We collected reviews of tourists about the Philippines - a tropical state of seven thousand islands. How are beaches and the sea rated? What they write about beaches, hotels, weather and excursions. Pros and cons of vacationing in the Philippines in 2021. Vacation advice.
The Philippine Islands are one of the most beautiful tropical archipelagos in the world. They are located in Southeast Asia and are washed by the Sulawesi Sea, the South China and the Philippine Seas. The islands have picturesque mountain landscapes and volcanoes, green rice fields, magnificent sandy beaches. You can also go surfing and diving on the beautiful coral reefs.
The capital of the country - Manila - is located on the island of Luzon. People come to the conglomerate city to get acquainted with the colonial architecture, go to museums and visit the Botanical Garden.
Pros and cons of vacationing in the Philippines
Tourists who visited the archipelago in 2019-2020 left positive feedback on their trip to the Philippines. Tropical islands are popular with everyone who likes to spend time alone with nature, and holidaymakers who cannot imagine a vacation without noisy parties, discos and clubs.
pros holidays in the Philippines in 2021, according to tourists:
- For up to a month, Russians do not need a visa.
- Reasonable prices for vacations.
- Warm climate.
- Clean sea.
- Great opportunities for active tourism and water sports.
- Primordial nature.
- A large number of national parks.
- Delicious exotic cuisine.
- Friendly and smiling locals.
- Relaxed atmosphere.
Elizaveva: "Filipinos are very simple and good-natured people. A smile is a symbol of a simple Filipino resident. They will always tell you how to get somewhere, tell you and help you."
Minuses:
- Long and expensive flight.
- Typhoons, earthquakes, floods, landslides and volcanic eruptions.
- Many Filipinos live in poverty, so there are beggars on the streets.
- Sea urchins in shallow water.
- In some supermarkets, visitors are screened at the entrance.
Anna: "28 hours on the way, and I am there. After arriving, I gained strength for 24 hours."
Reviews about beaches and sea in the Philippines
The length of the coastline of the Philippine Islands exceeds 36 thousand km. There are so many great places to relax by the sea that there is plenty to choose from. According to tourists, in any resort in the Philippines, you can find excellent beaches with fine coral sand and a convenient entrance to the sea.
The water has a pleasant blue tint and a comfortable temperature of +26 ... + 30 ° С. The clear sea and rich underwater world attract snorkelers and divers to the Philippines.
SokolnikovY: "White Beach has amazing white, soft, fine-grained, non-heating sand. Turquoise water, clear and calm. This is the best beach I've seen."
Panorama White Beach on Barakay
Resorts of the Philippines on the map
Reviews of the best hotels in the Philippines
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While relaxing on the islands, you can stay in a luxury hotel or rent an inexpensive bungalow by the sea. Hotels in the Philippines have no official stars and the categories shown are based on subjective expert ratings. According to tourists, many hotels are actually higher than the declared level. Only the small size of the territory hinders getting higher stars.
Houses of 4-5 * hotels often resemble bamboo huts, but inside they are very comfortable. Hotels 1-3 * are usually built in the national Filipino style. Even cheap housing has fans or air conditioners. Most hotels have good English skills.
Be Resort Mactan 4 *. This is a resort hotel with a private sandy beach on Mactan Island. The road to it from the airport takes 15 minutes. Guests appreciated the cozy family rooms and the comfortable outdoor pool.
Le Soleil de Boracay 4 *. An excellent option on Boracay Island is an elegant hotel located 300 meters from the famous White Beach and 100 meters from D'Mall Boracay. The hotel staff provides diving and windsurfing lessons for guests.
Jpark Island Resort & Waterpark 5 *. According to tourists, a vacation in the Philippines with children is good in a large spa hotel with a water park, which is located in the city of Lapu Lapu, opposite the capital of the island - Cebu. Guests noted a clean private beach, luxurious rooms and delicious Chinese and Filipino cuisine at the hotel's restaurant.
Sav Pacific Cebu Resort 3 *. In the province of Cebu, in the east of Makatan Island, there is a good budget hotel with a private sandy beach. Tourists are taken on sea excursions and diving on their own canoe-catamaran "bangka".
Philippines weather reviews
Thanks to the tropical and subequatorial climate, the islands can be enjoyed all year round. Most tourists come from December to May.
The Philippines is characterized by monsoons, but the rainy season on the islands manifests itself in different ways. According to tourists, in the east of the archipelago, it rains from December to May, and in the province of Cebu, the seasons are almost not pronounced.
Typhoons occur from time to time in the Pacific Ocean. In the Philippines, the peak of natural disasters occurs from July to October, but the elements can collapse at any time of the year. Typhoons are believed to be less likely between January and April. The island of Mindanao, which is located in the southern part of the archipelago, lies outside the "typhoon belt".
Anastasia: "I flew to Cebu at the end of August. The first three days the weather spoiled me: the air temperature was + 32 ° C. Then the rains began, but this did not prevent swimming, because there was no storm, only the warm wind ruined my hair."
Alina Lifanova: "Visiting sights in the heat of +34 ... + 36 ° C is a bad idea. It is better to take a closer look at the water activities available in March. A huge plus of the month is the absence of storms that interfere with normal snorkeling."
Reviews of excursions in the Philippines
Look for author's interesting excursions on the Sputnik and Tripster websites. Individual and group, no crowds of tourists and in Russian.
While vacationing in the Philippines in 2021, you can choose tours for every taste - excursions in the country's capital Manila, travel to national parks, diving, horseback riding tours, ATV trips, boat trips and trekking in the mountains. According to tourists, excursions with Russian-speaking guides are popular in the Philippines:
- A trip around Manila by car - from $ 65
- Unique places of Bohol island
- Natural and Architectural Beauty of Cebu and Mactan - $ 75
- Jungle Canyoning - $ 190
- Trip to Tablas Island - $ 90
- Snorkeling trip with whale sharks - $ 163
- Trip to Panay - $ 96
- Helicopter flight along the beach - $ 135.
Belena: "Extreme Park with the Bohol River is located on the mountain and from there a stunning view. There is something to entertain yourself for thrill-seekers - bungee jumping, flying over the canyon, and so on."
Philippines travel tips
The island archipelago is a real paradise for outdoor activities by the warm sea. Each resort is good in its own way. Young people like it on Boracay. Bohol is suitable for water sports enthusiasts, while Cebu attracts with chic beaches and luxury hotels.
IdaMitkova: "This country is not suitable for lovers of static relaxing all inclusive holidays in the style of Turkey-Egypt. The Philippines is a country for traveling, exploring unique natural beauties, not man-made attractions."
Religious and ethnic conflicts sometimes occur in the Sulu Archipelago, Mindanao Islands and the Zamboanga Peninsula, so we do not recommend visiting this part of the Philippines.
It's hot in the Philippines in spring. Air temperature +34 ... + 36 ° C. For relaxation this time of year, choose the picturesque bays overgrown with tropical vegetation. The excursions are exhausting, but it is pleasant to swim with fins and a mask and dive with scuba diving on coral reefs.
Restaurants bill includes 5-10% service charge.In addition, it is customary to leave a few coins from the brought change to the waiters.
In many Philippine resorts, such as Davao, smoking in public places is prohibited. Tourists pay heavy fines for violations.
