Vacation. Philippines” - a photo with such a caption can become a worthy decoration of any family archive. Why? There are actually many prerequisites for this. Having settled in Spain, Italy and Thailand, having visited Egypt, Turkey and Tunisia several times, we strive to discover new destinations.
The choice falls on the Philippines, whose photos have been on the covers of expensive glossy travel magazines for several years.
Section 1. General information about the country
Not everyone even realizes that this huge state is divided into seven thousand islands, lost among the oceans and seas.
You can name a more precise number - seven thousand one hundred and seven islands. All of them have different personalities. Everything is here, from untouched nature to an abundance of clubs, discos and other entertainment.
In general, the Philippines is full of exotics. Travelers are very attracted to surfing and diving, and also admire the developed resort cities, delicious cuisine, climate, local flora and fauna.
Section 2. How to get to your destination?
For Russia, flights from Moscow to Manila (though with transfers) are provided by two leading airlines in the world: KLM andKorean Air.
How can this be done, because holidays in the Philippines cannot but attract thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of travelers from all over the world?
According to experienced travelers, a long connection in Amsterdam is considered an inconvenient transfer.
It is also possible to change planes in Seoul. Flights by Qatar Airways (via Doha to Cebu or Manila) are considered more convenient, as, including connections, the flight time is only 17 hours.
And there is also another carrier, Emirates Airlines (via Dubai to Manila). The duration of the trip, taking into account such a connection, is 18 hours.
From Almaty, tourists often travel via Dubai.
For Ukraine and Belarus, flights are operated by Qatar Airways and KLM with connections via Dubai, Amsterdam or Bangkok.
Section 3. Useful information: airports, visa, customs
What do you need to go on holiday to the Philippines? Map, camera, bathing suit. And also, perhaps, a set of useful information that should be armed. For example, how to get to your destination and what rules to follow when crossing the border of a foreign country.
Although the Philippines consists of more than 7 thousand islands, almost all tourists get here by air. The most popular international Philippine airports are considered to be Angeles, Cebu, Laoag, Zomboang, Davao, Manila and Kalibo.
If we talk about comfort, then the airport in Cebu, located inthe very center of the archipelago.
For budget travelers, Clark and Diosdado Macapagal airports are located in Angeles.
But the air gate called Benigno Aquino is considered one of the worst, although it is used by most travelers.
Citizens of the Russian Federation who go on vacation to the Philippines (tourism is only developing here from year to year) do not need a visa. True, the rest period should not exceed 30 days.
Import and export of foreign currency is allowed in unlimited quantities. Also import without duty is allowed:
- 400 cigarettes;
- 250 grams of tobacco;
- 50 cigars.
Drugs, weapons and imitating objects, pornography, inhumane and anti-state materials, fruits, vegetables and plant seedlings with special permission, wild animals and birds, antiques without special documents, gold, ivory and wood products (except own, which are indicated in the customs declaration) are prohibited from importing.
It should be noted that in order to take jewelry or antiques out of the country, you need to have a special certificate.
Section 4. When is the best time to go on vacation?
The climate in the Philippines is tropical. And this means that it has its own characteristics: high temperature and humidity all year round. Keep this in mind when planning your holiday in the Philippines.
In general, there are two seasons:
- rainy (May to November);
- dry (December toApril).
The wettest period is June-October, but the resorts that are located inside the archipelago do not rain heavily. Therefore, "Rainy Philippines" is a photo that travelers visiting the country during this season are guaranteed to get.
The average air temperature in Manila is from +25 to +29 degrees Celsius.
According to experienced tourists, it is best to visit the resort in December-May. But do not forget about the typhoons in the Philippines. Their peak usually occurs in July-October, but, in principle, they can form at any time.
Section 5. Cuisine, restaurants
Traditional cuisine will delight tourists in the Philippines. Photos of original dishes will decorate your vacation report. The presence on the menu of something unusual and even strange is guaranteed to you. In general, this is a mixture of Western and Eastern cuisines: Chinese, Spanish, Malay.
Rice is served as a side dish to main dishes, which are most often prepared from seafood. By the way, we note that when a tourist orders any food, he is allowed to choose the option of preparing it. The most popular ways are fried side dish in sweet and sour sauce or grilled with garlic butter.
Drinks considered traditional are coconut milk - "buko", fresh juices, cold coffee and tea, soft drinks. But among the alcoholic drinks, the most popular are Philippine rum, local beer, wines based on coconut milk and Lambonac palm wine.
Section 6. What you need to diversify your vacation onPhilippines?
- Visit a Chinese temple in Cebu and see if your wish will come true.
- Have a picnic in nature near an incredibly beautiful lake in Mindanao.
- See the world-famous Chocolate Hills. They are on the island of Bohol.
- Watch cockfights, remembering in time that they are held in almost all villages and only on Sundays.
- Ride on the river, which runs underground and is considered the main attraction of the planet, on the island of Palawan.
- Let the master do the national massage.
- And finally, if you go to the Philippines, be sure to take photos of the beaches without fail.
