Philippines
Asia · #6 in the world · 5 votes
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Votes for Philippines6 more votes to overtake 🇹🇼 Taiwan 👀
Who backed Philippines
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- A traveler1 vote
For the beaches!
- A traveler2 votes
Friendly people and the nature 10/10. Truly beautiful! min stay 3 weeks.
The short answer
December to March. Dry, breezy and outside the typhoon season, which runs roughly June to November.
Distances are the thing people underestimate. Seven thousand islands means internal flights and ferries, so pick two areas rather than five.
When to go
Best months: Dec to Apr
What a day costs
Per person, not counting flights.
- Guesthouse$15
- Carinderia meals$10
- Ferries and jeepneys$10
- Beach hotel$45
- Eating out$20
- Boats and domestic flights$20
- Resort room$140
- Restaurants$45
- Private boats and transfers$30
What your whole trip would cost
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Votes for PhilippinesHow far it is
- London to Manila14h
- Dubai to Manila8h 30m
- Singapore to Manila3h 50m
- Getting aroundDomestic flights and ferries, cheap but often delayed, leave slack
- When to avoidThe typhoon months, roughly August to October
Nonstop times from a few big hubs, to give you a sense of the distance. We have no idea which airport you are actually leaving from. Fares move weekly, so we leave those out.
When you land
- Airport to townTraffic decides everything. Use Grab rather than a street taxi, and allow twice the time you think you need.
- Cash or cardCash once you leave Manila and Cebu. Some islands have no working ATM at all, so draw money before you go.
- Getting onlineGlobe or Smart at the airport, cheap and instant. Coverage on small islands is patchy whatever you buy.
- What catches people outDomestic flights and ferries run late as a matter of routine. Never book a tight connection.
What not to miss in Philippines
- The Coron to El Nido boatThree or four days island hopping between the two, sleeping on beaches. The best thing in the country.
- Diving anywhereSome of the richest water on earth. Even a first open water course here is remarkable.
- The Banaue rice terracesTwo thousand years old, nine hours north of Manila, and almost nobody makes the trip.
- Siargao out of seasonSurf town without the crowd, and the interior is jungle and lagoons nobody photographs.
Still deciding?
🧳 Plan your trip to Philippines
Good to know
Curated with 
Nemo
Written and checked by hand. Nothing here about visas or entry rules: those change often and depend on your passport, so check an official source.