Visiting Philippines for First Time -- Basic Suggestions
 

My daughter just graduated from high school and I now have more freedom. I have visited China many times (Children's deceased mother was Chinese) and am generally familiar with international travel. I want to give the Philippines a try and right now a visit in early or mid-June for 2 or 3 weeks looks feasible -- most likely Manila is destination. I am wondering what basic things I need to do that might not be intuitive to me. Realize as an American I don't need a visa. I am wondering for instance what type of phone to get. Best transportation out of the airport. Suggestions as to motels. (I want moderate not expensive or cheap motels) Any other things to be aware of? Also, realize I am asking broad question but any slivers of help would be useful.

What would you like to do in Manila?

I went to Manila last year, and as person who loves visiting museums and cultural places, there's not that much to see in my opinion. I only stayed 2 days, and I felt that was enough.

I highly suggest using Grab, as taxis are known for not using the meter and overcharging.

I can't provide much in terms of motels, but I did stay at an Airbnb condo which was fine.

It depends on the area you want to stay and what you are looking for in Manila. Lots stay in Makati area of Manila. Especially near Greenbelt if it is near the Malls you want to stay. Greenbelt also has a lot of restaurants of great variety.
As the other OP said Grab out of the airport is the best option for a first time visitor.
There is a Grab booth outside arrivals. DO NOT let people try to get you a taxi other than the official one Grab. They would be wearing Green uniforms. They would ask for your details and then book you one to your destination.
Exchange your currency at the various banks immediately after you exit the customs area. Then buy a SIM card. I would recommend GLOBE as their coverage is better. It is the rainy season so an umbrella would be helpful.
Hotels are not cheap but again it would depend on the area where you want to stay. Public transport is terrible so look to have grab or Taxi. It would be better if you can download the Grab App but bear in mind when it is raining it is very tough to get a grab or a taxi.

Kaitlyn McInnis, "5 Of The Best Things To See And Do In Manila As A First-Timer," Forbes, May 26, 2024, https://www.forbes.com/sites/kaitlyn...a-first-timer/

National Museum of Fine Arts

The National Museum of Fine Arts of the Philippines takes visitors through ethnographic, anthropological, archaeological and visual arts collections. It’s a must-visit for art and culture enthusiasts alike and quickly shows the effect of the Mexican, Spanish, and American influence on Philippine identity, and how it still shows up to this day.

The Mind Museum

The Mind Museum is a science museum nestled into the Taguig neighborhood. It touts a 1.2-hectare lot in the J. Y. Campos Park and includes a large variety of science and natural history exhibits, including over 250 interactive exhibits that take visitors through astronomy, wildlife conservation, fine art, and a fully intact t-rex skeleton.

Quinta Market and Fishport

Also known as Quiapo Market, but officially called the Quinta Market since 2017, this local market on Carlos Palanca Street in Quiapo, is where to go to see the true beating heart of the city. Here you’ll find everything from traditional street food to old-world architecture—and it’s one of the best places in the city to pick up Philippine souvenirs, which are otherwise surprisingly hard to come by.

Walled City of Intramuros

Walking the streets of Manila, you’ll notice how new the city feels… but as soon as you enter the walled city of Intramuros, you’ll be transported back to the old-world Spanish era. Throughout the cobblestone streets, you’ll find landmarks like Fort Santiago, a shrine to national hero José Rizal, the Manila Cathedral, the San Agustin Church museum and more.

Venice Grand Canal Mall

The shopping mall culture in the Philippines is huge—it’s where families and friends go to hang out, shop, eat, and just waste away the day people watching, so it only makes sense that the shopping malls in town are out of this world. Inspired by the Venice canals, or perhaps by the Las Vegas interpretation of it, Venice Grand Canal Mall is exactly what it sounds like—a mall built on two sides of an artificial canal that snakes around the shops. The indoor-outdoor shopping experience is equally kitschy and charming. We recommend stopping in between shops for a cocktail on the water, where you can watch patrons hop in and out of full-size gondolas that float up and down the mall.

I grew up in Manila and now live in LA. If you have 2-3 weeks, I would spend maybe a week at most in Manila to explore the city and get over jet lag, then definitely go to Boracay and Palawan the rest of the time to relax.

In Manila, people usually like the BGC/Makati area to stay. Explore the malls (Megamall, Mall of Asia, etc.), go to Intramuros, visit old churches, maybe go to old Manila area like Quiapo/Chinatown/Escolta. Recommend doing a day trip to Tagaytay.

Tagaytay I would recommend too. Best is get a private car with a driver. As for Palawan, the only airline that flies to El Nido is AirSwift and they are not very reliable or else you have to fly to PPS and get a drive to El Nido and is about 5 hours or so. Private van hire is between 6500 to 7000 php. Boracay is nice now especially after the clean up forced on them by former President Duterte. If you have time as Krystle says even flying into Kalibo and then taking a road trip to Boracay is not bad as it is very interesting drive.

Bohol is another suggestion for 4 days or so

Thats a lot of flying then unless the OP is at Cebu. If in Manila then better to do a trip to Corregidor day trip from Manila and a day trip to Tagaytay and take a pump boat ride around Taal volcano.

yes they are all good - they have 2-3 weeks to fill in though - plenty of time for a few days outside of Manila

My fiancee is in Manila. I would recommend a guide that can customize your trip based on what you want to see. Showaround.com has 1840 people but some of these might be women looking for westerner! Labor is cheap in the Philippines so the cost is reasonable. I think I got withlocal.com mixed up with showaround.com -- showaround.com looks a little scammy.

Let's be reasonable. Most of the filipinos do not know how to show around at all. They have to look at google to go around Manila as well and does not know what a foreigner would be interested in having a look. I am not demeaning them at all but their life style is entirely different and probably would be the same for most of us at home. Their tourism industry is fairly disorganised compared to countries like Thailand etc. Even Cambodia and Vietnam.

Of course, Manila is the easiest, and probably cheapest, for you to get to, but what else about it makes you favor it over destinations other than Manila (e.g. use Cebu as a starting/ending point)?

I agree Manila is not a place I would pick to spend time for a few days yes. It is very congested. I liked Cebu when I visited there.

It depends on what anyone wants I guess. The beach or the hills or something else? Or look up the Philippine Federation of Professional Tour Guides Association if needed an official Tour Guide.

When getting a Grab car from the booth, how do you pay? Do you use cash or still the credit card on your Grab app to pay?

Also, I have heard of Grab drivers adding tolls even if there was no toll highways use.

Never had that experience of adding tolls to a Grab. On the other hand meter taxis have been known to take a longer congested route. As for adding tolls normally they ask you and you pay cash at the toll.

I spent summers there as a kid. Shopping and dining have improved so much but the traffic has gotten a lot worse from what I remember. The gigantic Mall of Asia has more than enough of all that for stays in the bay area and near the casinos. Last time I was in BGC, the areas around the Shangri-La and Grand Hyatt were happening places and quite walkable for a CBD.

Peering at the vast Taal caldera from eateries up the ridge is one of my fonder Tagaytay memories. I discovered a few nice resorts like Hillcreek but needed a ride from Manila to get there and around. Hillside roads were quite congested the weekend I had arrived for an event last year.

I was in BGC this weekend and it was jam packed on Saturday night too though a different age group. :D

Boracay is great for a few easy and enjoyable nights. Its main strip has a beach town vibe while the top-end resorts at the forested end of the island offer fun island diving/dining trips offshore.

We flew in to attend a sunset dress party on the sand some years back but it was not a straight drive from the airport. We had to board the resort's own boat at the nearby transfer lounge and were soon landing on its secluded white cove in sun & sandals drama.

Siquijor, the second smallest province of the Philippines, provides an archetypical provincial experience, especially Lazi, the southernmost of its six municipalities.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lazi,_Siquijor

The nearest major airport is in Dumaguete (DGT), capital of Negros Oriental, served by Philippine Airlines (PR) and Cebu Pacific (5J). There are ferries from there to Siquijor, Siquijor.

Speaking from my own experience of booking GrabCars (not GrabTaxis) directly through the app (not through their airport booth), I can attest that drivers do have the option to manually add tolls to your fare.

Motorway operators are absolutely keen on getting drivers to use RFID stickers in place of cash. More and more toll barriers are refusing to accept cash at all (especially along the SLEX); for example, at the exit I frequently pass through, cars without RFIDs are made to pull aside so that they can get fitted.

I'm not the trusting sort of chap so when taking a Grab fitted with an RFID and/or passing through a stretch of road that's gone cashless, I'd typically ask the driver NOT to add tolls to the fare. I'd rather reimburse them for the tolls, in cash, at the end of the trip so that the only charge I'd see on the app is the actual fare that was initially shown on booking. (Note: I use GrabCars, not GrabTaxis, so the fare shown in the initial search is all I'm charged; there's no variable component save for tolls as these cars don't use metres.) I did let the driver add the toll manually on one particular journey and I made sure to agree the actual toll amount against the amount he added, but I normally find it simpler to just tell them not to do it.

Cheers.

The most interest place to visit in Manila is outside off Manila, Corregidor Island. About 90 minutes with speed boat. There are packages online

https://www.timetravelturtle.com/phi...r-island-tour/

From within the foregoing link.

https://corregidorisland.com.ph

That's what I did but the first time I went I only had a week so I had to change a few things a few days before

Planning to go to Siargao for a few days (and would appreciate any suggestions for hotels or attractions).

I'll have ~3 days in the Philippines before flying to Siargao. I'll be flying in from Singapore and it seems like Cebu or Manila are the best options for that stopover. Was leaning towards Cebu, I'll have half a day in Manila on the way home at the end of the trip, but curious if anyone thinks I should do something different here.

Davao is the other option that has a reasonable flight option from Singapore (though on a LCC instead of SQ J) and nonstop flight to Siargao

From DVO you also can look around Mindanao depending on what you want to see of course. Samal island is within a short boat ride from Davao. It has very nice beaches and resorts too. Or Mati and Dahican for surfing. There is no flight but it is a very nice drive from DVO and it would take about 4 to 5 hours by land.

I suggest going to Puerto Galera! Many Dive sites and Untouched places

PH / Cebu resident for 9 months. I'm in Manila now and I miss Cebu already. Cebu is the best place to experience what Filipinos are known for - their warmth. Manila is just a city, lots of people in a rush, malls, and buildings. Nothing else much and does not compare to almost any other capital city in terms of stuff to see.
I've been doing 3-5 day trips to Siargao (surfing and Bali / hipster vibe), Leyte - raw and rugged waterfalls, beautiful hills, no foreigners, Siquijor - huge and beautiful waterfalls, and Bohol which I visit almost monthly - nice mix of party vibe, beach, and cool day trips.
There is no reason to go to Manila unless you have business there, friends to meet, or want to burn some Hyatt points (I'm at the GH and HR now).

How did your trip to Siargao go? Post updates :)

Good to hear. We're going this spring. Would you generally recommend cash for restaurants, and if so, use your debit card locally to get that cash?

Cebu pacific vs PAL Express
 

Sorry, I don’t see any general thread for Philippines so I am posting my question here.

I need to fly from Boracay back to MNL. There are only two choices Cebu Pacific and PAL Express. I think Cebu Pacific flies ATR vs PAL Express flies A320. Fares charged by Cebu Pacific is less than 50% that of PAL Express. I am really not sure there is that much of a difference for the price difference. Anyone has any thoughts on which one should I pick? I assume I have to pay extra for checked bags at Cebus Pacific, but PAL Express might include one? Thanks.

PAL(PR) baggage allowances will depend on the chosen fare type/class, the cheapest ones usually include 10kgs. This will be indicated when selecting the fare type. Cebu pacific (5J) base fares have no baggage allowance. You can pick one of the bundles (seat selection, baggage, meals etc) or do the individual add-ons. I suggest comparing the total amount as opposed to just the base fare. As for the plane type., I personally would choose the A320 over the ATR. They also use different terminals in MNL. 5J goes to T3, PR goes to T2. This may matter if you're connecting to another flight. HTH

thanks. That is helpful.