28 Things to Know Before Backpacking the Philippines
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- čas přidán 4. 08. 2024
- Backpacking the Philippines? Here are 28 useful tips and bit of advice that I think you should know before you go.
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PHILIPPINES HOT SPOTS - • ULTIMATE GUIDE TO BACK...
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HOW MUCH TO BUDGET FOR PHILIPPINES - • Calculating a *REALIST...
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PHILIPPINES VLOG SERIES - • Solo Backpacking the P...
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SOLO TRAVEL MOTIVATION? - • SOLO TRAVEL MOTIVATION
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Can I add Tip #29? Always bring tissue paper with you! Buy the multipacks at a convenience store or pharmacy for super cheap, roughly an 8 pack would cost around USD$1, because lots of public toilets DO NOT PROVIDE TOILET PAPER. This has the potential to make or break your trip.
thats true,but not just in the philippines.i live in the border of usa and mexico .all the toilet paper holders and padlocked .sometimes ,even the holders are stolen .expect this scenario in latin american ,asian and eastern european countries . i havent been to africa, so i have no comment!
I always had wet wipes & Toilet paper in my day pack! I’d list that as #1!!!
Your videos are so well made. The research, how you present your data, how precise you are, and how well edited it is!
Just got back from the Philippines and still enjoy watching these videos!
Once again, thanks for the informations. Well put together.
Love you and your videos they are always soooo calming and get me excited to travel soon!!!!!!!!!!
Quality content as always 👏👏👏 thank you, you make me so excited to visit the Philippines !! 😊😊
Phenomenally done. Thanks for all the info.
Awesome video lovely Christie!!! ❤
Thanks for the advices, they are really super helpful!
This is such a good video! I don't even plan to go again soon but I loved watching it! I loved the cliff jump lesson too! Haha. I'm such a wimp with jumps like that but it's good to know how to jump correctly ;)
Also agree to miss the Chinese New Year, I caught part of it the other year!
Honestly I love your channel. Helped me organize my channel. 😘😘
Could you make a video on how you planned your WHOLE trip? I mean not just the philippines (indonesia, thailand, etc) because you give us so much detailed information that i’d love to know more (budget, money, visa, things to do......)
Another excellent and well-planned presentation. I learned new things 3,5,10-12,14-16 not covered in others' vlogs. Thank you.
🤓🤓
Heading to Philippines in a week, thanks for the great tips! Especially about the sim card and rome2rio.
Woooop 🤩🤩 enjoy!
Thanks for the advice so every one aware for travelling in my country
Hi! I’ve been watching your Philippines series whilst travelling Southeast Asia, and I just visited Coron. I did an island hopping tour and thought I recognised my tour guide, turns out he was Bamboo from your vlog! I showed him your video and it made his day!
Jam packed with content. ty 🌴
We have 7k plus islands in the Philippines, more to explore. Thanks for promoting our beautiful country the Philippines ✌😉. It's more fun in the Philippines.
Thank you so much. Best solo vlogger for Cost and tip. Thanks for the info.
Pleasure ❤️❤️
Hello .This is such as lovely and informative video. Thank you very much. I have been to the Philippines before, hmm it was couple of years ago and let me add one more thing for people to know when they exit the country is we have to pay a terminal fee at the airport which is around not more than or less 800-1000 pesos if I can remember. However, now I feel I wanna go back again and follow your tips and advice to visit those amazing places you have been mentioning in your videos. Well bless you and I wish you all the best. I have been your fan from a very long time since your Australian journey which I had a great time embarking on it way back . Thank you for always inspiring us
I love your channel!!!
For number 20, there are separate fees because boat fare goes to a private company and terminal and/or environmental fee goes to the city, provincial, or local government. It would have been ideal if fare is all inclusive, unfortunately due to separate audit process as well as usually tedious and slow dealings with certain government offices, private companies tend not to deal with them. As for Internet connection, major cities has better infrastructure because there are more consumers as compared to provincial or remote places in the Philippines. Same goes with mobile connection, most remote or provincial places has only one signal tower or sometimes none at all. Fortunately, there has been some improvement (most has 4G signal now) on major tourist attractions/locations for the last 2 to 3 years.
100% Agree with bringing different bank cards! I got stuck with this one when no atm would accept my bank cards (about 3 different ones) luckily after 2 weeks I found a card/atm that would work...stressful first 2 weeks though :)
Love this one, Please make a video planning the big trip you stated in your insta story just like you did earlier! It would help alot.
Yes I deffo will be!! (But not for a couple months)
Thank you for the cliff jump tips 🤗😅
Christianne, thanks. ALL on point haha. about the internet, the government promised a better ISP by year 2020 which gives a faster and cheaper service. let's wait and see 😊👍❤
Oohhhh that would be fantastic!! Definitely an incentive for me to come back 😜
Hi beautiful
Awesome place
I’m trying to determine wether to actually go to Indonesia now that I’ve seen all your Philippines series!😫 perhaps I’ll go to both!😆
Both is good 🤓
Guys, I've been to THAILAND and other ASEAN countries and they were all amazing country/food/people but loves spicy THAI food the most. Bangkok has more man-made temples and is a concrete jungle for me, but having problems communicating with the locals in going places, while Manila is becoming one also, but easier to move around the huge metro suburbs because everyone speaks fluent English and most of all w/ four (4) Largest Malls in the World !!! With respect to a natural beauty, Philippines tops it all with 7,641 Tropical Paradise Islands surrounded by stunning acqua/blue water beaches (comes w/ white, brown, pink and even black powdery sands close to the volcano), mountains, jungles, forest, hills, volcanoes, waterfalls, rivers, lakes and lots of places for island hopping, cliff jumping, scuba diving, snorkeling, Wakeboarding, Kiteboarding, canyoneering, kayaking, rafting, ziplining, hiking, etc... its like you're in the PARADISE and some places looks like you're in Ireland, New Zealand. Most CZcams travel vloggers prefer PHILIPPINES because of natural beauty, more adventures, people's hospitality and most of all English is widely spoken and it's the most Westernize nation in Asia. BTW, I'm from VEGAS and will be retiring in the PHILIPPINES next year... SORRY THAILAND !!!
Wishing you all the best 🤘
Maybe "everyone trying to rip you off" is just sadly too much generalizing. But if it refers to provincial or small-town tricycle drivers & transport vendors, we local tourists also have to haggle. But the best tip for that is make sure you first ask your hotel/accommodation or another local how much your planned journey usually costs. I mean ask how much specifically for different routes. Even tell the drivers "But I was told by my hotel that it only costs ____ and not much more." If you give them a reference, you catch them most times. And you're right, if I think it's just too much I just ask another driver because the first ones almost always try to set the price higher and test you if you bargain or not.
But I've also tried haggling for cheaper and realize that the journey is indeed far with rough roads and I feel guilty later. So I just add a bit when I pay. But even traveling for me in different secluded islands, I still find the drivers generally friendly and happy to see tourists.
And I do agree that traveling around here has a lot of unpredictability and you must be very flexible and patient. This is I think still the reason why we attract a different breed of travellers i.e.backpackers or small groups. But it is also this reason why I can still go to a very beautiful beach with very few people. I would be very sad if PH develops to an extent like Thailand where you get bus loads of people in most travel spots and its just overwhelming. And I think the poor WiFi helps :D
But overall, I really enjoy your vlogs and keeps me inspired to travel to other islands. We local travelers here do keep count on how many islands we have been and excited to keep adding to them!
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Fucku fanboy
Don't be jelly
Such a useful tip for those who are excited to have lots of adventure in the beautiful islands of The Philippines. Instead of withdrawals from ATM it's better to use world remit app where you can send yourself money & pick it up on local remit centers.
Never heard of this! Are there remit centers on every island?
Backpacking Bananas, yes like Western union, palawan express, villarica, Banks, etc...
Not really a good tip. Remittance centers do have hidden fees. Like a lower exchange rate than real exchange rates. It's also time-consuming to set up and very reliant on remittance centers, which are less common than ATMs.
Another tip to add is carry lots of small bills. I usually carry $1 US dollar bills, they make great tips for people who goes above and beyond. I can give a token $1 or any amount I want. PH loves their USD.
Dry season, LoL, we are surrounded by water.
It's more like some months are less rainy that the rest of the year.
Also we only have two seasons. Summer, March to June(the hottest) and not summer(still can be hot) however summer can be of by a month depending on where you are in the Philippines, northern or southern which affects when certain fruits grows at different time on a particular region
When you gonna comeback here in the philippines.. ☺😊hopefully comeback again
We have just come home from the Philippines and I agree with most of what you said:
Have cash, not all in the one place
Book accommodation around the same time you book your flights and choose pay with credit card
Allow 3-4 days in each location
Book ferry’s and internal flights about the time you book flights
Look at what other people (locals) are paying for things so you roughly know how much to pay
Don’t bring expensive jewellery you will stand out as being excessively rich and get ripped off or worse robbed
If you book on the cusp of a season it is cheaper and we had good weather (18 May - 5 June) it got very quiet from 1st June as school holidays were finishing there so good deals to be had and snorkelling tours had less people on them.
If you would like to know my itinerary or ask any questions please do.
Yes, could you please tell me your itinerary and what you thought of it and what you did? :)
ItsLily we spent one night in Manilla in the Intramurous then flew to Coron for 3 nights and did some snorkeling which was really nice. The. We caught the fast ferry to Elnido (4hrs). We stayed at Rosanna’s Pension in ElNido for 4 nights. This accommodation was good value for money as we had a balcony right on the beach so ask for a Sea view room. It was walking distance from the ferry and walk to everything. We did a snorkeling tour and went to Las Havana’s beach where you can do zip lining or sit at a beach bar. We then got minivan transport to Port Barton which was our favourite place and stayed for 4 nights at a place on the beach front next to all the beach front restaurants and bars. We had a fantastic day out snorkeling here and it was so chilled we met lots of other travellers. We then got minivan transport to sebang for 3 nights and splashed out at the Sheridan Hotel which was beautiful but really not expensive but we ate ate local restaurants as the hotel was too expensive. From here you can go to underground river and do a zip line. It is a nice place for a few days but 3 nights was enough. Then we got a van to porta Princesa. There is not much there so 2 or 3 nights would be plenty. We stayed at Floris Hotel which we would recommend and opposite the newer shopping centre. There are not too many night time places to eat except down the bay walk or at your hotel. We went snorkeling one day and relaxed by the pool the others until our flight home which was 10 mins from our hotel.
Advice 17 a bit too late for me. I jumped off Kawasan Falls 45 ft and jumped off and ended up landing sort off on me arse. It hurt!
🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️ easily done lol hope your butt is okay.
This was super helpful for planning our upcoming trip! Did you find that you definitely need a international license when renting a scooter there? Also do you think it will be super rainy if we go sometime in November? Thanks again for everything :)
You don't need an international license to rent a scooter but you do need it if you want your travel insurance to cover you if you get in an accident, so up to you 😅
And honestly I haven't got the foggiest clue about November weather unfortuntaely as I now don't trust what it says online lol
I agree with you on all points, but #6. As a Filipino, I was offended when you say "MOST Filipinos will be trying to rip you off the entire time..." I'm sorry, but it's not in our culture ripping off visiting people from other countries. You could have been more specific if those experiences were with tricycle or taxi drivers. I don't think jeepney, bus or Grab drivers will charge you more as they would generally ask you to pay just the right amount for the trip.
Sorry, you're right I shouldn't have generalised. Please don't take it personally, I was indeed referring to any tricycle/taxi driver, scooter rentals / market vendors etc.
@@BackpackingBananas even us, Filipinos, are victims of those drivers. That's why it is best to use apps such as Grab and Angkas.
I try to bargain with grab, tricycle or even taxis' prior to entering their vehicle to a set price to a destination. specially when i already know what the actual cost is will be. especially during rush hour when cost is higher for the passenger.
I tried to bargain with Taxi drivers in Osaka Japan last year but not one driver gave in. LoL.
I'm like, meter it is or I walk since i'm on a budget
Sons-of-Kane, don’t be offended. I was in the Philippines for a month. Not all People tried to rip me off. Just most of ones I was buying something or a service from. Like it or not, there is most definitely foreigner, white or pointy nose tax. Call it what you want, but it is a real thing. So, yes, it is in the culture. I never took it personal, I just politely explained that I knew better.
additional tip #6, when you're looking for a tricycle ride, try to ask 2 drivers for a ride at the same time, that way they will compete with each other on who will be able to give you a ride with the cheaper fair, that's also the same as the fruit stands and many more.
Essentially try to start a bidding process with drivers....its you who should test them on who's giving the best fare instead of you being tested by drivers if you can give them the best fare.
What hostel did you stay at in Camiguin?
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Where can i buy a dry bag in the Philippines?
28 tips in 13 minutes.That's a lot of tips in a short time. No high pitch funny voice though... oh well. Can't wait to hear what the next trip is though!
Omg please tell us what you did on bad rainy days in the Philippines!!
Honestly not much 😅😅 tried to get some work done and would try out the restaurants/cafes in the local area and eat a lot of food haha
In Cebu City, I went to a trampoline park when it was raining though, that was fun 🤓
I am thinking about a 4 week trip in August (school holidays) I know the weather will not be perfect, but anyone with experience of travelling in the Philippines in August??
rip replay button 7:16
hi.beautiful lady plz.come again in philippines
👍💓💓💓💓💓💓👍
Always carry U.S dollars and do your research on the local currency exchange rate to dollar. You’ll be surprised how many place accept it and you will defo get a bargain when shopping none commercial food/drink and clothes. Take care
# 6 is off. It's sad you have that kind of impression to "most Filipinos". But nevertheless, a great and helpful tips :-)
Rio Petersen I agree. I was a fan...
I agree “most Filipinos” is a bit too much. But I have to say, it may seem so for foreigners. My Japanese father was almost always told a higher price compared to my Filipina mom. Of course, locals get scammed too, but bargaining is a part of our culture when it’s not for a lot of the foreigners. It’s important to always ask the locals about a reasonable price wherever you are in the world :)
Miss Christianne 💍💍💍💍💍💍💍💍💍💍💍💍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍 6/24/2019
qualiT
It’s not scamming... it’s just that in our culture we always haggle for the price of the things we wanna buy or services we wanna avail. Even us locals do the haggling.
Christianne you're a very beautiful woman!
of course you don't expect amenities, luxury, infrastructure especially in a paradise... don't demand those ambiance when backpacking adventure in a place closest to nature
You don't need to bring Philippine pesos before arrival in country. Just exchange your money at foreign currency exchange in the airport...
That is another option indeed 😊 typically it's just a bit more expensive to exchange currency at airport
When I was there, the difference in the airport was so little it wouldn’t matter if you exchanged $100. There was at least 5-6 exchange places in the airport most had different rates. I remember one was very close to the exchange I got outside the airport.
I have no clue what you’re talking about I’m on American huge dollars what’s the pound
I definitely felt off about #6... Anyways, that was your experience and who r we to judge... but seriously? Most Filipinos tried to rip you off???? I wonder where were these places you went to.. Most = 90%?
If there isn't a fixed price then yes, almost every time we are charged WAY more than what we should be. In every part of the Philippines I went 😅 it's just the way it is and we must know/learn how to bargain
Backpacking Bananas This must have been stated instead of just saying “most filipinos” tried ripping you off.. anyways, enjoy ur next world travel
You should not feel off. The foreigner price is a real thing. Had I not watched thousands of videos before my visit, I would have been over charged everywhere I went. If there was not a posted price, I usually got the pointy nose skin tax price offered to me. If you wonder where. Manila, Novaliches, Caloocan, Baguio, Cebu City, Panglao Island, Tagbilaran, Boracay & Davao City.
Its more dangerous in the philippines.
Girl I love you but you have traveled for far too long to have a card with ATM fees. Please up your game. Sincerely, a concerned viewer
I now have a travel cash card 😅 but just to clarify, no matter what card you use, ATM fees can't be dodged as it is the local fee for getting out money (not the card fees). Unless you have another way please tell me? 😅
@@BackpackingBananas I do! There are plenty of cards out there that will pay you back for the local charges at ATM. I feel like the most common one is the Charles Schwab card, but if that isn't available to you I know there are others. Stop paying for those fees :)
So what I just die because I forget a reusable water bottle? NO! I'll got buy a bottle of water from a shop if i want
Wow #6 Saying "most Filipinos" is simply unfair. You claimed they're trying to rip you off the entire time and yet you stay longer than the 30-day visit. Maybe Philippines is NOT the place for you.
I'm not sure if you missed the 15+ videos I have promoting beautiful Philippines? Like most countries in South East Asia, it's important to learn to bargain with tricycle drivers / market vendors etc in the Philippines to ensure not getting ripped off. I'm going off my own experience and I'm certainly not the only foreign traveller that gets given higher prices. That's not to say I don't still love the country though, and I want other people to love it too.
Maybe you should understand, that what she says, is actually true for foreigners in your country. If there is not a posted price, we are very likely gong to be offered a higher price than what a Filipino would be expected to pay. So yes it is unfair. why should I pay more for something because I am a foreigner?