After an island in the Philippines (Palawan) was voted ‘The Most Beautiful Island in the World’ by Conde Nast, I knew this was a place I had to visit. But the Philippines aren’t always included on people’s itinerary when they visit SE Asia. And even a lot of backpackers who are traveling for weeks or months at a time often skip over the Philippines. So, why visit the Philippines?
After traipsing through a good part of Southeast Asia and beach bumming my way around different islands, the Philippines remains one of my favorite places I visited. And especially after spending a smog-filled year in China, stepping onto the beaches of the Philippines was like stepping into a tropical dream of white sands, crystal water and lush vegetation. It was paradise.
The Philippines is located above the islands of Indonesia and to the southeast of China. There are actually over 7,000 islands that make up the Philippines. And let me tell you, they are worth seeing. Here are 15 reasons that will make you want to quit your job, pack your bag and visit the Philippines:
Why Visit the Philippines
As I said above, the Philippines was one of my favorite places that I visited while backpacking Southeast Asia. But it’s also near the top of my list for favorite countries I’ve ever been to. I absolutely loved visiting this country.
1. Stunning Beaches
The islands of the Philippines are no stranger to the ‘most beautiful’ lists from travel publications. Palawan, Coron and Boracay frequently land at the top of those lists and are reason alone to visit. The beaches here are stunning.
White Beach is one of the popular places to go on the island of Boracay. It’s got turquoise water, a beautiful mountain view from the water and of course, white sand. The water is shallow, sparkling and incredibly blue. Plus, the main beach road has shops and stalls right along the beach that make it perfect for strolling.
But you’ll find beautiful beaches all over the islands. I went to the beach above near sunset and the water looked nothing like this. Luckily I went back on a boat trip because it looked completely different during the day and had some of the most beautiful water I’d seen!
2. Beach Comforts
If you’re someone who likes beach comforts and amenities, this will be one of your top reasons to visit the Philippines. On some of the more touristy islands, you can sip a fresh coconut by the water, get a massage or heck, even a manicure.
There are many people offering services while you relax, and I have to say, massages on the beach are pretty great and will put you right into a slumber.
Nail polish on the beach sounds like a disaster, but there were definitely people who decided to get manis or pedis while relaxing! I honestly probably would have considered it had I not had a cement-like gel manicure from China that didn’t come off for, not joking, about 6 weeks.
3. Budget Friendly
Usually places this beautiful cost a pretty penny to visit. But one of the best things about visiting the Philippines is how affordable it is. You can get a cheap, but delicious meal for only a few dollars if you go to a street stall or local place. Otherwise, you can expect to pay about $10-12 per person for an average meal.
Drinks are even cheaper. Beers are about $1-2 and you can often find beer cheaper than regular drinks. You can enjoy fresh fruit smoothies by the water just as the sun is going down. It’s hard to beat a restaurant right on the beach!
Renting a motorbike is also extremely affordable and a great way to explore the islands. You can expect to pay about $5-10 for a 24-hour rental. As a backpacker, I think I paid about $12-14 for my hostel that was within 100 feet from White Beach. Happy to report that it still cost $14 for a night! And if you’re not in a backpacker phase, a hotel (depending on the island you’re on) can be anywhere from $30-40/night to a couple hundred.
4. Diverse Nature
There’s so many islands to visit and you can get very diverse nature depending on where you go. If you go to El Nido or Coron, you’ll find the famous limestone formations and turquoise lagoons that has made the area popular with travel magazines. The formations are incredibly unique. You’ll find them in the water and along the sandy beaches.
In Bohol, you can see the Chocolate Hills, over 1,000 hills sticking up over the trees that turn brown during the Dry Season. You can head to Cebu to see the famous Kawasan Falls–a milky blue waterfall in the midst of a jungle. Or check out the Banaue Rice Terraces to see the bright green terraces carved into mountains.
And of course, there are no shortage of beautiful beaches no matter which islands you choose to visit.
5. Unique Wildlife
The Philippines is also home to some unique wildlife. Most notable is the tarsier monkey. But you’ll have to look closely as they are one of the smallest monkeys in the world. They measure about 4-6 inches tall or roughly the size of your palm. Bohol is a popular place to see them.
6. Snorkeling and Diving
If you’re someone who likes exploring underwater, the snorkeling and diving in the Philippines is another reason to visit. There are many coral reefs around the islands for snorkelers to explore. Moalboal in Cebu is a popular spot for both snorkelers and divers as it’s known for its Sardine Run–schools of sardine that swim together and around you.
Another wildlife adventure you can have is swimming with whale sharks. The Philippines has one of the largest whale shark populations in the world and there are many tours to interact with them. However, finding a reputable tour experience is important as there are evidently a lot of unsustainable practices happening.
7. Adventurous
If you’re someone who likes adventure travel, then this is a place for you. Traveling through the Philippines is a more raw and rustic experience. You might travel by jeepney, motorbike, tricycle or pedicab to get to where you’re going. If you can pry yourself away from the beach, you can (and should) venture out into the supremely green countryside by motorbike.
You can hop on wooden boats to explore the islands, go canyoneering at Kawasan Falls, swim with whale sharks and much more. With so many islands to explore, you can find all sorts of different adventures.
8. Secluded Beaches
Like I mentioned earlier, a lot of backpackers leave the Philippines out of their SE Asia trip for some reason. I think it’s because they stick to the main land and it’s easier (and cheaper) to travel by bus across borders. Don’t get me wrong, there are still plenty of people who come here but it’s not uncommon to find some off the beaten paths and more secluded beaches.
We ventured out to what we thought was a well-known beach only to find hardly anyone on it! For how long the beach was, it was crazy to find it nearly empty.
9. Incredible Boat Trips
The boat tours in El Nido were what drew me to the Philippines in the first place. It is a can’t-miss activity on your trip. Sailing around the islands is absolutely breathtaking. You can take boat tours for the day that will lead you to limestone rocks and incredibly turquoise water. This lagoon was one of the prettiest places I have ever been.
But El Nido and Coron are not the only places to take boat trips. There are islands on islands to explore and so many stunning beaches to find. Why visit the Philippines? So you can go to places like this:
10. Great Weather
The Philippines has a wet and a dry season–the wet season being from June to November. And of course it’s best to visit during the dry season, which I did not. But as you can see from my photos, I had some great weather, blue skies and lots of beach time.
Right after this picture was taken, a huge storm blew through. So yes, I did experience some rain but I had flawless weather while in Boracay and still had fantastic water visibility on boat trips in other areas.
11. Friendly Locals
One of my favorite things about traveling through the Philippines was how friendly the locals were. When we rode motorbikes out into the countryside, the locals and children would all smile and wave to us. We felt very welcome exploring around.
One afternoon we went to a beach and the weather wasn’t great for any sunbathing so some locals asked us to play volleyball and we played several games with them. I had a great experience with the Filipino people.
12. Easy Travel
The Philippines is an easy country to travel to as over 90% of the population speaks English. In fact, English (along with Filipino) is one of the official languages. So you won’t have any issues traveling around or communicating here.
And as far as transportation goes, it’s easy to find either a jeepney or tricycle to take you somewhere. Or better yet, just rent your own motorbike to get around.
13. Festivals
If your trip happens to coincide with a festival, make sure to bring your camera! You can expect street parties, parades, colorful costumes and food stalls. There are several religious and cultural festivals in January where you’ll see brightly colored performers and dancers: the Dinagyang Festival in Iloilo City and the Sinulog Festival in Cebu.
14. Fun Nightlife
Nightlife in the Philippines can be a lot of fun depending on where you travel to. But in general, there are a lot of bars and clubs for options when it comes to going out. There are beach bars, live music and clubs to dance the night away. If you’re looking for good nightlife, Boracay and Manila are two of the top places for going out.
After staying nearly two weeks in the Philippines, it still wasn’t long enough. The sheer natural beauty is why I visited the Philippines in the first place. But this is a country that you can spend a lot of time in and a country I will absolutely return to. But since I was backpacking, I had five other countries I wanted to get to but for a moment, I debated whether or not I should even leave at all.
PIN IT FOR LATER
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