Where are the best places to travel in the Philippines this summer?

Philippines isn’t only known as the home country of Manny Pacquiao but it’s also renowned as a country with beautiful, perfect beaches, mountains, lakes, etc.

Some travelers are still hesitant to travel in this country because of its “bad” image. But, for those who have travelled here, they know that the country is incomparable to the rest of the countries in Asia.

I’m not saying that because I’m from the Philippines. If you’re planning a trip to my country, here are some of the best places to travel and stay.

1. Best places to travel in the Philippines: Scream Park Manila

From the term suggests, it’s a theme park for those who wish to scream and be scared. If you want to experience how to be walking with zombies, you should try it out. You’ll feel like you’re in the set of “Walking Dead.” But you’re forbidden to touch them.

When you go there, you need to survive its three scare mazes, namely The White House, The Undead – Hungry for your Flesh and the Asylum of Terror.

2. Best places to travel in the Philippines: Sky Ranch Tagaytay

It’s made for adrenaline junkies and thrill seekers. Located in Tagaytay, Sky Ranch offers a lot of exciting attractions. That would include the Sky Eye, which is a towering giant that lets you see all the sights when you’re at the top of it.

Super Viking is also a great attraction. For kid-friendly attractions, they can see Mini Viking, Carousel, Wonder Flight, and so on.

3. Best places to travel in the Philippines: Sandbox Pampanga

After you’re done being excited and thrilled at Sky Ranch and you want more, you can go straight to Sandbox Pampanga. It’s the latest destination in the North and it features a lot of thrill rides and activities designed for outgoing people, like you.

One of its attractions is the Ride the Avatar One, which is a rollercoaster zipline. The up and down slopes and sharp turns make the ride more thrilling.

The Aerial Walk is another activity you shouldn’t miss at Sandbox. It’s an obstacle course that tests your physical strength.

4. Best places to travel in the Philippines: Costa Pacifica Baler

It’s in Baler. And we all know how beautiful this place is. Drive is long, about eight hours. But you’ll enjoy it scenic views.

Costa Pacifica Baler is located right at the shore, making it a perfect place for surfers (and surfer wannabe).

The resort is captivating. You’ll feel like you’re staying in Bali’s Potato Head Beach Club and Sydney’s Bondi Beach.

5. Best places to travel in the Philippines: City of Dreams Manila

After Baler, you can go back to Manila and stay at the City of Dreams. Located in Aseana Avenue, City of Dreams consists of three hotels, restaurants and more.

It has leisure and lifestyle shops, plus dining options.

To know more about the best places to travel in the Philippines, go here.

When traveling to Japan, Russia, India, China, Norway and France, there are things that you must know to avoid upsetting the locals. Here are some rules that you should keep in mind.

Traveling to Japan

Japan is one of the top travel destinations in Asia. But make sure to heed some of its travel rules. For instance, services at hotels and restaurants can be quite unique in this country. If waiters in the US would appreciate bigger tips, servers in Japan would find it degrading.

Tipping isn’t done in this country, so avoid that when traveling to Japan.

Traveling to India

From Japan, let’s go to India. In this country, you won’t see their locals using their left hand when greeting someone or exchanging money.

Why?

They considered it as unclean.

Thus, when traveling to India, never use your left hand when you try to greet someone. Don’t pick up merchandise or exchange money using your left hand.

Traveling to Russia

Russia is known for its strict rules when it comes to their tourists. If it’s your first-time in this country, don’t assume that the people living here are miserable because they just don’t smile at you.

Well, there’s a reason for that. And it’s not that they’re unhappy. In Russia, smiling at strangers is considered a demonstration of insincerity. This is because smiling is an intimate gesture for Russians. If you don’t know them and you smile at them, they’ll treat you as an insincere individual.

So, don’t smile at Maria Sharapova when you see her in Russia, unless the two of you are friends.

Traveling to China

China is known for its chopsticks. When you go to one of its restaurants, never wave your chopsticks as this action is considered to be rude in this country. It’s as if you’re drumming with your fork or knife.

Traveling to Norway

Among the many bizarre rules in Norway, it’s the honking that really amazes me. In Norway, honking is only used during emergency situations. Thus, when you beep while driving, you’re causing panic to other drivers. (Wish it’s also being followed here in PH).

Traveling to France

In addition to learning le Francais, you must also learn how to say hello. Saying “bonjour” is appreciated in this country but if you don’t, French locals would consider you as rude. You’re simply showing the person you don’t say hi to that he/she is “lower than you” in status.

Traveling to Germany

When in Germany, never put your hands in your pockets while talking to someone. It’s considered to be bad manners. And while you’re eating, never put your hands on the table. Never. Verstanden?

How to go to Potipot Island? Simple. Ask your employer for an incentive travel so you can go to Potipot Island.

However, if you don’t want to trouble your boss about it, you could save money and go solo in this island.

How to go to Potipot Island?

From outside Philippines, you must travel from your place to this country. Then, from the airport, you need to go a bus station and catch a trip to Iba, Zambales.

From Iba, you need to ride another bus to go to Sta. Cruz. This is where you will find a boat that can take you to the island. The travel may take around 10 minutes.

When you go to Potipot Island as your incentive travel, you must only ride the bus. Avoid hiring tricycles. The fare will be higher than the bus.

The fee for riding a boat will be approximately PHP400. To make it cheaper, wait for other people who are also traveling to Potipot Island.

Make sure that you tell the boat owners that you’re not a tourist but a backpacker. This is because they’ll charge you double if they think you’re a tourist traveling to this island.

Camping over staying in a resort

In order to make your travel to Potipot Island a lot cheaper, you should consider camping on the beach, instead of staying in a hotel or cottage. As long as you have a tent with you, you can set it up under the shade of trees.

Should you bring food and water?

Before you go to Potipot Island, make sure that you’ve collected enough drinking water and food while you stay here. There’s no food that you can buy in the island.

The drinking water can be obtained through a pump. But there’s a dull taste that you might not like. If you’re not used to it, then better bring bottles of drinking water.

Little Boracay

Potipot Island is known as the Little Boracay of the North. It’s a hidden gem with pristine blue water. Unlike Boracay Island, Potipot has no commercial establishments, which is great to avoid polluting the area. This is also one of the reasons traveling there is a lot cheaper than going to Boracay.

Day tour package

If you plan to go to Potipot Island with a guide, you can try purchasing a day tour package, which may cost around PHP1,000 per person. This package is usually offered by resort owners. The package will include the use of pool, tree house, etc. It also includes entrance fee, life vest, boat fare, and insurance.

Where to find day tour or overnight packages? You may visit MetroDeal.com. It offers cheap packages and great deals for those who wish to go to Potipot Island.

Paris tours for Christmas? Why not? The place is always a good idea if you’re looking to have fun. Paris is usually a part of someone’s bucket list destinations (including me). Once you’ve visited the place, you’ll be longing to return here for more adventures (and love?).

But how are you going to make sure that your trip here is memorable? Whether you’ll go to Champs-Elsysees or Place des Vosges, you should heed to these tips for your Paris tours.

Don’t rush

You can never appreciate Paris’ beauty if you rush around. Have a moment to drink and view this beautiful place during your Paris tours.

While satisfying your hunger, you mustn’t forget to finish it with a coffee without milk. Or have a deca when you’re avoiding caffeine.

Have an afternoon break

Your Paris tours won’t be pleasurable if you don’t take an afternoon break and drink a glass of rose at any of the place’s outdoor cafes. Whether you’re going to Reims for wine tasting or Veuve Clicquot or Versailles for its amazing gardens, never forget to have an afternoon break with a nice drink.

Try its cuisine

Insist on visiting restaurants run by young chefs. They serve world-class menus. They also provide their clients different meals from the traditional Parisian dining. Frequent travelers to Paris favor Le Chateaubriand and Agape Substance.

Wander around

If you’re like me who love history, then you shouldn’t miss wandering around Paris’ historic streets. For falafel, I’d recommend going to Le Marais. They have the best Middle Eastern dishes.

If you’re on for romantic Paris tours, then opt to visit Pont des Arts. It’s where lovers go. You and your loved one will put a padlock and throw its key to the Seine in order to seal your love for each other.

Rue Mouffetard is known for its lively restaurants, cafes and bars. In the evenings, it’s filled with foreign and local tourists. What’s great about it is that it’s very close to automobile traffic. Thus, walking around, going from one place to another is quite easier.

Should you travel alone?

Paris isn’t just for lovers. With that being said, you can travel here with your significant other, a good friend or just by yourself.

Each travel will give you a different experience. If you’re traveling alone, you won’t feel forlorn as the city has a lot of things to offer. This gives you the opportunity to better know the place and absorb its beauty.

Other places to visit

Paris tours offer a lot of sceneries and adventures. Although Louvre is a must-see museum in the city, you should also consider going to Musee D’Orsay. This is especially great for fans of casual art.

Or just sit on the steps of Sacre Coeur while drinking beer or wine while watching the Eiffel Tower. You’ll surely enjoy this.

Paris tours are simply amazing. You get to visit its world-famous museums, restaurants and sceneries. You’ll also experience its unforgettable cuisine.

As regards to souvenirs, make sure that they’re easy to pack as you might need to have a check-in bag for them when go home.

Traveling to Europe is one of the dreams of most Asians. Before, going there required millions of pesos. Nowadays, there are air routes and travel tips and strategies that you can try to make your trip as cheap as possible.

Avoid summer

It’s tempting to go there during summer season. At Travel Philippines, I don’t recommend visiting Europe in the summer. That’s if you can avoid it.

Why? This is because the prices are at their peak. Almost every hotel is booked up and the cities are crowded.

If you want to have a cheaper travel to Europe, heed to this tip: travel off-season. For instance, you can go there during winter season. You can get discounts up to 40% in a hotel accommodation. Hence, getting great deals is easy at this time of the year.

Use low-cost airlines

For budget-conscious travelers, they opt to fly with airlines that offer low-cost travel to Europe. This is one of the travel tips to Europe that you shouldn’t ignore to help you make your travel to this continent a lot cheaper.

Another more affordable way to Europe is through high-speed rail network.

Try passes

These passes will help you save a lot of money while visiting museums. You may use a welcome card to help you get free public transportation in going to sights, museums, tours, and more.

Use a local transport

In the Philippines, we have jeepneys and tricycles. In Europe, you can use its own public transportations to help you save money. They’re a lot cheaper than choosing axis.

This is one of the travel tips to Europe that you must try. You may choose to buy a 24-hour or a 3-day public pass to make tickets a lot cheaper than purchasing single tickets.

Opt for a rent car

But make sure that you rent it by the hour. This is a type of program that’s popular in Italy, France, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and other countries.

And if you do rent a car, you must opt for a diesel-fueled car. This will surely ease the pain of paying for high fuel prices. Europe, Spain and Great Britain offer best prices for rental cars.

Stay in an affordable hotel

This is one of the travel tips to Europe that budget-conscious travelers should follow. This is especially true if you’re looking for great value of your money.

But, just because you’re staying in an affordable hotel doesn’t mean you must sacrifice style. Bear in mind that there are plenty of stylish hotels in Europe that offer cheaper rates. Although their rooms are small, they can provide you with king-size bed, flat screen TV, and other features.

Go with a friend

Traveling with a friend is also a nice idea to make your trip to Europe a more affordable journey. You can share travel, food and hotel expenses. Because you’re sharing expenses with a friend, you can afford to stay in a luxury hotel.

Well, there you go. Here are Travel Philippines’ travel tips to Europe that can make your trip here a more enjoyable and affordable one.

Security Bank Philippines is one of the banks in the Philippines that offers loans. However, because of the recent economic issues, the bank has become stricter in approving the applicant’s loan. If you’re planning to apply for a loan in this bank for your travel expenses, you need to present the bank managers with complete package of your finances to get approval.

Listed below are some tips that you can follow to help your personal loan be approved without problems.

1. Know what you want

It is important to understand your preferences before you apply for a personal loan in a bank. There are different types of loans offered by the Security Bank Philippines. But each of them has its own terms.

What you need to look for is a loan that suits your needs for your travel expenses and meets your budget. Applying for a personal loan in this bank can be easier than applying for an auto or mortgage loan.

However, you must make sure that you can pay off the money you want to borrow. And you must do it as fast as possible.

2. Contact the bank

As soon as you’ve found the type of loan package that you’re interested in, you should contact Security Bank Philippines. Its customer support will give you the requirements to become eligible for a loan. Although it’s okay to discuss this matter on the phone, it’s highly recommended that you make an appointment in person.

Keep in mind that this bank has different requirements than other banks. You must know them all upfront so you can be prepared.

3. Know your credit score

Applying for a personal loan for your travel expenses may require you to present your credit history. Or you may need to open an account from the Security Bank Philippines.

The bank will review your financial background. It’s highly likely that you’ll get approval if you have good credit rating with the bank.

Regardless of your credit history, you still need to consider your limitations. Security Bank Philippines will approve your loan if you they think that you are financially capable of making repayments. Thus, you must only apply for personal loans if you can afford to pay them back.

4. Avoid having high expectations

Financial experts said that it’s not a good idea to apply for a loan if you’re such in a hurry to travel. Keep in mind that the officers of Security Bank Philippines follow certain protocol before approving a loan. It may take a few days to weeks before you can get the money, i.e. if your application is approved.

Your main goal here is to apply for a loan that you can afford to repay. The officer might ask you how to use the cash you’re borrowing. Sometimes, using it for your travel expenses might not be a good reason. However, if you’d say that you’ll be using it for home improvement, the officer might approve it.

Again, before you apply for a personal loan at Security Bank Philippines, you need to make sure that you’re capable of repaying it.

Honeymoon insurance may seem like a useless insurance package plan. However, for those who have been through honeymoon trips, this type of insurance is essential. This is especially true if you don’t want to complete your trip with unwanted bills.

What are some unexpected things that can wreak havoc on your honeymoon?

Natural calamity

This includes hurricane, flood, and earthquakes. Anything can happen while you’re on honeymoon. When you encounter them, how can you be sure that you can still recover your funds?

Delayed flights

Missing your connection or delayed flights can be troublesome. Do you know how to arrange with your travel agent of an alternative trip? Do you have funds to catch up?

Becoming ill

An adventurous sport can be exciting when it happens during your honeymoon. But what if one of you would get ill? Do you know where to go to get proper medical care? How about funds to pay for the treatment?

Called off

Honeymoons are expensive. When the wedding is called off, can you still get a refund for your honeymoon trips?

What honeymoon insurance coverage should you consider?

Cancellation coverage

It provides you reimbursement for your trips that have been already paid earlier but your trip has been cancelled for some reason.

Missed connection or delayed flight coverage

This type of honeymoon insurance coverage will give you assistance on how to catch up to your flight when it left without you.

Adventure coverage

This is an essential coverage if your honeymoon involves adventure activities. It will provide you medical assistance for a medical treatment that you and/or spouse need while honeymooning in a certain island.

Medical coverage

You may meet an accident while traveling to, say Australia. This type of coverage will provide reimbursement for you or your spouse to have medical treatment anywhere you are.

Who should consider honeymoon insurance coverage?

Young couples who just got married should consider this insurance policy. They just saved for this trip. Thus, it’s only necessary to protect such investment.

This policy isn’t only for newlyweds. Rather, it’s also helpful for mature couples who want to renew their vows. It will make sure that the couples are protected against financial losses during their second honeymoon.

Couples with kids must also consider this type of insurance. This is especially true if they don’t have someone to leave their kids behind while honeymooning. They must consider getting a honeymoon insurance that’ll also cover their kids who’ll be traveling with them.

Seniors who recently got hitched should also obtain this insurance. Good thing is that insurance companies have different plans for seniors.

Where to purchase this type of insurance?

It’s easy to purchase it from a third-party company. Your travel agent may also offer you coverage for your situation.

When choosing the right coverage or company offering it, it’s important that you make your decision not based on the price. Rather, you should also consider you and your spouse’s needs when traveling for a honeymoon. Conduct a thorough research before opting for a perfect honeymoon insurance coverage.

How many islands in the Philippines?

The number of islands in the Philippines will depend on the sea levels. When it’s high tide, the country has 7,100 islands. For low tide, you can find more than 7,107 islands in the Philippines.

How many islands in the Philippines are inhabited?

Out of those islands, only 2,000 of them are inhabited. Thus, there are over 5,000 islands that haven’t been explored.

Located in Southeast Asia, the Philippines is one of the countries you shouldn’t miss to visit when you’re looking for islands to explore.

Most of the islands in the Philippines have white sand with turquoise water that’s filled with diverse marine life.

To help you get started in exploring the many islands in the Philippines, here are 4 that can give you a good starting point.

El Nido, Palawan – Philippines Asia

Emily VanKamp of Revenge had been here. Other Hollywood celebrities who visited Philippines in Asia were also amazed by the beauty of El Nido in Palawan. It’s considered as the first step to having wild adventure in the Philippine Asia.

Outside the coast of El Nido, you’ll find majestic empty lagoons, caves and waterfalls, among others. All of them are easy to explore.

If you’re a diver, you should consider exploring the waters of El Nido in Philippine Asia. Its surrounding waters have 50 species of whales, sea cows and endangered turtles.

Oslob, Cebu

Are you fond of watching sharks? Then, you belong to Oslob, Cebu, one of the many islands in the Philippines Asia.

Each morning, whale sharks are seen off the shores of this town. After having a great sight of them, you can have a refreshing dip at Tumalog Waterfalls. Or have a diving exploration in Moalboal.

Do you want to get to know more about Spanish colonial houses? You can do go to Carcar town. The city is also known for its delicious lechon or whole roasted pig. Don’t forget to try its crunchy deep-fried pork skin or, commonly known in Philippine Asia as chicharon.

Boracay Aklan

It’s one of the most popular holiday destinations in the Philippines. In fact, if you want to see some local celebrities soaking in water, you should go here.

The 4-kilometer stretch of Boracay offers several adventures for beach bums and water enthusiasts.

During nighttime, the island is still alive and you’ll find sand castles that have been lit with colorful candles. You can also visit some of its cozy restaurants and bars that remain open until dawn.

If you want the calmer side of Boracay, you can go to secluded coves, cliffs, and caves, which are still part of the island.

During March or summer season, Boracay conducts competition for kite-boarders and windsurfers known as International Funboard Cup.

With the island’s forceful waves and powerful winds, this island of the Philippine Asia becomes an ideal destination for water sports enthusiasts.

Panglao, Bohol

It was once known as a sleepy island. Today, it’s being roused by local and foreign travelers. If you’re looking for diverse aquatic attractions, you’ll surely appreciate Panglao in Bohol.

Dolphin watching whale spotting, sea snakes and jackfish are just few of the things you can enjoy seeing while in this island of the Philippine Asia.

Apart from its beaches, Bohol is also known for its Chocolate Hills. The hills are shaped like a dome. They’re called chocolate because of their brown color. Their color is visible during dry season.

Want to see the world’s smallest primate? Visit Bohol now and see the endangered Philippine tarsier.

Pico de Loro is a popular destination for people who are fond of mountain climbing and hiking.

Apart from its beauty, this tourist destination is another go-to place if you need a low-cost destination while exploring the Philippines.

It’s also an ideal place if you want a tourist spot that’s near Metro Manila.

What you can see?

While hiking this mountain, you’ll experience its beautiful forests that resemble that of the forests in fairytales.

It also offers views of Cavite and Batangas, including the West Philippine Sea.

In addition to those overwhelming views, you’ll also get to see bending bamboos, huge and old trees.

Plus, you’ll hear hissing of snakes and hymns of birds. Interesting, isn’t it?

How long the drive is to this tourist destination?

Pico de Loro is situated just 2 ½ hours away from Metro Manila. It’s also part of the DENR’s Protected Area in Ternate, Cavite.

Just like in Mt. Apo, this place requires hikers and climbers to register at the Campsite 1, which is located within the area. Per hiker will need to pay around PHP50 ($1+).

But unlike Mt. Apo, Pico de Loro doesn’t need a tour guide to help you out. Its mountain trail has signage so you won’t get lost while exploring the place.

Reward yourself after the hike

After conquering Mt. Pico de Loro, you should reward yourself for the job well done by going to the beach, like the Hamilo Coast.

The Pico Sands Hotel is the 7-storey hotel within the beach and country club of Pico de Loro. The hotel has 154 rooms and each room is spacious with modern amenities and, of course, captivating views of the lagoon and mountains.

Its country club has bowling lanes, music lounge, and cafe, in addition to its swimming pool.

St. Therese of the Child Jesus

It’s a small chapel that allows you to see the West Philippine Sea of the cove.

Did you know that this chapel was built for Henry Sy’s grandson’s wedding? Yes. It’s an all-glass chapel that can be an ideal place for weddings and special occasions.

When your stomach is already rumbling, you can drop by Sun Coral Café. It’s a seaside grill that offers Pako Salad, crispy pork slap, and pancit habhab, among others. Unfortunately, this café is only for members and their guests.

Pico de Loro offers tons of beautiful spots that you can’t explore within one day. Thus, you’ll need to stay here for at least 2 days to travel around must-see areas.

Best Diving Sites in Tubbataha Reef National Park

Swimming with sharks and watching different species of fish are just two of the things you can do when you’re diving in Tubbataha Reef National Park. Get to know the best, highly recommended diving sites in this place.

Are you into scuba diving like me? How about let’s take an adventure to Tubbataha Reefs National Park? The park is home to several diving sites. In 2008, it has been nominated as one of the world’s Wonders of Nature. And since 1993, it’s been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Thus, you can just imagine how astonishing its beauty is. You might also be wondering about its diverse wildlife thriving there.

My friends who went there were in awe of it. They can’t describe its astonishing beauty in a few words. A sanctuary for marine biodiversity, Tubbataha Reef is home to more than 360 coral species, 13 whale species, 600 types of fish and 11 shark species.

It’s no wonder why wildlife enthusiasts from all around the world flock to this place just to experience its beauty and enjoy its awesome creatures. If you’re like me who want to scuba dive in this place, here are some suggested dive sites my friends have been to.

1. Southwest Rock

It’s found on the North Atoll that features awe-inspiring wall. The wall is covered with a wide array of corals. While you scuba dive, you’ll see groupers, mackerels and Napoleon wrasses drifting in this dive site.

How about sharks? Yes. It’s highly likely that you’ll encounter grey reef sharks and those beautiful white-tip reef sharks.

Lobsters and crabs can be easily seen while you enjoy night diving.

2. Black Rock

If you choose this dive site, then don’t expect to see lots of corals. Instead, you’ll enjoy watching and swimming with white-tip reef sharks and manta rays.

3. Bird Island

It’s another favorite diving site in Tubbataha Reef. But it’s not for a novice scuba diver as it’s known for its strong currents. You must only scuba dive along with a licensed open water diver.

Nonetheless, you’ll enjoy seeing different colorful corals, eels, rays and sharks. A giant ray may also come out, if you’re that lucky.

4. Malayan Wall

Catch hammerhead sharks while scuba diving in Malayan Wall within the Tubbataha Reef. But this site is intended only for advanced divers. This is because it needs you to drift into the deep blue sea to appreciate the water.

5. Malayan Wreck

This is also ideal for open water diver as currents are strong. When you’re an advanced diver, you’ll enjoy swimming with seahorses, nudibrances and, yes, white tip reef shark.

Scuba Diving with an advanced diver

As previously mentioned, if you’re a beginner in diving, it’s best that you scuba dive with an advanced diver or get into a drift diver training. In this way, accidents can be avoided and you’ll enjoy the beauty of the place.

If you are into seeing and swimming with sharks and different species of fish, then you should visit Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park. Shark lovers must go and see Dalsan Wreck, which is also great for a full day diving. You’ll appreciate late afternoon dive in Staghorn Point.

The cost

Expect to spend more than PHP5,000 just diving into the Tubbataha Reefs.

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