We visited the Philippines in April 2018.
It was difficult to choose which islands to visit out of the 7000 in this beautiful country. So we did some research before the start of our journey and tried to put together a travel plan where we would get to see some of its most beautiful sights while staying as safe as possible. After a lot of reading we chose Palawan and Cebu as our main points of interest, plus the surrounding islands.
We hope our travel plan will give you some tips on what to see and where to go in the Philippines.
Best time to visit: November-April, which is their dry season. We had some rainy days in April, but the temperatures were around 30 Celsius during the day and 25 Celsius at night.
How to get there: Our starting point was Manila. We flew there from Denpasar, Bali by Cebu Pacific. The flight was £49/person.
Visa: Most countries don't need a visa to enter the Philippines and they get to stay for 30 days for free.
Time span: This travel plan covers about 3 weeks. Here you can read some advice on creating your own perfect travel plan:
https://steemit.com/travel/@peterveronika/step-by-step-guide-to-create-the-perfect-travel-plan
Budget: £1100/couple (excluding flights and travel insurance but including budget style accommodation, bus tickets, boat tickets, day trips, food...) How to travel on a low budget:
https://steemit.com/travel/@peterveronika/tips-for-low-budget-travel-in-asia
Exit fee: You'll need to pay an exit fee of 700php/person if you're flying out of Mactan Airport in Cebu. (you can only pay in cash in the local currency or USD and it only applies to international flights). You don't need to pay if your flight is from Manila, there it is already included in your ticket.
Average meal prices: You can get a meal at local restaurant for 150-200php. A meal for 2 people with drinks will cost you around 600-700php
Average accommodation prices: You can find a budget room for around 1200-1500php at most places. The cheapest room we stayed in was on Bantayan island, it cost us 800php and it was a nightmare. Our most expensive room was at Manila airport (2830php).
Money: You'll need to have a lot of cash on you wherever you go in the Philippines, as most places don't do card payments. You can withdraw cash from an ATM machine. You'll find in most towns, but keep in mind that most ATM machines will charge you 200-250php for a withdrawal. Your other option is to exchange USD or EUR to Pesos at a Palawan Pawn shop, which you'll find in most towns all over the country.
What to bring:
We only had 2x7kg small backpacks for this trip. Here you'll find what we packed to travel light:
https://steemit.com/travel/@peterveronika/preparation-for-5-weeks-travel-trhough-asia
How to stay safe: Most sources will advise against travel in Mindanao and the islands nearby. We stayed away from these places. We also kept a low profile, and avoided walking around in cities after dark. Basically we followed common sense.
Extra tips: Book your accommodation ahead of time (at least 1-2 weeks). Accommodation in the Philippines fills up fast, you'll have difficulties if you try to find a room when you get to a place (which is what we usually do when traveling through SE Asia).
So, let's see our trip then:
1. Manila - Our starting point in the Philippines:
We didn't go out in Manila, because we arrived quite late and we needed a rest, so we decided to get a hotel for that night as close to the airport as possible. We went to the information desk of the airport and they booked a room for us at Achievers Airport Hotel for 2830php. They also arranged transportation to the hotel for us.
We were very happy with the room, not so much with the food. Breakfast was included but it was only Filipino-style.
2. Coron, Busuanga island:
https://steemit.com/travel/@peterveronika/coron-palawan-the-philippines
3. El Nido:
https://steemit.com/philippines/@peterveronika/amazing-el-nido-on-palawan-the-philippines
4. Port Barton:
https://steemit.com/travel/@peterveronika/port-barton-palawan-the-philippines
5. Cebu:
Our first visit to Cebu City was only for 1 night before moving on to the islands on the north, but at the end of our journey we stayed there for 2 nights and did some sightseeing.
https://steemit.com/philippines/@peterveronika/2-days-in-cebu-city
6. Our journey to Bantayan and Malapascua:
https://steemit.com/travel/@peterveronika/how-to-get-to-bantayan-and-malapascua-cebu-the-philippines
7. Bantayan & Malapascua:
https://steemit.com/philippines/@peterveronika/visiting-bantayan-and-malapascua-cebu-the-philippines
