Philippines Travel
TravelOnline presents Philippines travel page which gives you a simple overview of popular tourist destinations in the Philippines. On each of the featured tourist destination in this Philippines travel guide such as boracay, cebu ,bohol and manila hotels, you will discover interesting destination, things to do, Philippines travel tips and how to get there. Travelonline has included pages in this site to help you better understand the Philippines and how to get around while sharing insights on the “Hot Spots” available to Philippines Travelers. A Travelonline agent is always waiting to answer any questions that you might have about your Philippines vacation and assist you accordingly.
Communication and getting around the
country is easy since most Filipinos understand and speak
English. Mobile phones are available everywhere along with sim
cards and load. The most popular local companies with the best
coverage are “Smart” and “Globe”. Also, foreign currency can
easily be converted into Philippine Peso and all major credit
cards are accepted in most establishments. (Note: When using
credit cards you may incur service bank charge of 5-7 percent.
and travelers checks are difficult to use.)
Filipinos are a fun-loving and friendly
people. Throughout the islands, there are festivals celebrated
everyday and foreign guests are always welcome in their homes.
The Top Hot Spots such as Boracay (number1 destination), Cebu
and Bohol travel destination on this guide is a must see.
Travelonline recommends the most frequently visited tourist
spots in the Philippines such as: the capital city of Manila;
Boracay Beach; Baguio - the summer capital of the Philippines;
Bohol Island; Corregidor Island; Cebu City; Davao City; the
Islands of Palawan; the Hundred Islands of Pangasinan; Puerto
Galera Beach; the old Spanish colonial city and UNESCO World
Heritage Site of Vigan in Ilocos Sur and the breathtaking Banaue
Rice Terraces.
PHILIPPINES TRAVEL VISA
ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS:
US Citizens may
enter the Philippines without a visa upon presentation of their
U.S. passport, valid for at least six months after the date of
entry into the Philippines, and a return ticket to the United
States or an onward ticket to another country.
Upon arrival immigration authorities will annotate your
passport with an entry visa valid for 21 days.
If you plan to stay longer than 21 days you must apply
for an extension at the Philippine Bureau of Immigration and
Deportation's main office at Magallanes Drive; Intramuros,
Manila, Philippines, or at any of its provincial offices (More
information Philippines Government Site
http://www.immigration.gov.ph).
Persons who overstay their visas are
subject to fines and detention by Philippine immigration
authorities.
American citizens are urged to remain aware of their visa status
while in the Philippines and to strictly follow immigration laws
and regulations.
Travelers departing the country from international airports must
pay a Passenger Service Charge in Philippine Pesos (Can range
from PHP500 and up).
For further information on entry/exit requirements, please
contact the Embassy of the Philippines at: 1600 Massachusetts
Avenue N.W., Washington, DC 20036 (telephone: (202) 467-9300),
or one of the Philippine consulates in the United States
(Chicago, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco) or
via the Internet at http://www.philippineembassy-usa.org.
Special requirements exist for the entry of
unaccompanied minors.
In an effort to prevent international child abduction,
the Philippine government requires that a waiver of exclusion be
obtained from a Philippine Embassy or Consulate or from the
Bureau of Immigration and Detention in Manila for a child under
15 years of age who plans to enter the Philippines unaccompanied
by either a parent or legal guardian prior to the child's entry
into the Philippines.
ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES
The Philippines archipelago consists of
7,107 islands with a total land area of 300,000 square
kilometers or 115,830.60 square miles
(about the size as Italy).
The 11 largest islands contain 94% of the total land area. The
largest of these islands is Luzon at about 105,000 km². It is
where the capital city of Manila is located. The next largest
island is Mindanao at about 94,600 km². The Philippines is
around 800 km from the Asian mainland and is located between
Taiwan and Borneo.
The
Philippines islands are divided into three groups: Luzon,
Visayas, and Mindanao. The Luzon islands include Luzon itself,
Mindoro, Palawan, Masbate, and other smaller islands. The
Visayas is a group of several small islands, the largest of
which are: Panay, Negros, Cebu, Bohol, Leyte, and Samar.
Mindanao island includes Mindanao island itself and the Sulu
Archipelago, composed of Tawi-Tawi, Basilan and Sulu. Each
island group has a Philippine destination worth visiting.
Philippines Climate is hot, humid,
and tropical. The average yearly temperature is around 26.5°
Celsius. Filipinos generally recognize three seasons:
Low Season / Rainy Season: June 01 to
October
High Season / Summer : November 01 to June 01 with the summer heat really picking up in March, April and May.
Peak Season: December 15 to Jan 15, Holy Week, Chinese New Year - Most expensive time to travel to Philippines - Highest hotel and resort rates
Philippine Population: 87,000,000 / Per
Capita Income: $4,800
Literacy: 93%
HIV-AIDS Prevalence: >0.1%
Electricity: 220V (110V is available,
mostly in major hotels)
The islands of the Philippine archipelago
are volcanic in origin and are mountainous. The islands are part
of the Pacific Ring of Fire. Mt. Apo (2,954 meters above sea
level) in Mindanao is the highest peak, while the second highest
peak is Mt. Pulog in Luzon. It rises 2,842 meters above sea
level. The Philippines have numerous rivers, volcanoes, streams,
narrow coastal plains and beautiful sandy beaches which foreign
and local tourist enjoy. The country has a total of 36,289
kilometers of coastline.
Forms of Transportation
Travel within the Philippines is not difficult, all forms of public transportation are available everywhere. There are all kinds of public transportation available to tourist and locals: In Metro Manila, there are:
taxi’s
– taxi’s are everywhere – one merely puts out his hand and there
is one instantly. Travel Tip: It’s always cheaper to walk out
your hotel and flag a taxi down, because parked taxi at the
hotel will usually cost triple the price. Always make the taxi
driver turn on the meter – it’s the law! If the taxi driver
negotiates a price with you, well, you will pay probably double
the meter. However, the cost is still extremely cheap.
Taxi cab drivers usually expects a small tip from
foreigners like PHP20 peso (about .50cents us) which is an
extremely nice gesture.
Buses – The buses are very where along any major street and bus terminals are available to go to any provincial destination. Jumping on the bus around the city only cost about PHP10 or .25 cents us. The price varies according to how nice the bus and if it is air conditioned. There are many buses lines and this is an economical way to travel around the Philippines.
LRT - The Manila Light Rail Transit System, popularly known as the LRT, is the main metropolitan rail system serving the Metro Manila area in the Philippines. There are two lines to the LRT: LRT-1, called the Yellow Line, and MRT-2, called the Purple Line. Although the system is referred to as a "light rail" system, arguably because the network is mostly elevated, the system is more akin to a rapid transit (metro) system in European-North American terms.
MRT - The Manila Metro Rail Transit System,
popularly known as the MRT, Metrostar Express or Metrostar, is
part of the metropolitan rail system in the Metro Manila area of
the Philippines, the Strong Republic Transit System (SRTS).[1]
It has a single line, MRT-3 or the Blue Line. Although it has
characteristics of light rail, such as the type of rolling stock
used, it is more akin to a rapid transit system. It is not
related to the Manila Light Rail Transit
System, a separate but
linked system.
Jeepney's - Jeepneys are the most popular
means of public transportation in the Philippines. They were
originally made from US military jeeps left over from World War
II and are well known for their flamboyant decoration and
crowded seating. They have also become a symbol of Philippine
culture.
FX - this is a cheap van that picks up
passengers that pay 3 peso more for upgrade from jeepney. FX is
an air conditioned vehicle, but stops all the time
along the street continuously dropping off and picking up
passengers like the jeepney.
Tricycles – Tricycles are basically a motorcycle with a two man side car. There easy to find and can get you up the street fast. Tricycles are not as abundant in Metro Manila but the province there usually the major form of transportation. Try it – It’s fun!
Pedicab – Same as a tricycle, but has no motor. Basically a bicycle with a side car.
Rent-a-car – There is car rentals, but
usually they come with a driver. If you have a strong visa, you
can get without just carry your passport if you get stopped by a
police traffic enforcer.
It may save you from a ticket!
Language
The official languages in the Philippines are Filipino and English. Filipino, which is based on the Tagalog dialect (the dialect of national capital region), is the national language. English is also widely used and is the medium of instruction in higher education in the Philippines. There are also 76 major local languages and more than 500 different minor dialects throughout the archipelago. 83% of Filipinos are Roman Catholic. The rest are made up of smaller Christian denominations e.g. Moslems and Buddhist. The deeper you travel in the Philippines the language barrier is more difficult, but there is always someone – somewhere that can speak English.
Travel Agencies - Warnings
There are many travel agencies in the
Philippines ranging from big executive offices to mamma/papa
operations in the home.
Be careful in your transactions. Always
make sure that the travel agency that you are dealing with is
well known, licensed, has an office location that is
respectable, internet/web site presents and can be easily
contacted (having more than one phone line). Be cautious if the
Philippines travel agency can only be contacted by a cell phone
number.
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