ENGLISH.KUPASONLINE.COM–This country in the eastern part of the Asian continent has around 7 thousand islands. The Philippines has many enchanting destinations that attract the attention of tourists to visit them.
When you want to visit the Philippines, you should pay attention to the following things and tips.
1. Schedule a summer vacation
The first tip for traveling to the Philippines, this rice-granary country, is a country prone to typhoon storms. Heavy rains that can flood the main road can occur within 1 hour.
Not to mention if the rain is accompanied by strong winds that are destructive. So, travelers should schedule a vacation to the Philippines during the summer, which is around March to June.
2. Language
The second tip for traveling to the Philippines, if you plan to travel to the Philippines, don’t worry because of the language barrier. Because almost 90% of Filipinos can speak English and are quite fluent. This is one of the strengths of the Philippines, so it is friendly to travelers from various countries.
So, you don’t need to be afraid that it will be difficult to communicate while there, either to ask for directions or just to chat.
3. In some locations, internet access is not optimal
The third tip for traveling to the Philippines, internet access in the Philippines is still not satisfactory, like in several other Southeast Asian countries. So, you have to be patient to access adequate internet in several locations.
Maybe you can use the largest local data service providers in the Philippines, namely Smart and Globe. However, the internet connection is still not optimal because in some places it only gets a 2G signal.
4. There is an entrance fee to access some beaches
The 4th tip for traveling to the Philippines, the local tour manager will charge a fee for battery maintenance. The location for getting to some of the beaches in the Philippines is huge.
The tour guide can provide alternatives to several beaches at a low cost of around 25 Pesos compared to the high-cost entrance of around 250 Pesos.
5. Prioritize visiting safe destinations
The 5th tip for traveling to the Philippines, security is the most important thing when traveling to other countries. Tourists must take care of themselves to prevent unwanted crimes.
Until now, several areas in the Philippines are still considered unsafe for foreign tourists. As a traveler, you should prepare everything well from planning to destination.
6. Comfort room is a designation for the toilet
The 6th tip for traveling to the Philippines, the term comfort room is used as a designation for toilets and bathrooms which are unique in the Philippines. When you’re walking around and you’re dying for it, you’ll probably rarely find toilet writing in a few places.
Because usually bathrooms or toilets in the Philippines use the Kalima Comfort Room, which is shortened to CR. So, you should remember this while traveling to the Philippines.
7. Always use a waterproof bag
Tips for traveling to the 7th Philippines, the Philippines is close to the Pacific Ocean and has a tropical climate. High rainfall can occur at any time even during the dry season.
Maybe you are planning to visit El Nido, Coron, or Panglao beaches, so you should use a waterproof bag to make your trip more enjoyable. It would be better if you also prepare a simple raincoat just in case it rains.
8. Taste street food in the Philippines
The 8th tip for traveling to the Philippines, is street food in the Philippines, especially in Manila, is quite delicious and cheap, and provides lots of local food such as bananas, potatoes, or rice porridge. Street food in the Philippines is widely scattered at various points on the roadside.
Even so, you should also always be careful in choosing what attracts your attention to eat it. You have to make sure the main ingredients and halal are because you also don’t know whether the vendor’s stall serves hygienic food.
9. Avoid markets or shopping centers
The 9th tip for traveling to the Philippines, when visiting the Philippines, you should avoid markets or shopping centers. This is because there are several areas that are highly not recommended for tourists to visit.
Even local Filipinos are aware of this, due to the low level of security. Like Divisoria, which is a cheap shopping place that is prone to pickpockets and thieves.
10. Find a place to stay through Air
The 10th tip for traveling to the Philippines, is to find lodging in the Philippines, is not difficult and there are no rules against Airbnb. In contrast to Asian countries such as Japan or Singapore.
When visiting the Philippines, you should look for accommodation through Airbnb because it has affordable prices compared to other Asian countries. Through Airbnb, you can choose and compare prices that suit your budget.
11. Be wary of money changers
Last tip for traveling to the Philippines, when exchanging money you should be careful because money changers are reported to be deceiving tourists and scamming. When on vacation to the Philippines, you may need cash with a small exchange nominal.
This is because the majority of vehicles and transportation in the Philippines do not accept credit card payments, so travelers must always prepare cash for it.
Apart from that, here are some interesting facts about the Philippines
1. Cheap alcohol prices
For those who can drink alcohol, the price of alcohol in the Philippines is not much different from Indonesia, they even say it can be much cheaper. But you have to be careful too, don’t drink too much because it’s cheap because it gets out of hand. Besides that, it can harm yourself, it can harm others too.
2. Currently the Philippines has its own policy for accepting tourists
Indonesia is in the green category. Currently, the Philippine Government divides into three categories of countries that are allowed to visit their country, namely green (low risk), yellow (medium risk), and red (high risk) categories. Indonesia is currently in the green category.
“Indonesia is included in the green category. It’s just that the Philippine government has not yet opened it to tourists.”
“There are only a few categories that can enter the Philippines, one of which is Indonesians who have settled in the Philippines,” said Sella Utami, Philippines Department of Tourism (PDOT) Jakarta representative, as quoted by Kompas.com from a written statement, Monday (27 /12/2021). In more detail, the Philippine Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) detailed the classification, as reported by CNN Philippines, Monday. Apart from Indonesia, several other countries included in the green category include Bangladesh, Benin, Butan, Chad, Congo, Hong Kong, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait, Liberia, Morocco, Pakistan, Senegal, and others. It was explained that regardless of vaccination status, foreign tourists who enter the green list must also show a negative RT-PCR test taken 72 hours before departure from their country of origin. Travelers who are fully vaccinated must still undergo facility-based quarantine and show negative RT-PCR p
3. Interesting tourist destinations in the Philippines
Even though foreign tourists cannot visit it, including tourists from Indonesia, can see several tourist destinations and interesting attractions that can be visited when traveling to the Philippines. For example, the Philippines has a large Muslim community in Mindanao, one of the country’s largest islands. This of course can be an option for Indonesian tourists who are looking for Muslim-friendly destinations. The Philippines is also one of the most popular diving destinations in the world, making it suitable for tourists who like underwater beauty. This year, the country which has more than 7,000 islands was awarded The World Leading Dive Destination Award from the World Travel Award 2021.
4. Ease of access and language
For Indonesian tourists, the Philippines is also relatively easy to access. The distance to the Philippines is also not too long or only about four hours from Jakarta. There are several choices of airlines that can be used, such as Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific Air, and Garuda Indonesia, which fly directly from Jakarta.
