The climate in the Philippines is divided into two periods: the dry season and the monsoon. The best time to travel in the Philippines is obviously the dry season, when the weather is mostly sunny.

Dry season : December to April, the most popular tourist season in the Philippines = higher prices.

Mid-season : May and October/November, high risk of rain, low visitor numbers = lower prices. You can always try and pray to the weather god. .

Monsoon : from May/June to November, the rainy season is very unfavourable for travel, with the risk of typhoons. We advise against travelling to the Philippines during this period.

> Find your cheapest plane tickets on Ulysse. You can get €10 off your first booking by registering via our link.

Transport between the islands is one of the major problems of a trip to the Philippines. It is essential that you plan your itinerary in advance. It can quickly become a headache. We advise you to take plenty of time if you are making two journeys in a row (in the event of a stopover). As transport is not always reliable, you run the risk of losing your plane ticket, for example, if your first journey is late.

There are two ways of getting from island to island :

The boat

The most economical solution. Most often, ferries are used. Make sure you get to the port in good time (1 hour before departure), as the companies sometimes overbook. You can buy your tickets on the spot, on the day. We have not experienced any delays on ferry journeys.

The plane ✈️ 

Tickets can be expensive if you book them at the last minute. So get them in advance as soon as possible. Once again, take a margin if you are taking two flights on different airlines or if you are taking a boat before the plane. If your first journey is delayed, you will not be reimbursed for your second journey! Flights are often subject to delays in the Philippines, particularly internal flights from Manila.

Getting around the islands in the Philippines

The easiest way to get around the Philippines is to hire a scooter. Depending on the island, this will cost you between €6 and €10 a day. A French driving licence is all you need to hire a scooter.

If you don’t want to hire a scooter, you can always hire a tricycle (a kind of tuktuk) or a private driver on each island.

If we compare the cost of living in the Philippines (for tourists) with other countries in the south-east, we come to a conclusion :  it’s expensive.

We were unpleasantly surprised by the price of transport, particularly scooter hire, which is twice or even three times more expensive than in Bali. But the most disturbing thing was the often poor value for money of the hotels !

In Vietnam, for example, you can find a hotel with a nice air-conditioned room and swimming pool for €15/20 a night. In the Philippines, for the same price, we found some rather gloomy rooms in guesthouses. Boat trips (island hoping) are also expensive, especially if you take several !

For your accommodation, take a look at the offers on Booking.com 

Here’s what we spent in 3 weeks in the Philippines, including accommodation/transportation/food and 3 days on a boat (island hoping). You have to add to that the airfare from France (on average €700) and your other activities, souvenirs etc.

To begin with, we didn’t get any vaccinations to travel to the Philippines. If you feel the need to do so, contact your GP.

The Philippine islands on our 3-week itinerary are generally safe. However, there are some areas that are considered risky in the Philippines, particularly all the islands to the south. The region is notorious for its jihadist groups. However, you should be aware that 80% of the Filipino population are Catholics, with the Muslim religion accounting for around 5% of believers. 

Update 2023 : The culinary specialities of the Philippines are a delicious blend of flavours and cultural influences. Dishes such as adobo, a mixture of marinated meat simmered in a tasty sauce, or sinigang, a sour soup made from tamarind, are must-tries. Delicious meat kebabs, known as “kawali”, and lumpia, Filipino spring rolls, are also very popular. Not forgetting sweet desserts such as halo-halo, a refreshing blend of fruit, ice cream and condensed milk. Filipino cuisine is a real feast for the taste buds and offers an unforgettable culinary experience.