I truly believe the Philippines is the kind of place you can visit – and re-visit and re-re-visit without getting sick of it. I mentioned many times that I can’t wait to go back there. A lot of people are asking me where’s my favorite place in South-East Asia and my answer is still the same; the Philippines!
I had no idea that I could fall in love that quick with a country. But, I already had a flight booked and I needed to leave. Otherwise, my wallet wouldn’t have supported my crazy decisions. If you’re thinking of backpacking the Philippines, here is what you should keep in mind to make the most of your trip.
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Backpacking Philippines: Picking Your Destinations
More than 7000 islands, can you imagine? If you want to make the most of your trip, you’ll certainly have to sort out a rough itinerary. Picking the right itinerary can surely be tough!
Do you want to swim with whale sharks? You might want to try it in Puerto Princesa or Oslob.
Do you want to surf? You should head to Siargao.
Are you just craving a beach? You will certainly enjoy the beaches around El Nido.
Are you ready to hike across the rice terraces? You must go to Banaue-Batad.
Are you willing to try the best food? Add Albay to your itinerary.
Once you know what you’re looking for, it’s going to be easier to make plans.
Transportation can be expensive if you are thinking about doing it all last minute. But, if you do have a plan and you want to save money, I’d recommend you to book all your flights and ferries in advance. Alright, you might miss out on flexibility but it’s going to be way cheaper. Also, it will allow you to see more of this gorgeous (and fun) country.
Philippines Visa
Now that you have a rough idea of how long you will need in the Philippines, you can decide if you have enough with 30 days or if you have to get a visa extension to get a total of 60 days. This point is going to be important as you have to sort this out during the trip.
I’d recommend 60 days as there are many different places to see (or is it just me?) and you can’t imagine how gorgeous it is!
Choose Your Experiences And The Best Spots In Philippines
I tried a lot of things for the very first time while I was in the Philippines. If you’re planning to see a lot of countries in South-East Asia, you should start there. You’ll want to spend a lot of money to experience new things, so I wouldn’t recommend it as the last stop; you don’t want to be broke here.
If you want to do your diving license, snorkel for the very first time, drive a quad bike around Mount Mayon and learn how to surf… please, budget it! You might not be able to do everything, so you must decide what are your priorities.
Book Your Accommodation & Philippines Travel Deals
During the peak season, a lot of accommodation will be booked out very quickly. As I’m a money saver and I’m not good at planning, I like to book accommodation at least 1 or 2 days in advance. Of course, you might have to book a bit more in advance if you want to access the best deals. You can also find these hotel deals on Traveloka Philippines. By the way, this website also features many hostels for backpackers!
Interesting Places In The Philippines
Palawan
There are a lot of places not to miss out, but if for some reason, you had a limited time, I’d happily tell you to go to Palawan! Ever heard of Coron, El Nido or Puerto Princesa? There are many other stops to add to the list, but these are probably the most common ones. Sometimes, beauty can simply speak for itself.
Convinced?
My favorite spot was Coron because it’s very pretty, less touristy and a bit less expensive than its neighbors. You can basically have a whole lagoon to yourself and this can’t be happening in El Nido.
Albay
Albay is a place you can eat your way around (as long as you can handle the spiciness). Well known, because of its perfect icon Mount Mayon, it’s a spectacular place to enjoy being outside.
Banaue – Batad
On the other hand, you get a completely different picture; rice terraces. You can easily enjoy a few days hiking your way across the beauty and Filipino kindness. This was also a big highlight of my trip.
