Get ready for a gushing report because I love the Philippines. Those who are on a backpacking tour of South-East Asia often skip it due to it being quite geographically separated from the mainland, but do yourself a favor and seriously consider visiting this fantastic country. It is in many ways the forgotten gem of the region.
Why you should go
The Philippines may not immediately trigger exotic mental images in the way thatThailand or Indonesia do, perhaps because it's relatively less known. To be honest, before I visited the Philippines I knew very little about it, but I'm glad I listened to those who told me to go there.
- Incredibly varied and densely packed with attractions. Whether you are looking for stunning beaches, mountain trekking, world-class diving, or cultural sites, the Philippines has it in spades.
- Easy contact with locals. Unlike other countries in Southeast Asia, there's not much of a language barrier as most people speak English. Filipinos are also by and large very friendly and welcoming people. Backpacking is very popular amongst Filipinos and you are likely to meet quite a few domestic tourists.
- Unique mix of Asian, Spanish colonial and US influences (as the Philippines was briefly a US colony). Expect to see 17th century baroque-style churches next to noodle stands, or to hear a mix of local Tagalog and heavily American-accented English coming from the radio.
- The most stunning tropical islands. The Philippines is one of the largest island groups in the world with 7,107 islands. The show Survivor shot many of its seasons on some of these gorgeous islands. If you are looking for incredible unspoiled beaches, you can find them here.
One caveat: if you are traveling the wider South-East Asia region, it may not be the most obvious starting destination, as it may seem at first glance 'less Asian' which could dissapoint if it's your first stop. However, if you have already been elsewhere in South-East Asia or don't mind something a bit different, The Philippines is a must-go destination.
Where to go in The Philippines
Some major destinations I've chosen to highlight. (There are many more places to see!)
The Philippines has many islands that are quite spread apart. Here is what each region is most known for:
- Palawan for beautiful nature, spectacular island hopping (around El Nido and Coron), and wreck diving around Coron. This is the region not to miss.
- Northern Luzon for hiking, caving, and the UNESCO world heritage rice terraces of Banaue
- Boracay Island is the most heavily advertised holiday destination of the Philippines. It's the least 'backpackery' place. Expect lots of resorts and activities like para-sailing, banana boats, jetskis, water-skiing, etc. Generally much higher prices here than elsewhere in the Philippines.
- Southeast Luzon (Bicol) has an impressive volcano near Legazpi which can be hiked. You can swim with whale sharks in nearby Donsol (though they were nowhere to be found when I tried myself). If the whale sharks fail to show up, go on a firefly watching tour along the nearby river. I know, it's not exactly the same calibre of wildlife, but it's a really lovely experience.
- Bohol for visiting local villages, seeing tarsier monkeys, and the quircky Chocolate Hills (slightly overrated, but still cool)
- Cebu is particularly of interest for scuba diving (check out Malapascua Island, and I've heard great things about Moalboal and Apo Island)
- Mindanao: very off the beaten track. Region has had some security issues so check travel advisories before going here.
Getting around
To get around anywwhere in Luzon, buses are your best bet.
As far as ferries go, the short ones are worth it: for instance between Bohol and Cebu or Cebu and Malapascua island. Taking a boat from El Nido to Coron Island is a particularly nice journey and is a bit of an attraction in itself. (You can also do this leg as a tour with an adventure company where you sleep in hammocks on deserted islands. Haven't done this myself but it seems like an amazing way to get from El Nido to Coron.)
However, ferries are not great for covering long distances. Forget about taking a boat from Manila to Palawan for instance; there's a boat connection but it only goes once a week and takes a good 28 hours to get there. Because everything is quite spread apart in the Philippines realistically you'll probably end up taking an internal flight or two if you want to see a lot. Fortunately local carriers offer pretty cheap flights:check Cebu Airlines, Tiger Air or AirAsia Zest.
Things to do in the Philippines
There is a ton to see in the Phillipines and while I've seen a lot I obviously haven't seen it all. Check the comments at the end for some suggestions from readers!
- Hop between stunning islands in the Bacuit Archipelago
Vietnam’s Halong Bay may be impressive but you’ll be just one of thousands upon thousands of visitors. Want to have the place more to yourself? Then go to the Bacuit Archipelago to the north of Palawan. The peaceful islands, secret beaches and karst cliffs are simply drop-dead gorgeous, and you can have some incredible snorkeling to boot. Some great island hopping tours depart from El Nido on Palawan and from Coron Island.
- Visit Echo Valley and the Hanging Coffins in Sagada
Hit up Northern Luzon and you might feel like you’re in a whole different country. As you get higher up in the mountains the feeling of tropical summer recedes, turning gradually into more of a gentle European spring with the smell of pine trees in the air. Sagada is a good base for trekking and caving. Read more about the hanging coffins and other Sagada attractions here.
- See the impressive Ifugao rice terraces
A UNESCO world heritage site, the rice terraces near Banaue in Northern Luzon are a major tourist attraction. I recommend making the hike to nearby Batad however; this village can only reached by foot, but you will be rewarded with the sight of stunning amphitheater-style rice terraces that are even more impressive than the ones at Banaue. Read my story of visiting Banaue and Batad.
- Go to a tarsier monkey sanctuary on Bohol
The island of Bohol is home to the rare tarsier monkeys, small nocturnal and giant-eyed creatures. You might be lucky enough to see them in the wild, though the semi-wild sanctuary on Bohol is your guaranteed way to see them.
- See the Chocolate Hills on Bohol
While I don't recommend going to Bohol just to see the Chocolate Hills (they're a little overrated), they are still a fun curiosity. For some unexplained reason the landscape in central Bohol is dotted with little Super Mario esque hills, which are chocolate-coloured for part of the year.
- Snorkel with whale sharks
These gentle giants are not dangerous to humans; they only eat plankton. But they are also the largest fish in existence and their scale is truly something to be appreciated. Donsol in Southeast Luzon and Oslob on Cebu are places where you can go on a boat and jump in the water right next to these huge creatures. Keep in mind however that sightings are by no mean guaranteed (even in season).
- Visit the Subterranean River National Park
Sabang on Palawan is home to one of the longest cave rivers in the world. The boat tour is interesting--you will see some cool rock formations and a lot of bats. Also of interest is the nature surrounding Sabang. Walk westward along the beach and you'll find a small waterfall that leads into the sea, and you can see hundreds of mudkicker fishes hanging onto the rocks here. Wake up early and take a boat tour of the nearby mangrove forest to see lots of snakes, crabs and tropical birds. Around the cave entrance, you can easily spot monkeys and giant lizards. Read more about Sabang and the Subterranean River.
- Learn to Scuba dive in Puerto Galera, near Manila
While you can get Open Water certified in tons of different locations, a popular place for Scuba training at highly competitive prices is Puerto Galera on Oriental Mindano. Read my 7 Tips For Learning to Scuba Dive. - Dive the great dive sites of the Philippines
The Philippines is truly a diver's paradise. Come face-to-face with rare thresher sharks around Malapascua Island (don't worry, they don't bite!), discover amazing WW2 wrecks around Coron Island, or dive the world's second-largest contiguous coral reef system of Apo Reef in Mindano. Bohol has some good wall dives around Panglao Island, and some very unique dive sites around Bien Unido where hundreds of statues of the Virgin Mary can be found on the ocean bottom. - Hike a giant volcano
The Philippines is home to some impressive volcanoes. There are several around Manila that can make for good day-trips (like Taal Volcano). I hiked Mount Mayon near Legasbi, which has one of the most symmetrical cones in the world (and is still a little active).
- Ride in a colourful Jeepney
All over the Philippines you will find Jeepneys--converted former US army jeeps that have often been painted in bright colours. Simply jump on board through the back and pass the money via the other passengers to the driver up front. The adventurous may want to try sitting on top of a Jeepney. Whenever you travel by boat, you will most likely be going by Banka, a type of catamaran you will only see in the Philippines.
- Be a beach bum
Need a break from your active travelling? There are beaches a-plenty to relax. Boracay Island is the prime beach resort location.
- Sing!
Filipinos love karaoke. Even in tiny villages with bamboo huts you may hear tunes like Livin' On A Prayer blast from the speakers after work hours. Filipinos are known to be very musically gifted, and it's said they're born with a guitar in their hands. Bring a bottle of rum and share the fun.
Lowlights
The big cities are not so appealing
Manila is a chaotic mess with too much traffic and not a lot of interesting sights. While chaos can have its charm (see Hanoi in Vietnam for instance) in Manila’s case it doesn't hold much appeal, and the historical sights around Intramuros are only of mild interest to foreigners. This is not say you can't have a great time in Manila (the nightlife for instance seemed very good), it can just be a little more difficult and stressful there.
Other entry points into the country are unfortunately not much more welcoming.Clark Airport (about 2 hours from Manila) is the main hub for budget carriers including AirAsia, but the nearby city is a fairly unappealing one with an economy apparently based largely on sex tourism. The second biggest city, Cebu, is less hectic than Manila, but not by much. Wherever you land, I recommend you head on to smaller towns and the countryside. This is where the Philippines truly shines.
The food is not to everyone's taste
I apologize to Filipinos who are clearly proud of their food, but the cuisine is not the best, at least to most foreign taste buds and relative to other countries in the region. I’ve spoken to locals who regard other Asian food with profound disdain (“the only flavor they have is spicy!”) and who see Filipino food as far more varied and sophisticated, but in my experience Filipino dishes get smothered with too much salt, too much sugar, or too much fat. Filipinos also love American-inspired fast food which can make finding healthier options more difficult at times.
There are of course some very good eateries and restaurants and some great Filipino dishes, but finding them can take a bit more effort than elsewhere. The situation is not like in Thailand where even the country’s worst cook can make you a half-decent Pad Thai, and so it's worth adjusting your expectations (or keeping an open mind) so you can find the good food that's out there.
Despite a few lowlights, the Philippines is absolutely worth a visit. For me, it easily ranks near the top of my favorite countries in South-East Asia!
The Philippines travel montage
This video covers my first two weeks in the Philippines. It starts in Manila, then the province of Bohol famed for its tarsier monkeys and the Chocolate Hills (which unfortunately were not chocolatey brown on my visit), then on to diving destination Malapascua Island, and finally to Legasbi where I climbed the volcano of Mt Mayon. It was quite rainy during these two weeks, but I still had an amazing time.
More info on The Philippines
On my destination pages I try to mix general information with a bit of personal flavor. Hope you find it useful!
There are a couple of resources I use myself when researching a destination. The first I want to mention is WikiVoyage, a free collaborative wikipedia-style travel guide. Since it's collaboratively written it lacks the personal touch (and the information on specific accommodation can often be outdated compared to other sources), but the site is absolutely perfect for high-level research. You can find the WikiVoyage page for The Philippines here.
Another little-known website that has a lot of useful information isTravelIndependent.info. It is specifically geared towards budget/backpacker style travel and has some great destination info.
Finally, for general travel advice that you can use in The Philippines or anywhere,check out my book Travel the World Without Worries. It deals with such topics as how to plan a trip, how to "wing it with a plan", how to budget your trip and reduce your expenses, dealing with language, safety or health related issues, how to pack the smart way, how to make your experience more unique and adventurous, and much much more. I've poured two years of continuous travel experience into trying to write a comprehensive guide, so be sure to have a look as it may save you lots of time, money and effort! I do also use *gasp* guidebooks! I have used Rough Guides occasionally (and I like them) but my favorite guidebook publisher is still Lonely Planet. People will sometimes refer to the Lonely Planet as "The Book" or "The Bible", and it's easy to joke about newbie travellers who clutch their Lonely Planet a bit too tightly. Nevertheless I find these guides to be indispensible sources of information; their maps and itineraries in particular are some of the best around. As long as you use them as aguide and not as a rule they can help you save a lot of time in figuring out a rough main thread for your journey from which you can improvise the rest. You can check out theThe Philippines Lonely Planet here. These days they're made available digitally as well (whole or by specific chapter).
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