Best Reasons to Travel to the Philippines
Traveling the Philippines With Flow
This lens is about all the things that I have learned, traveling all over the Philippines. I'm a real travel bug and I'm always looking for ways to experience new things-whether it be the culture, meeting new people, trying out new food, finding new secluded beaches or just plain relaxing on a mountain.
The Philippines and its 7,107 islands of pristine white sand beaches and tropical rainforests is just the perfect playground for those who love to go backpacking! Come join me as I continue to embark on my journey around the country.
1. AIRFARE TO MANILA: $1,000
There are hundreds of locations from which you can catch a flight going to Manila.
The following are estimated airfare prices depending where you're coming from:
$100 - within the Southeast Asian region
$800 - from the West coast in the U.S. and Australian continent
$1,200 if you're flying in from Europe
Prices also depend on low and high season travel dates (low season is around May to October), and if you're buying tickets from sites or travel agencies that offer low fares to this destination (see Orbitz trip builder bottom of page).
But just to be safe, let's put in some allowances and say that the ticket will cost you around $1,000. Not bad for an airline ticket that will take you to the ultimate tropical paradise, eh?
2. 3-NIGHT ACCOMMODATION IN MANILA: $120
The value of the US dollar and Euro are king in this country. The value of 1 US dollar is equivalent to 47 Philippine pesos as I write this (it's June 2009).1 Euro is equivalent to around 70 Philippine pesos. And because the politics tend to get a little messy around here, these values fluctuate a lot. Usually in favor of the dollar and Euro.
So let's say you want to stay in Manila for 3 nights before heading to an island paradise or the mountains. You can either:
a) Get a room at those shady motels in the red light district for $20/night
b) Get a decent and clean room in the middle of the business district for $40/night c) A luxurious room at the Shangri-la or Mandarin Oriental for around $120/night.
Let's say you're the practical type who can do with simple furnishings, hot water, cable TV and a comfortable bed and you go for the $40 room. That's $120 for three nights.
3. DOMESTIC AIRFARE TO YOUR PARADISE OF CHOICE: $60
I'd normally recommend that you book your domestic flights in advance (most especially if you are traveling during the peak seasons in the Philippines--March, April, October, November and December), but if flying out to the other islands just came as an afterthought (traveling the backpacker way!), then you can easily book flights online from domestic airline sites such as:
Cebu Pacific, www.cebupacificair.com
Sea Air, www.flyseair.com
You can also pay a visit to a travel agency nearby (there's tons of these around) to ask for assistance. I would highly recommend Mango Tours (www.mangotours.com), which I've had a lot of experience with in my travels.
4. 4-NIGHT ACCOMMODATION IN PARADISE: $120
Outside Manila, the prices of accommodations vary greatly depending on your preferences and of course, where you head to. Here's a list of accommodations in various locations, with prices for decent budget rooms and luxury rooms:
Boracay Island, Aklan
(2-km stretch of pristine white sand; the Ibiza of the Philippines)
Decent budget room: $20/night
Secluded luxury resort: $100/night
El Nido, Palawan
(secluded island paradise of 30 islets)
Decent budget room: $30/night
Secluded luxury resort: $120/night
Baguio, Benguet
(a culture-rich city at the top of a mountain with a cool climate)
Decent budget room: $20/night
Luxury hotel: $80/night
You take your pick. If you're the ultimate practical backpacker, I recommend that you get the decent budget room for $20/night, to save more for other activities that will allow you to explore and experience the locality.
5. TOTAL FOOD EXPENSES (PER MEAL): $10
$10 is a decent amount to pay for a meal in Manila, but if you're out of the city, $10 is more than enough for a meal. Actually, it's enough to buy you a feast--seafood, native delicacies, exotic dishes, dessert.. maybe a couple of beers.
6. ALLOWANCES FOR OTHER ACTIVITIES: ???
It's up to you to put in the amount for the activities that you'll want to try while in the country. You might want to allocate a generous amount here, because there's so much that you can do at the beach, in the city and even in the mountains. The main idea of this section is to give you an idea of how relatively cheap it is to maximize your stay here, without shelling out too much cash!
The Philippines and its 7,107 islands of pristine white sand beaches and tropical rainforests is just the perfect playground for those who love to go backpacking! Come join me as I continue to embark on my journey around the country.
Budget Travel in the Philippines: How Much Would it Cost?
The economy ruining your travel plans for the year? The Philippines is the best place to go to when it comes to budget travel. Here's a breakdown of necessities that you'll have to spend on. You'd be surprised at just how much you only need to save up!
1. AIRFARE TO MANILA: $1,000
There are hundreds of locations from which you can catch a flight going to Manila.
The following are estimated airfare prices depending where you're coming from:
$100 - within the Southeast Asian region
$800 - from the West coast in the U.S. and Australian continent
$1,200 if you're flying in from Europe
Prices also depend on low and high season travel dates (low season is around May to October), and if you're buying tickets from sites or travel agencies that offer low fares to this destination (see Orbitz trip builder bottom of page).
But just to be safe, let's put in some allowances and say that the ticket will cost you around $1,000. Not bad for an airline ticket that will take you to the ultimate tropical paradise, eh?
2. 3-NIGHT ACCOMMODATION IN MANILA: $120
The value of the US dollar and Euro are king in this country. The value of 1 US dollar is equivalent to 47 Philippine pesos as I write this (it's June 2009).1 Euro is equivalent to around 70 Philippine pesos. And because the politics tend to get a little messy around here, these values fluctuate a lot. Usually in favor of the dollar and Euro.
So let's say you want to stay in Manila for 3 nights before heading to an island paradise or the mountains. You can either:
a) Get a room at those shady motels in the red light district for $20/night
b) Get a decent and clean room in the middle of the business district for $40/night c) A luxurious room at the Shangri-la or Mandarin Oriental for around $120/night.
Let's say you're the practical type who can do with simple furnishings, hot water, cable TV and a comfortable bed and you go for the $40 room. That's $120 for three nights.
3. DOMESTIC AIRFARE TO YOUR PARADISE OF CHOICE: $60
I'd normally recommend that you book your domestic flights in advance (most especially if you are traveling during the peak seasons in the Philippines--March, April, October, November and December), but if flying out to the other islands just came as an afterthought (traveling the backpacker way!), then you can easily book flights online from domestic airline sites such as:
Cebu Pacific, www.cebupacificair.com
Sea Air, www.flyseair.com
You can also pay a visit to a travel agency nearby (there's tons of these around) to ask for assistance. I would highly recommend Mango Tours (www.mangotours.com), which I've had a lot of experience with in my travels.
4. 4-NIGHT ACCOMMODATION IN PARADISE: $120
Outside Manila, the prices of accommodations vary greatly depending on your preferences and of course, where you head to. Here's a list of accommodations in various locations, with prices for decent budget rooms and luxury rooms:
Boracay Island, Aklan
(2-km stretch of pristine white sand; the Ibiza of the Philippines)
Decent budget room: $20/night
Secluded luxury resort: $100/night
El Nido, Palawan
(secluded island paradise of 30 islets)
Decent budget room: $30/night
Secluded luxury resort: $120/night
Baguio, Benguet
(a culture-rich city at the top of a mountain with a cool climate)
Decent budget room: $20/night
Luxury hotel: $80/night
You take your pick. If you're the ultimate practical backpacker, I recommend that you get the decent budget room for $20/night, to save more for other activities that will allow you to explore and experience the locality.
5. TOTAL FOOD EXPENSES (PER MEAL): $10
$10 is a decent amount to pay for a meal in Manila, but if you're out of the city, $10 is more than enough for a meal. Actually, it's enough to buy you a feast--seafood, native delicacies, exotic dishes, dessert.. maybe a couple of beers.
6. ALLOWANCES FOR OTHER ACTIVITIES: ???
It's up to you to put in the amount for the activities that you'll want to try while in the country. You might want to allocate a generous amount here, because there's so much that you can do at the beach, in the city and even in the mountains. The main idea of this section is to give you an idea of how relatively cheap it is to maximize your stay here, without shelling out too much cash!
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