Philippines travel tips

Neglecting to study the weather

You showed up and spent 14 days battling epic monsoon rains – hardly the vacation in paradise dreamed of.

A common misconception about the Philippines is that the entire country has the same weather. It isn’t that simple. The Philippines has four distinct climate zones. Study the regional forecasts carefully, research when to go and choose your destination accordingly. Manila has a particularly severe wet season

While you can visit the Philippines all year round, it is generally better to avoid the wet or rainy season. Although with the exception of big typhoons, during the wet season, days are more likely to be hot with short rain showers in the afternoon so it isn’t entirely too bad. In a nutshell, the weather in the Philippines can be broken down into two parts. The dry season (January-May) and wet season (June-December).

Rough Budget

Although it is still considered cheap, compared to other Southeast Asian countries, the Philippines is still slightly more expensive with accommodation usually being the biggest expense. A comfortable budget would be around $35-40 a day, depending on your travel style. Because most of the places around the Philippines is spread out (it is an archipelago, after all) most people end up spending a lot on transportation as well. If you have more time and you don’t mind traveling slow, you can definitely stretch your budget a bit more. Here’s an estimate of rough costs on traveling the Philippines.

Pack only the essentials

As the Philippines is a warm tropical country, make sure you pack accordingly. If you decide to head up North to the rice terraces, the weather can get cooler so bringing a light waterproof jacket is highly advisable. If you plan to spend most of your time island hopping, make sure you bring ample sunblock or rash guards as protection. Unless you plan on taking on some steep trails, a good pair of training shoes should be enough. For a full list of what to bring, check out our Southeast Asia packing list which has all our top recommendations on what to bring.