.has anyone been to the Philippines,planning to go in march/april 2007.what should i expect there?

Question

travelling alone all round the country anyone got experiance from there?

Answer 1

a very hot humid weather. just wear shorts, tanks and flip flops.

Answer 2

march is not so hot, maybe high 20s to low 30s but April is a bit hotter. It is the school break, we call it our own summer time, so there will be less traffic in the cities and more people will be going to the provinces (outside the cities) for vacation. It is also the time for the lenten season, the period before the holy week and Easter sunday. If you're Christian or a Catholic, this is also one of the most celebrated religious rituals and you can expect to see a lot of these in the Philippines as it is predominantly a Catholic country. So if you'd like to see people doing religious processions or the reenactment of the Passion of Jesus Christ (getting nailed to the cross), you have to go to outside of Manila to witness this. Else if this is not your cup of tea, there are a lot of great beaches where you can go and be a beach bum without spending a lot. Or go whale watching in one of the islands. If you like the citylife, then stay in Metro Manila where you will be spoilt for choice in terms of entertainment.

Just like in any other foreign place, exercise caution, don't do anything foolish, respect the people and their customs, and keep a sharp eye on your belongings. Your loss is the windfall of another.

Answer 3

Well you're going in the dry season, but for areas like the Visayas where I now reside, it's mostly dry anyway, even in the wet season.
As you are travelling around, you must see the Taal Volcano, and the unfinished "Palace in the Sky," there is also the Mayon Volcano, Baguio City up North, to say you've been there. Boracay with its beautiful white beaches, by bus from Kalibo to Caticlan, and then on the ferry (native pump boat), but wear shorts, or easy roll up jeans.
Mactan and Cebu, the Magellan memorial, the Spanish fort "San Pedro" the numerous beach resorts, the ones to the South and West are best.
The Chocolate hills on Bohol near Carmen.

Lots to see and do have a good trip to Paradise, once you've been there, you will return again and again.

Answer 4

The Philippines is a 3rd world country of the fourth order. Most people live in squalor. There are no trash cans, the entire country is a trash can. People just throw their garbage out . The food is unsafe as is the air and water. I promise you that you will get sick. The air is very polluted. The people are some of the most discourteous that I have ever encountered.
Few tourists come to the Philippines and even fewer come back for a second dose ! Read the State Department travel warnings.
It is very difficult for me to comprehend why so many people will tell you this is paradise and there are millions of Filipinos trying to get out of the country.

Answer 5

With more than 7,000 islands, the Philippines has miles of white sand and clear, sparkling blue water. Its most famous beach, Boracay, is the stuff of legends, so the country seemed the ideal place to soak up the sun on a long-weekend getaway from Hong Kong.

Answer 6

I would recommend buying a “Lonely Planet” Travel Guide to the Philippines. It has extreme detail on every part of the country. It has maps, hotels listings, with ratings, prices, and phone numbers. It has lists of places to visit, history of the towns, and street maps of towns. There is a Lonely Planet web site. It has very little information compared to the 300 page book.

The people are very friendly, and mostly like Americans.

First it is a very long flight. It is about 24 hours depending on where you are stopping for changing planes and refueling. The leg of the flight from Detroit to Japan was 13 hours 50 minutes. You arrive in Japan at 6 am your time. It is 6 pm Japan time. It is not a sunrise it is a sunset. Japan airport is very organized. They lead you around so you do not get lost.

Manila airport is crowded. There are lots and lots of taxies to take you to your hotel. They are almost fighting over you to get you to use their taxi.

Check with your doctor on what vaccinations you will need. You may also want to take Malaria medicine. You need to start it four weeks before the trip and continue two weeks after the trip.

It is hot and it rains a lot, dress accordingly.

I saw very few insects. Open air restaurant, at night, florescent lights blazing, and no insects. Maybe the little lizards eat them.

If you get away from the cities, and get a hotel on a beach, it is cool enough to just need a fan at night.

Brownouts or blackouts are much more common, than in America. Also some villages do not have the electric on all the time. The electricity may be turned on at 5 pm and turn off at 11 pm. The times will vary with the village. Some of the hotels have their own generators, for 24 hour electricity.

I kept my wallet and my passport in the front pocket of my pants, to avoid pick pockets. I also had a money belt on. I made a color copy of my passport and kept that there. Remember the American Embassy is not a 911 service. The closest you can get to that is “International SOS”. The have a web site. They provide emergency services. It was about $ 140.00 for two weeks of coverage.

You can be like Donald Trump in the Philippines. What would be considered a good tip in America would be a day’s wages in the Philippines. So you can get very good service.

The Shangri La Hotel on Mactan Island is very nice. It is not cheap. Boracay Island is the best place for a great beach.

There was a $ 7.50 fee when leaving the country. It was an airport tax. So keep some money handy. This was mentioned in the “Lonely Planet” book. It shows the detail that they go down to.

The airport guards do have guns. Some of the guards have sawed off shotguns. The hotels often have armed guards, with 45 caliber pistols. The police sometimes have M-16s. There are also armed guards in the shopping malls with pistols and sawed off shotguns.

If you travel out of the major cities and tourist spots, you may want to get a water filter. I would recommend the “First Need” brand filter. It will remove viruses without added chemicals. It costs around $ 70.00. Otherwise, you can buy bottled water.

http://manila.usembassy.gov/wwwhwnew.html

Check under Philippine TRavel

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_999.html


ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS: U.S. citizens may enter the Philippines without a visa upon presentation of their U.S. passport, valid for at least six months after the date of entry into the Philippines, and a return ticket to the United States or an onward ticket to another country. Upon arrival immigration authorities will annotate your passport with an entry visa valid for 21 days. If you plan to stay longer than 21 days you must apply for an extension at the Philippine Bureau of Immigration and Deportation's main office at Magallanes Drive; Intramuros, Manila, Philippines, or at any of its provincial offices (http://www.immigration.gov.ph).

Persons who overstay their visas are subject to fines and detention by Philippine immigration authorities. American citizens are urged to remain aware of their visa status while in the Philippines and to follow immigration laws and regulations strictly. Travelers departing the country from international airports must pay a Passenger Service Charge in Philippine Pesos. For further information on entry/exit requirements, please contact the Embassy of the Philippines at: 1600 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036 (telephone: [phone]), or one of the Philippine consulates in the United States (Chicago, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco) or via the Internet at http://www.philippineembassy-usa.org .

Answer 7

its going to be very (extremely) hot so dress accordingly..the philippines is a very cheap coutry so money shouldn't be a huge issue when you're there but you should be aware that there are many people in the philippines who take advantage of foreigners..so be wary and don't display any sort of wealth..use common sense. but other than that the philippines can be a very pleasant country if you go to the right places. Iba is nice.

Answer 8

march/ april are summer months down here. it'll be humid so bring clothes that'll keep you cool. if you're visiting Manila be patient with the traffic.
the Philippines is a nice place to visit, lots of things to see and do, if you like beaches, it is paradise! hope you have a great time on your trip, it'll be worth it!

Answer 9

tell you something you can expect the best and worse. It depend where you go. If you go on turist place yes you got the white sand beach, if you go on ordinary place...you get volcano hard rocks. Village is cleaned scuater (Pardon don't know the spelling) is dirty and a garbage place. bad germs celebrating so if you have sensitive skin, bring a a medicine. Or better don't visit there and stay on cleaned place.

Answer 10

I am going to PI in april. It is not the wet season, but it also not the high seasons. What are you expecting to look out for

Eric

Answer 11

You shall expect......

The greatest country on the whole earth
wonderful people
great food
Many english speaking people
Cool air and beaches

Have fun there in Pilipinas!