About Philippines Travel
The Philippines is a place that manages to remain off of the average budget backpacker’s Southeast Asian itinerary, which is a surprise because it is a great place to travel.
Cheap internal flights link many of the 7000+ islands and good local transport can get you around the islands once you’ve reached them.
This is a country that’s absolutely blessed with natural beauty. It’s also a country that has its own distinct character.
Although heavily influenced by American and Spanish culture through a history of foreign occupation, The Philippines still sets itself apart from the States, Spain and from the rest of Asia. Backpacking the Philippines is a blast and there is a good backpacker vibe on many of these stunning islands.
On this page you'll find all of the information on our blog about Philippines travel including the best places to visit, things to do, when to go and much more.
Things To Do In The Philippines
In the Philippines you can live out your Robinson Crusoe fantasies on a deserted island, or you can join the crowds at the breathtaking Boracay beach. You can enjoy some of the best diving and snorkelling in the world, or you can get lost in caves and jungle trails.
Below we've listed all of our posts about things to do in different places in the Philippines. Check them out to help you plan your Philippines travel itinerary.
Top 10 Things To Do in The Philippines
The Philippines is a awe-inspiring archipelago consisting of over 7000 islands. Obviously, you won’t be able to see and do everything there in just one visit, but here’s a list of our Top 10 Things To Do In The Philippines: 1. Go Scuba-Diving The ...
Places To Visit in The Philippines
The Philippines has 7,641 islands and it's a place where you could spend a lifetime and still have much to explore. The top places to visit include the touristy island of Boracay which has some of the Philippines' most beautiful beaches, the funky island of Palawan and the more laid back, off-track treasure of Siquior.
8 Best Places to Visit in Manila, Philippines
If you are travelling to the Philippines, it’s likely that your first port of call will be Manila. While it’s largely a city overshadowed by the far more popular destinations within the same Philippines archipelago, the attractions and places to visit in Manila are plentiful. Metro ...
A Solo Traveler’s Guide to Palawan, Philippines
Travelling solo is not for everyone, yes, but if you haven’t done it yet, you may want to add it to your bucket list. Solo travel will give you a sense of freedom that you would not be able to experience if you were travelling with ...
Budget Guide to Backpacking The Philippines
The Philippines is a place that manages to remain off of the average budget backpacker’s Southeast Asian itinerary, which is a surprise because it is a great place to travel. Cheap internal flights link many of the 7000+ islands and good local transport can get you ...
Philippines Travel Information
The Philippines is a pretty easy to travel and even though fewer backpackers make their way here because of need for flights, it's actually a great value once you get here.
A decent domestic flight network and ferry system means that you can travel the Philippines quite easily. When you get to a new island I recommend hiring a motorbike to get yourself around. You can usually rent them for around $5 / day and they're a great way to see most of the islands in the Philippines.
Below you'll find some posts that will help you plan an epic trip to The Philippines. There's a lot to know about this country, so take your time in the planning process and get ready for an amazing trip.
Philippines Travel Guide
The Philippines is a place that manages to remain off of the average budget backpacker’s Southeast Asian itinerary, which is a surprise because it's a great place to travel. This is a country that’s absolutely blessed with natural beauty and its own distinct character. Although heavily ...
Our Philippines Travel Blogs
We travelled around the Philippines for about a month and we still felt like we needed more time to explore! This country has so much to offer that you could definitely return time and time again. If you're planning to see a lot of places in The Philippines, I would recommend taking some domestic flights as the journeys on the ferries can be long and uncomfortable.
Below you'll find all of our Philippines travel blog posts. These are our own personal experiences in the country. Hopefully by reading them, you'll get a better idea of what Philippines travel will be like for you.
The Underground River in The Philippines – A New Natural Wonder Of The World
We ended up spending 14 glorious days in El Nido and didn’t see a drop of rain. The weather was spectacular, the sunsets extraordinary, the diving and snorkelling exceptional, and the local rum was delicious! It was a perfect little town. There wasn’t too much development, ...
El Nido, Philippines – Sunshine and Island Hopping, This Is The Life!
After Port Barton we headed up to El Nido, another beautiful beach town famous for its massive limestone karsts that erupt from the sea like enormous green daggers. We checked into our accommodation, and even though it wasn’t a Palawan resort, we still loved our little ...
Port Barton, Philippines – The Beauty Before Development
We took the 6 hour jeepney ride to Port Barton and even though we showed up to the terminal an hour and a half before the scheduled departure time, we managed to only just get the last two seats at the very back of the jeepney ...
Puerto Princesa, Philippines – Finally, a Day Of Sunshine!
We flew out of Donsol back to Manila and we were lucky once again. Many flights had been cancelled in the past few days due to the weather, but the clouds cleared the day we left (go figure) and we flew out of Donsol under the ...
Donsol, Philippines – Soaked and Sad to Miss The Whale Sharks
We booked a flight to Donsol for little more than the cost of the 13 hour bus ride, but upon arrival to the airport we started getting worried that the flight would be cancelled due to the weather. Luckily the storm stopped just long enough to ...
Travelling to Banaue, Philippines – Visiting Rice Terraces In a Torrential Downpour
In Banaue we were once again shocked by the unseasonable weather. The rain poured down the afternoon that we arrived so we sat in a quiet restaurant and enjoyed some delicious local specialties. We spoke to some other travellers who had done some treks around the ...
Travelling to The Philippines: Exploring the Old Town Of Vigan
We hate it when we have to plan everything while we’re travelling. We find it stressful having to book flights and hotel rooms in advance and decide how long we want to be in a country. Because who knows? Maybe we won’t like a certain place ...
Travelling The-Philippines: Exploring The Big City of Manila
Manila is split into a bunch of different areas: business & finance, malls & offices , Chinatown and the old town. We were staying in the old town, where all the budget accommodation, restaurants, go-go bars, gay clubs and prostitution takes place. Going out for the ...
THE BEST TIME OF YEAR TO VISIT
When To Travel To The Philippines
The Best Time To Visit: November-April
You can pretty much visit The Philippines at any time of year but we would definitely recommend avoiding the holy week (around Easter). The weather is unpredictable here so even if you come during the best possible time, you may have heavy rains.
The Philippines are best visited during the dry season, between November and April. This is when the island is most accessible and not at risk of typhoons and flooding.
At the same time, if you come during the off-season, there is a chance that you won’t see a drop of precipitation the entire time. Generally the best time to visit is from January to May, when the country is at its driest.
This is also the tourist high-season with most foreign visitors arriving between January and March. Most Filipinos are off for summer holidays in April and May but the crowds won’t really affect you except for the fact that you will hear more loud karaoke at night.
We visited The Philippines the first time during Easter and I have to say that if you're able to plan your trip around it, I would avoid coming during Easter and Christmas. If you have no choice, then definitely still come. Just know that many hotels and flights will be booked and prices will be very high compared to other times of the year. If you must come during these times, I'd recommend booking far in advance.
Typhoon season is from June to early December when dark clouds and torrential downpours can soak the coasts for days on end. Typhoons are unpredictable so just forget about them and see what happens!
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