The Philippines is one of the most beautiful and friendliest countries you will ever visit. Strangely enough there are very few tourists so you can enjoy this amazing country without the crowds. Everywhere you go, locals will be smiling, laughing and genuinely wanting to be your friend. It really is the undiscovered jewel of South-East Asia. English is widely spoken throughout the country although the official language is Filipino. There are so many dialects that most everyone speaks English.

History and Culture

The Philippines was occupied by Spanish, English, Japanese and finally American forces before it became independent. There are many unique contributions from these cultures that combined with the Malay, and Chinese cultures, shaped the unique Filipino culture. There are many historical places, and old churches dating back to 16th century.

Safety

The Philippines has received a lot of bad publicity over the years and many people think it is unsafe to visit. This image is based on only a few isolated events and does not reflect the whole country. 95% of Filipinos are devout Catholics due to the Spanish influence, Muslims are a very small minority.

There are 7,107 islands in the Philippines and the only places to avoid are Mindanao and a few islands that are very difficult to reach in the far South. You will have a much greater chance of coming across danger in any major Western city.

As with anywhere, keep your belongings and money in a secure place, and exercise due caution. Tourists are not a target for the thieves in the way they are, for instance, in Thailand. Nevertheless, use hotel safes, and be careful when leaving money and cameras in your room. I just lock things up in my suitcase & have never had a problem. There are no problems at my dive resorts & livaboards. We have a safe at Dive 7000. I usually wear a money belt on the flights when carrying cash.

Money

The currency of the Philippines is the peso. The rate is currently (as of 10/24/05) around 56 pesos to the US dollar, 100 pesos to the pound and 70 pesos to the euro. It is recommended to change your money in the cities through banks or money changers. One of the best rates of exchange is at the international airport when you arrive so change plenty of money there. You can also withdraw cash through an ATM bank machine in the cities. You will probably have trouble using travelers checks and credit cards outside the main cities. When in doubt, always take enough cash. US$ will usually be okay. Transaction fees for credit cards and travelers' checks are very high in the Philippines and the cost to the business will usually be passed on to you. To use Travelers Checks you must go to the money changers in the cities in person with your passport & original receipts so you can not use them at the resorts or on liveaboards.

Visas

Most nationalities are granted a free 21 day tourist visa on arrival in the Philippines. It is possible to get a 59 day visa at a Philippine embassy abroad before coming, or to extend your 21 day stay to two months at immigration in Cebu or Manila. After 2 months you can extend your visa every two months for up to a year.

Water / Food

Bottled drinking water is available almost everywhere & safe water is served at the resorts & liveaboards. There are plenty of clean safe restaurants and fast food places in the cities. In the provinces, you can take advantage of the fresh sea foods with native style cooking. Resorts & liveaboards are well stocked. There usually aren't alot of snacks & junk food (chips, cookies, candy, etc.) served in the Philippine resorts & on the liveaboards so if you crave that stuff, you can purchase it in a market on the way. Be sure to take enough supplies when going to the provinces because the stores there are not as well stocked compared to the cities.

Sanitation and Health

Most of cities have clean toilet facilities. Provinces are not as clean.

There is rarely toilet tissue or water in public toilets so take your own. For women, tampons are very hard to find, so bring a sufficient supply. You may be able to find them at some of the pharmacies in the bigger shopping malls in the cities, but will take a lot of time to find them.

There is no malaria! You will see very few mosquitoes. It is always good to take along some repellant if you get off the beaten path.

Hospitals

The hospitals are excellent if you should have a problem. I have been doing all my medical tests there for 2 years & am very happy with the doctors and facilities. My hospital is affiliated with Sloan Kettering. Most of the doctors have studied in the USA. A Dr. visit costs around $10 & they spend over an hour with you.

Communication

Cell phone: Prepaid SIM cards are widely available in the major cities, for GSM based mobile phones, although the phone signal will not be as good in the provinces compared to the cities.
Most malls in the cities have internet cafes with cheap decent internet access.

Electricity

The Philippines uses USA style plugs - flat, vertical two pin plugs in most places, except at the Bahura Resort & Spa. They use the 3 prong triangular plug.
Most important - Voltage is different from the US - 220v-240v at 60Hz.
Converters to convert 220v to 110v are usually available at the resorts or on the liveaboards. I will set up charging stations or ask the manager to do it.

Women Travelers

The Philippines is very safe for women travelers, although of course you should always use a reasonable degree of caution. As with most other places in South-East Asia, it is best to cover up when not on the beach. Jeans & t-shirts are acceptable everywhere.
One of the reasons I love the Philippines so much is that I have had no problems traveling thru 250 islands for 2 months per year for 29 years. They have had 2 women presidents!!!!!

Shopping

The Philippines is one of the best bargain shopping places in the world. You can find a lot of quality goods in the stores at very reasonable prices. Haggling is often done in the flea markets and night markets. Malls often have sales every payday (15th and 30th). Recommended items to buy are handicrafts and clothes. The Pearl Market in Manila is the most fun!!! it is a huge area filled with incredible pearls, all kinds of jewelry, and knock-offs of everything.
Many prescription drugs are very inexpensive in the Philippines.