#Travel thoughts ph drivers#
For example, one night on Cebu, as the night crept on and no local buses passed for over 2 hours, the tricycle and scooter drivers would tell us that the last buses had been and gone. We found (only sometimes) that the tricycle drivers could be a little deceiving in order to get our custom. The only time you may experience any feelings of frustration is perhaps whilst travelling around the islands in the Philippines.
They love to smile too and it’s likely you’ll find it infectious! Filipinos are not suspicious or greedy, but are kind and nearly always happy to help. The Filipino culture is extremely friendly and people really want you to enjoy your time.
Some more basic than others, depending on which island you’re on, but generally you can converse with some ease with anyone. It was impossible to sleep! Even better, keep a silk sleeping bag at hand!Įnjoying glorious weather in El Nido Befriend the Filipino localsĮveryone in the Philippines speaks English! The zircon was freezing so I tried to bury myself under a few pairs of shorts and some tops. One time, I found myself at the airport when all my belongings waiting for a 12 hour delay(!) I had been checked in so my luggage was nowhere near. On planes, ferries, buses and unforgettably in Manila airport. The same goes for buses, you’ll be winding through villages, mountains and rice paddies and the scenery is stunning. Volcanic islands, dense jungle or stretches of twinkly turquoise seas and amazing sand bars – you won’t want to miss the photo opportunity.
So my top travel tip for the Philippines would be to always ask for some signed proof from an official to avoid frustrating implications and expensive penalties! Always try and get a window seatĪlways! Seeing the Philippines’ many islands from the sky is quite something. The return taxi at 10pm was an extra cost, and the worrying that the coastguard had closed for the night was not pleasant. In order for Cebu Pacific to allow us to get on a later connecting flight without a penalty, we had to go back to the port and get the coastguard to write and sign a letter confirming the delay/cancellations. I wouldn’t have known to do this had we not found ourselves in the above situation. It took us 30 hours in the end (to travel about 400km).Įmbracing the stormy weather in the Philippines Get proof of any delays/cancellations at the time Therefore, we had to wait many hours before flying back to Manila to connect and fly back down. We were booked on the only direct flight out of Cebu to Puerto Princesa but we missed it. Weather, cancellations, traffic – all these things can have a big impact on travel in the Philippines.Ī cyclone meant that a huge backlog of passengers were trying to get a ferry from Tagbilaran (Bohol) to Cebu, and this meant (despite arriving hours ahead of time) that the first ferry we could get departed after our scheduled flight time out of Cebu. Generally, you should leave as much time as possible whilst moving around on travelling days. All the segments can add up, or sometimes the only option is to fly back to Manila to catch another fight to the next island. In the planning stages, it can be wise to dedicate an entire day to travelling between islands in the Philippines. This is really important advice for travelling around the Philippines. To be honest, this may well be the most useful of my Philippines travel tips as you can’t get that far without some money!Īnother paradise beach in El Nido Leave plenty of time for travelling between islands in the Philippines You may need to stock up on Philippine Pesos a little way ahead. On the same note, not all ATMs in the Philippines take international cards so always think ahead about your money needs. You really don’t want to be stuck anywhere without cash – many hostels etc will not take card payments either. To be on the safe side, always try and keep a reasonable amount of the local currency (Philippine Pesos – PHP) on you. Places like Manila, Cebu and Boracay have plentiful ATMs but many of the smaller Philippines islands do not have ATMs.Įl Nido in 2014 didn’t have an ATM, but by January 2017 there was one ATM. Enjoying Dumaluan Beach on Bohol Check for ATMs on the islands in the Philippines’Īs you fix up your travel plans around the islands of the Philippines, don’t assume there’ll be an ATM where you’re staying.Įither research ahead of time or ask your hostel/hotel.
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