Philippines Favorites

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Most Viewed Favorites in Philippines

26.

People/Local Culture   Manila

People/Local Culture, Manila

 25 Reviews  Previously, someone said you needed to dress up - don't wear shorts and t-shirts. I respectfully disagree with that. During the day plenty people wear shorts. Maybe if you are going out for supper or... 

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27.

City Streets/City Scene   Manila

City Streets/City Scene, Manila

 23 Reviews  I agree with all of them. and so you could be sure. you can verify this site for weather updates. PAGASA is where all radio station, media, and most people in the Philippines get there forecast for... 

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28.

Intramuros   Manila

Intramuros, Manila

 10 Reviews  The Spanish, who replaced the wooden buildings with stone, rebuilt the original Chinese settlement on this site as a fort in 1590. Gradually the area was expanded until it became a walled city... 

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29.

Just outside Metro Manila...   Manila

Just outside Metro Manila..., Manila

 8 Reviews  visit some tourist spots there, it is very nice place especially in Tagaytay it is very nice place. I really missed some of my friends there especially...the time when we are celebrating our religious... 

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30.

Shopping and Malling   Manila

Shopping and Malling, Manila

 7 Reviews  Most ATM's in Metro Manila Area allow withrawals of International ATM consortiums like Cirrus, Maestro and Plus. Just look at the symbols at the ATM booths to see if they accept International ATMs... 

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31.

Parks   Manila

Parks, Manila

 2 Reviews  'Jose Rizal' the Philippine national hero is burried here with it's monument located at the center of these park. These park has a childrens playground, japanese garden, chinese garden, planetarium,... 

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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Prepare yourself

by EdVallance

If you want to go to one of the 4 main tourist hotspots - Boracay, North Palawan, North Mindoro or North Luzon - it will all be relatively easy. If, however, you want to get really off the beaten track you will have to suffer long uncomfortable journeys on terrible roads, delays, lack of decent food and incomprehensible stuff like the use of this lopsided gangway to reach the Odiongan - Roxas boat which you're SURE it would be simple to do more safely without that much more effort. Off the beaten path travel in the Philippines is not easy but it certainly is rewarding.

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Weather: best time to visit Philippines?

by jumpingnorman

There are 7000 islands and you will have to pinpoint which location you are going to in the Philippines. Weather is determined by the southwest monsoon (June to November with heavy rain )and northeast monsoon (November to May - but bringing rain mostly to the exposed eastern islands). And there are actually 5 climatic zones - depending how the island is exposed to the monsoons.Manila is at the west side and it is very wet from June to November, meaning a lot of traffic because the streets easily get clogged up even with a little shower. Then, it is dry the rest of the year.The hottest months, and most often the driest, would be April and May - and this actually coincides with the summer vacation for schoolkids. Holy Week is also well-celebrated in this country and so, expect lots of hotels booked in adavance in tourist hotspots like Boracay. But about 20 typhoons can attack the northern...

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Want to see rice paddies,old Spanish houses,etc?

by cyndymc

Just sharing my reply to fellow VTer: Hi,Murra. Thank you for your interest in our country. You didn't say where,when and for how long you are going to stay. The places you can visit depends on these factors. Assuming that you will be based in Manila and have limited time, I suggest that you visit the province of Laguna. There,you can still see rice paddies along the highway,and visit some towns with old but well maintained Spanish-inspired houses. You can even go to the house of our national hero,Jose Rizal in Calamba, and see their antique furniture that will give you an idea of how the old folks lived. Unfortunately,there is no more train traveling to the province,but you'll enjoy the travel by airconditioned bus. Yes,you can try to request for an improvised bus route map from the bus terminals; I say improvised because they don't have any printed map route for sale,but they can...

Info for scaling up the Mayon Volcano

by jumpingnorman

This is info for mountain climbers!Depending on current volcanic activity, you can climb up the amazing Mayon Volcano in Legaspi City. "Bundok Philippines" offers mountain climbers important info about conquering this natural wonder: http://www.geocities.com/yosemite/3712/gmayon1.htmlMount Mayon has erupted at least 48 times - it is just one of the 200 volcanoes in the Philippines (22 are active). Contact the Department of Tourism (DOT) office in Legazpi City at (052) 482-0712 / 482-0813. PHIVOLCS is the national organization that monitors volcanic activity and they coordinate with DOT which in turn can provide you with experienced guides.Here is a link to a 4-day schedule to scale up this volcano: http://www.aenet.org/mayon/mayclimb.htm

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Exactly how many islands in the Philippines?

by jumpingnorman

Well, the official count is 7107 --- but an island or two disappears at high tide! The Philippines land mass though is smaller than California - and is actually almost exactly as the surface area of the whole state of Arizona where I live now. There are 3 major land clusters-masses --- Luzon (where Manila), Visayas and Mindanao (where the Muslims are predominantly). Over 90% of Filipinos are Roman Catholics, a result of Spanish colonialization. And we are devout Catholics, really going to mass every Sunday. I feel incomplete when I did not attend mass...Visayas is exciting because it does have wonderful clusters of islands which include cebu and Bohol...and the famed Boaracay Beach for the finest sands...There are numerous volcanoes, my favorite being Mayon with its almost-perfect cone shape. It's surreal.I have also read that the Philippines used to be connected to mainland Asia/China...

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Luzon happening

by iclee

Hi,Taal lake? If you fancy camping by the freshwater lake, then go. Beware of the boatride touts who charge an arm and a leg. View my Tagaytay page for more info on the nearest metropolitan place to the lake. There are lots of good restaurants, churches, and interesting local life.Batangas is also nearby if you like beaches. You'll need to book transpo for that if you will not use the local buses. Nearest (from Manila)white beach is Calatagan, 3 1/2 hours away.Consider Corregidor, very historic. Lots of photo ops. Nice hotel inside island. Ferry/foil transpo to/from Corregidor, situated in Manila Bay area. What about a trip to Pinatubo. North of Manila but still within Luzon. Camping, volcano crater trip, adventure type.So, what do you fancy doing? Let me know how your trip turned out. Have a good one. :) Eating halo-halo with ice cream :)

Eternal blue skies & whitebeaches within 2 hours

by iclee

Can I pick 2 spots to bring foreigner friends? Seafood market that is considered less than ave in terms of price.Jewelry area of Greenhills. There are swarms of people providing miscellaneous services from clothes laundry, car wash, home massage, etc. What's even better is the amount or fee is so affordable. That's hard to find in a lot of developed countries.

Phillippine travel restrictions

by bulldogtwo

I don't see that it should pose a problem. As long as you still have your passport, and you have not been a convicted pedophile, or other high crimes, and you are not on a restricted list from the Phillippines you should not have a problem.You can always contact your nearest Consulate or Phillippine embassy and ask them to be sure, which may be the safest thing to do. But I cannot think of a reason that that alone should prevent you from traveling to their country.Good luck

Hiking in the Phillippines

by bulldogtwo

One of the more popular places is the Banaue/Sagada area depending on the time of year that you are going. Rains during the rainy season often prevent travel to this region as the mountainous roads can be trecherous. There are several hiking trails throughout the hilly mountainous area, and it can be scenic looking at the rice terraces, which this area is famous for. Be prepared for along trip, bus ride to the Sagada area from Bagiuo but once you are there it is worth it. You have to make your way to Bagiuo, ususally stay overnight and catch an early morning bus ride into Sagada/Banaue, also make sure that you know where the bus leaves Bagiuo from as it is not from the normal bus station, at least it wasn't before. Make sure that you are dressed properly as it can get cool, especially in the evenings.Have...

Philippines - Nice Place for Everyone

by mickeymousy

Manila is a safe place. Just like any city in any continent, there are parts that are should we say problematic.A foreign visitor will surely enjoy the Philippines for almost 90% of the population can speak in English. Also, people of teh Philippines can easily adopt to any nationality due to its history.

Top 3 Hotels in Philippines

Makati Shangri-La Manila  Manila

 17 Reviews and 410 Opinions  This is my Makati Shangrila Tips with the Newer Pictures. The Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts is a... 

 Hotels in Manila

Dave's Straw Hat Inn  Boracay Island

 10 Reviews and 452 Opinions  Let me start this by saying Dave's is amazing, really. The staff was friendly, Always had a smile on... 

 Hotels in Boracay Island

Rock Inn  Sagada

 4 Reviews and 24 Opinions  When we went to Sagada, we tried looking for accomodation in the town proper but had really a hard... 

 Hotels in Sagada

Questions and Answers

Just- profile photo

Q:  Hi There I'm going backpacking with 3 other friends for 5 days in the Philippines and was wondering if anyone has any... 

lhablhet profile photo

A: Some suggestion of mine: Shooting the rapid at pagsanjan falls then spend the night at tagaytay. 2nd day, taal trek, a bit of city tour and then a 45 drive to Lago de... 

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