Duncan: Hi PK/Ryan

I love your website (http://tourism-philippines.com) and want to thank you for keeping it so real!

Hope you do not mind if I pick your brain. I have travelled extensively through SE Asia, but not really explored the Philipines. After reading your website and stories, I am more excited and confused about my impending trip.

Firstly I am irritated that I have only given myself 21 days to explore, but with that in mind and all your information on the website I would like your advice on what I intend to do in those 21 days.

I am flying into Manila on 29 April and will rest for one day, so my adventure really starts on 31 April and finishes on 18 April, when i fly back to London.

I have this notion in my head that I can travel from Manila-Daet-Legaspi-Donsol-Samar-Leyte-Bohol-Siquinor-Cebu-Giumaras Islands-Negros-Coron-Palawan-El Nido-Puerto Galera- Batanyas-Manila in the 19 days.

I definitely need to swim with the whale sharks (my lifetime dream to see one after many diving disappointments). The rest is totally flexible and I would like to get away from the madding crowd and see some really beautiful beaches and little secrets.

I would love to hear your opinion and top tips or your favourite places/must sees. I am also using this trip to gather some information on where in Phillipines I would like to retire one day so any hints on that would be great too!

I hope you will impart some of your knowledge and experiences and look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards
Duncan

Answer

Ryan: Hi Duncan, Okay, 21 DAYS with all those places you wanted to visit? Sorry. You got me literally screaming in front of my monitor for a bit there. I think it is impossible to cover those places man in one go!

Here is my suggestion for you, let us try to cut and try to make order out of the places you wanted to do and go:

Manila-Legazpi-Donsol-Daet-Manila Leg

Fly into Legazpi, work your way to Donsol, stay overnight (do a firefly cruise)- do the whale shark interaction first thing in the morning. Hire a van with other people and head straight to Legazpi to have some Mayon photo ops, bus back to Daet (overnight), head out to Mercedes Islands then leave same day for a nightbus to Manila.

I have yet to start writing the guide for Donsol and Legazpi (I just came back from there two weeks ago. Check out our photos and videos of whale sharks and Mayon on our Facebook Fan Page – Tourism Paradise Philippines).

Approximate time spent- 4 days at least.

Manila-Cebu-Bohol-Manila Leg

Fly into Cebu, check out the Santo Niño Basilica, then take the ferry to Tagbilaran-head out to Panglao Island. Most resorts are on Alona though there are pension houses in Tagbilaran. At the Tagbilaran airport, you can arrange an immediate tour of Bohol’s sites: Chocolate Hills, River Cruise, Tarsier Conservation, Baclayon Church, Blood Compact Site, Mahogany Forests. Arrive at your hotel/resort and maybe catch the sunset. You can head out to the better Dumaluan beach (where Bohol Beach Club is located). Check out my guide on Bohol on this. And then fly out from Tagbilaran back to Manila.

OR you can go back to Cebu and catch a flight to Puerto Princesa. Check the airlines if there is an available connection between the two places and make sure to check which day of the week it is.

Approximate time spent – 3-4 Days

Manila/Cebu-Puerto Princesa-El Ndo-Manila OR

Manila/Cebu-Puerto Princesa-El Nido-Puerto Princesa-Coron-Manila

Check out my Puerto Princesa guide on this, you can do a Underground River tour in Sabang and then come back to Puerto Princesa and work your way up to El Nido town. Be prepared for really bad roads between the two places. From El Nido, you can fly out there via SEAIR. Expensive BUT convenient. But since you want to cover Coron as well, and if there are flights on those dates between Puerto Princesa and Coron, then you are in luck but of course you have to travel back to Puerto Princesa again in order to fly to Coron. Otherwise there are no direct links between El Nido and Coron. If you are feeling adventurous, you may catch some of those cargo vessels but since you are out of time- best not to push your luck.

Without Coron – you need at least 8-10 days (4-5 days just for Puerto Princesa + Sabang’s Underground River)
With Coron – 15 days at least.

As for Puerto Galera, I am not a big fan. With this scorching summer, expect hordes of people from Manila descending there as it is the cheaper and closer getaway compared to Boracay. Batangas is GREAT – If you are diving. Anilao (beginner to advanced) and Verde Island Passage (advanced divers only) should not be missed at all.

I haven’t been to Samar/Leyte yet, so I can’t really comment on these places, except I know that you can fly into Tacloban, work your way to the different Samar Provinces for great surf spots, nice beaches, and interesting caves and it is still bereft from the hordes of tourists.

Hope that helps man!

Ryan

Ps. Be forewarned, because of this massive El Niño heat, people will love going to the beaches. :D

Cheers mate!

PPS.

You can also do this route if you got the time and patience- Manila bus to Daet work your way down to Sorsogon, go all the way to Matnog jump to Samar, cross over to Tacloban ferry to Leyte then jump to Cebu then Bohol. Not sure if there are ferries from Bohol to Siquijor but Cebu being a hub, there should be one coming from there. From Siguijor, you can cross over to Dumaguete and then work your way through to Bacolod jump over to Iloilo and do a side trip to Guimaras. There is a boat from Iloilo to Puerto Princesa but this is a really slow boat, From Puerto Princesa, you can work all the way to El Nido, get on to a cargo boat to Coron via Taytay then from Coron all the way back to Manila.

If you are going to do it this way, 21 days will not be enough. This would be at least a month and half and you’d spend more time on buses and boats than enjoying the sites..

Just a heads up man.

Ryan: Oops, from Samar you can take an overland route to Leyte and then ferry to Cebu.
Unfortunately I dont have the ferry skeds as well.

stuart whitley: hi ryan i leave for the philippines and i have a question about tipping, if someone helps with carrying baggage or if i get a taxi how much would they expect, i would a taxi travel from manila airport to imus cavite,or it here a better way to get there that you can reccomend

Answer

Ryan: There are no standard rules of tipping in the Philippines. A lot expects a tip however and so it is wise to carry 20 peso bills in your pocket. I guess for the airport, I reckon 20-50 peso tip should be more than enough (it sounds stingy I know) but it also depends on how big the luggage the person is carrying for you and how far the person is carrying it for you. For the airport, I have yet to encounter someone to take my luggage (other than the driver of my rented car), so it never occurred to me to tip anyone aside from the tip I give to the driver afterwards.
In some cases, there are standard rates for porter services (at seaports it used to be 20 pesos piece per luggage). For a long drive to Imus, 100 pesos tip should be fine I think. Will you be taking the standard airport taxi (yellow cab)? Or are you hiring a car rental company like Avis. Be prepared to shell out for the toll fees as well,
Cheers.
Ryan

Dave H: I was hoping you might be able to give me some advice on my itinerary. My girlfriend and I (roughly 30 years old) are arriving in the philippines on the 28th of december. So far we have the following trip planned and it is the second half I want help with.
28th/29th Manila
30th fly to busuanga 3 days in coron
taking the Tao expedition cruise down to el Nido
7th -9th el nido
10th/11th/12th port barton, underground river and on to P Princessa

Basically we fly out on the 24th from Manilla and we’re hoping to fit in a trek up a volcano and maybe the whale sharks in Donsol. Other than that we’re looking for relaxed islands with fairly laid back accomodation

at present we were looking at flying back to Manila and getting either the overnight bus or early flight to legaspi and straight on to donsol. we then really want a taste of the visayas. In our research we liked the sound of sipalay, siquijer (sorry for my spelling), dumaguete, camiguin (really liked this but think this might be too difficult/time consuming). If we were to fly to cebu what route would you recommend that would give us the most experiences for the least amount of travel. We are on a budget but if there’s cheap flights that save a lot of time then we’re happy enough to splash out.

Thanks for any advice you might have.

Dave

Answer

Scott: If you’re looking to trek up a volcano then Taal is close to Manila. You can catch a bus to Tagaytay and then get to Talisay and catch a boat across the lake to Taal volcano and climb it all in a day. It is also possible to climb Mt. Pinatubo in a day from Manila.
As for Donsol, That time of year is still a little early to be guaranteed whaleshark sightings.
With Dumaguete, most flights from Manila are usually a bit expensive. I think the cheaper way is to fly to Cebu then catch a bus down to the south and then get a ferry across to Negros. From Dumaguete you can get out to Siquijor by ferry. Sipalay is at 4-6 hours drive from the two airports in Negros. Just north of Dumaguete is Bais City, they have a big white sandbar and dolphin watching. There’s also some nice national parks, waterfalls and mountains in that area too.
From Cebu you can take a ferry to Bohol and then another ferry on to Camiguin, if you’re looking for a cheaper option.
Camiguin is a bit more expensive and many places in Palawan are expensive.
Hope that helps.
Cheers.
Scott

Yvekes: In January 2010 we will visit the Philippines for the third time, this time we want to focus on Mindanao.
For this I have a question: is it safe, and possible, to explore the region around Lake Lanao and Marawi on our own pace, so without a guide and with public transport, bus and boat?
Are there any places to stay in the area, or do we have to contact the mayor to arrange a bed?

Answer

Ryan: Lake Lanao and the Marawi area is NOT safe to go around right now especially unescorted or during the months running up to the elections next year.Skip the area for now. Even my friends in Iligan dissuaded us to go to the area even if Marawi is just 30 minutes away from Iligan.
Hope that helps. Choose the Surigao provinces instead or Camiguin.
Cheers.
Ryan

Question

Yvekes: Why would you prefere the Surigao area? Is this just your personal preference?

Answer

Ryan: Northern and Eastern Mindanao and Davao normally are safer compared to the ones in ARMM which are NOT safe around this time. I base my observations from what I have heard from my friends who live in Mindanao and also news reports coming from that region. I am not sure whether Sultan Kudarat, Cotabato City and Maguindanao are under a state of emergency after the recent things going on in Ampatuan, Maguindanao (which is at least 1,000 kilometers away from Manila by the way). These are just my suggestions, if you really wish to go, no one can stop you – just exercise extreme caution when traveling around those areas especially during these elections season.
Cheers.
Ryan

Dheng Alayan: Hello! You have an amazing travel/tourism site here. Do you know some eccentric places here in Manila? Kind of out of this world. These could be shops/restos/bars, etc. Visiting these places might deviate me from the usual malls I’m usually going to. Thank you! :)

Answer

Ryan: Thanks for your really kind words… Actually there are quite a few of quirky and interesting places around Metro Manila. For one, I went to this artist enclave somewhere in Pasay (near Heritage Hotel) and when we drove inside – it was like I stepped back in time during the 1950s era. It was a small compound with 50s era houses, aging trees, and under the afternoon sunlight, it was just totally unbelievable! I forgot the exact location though. We have also heard of super-secretive restaurants tucked in nondescript buildings with no signs at all but just had the most mouthwatering steaks. I will try to come up a list sometime soon. (I have just a lot of travel guides coming up yet, so I will take a raincheck on that.).
Cheers.
Ryan

ephrem arcilla: May I know if you have knowledge about the International Tourist Yacht Club and Makati Golf and Country Club, Inc. which existed several years ago?

Answer

Ryan: Do you mean Manila Golf and Country Club in Makati City which was established in 1901? That still exists until today. I have written an article on Manila Yacht Club as well, it its listed on our Destinations page under Manila.
Cheers.
Ryan

Michael: hi guys …
im searching this site and seems quite interesting….
im a new visitor to the Philippines…hopefully ! its my first holiday there , visiting around next dec/jan for 1 month……
i would like some tips on how should i plan my trip…..looks like the main hot spots that are compatible to my likes are Boracay , Cebu , Palawan , Puerto Galera & a bit on Manila….i would like to know how much preferably time would be enough for these places and how i organize my trip …. maybe manila to puerto…..then cebu ..borocay…palawan back to manila ?? any better tips ??

many thanks …g’day all
keep the good work here…

Answer

Ryan: Regarding your question, that really depends on how much time and money you have. Some people spend an entire week in Boracay, I know a couple from Sweden who spent 4 weeks in Palawan! Now, see first what visa will you be on here- pretty much for most nationalities, there is a 21 day visa free travel to the Philippines. You have to check if your country is on that list. Some countries has 3 months visa free stays and others require a visa before traveling to the Philippines. Let’s say you are on the majority list of countries with 21 days visa free stay, you can allocate the amount of time spread out in those 21 days. Make sure that you are at the airport leaving the country on the 21st day! Otherwise you may have to file an extension (Check our article on Philippine Tourist Visas by our Expat Writer’s column- Walkabout Pinas).
Check the availability of flights. SEAIR (Southeast Asian Airlines) is your best bet between island hopping. As far as I know, they have a Manila-Cebu-Boracay (Caticlan) – Puerto Princesa (Palawan) which can be connected via road to El Nido (Palawan) – Manila loop. Puerto Galera is another story though. Check their website for details – flyseair.com.
Decently, you can break down your stay like this:
Manila- 2 days
Cebu – 2-3 days plus Bohol – 5 days
Boracay- 3-4 days
Palawan- 7-10 days
Manila – 2 days
Cheers.
Ryan

Question

Michael: thanks for info Ryan ….

im spending a total of 29 days , so roughly i can plan on ur advise……basically i prefer the white sandy beaches + nightlife….as we are a group of single males ( sumone mention the craziness of Angeles too)….not sure about it ……..!! Palawan seems a paradise regarding nature etc so we will visit as well…….do cebu , borocay and puerto have many similarities ?? i dont like to take the hassle of flights & travelling just to visit another place and find out its more or less the same.

Thanks again….

Answer

Ryan: I am not a big fan personally of the “nightlife” in Angeles. It is too seedy for my taste. Last February I went to Clark to do hot air ballooning and wished to stay to rest in one of the motels just before another event, and I get hassled by local trike drivers for prostitutes. I don’t support such kind of tourism however. Manila has a rocking nightlife and if you hang out at the right places you’d be able to mingle with the locals and other expats minus the stain of prostitution.
Okay nightlife wise, Cebu tracks Manila. Cebu’s beauty is more concentrated in its culture, food and many stunning dive spots. It is also a good jump-off for the nearby Bohol province with its over 1,000 Chocolate Hills and white sand beaches and tarsiers. If party is what you really wanted then Boracay is the ultimate island party place in the Philippines. It has one of the most awesome beaches in the world and a pretty good nightlife especially for singles, Don’t forget to drink for your country at Cocomangas – I their infamous 15 shots last December.
I am not a big fan of Puerto Galera although it does have some nice secluded coves, but basically (I know I am going to be crucified for this), Puerto Galera is the poor man’s Boracay. It is cheaper and it is close to Manila and the beaches are definitely inferior than Boracay.
If you really have to streamline your travel. I’d say never miss Coron (Northern Palawan), Puerto Princesas Subterranean River (longest navigable underwater river in the world) and then you can spend some time in Boracay as well as Manila.
Cheers.
Ryan

Question

Michael: thanks for positive comments Ryan …. i know ur an expert here so i guess i will spend
more time in Boracay rather than going to Puerto Galera and feel dissappointed ….

keep the good work here….
Mick

Answer

Ryan: Well some people likes Puerto Galera, but save for some secluded beaches, the place is a bit seedy for my taste. And since it is more readily accessible to Manila, there’s more people there. They do have some great diving opportunities (same as Boracay). Near Puerto Galera is Verde Island with spectacular diving (for advanced divers). It is called the center of the center for marine biodiversity in the world – pretty much like underwater equivalent of the heart of the Amazon. That is of course if you are into diving. :)
Let me know what else I can help you with Boracay – I usually visit that island once a year (though not this year). Last time I was there was December last year and then next time probably would be January 2010 on my way to Romblon. Oh yeah, a friend of mine way back high school days own a cruise ship that sometimes ply the Coron, Palawan to Boracay route. Let me know if you are interested and I can send him a message. He owns two private islands in Northern Palawan as well as a hotel in Boracay. :)
Cheers.
Ryan

Question

Michael: After doin a lot of ‘HW’ from loads of websites i roughly planned this itenary…what u think of it ? as ur an expertise i will follow all your useful advices….im a first time visitor to Philippines … so much thanks for your patience & help …..

24th Dec. arrive in Cebu via Bkk-Manila ( havent find a more cheaper flight ..flyin with CebuPacific )

28th Dec. Off to Bohol for 3 days ( plan for a fast ferry 2 way travelling )

31st Dec. Cebu – Boracay ( seems that the most ideal trip is via Air philippines to Caticlan as Kalibo airport seems a long way from island…..read about 2 hr drive )

4th Jan. Caticlan – Manila ( Air philippines again )
4th Jan. Manila -Puerto princessa .. spending 5 days in Palawan …. ( using Cebupacific )

thats all !!!….hope can get some more useful tips about your views , if any !

Answer

Ryan: I think your itinerary sounds okay. Btw the drive from Kalibo to Catcilan is just about 1-1.5 hours. Be careful with flying with Cebu Pacific. Cheap airfares but really sucky customer service. :)
Cheers.
Ryan

Cass : Hi, I was wondering if there is any regulations on what you are allowed to take into the country. I have family there that want me to bring can and packages of food. Is this allowed?. Thanks in advance for your answer.

Answer

Ryan: Hi Cass,

Compared to other countries, The Philippines is pretty lenient when it comes to foodstuff brought in from abroad. Millions of bulging Balikbayan care packages attest to this.

According to the Bureau of Customs in their website:

3 WHAT IS THE EXTENT OF DUTY AND TAX FREE PRIVILEGE OF RETURNING FILIPINOS/BALIKBAYANS?
The extent varies as follows:

1. Returning Resident. Personal effects and household goods used by him abroad for at least six (6) months and the dutiable value of which is not more than Ten Thousand Pesos (10,000.00) are exempt from duties and taxes. Any amount in excess of P10,000.00 is subject to 50% duty to the first P10,000.00 exemption across the board as provided for under Section 105 (F) of the TCCP.

2. Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW). In addition to the privileges granted to Returning Residents as described above, an OFW may be allowed to bring in, duty and tax free Ten Thousand (P10,000.00) of USED home appliances, provided:

a) the quantity is limited to one of each kind;
b) the privilege has not been enjoyed previously during the calendar year which fact must be declared under oath by the owner;
c) the owner’s passport is presented at the port/airport of entry;
d) any amount in excess of P10,000.00 will be subject to duty and tax.

3. Former Filipino. Professional instruments and implements, tools of trade occupation or employment, wearing apparel, domestic animals, and personal household effects shall be exempt from payment of Customs duties and taxes. Provided that the change of residence was bonafide, the privilege of free entry was never availed of before and that the articles are brought from their former place of abode.

4 ARE FAMILY MEMBERS OF RETURNING RESIDENTS, OFWs AND FORMER FILIPINOS ALSO ENTITLED TO CERTAIN PREVILEGES?
Yes, provided they themselves satisfy FAQs Chapter 1’s first three points

5 WHAT ARE THE CONDITIONS AND LIMITATIONS ATTACHED TO TAX EXEMPTION PRIVILEGES?
The following are the conditions for availment of duty and tax privileges;

1. Presentation to the Bureau of Customs of a favorable written endorsement which department controls the availment of duty and tax free exemptions.

2. The goods extended duty and tax free privilege are not to be sold, bartered nor traded.

3. The quantity is not commercial.

4. The goods are not prohibited importations. (See Chapter 6)

5. For regulated items, endorsements from the proper regulatory agency.
(See Chapter 5)

———————

**There might be changes on the rules and regulations without prior notice. So it is advised to check the Bureau of Customs website once in a while.

Hope that helps!

Ryan

Theresa: Our family is planning a trip to the Philippines mid March to April. Boracay and Palawan are two destinations on our mind. Are there connecting flights between the two islands? And is it safe to travel these areas?

Theresa

Answer

Ryan: Hi Theresa,
There are flights between Boracay and Palawan. You may check SEAIR (Southeast Asian Airlines) website for that (http://flyseair.com). There are flights between Caticlan and Puerto Princesa as of this moment. Palawan and Boracay are very safe destinations. I am a regular traveler to those places and both places are very popular not only with honeymooners and groups, they are popular with families with kids too (esp. Boracay). Great places I may add!
Cheers.
Ryan

Chloe Griffiths: Myself and my partner and due to travel to the Philippines in the next two weeks for a three-week trip. We were hoping to travel up to Banaue to visit the rice terraces and the surrounding area. We were just wondering is this still possible after the floods or have the roads been badly damaged? Also I am aware there used to be internal flights to Baguio, but I cannot find any airline which still provides this service. Do you know if this is correct? Is there any easier way to get to Banaue or is the only way to get a bus from Manila?

Answer

Ryan: Hi Chloe,
To tell you honestly, I really can’t say whether travel to the Cordilleras (including Banaue) would be a great idea right now. We were meant to go up to Banaue too in about 2 weeks time but right now we are still tad unsure. We will try calling tomorrow the bus companies traveling to that area and get a better assessment of the roads going to that area. There used to be flights going to Baguio but as far as I know, these flights were discontinued quite possibly due to safety reasons (these are just personal conjectures of course)- if we are not mistaken, the Loakan Airport in Baguio sits on top of a plateau with precipitous drops on both sides. It takes a lot of travel as well from Baguio to Banawe mind you because you either go by way of Bontoc via the Halsema Highway and other alternate routes which takes you around and around. Ideally Baguio to Banaue should be 9 hours travel time – the same number of hours you would usually spend on a bus from Manila direct to Banaue. Personally, I am not big fan of Baguio and I could skip it for all the world. However, if you decide to push through, you can go straight to Banaue from Manila and head out to Sagada in Mt. Province instead – GORGEOUS PLACE. Check out my Sagada Travel Guide under the Destinations List.
Will keep you posted about bus travel to Banaue as we were really planning of going there (but more as a stopover for Sagada) as well about the same you guys do – will just check the situation with the landslides and infrastructure.
Cheers.
Ryan

Question

Chloe Griffiths: That’s great, thanks very much for your help.
I will keep an eye on the website to see if there is any update on the roads.
Thanks for the advice about Baguio, sounds best to head straight up from Manila – so fingers crossed the roads are ok.
Also is it worth continuing up to Tuguegarao and trying to fly south from there? Or best just to go back to Manila
Thanks in advance
Chloe

Answer

Scott: Hi Chloe,
As far as I know there aren’t any buses direct from Banaue to Tuguegerao. Banaue is off the main highway between Manila and Tuguegerao. If it’s 9 hours from Manila to Banaue and 12 hours from Manila to Tuguegerao, then I guess it would be about 4 hours from Banaue to Tuguegerao if you could find a bus going there directly.
However, around Tuguegerao there are meant to be some really beautiful caves, some with waterfalls and chapels inside. And near Callao Cave you can watch tens of thousands of bats fly out of caves at dusk. The flight to Tuguegerao from Manila is about 1 hour.