Philippines
The information below is provided by Lonely Planet readers and is not verified by Lonely Planet. For the official lowdown, contact your nearest embassy or check out our Travel Links.
Travel Tips
Be prepared for finding no water for washing in public toilets. Even in the Manila airport,
on the day of my departure, there was no water! I had the same problem in a McDonalds
restaurant. Good advice is to always carry about a litre of water for drinking
and washing.
George Argyrakos, Greece (Aug 05)
There is a strange scarcity of sunscream on Boracay. What we could find was either factor four, fifteen and twenty or above and this was supplied in very small, overpriced bottles that would be used up in two days, so stock up before you go there.
Danielle Roper (Feb 02)
Moving About
Ferries are running to and from Liloan in Southern Leyte, which is where I came from. Locals proudly told me that because of recent government funding there were now 6 ferries daily between Liloan and Surigao, but when I reached Liloan I found there were varying numbers per day, operated by different companies, but certainly not 6! The day I arrived, ferries were at 8am, 3pm and 5pm, duration is about 4 hours, depending on the boat. Air Con (First class) is only a few Peso more and very worth it! 20% Student discount is even available!
Apparently there is a ferry route from Maasin in Southern Leyte (near the diving hotspots) to Surigao, but it is slower, less frequent, and nobody knows the schedule!
Carla Denyer, UK (Sep 05)
Puerto Princesa - the jeepney and bus terminal - formerly in Malvar Street is now located at the New Market in San José, 6 km north of town. To go there, take a tricycle or a little cab on Rizal Avenue.
Jean-Pierre Lamure, France (Jan 05)
In Moalboal, the buses are cheaper than the mini vans from Cebu and actually, our bus ride was far more comfortable than the very cramped, overcrouded mini van we took going back.
Allan Murphy, Australia (Jan 02)
From Baguio to Banaue there is only one trip and that is at 7 am. The bus fare is now P210, with only nonairconditioned buses. The trip can last up to ten hours!
To Baguio, a Dangwa bus leaves at 4 pm (not anymore at 7am), and a KLS bus leaves at 5 pm.
The last ferry is no longer 6 pm, but 4 pm. My friends and I learned that the hard way!
From White Beach to the port, the earliest ferry is, I think 530 am, or 7 am, or 8 am. it varies from day to day. It is advisable that one checks first with the office in the white beach.
The flight from Manila to Basco costs P3900, takes 3 hours (with a stopover in Laoag),and is available only on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 530 am.
The flight from Laoag to Basco costs P2300, is available on similar days plus Sundays and departs at 730 am.
Ross Baua, Philippines (Feb 02)
Scams & Warnings
When buying a phonecard only buy it from a machine or specialised dealer. There are some porter guys who carry phone cards on them, but most of the time they have already been used. Also, do not ask for help from these guys if you're having trouble using the phonecards. The cards have a special pin code and the porter guys remember this code and can access your card at any time. I bought a P200 phone card and didn't even get to use it, and when I did go to use it, there was only P10 left on it.
Millie, Australia (Mar 02)
While we were in Boracay, several foreigners and locals were taken to prison for a couple of nights (at least one requiredabout P14,000 to bail him out), having been caught smoking (not selling) marijuana. Just a warning.
Danielle Roper (Feb 02)
It is all about the "calesa" or horse-drawn carriages. I feel the need to tell you my experience with the calesa to give your readers a warning. Let me tell you first what happened to me and my Dutch boyfriend (Alexander Berkhout) when we visited the San Agustin church museum in Intramuros. It was January 3,2002 Thursday 4pm, after visiting the Rizal shrine at the fort Santiago, we saw a calesa and we just wanted to take a picture of it with us inside. We asked the calesa driver if it's o.k. with him and he said yes, but we only wanted to take a picture we did not want to ride with it because san Agustin museum is just a few blocks away and we wanted to walk. When the picture was taken we were getting off but the driver said do not go anymore I will take you to san Agustin. I said no but he already moved the calesa and we can't do anything because we are already in the middle of the hi-way . So I said o.k. if you insist but how much is the fare? The driver did not answer me and when we reached the museum we got off and he said the fare is p150 per head. I was so shocked!!! It's like robbing us and I felt so angry and I said to the driver, it's too much!!! I will not pay you!!! I will pay only p50 for both of us because that is the minimum fare, I know, p300 is way too high for a ride of short distance!!! We went inside the museum and the driver followed us and he is insisting to me to pay him p300 but I said no, I will pay only p50. I told the guards of the museum what happened and they extended their help to me. The guards said that they will protect us because we are visitors. I would like to give credits to the guards of san Agustin museum because I felt secure. But this experience with the calesa driver has affected me so much that I wanted to write to you to give warnings to your readers that they must not allow calesa drivers to fool them. Minimum ride around the Intramuros walls is p25 per head, if the driver will insist a higher fare do not hesitate to approach the guards around the area because they can help or call 527-40-53 security headquarters.
Recelie Montas, Philippines (Jan 02)
As you more than likely know there are lots and lots of money changers on all of the main roads in Manila. Well I had British pounds with me and I was visiting a lot of these money changers to see where I could get the best deal. Eventually I found one where the rate was very good so I decided that when I needed more peso I would go back there again. A few days later(when I needed more pesos) I was on my way to the same money changer when I saw one that I hadn't seen before so I thought I would go and check what their rate was. When I found out it was not as good as my previous one I was about to leave when the owner, a woman, called me back. She told me she would match the rate that the other place had given me so I agreed. She counted out my peso, then I counted them afterwards. Anyway she insisted on counting them again which I thought was suspicious so I watched her hands like a hawk to see if she was trying to do something dishonest. I didn't see her do anything so I pocketed the peso and left the shop(silly me, I should have counted them again) An hout late I realised that she had ripped me off by about a hundred pounds so I went back to the shop. At first she denied it but after I shouted so loud, she said'oh I must have made a mistake', and gave me about seventy five pounds worth of peso back. I demanded the rest and she refused to give it so I went to the local police station and a policeman accompanied me to the money changer(at this point she gave me the rest back) A few days later another money changer tried it again, but I didn't let it happen the second time. I didn't see anything about this mentioned in the book so it might be a good idea to put this warning in the next edition as a warning to someone who goes to Manila for the first time. Some of the locals afterwards told me that this was not the first time it had occured either.
Seamus Ryan, UK (Feb 02)
Gems, Highlights & Attractions
On a recent trip to Mt. Province on Northern Luzon, I had the opportunity to climb Mount Amuyao. It is the highest peak in Mt. Province and among the top ten highest peaks in the Philippines. The trail head starts in Poblacion, Barlig Municipality. Barlig is a 2 hour jeepnie ride from Bontoc, the capital of Mt. Province. Rides leave from Bontoc to Barlig everyday at approximately 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm. Rides return to Bontoc from Barlig every morning at 6:00 am and 7:00 am. From Barlig, the trail up to Mt. Amuyao passes through the ancient Macalana Stone Rice Terraces, through Pine Forests, up into Mossy Cloud Forests, and ends at the radio and TV relay station amongst the shrubby grassland at the summit. From Barlig allow 4 hours to reach the summit and 3 hours to return. Visitors can go for a day trip or stay the night and sleep in the relay station or camp outside. The trail is not too complicated but guides are available. Inquire at the hotels or municipal hall. Porters carry fuel up the trail everyday to run the generators that power the relay stations making the trail easy to find. Sunset and sunrises are beautiful and hikers can view all of the surrounding provinces from the summit. Some visitors reach the summit and descend down the back side of the mountain and end up in Bataad, Ifugao. This option takes a full 2 days of backpacking and camping and the trail is not used as much. Barlig is also known for its rice terraces, woven ratan backpacks, brooms, hot springs, waterfalls and swimming holes. The people are wonderful there.
Nathan Olah, USA (Jul 03)
During the last weekend in June, beginning on a Friday, the city of Tacloban erupts in a 3-day long celebration called Pintados. Celebrating the first meeting between Spanish conquistadors and the colorfully "painted" natives in Leyte, the main event of the fiesta is a parade which features street dancers and musicians wearing lavish costumes and intricate body paint. Be sure to wear old clothes during this fiesta-bystanders are often painted by the street dancers in passing, and there is a good chance that you may be painted yourself (with water-based paint, of course).
Carmen Flores (Feb 02)
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