in a lifetime experience considering the amazing memories you will make in this beautiful country. There are a lot of options and variety in anything and everything that you want to do in the Philippines, right from the places you visit to the food you eat. Thus, it is very important that such a vacation should be carefully planned so that there are no hassles in your vacation. That is where experts in travel companies like Pickyourtrail, Yatra come into play, where they will be able to curate the perfect Philippines tour from their Philippines tour packages. Now that you know everything that you need to know, what are you waiting for? Pack your bags and hop your way off to the amazing islands of the Philippines!
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