Mabuhay everyone!The fun does not end in the Philippines when the sun sets,neither does it tone down the grandest of weddings because it is a destination of exciting adventures and deep rooted intrinsic values which we share with the Philippines in common.
Did you know?Boracay island in the Philippines was named 2012 No.1 World's Best Island
Image Source: tripwow.tripadvisor.com
The affordability,the connectivity and the similarity makes it an interesting destination.Many of my friends of late have recently opened up to the new idea of travelling to the Philippines. Not many know though that it could be their one of the best choices.Let me tell you why I say so..
-Mangoes : We share our common love for Mangoes.Yes,we do.Philippines is a destination where we get Mangoes throughout the year.The temperature too stays warm throughout.
-Festivals & Weddings : Like Indians,Filipinos love color and spectacle.They have a lot of festivals and so do we.They like organizing colorful weddings and fun events and so a perfect destination wedding at Philippines will be perfect for us Indians.For those looking to propose or a getaway on their honeymoon,the
picture perfect scenery makes it one of the kind experience.
-Eating Out : For travelers from India,the major concern is finding a good decent Indian food,sometimes vegetarian,sometimes pure desi. Philippines is the only country that offers food pertaining to the region you come from in India.There are also many Asian restaurants in Manila that caters to Thai food,Vietnamese food and Burmese food.So there goes the worry blues in the air.
-Nightlife : 2 hours from Manila is the Angeles City which is number one entertainment capital of Philippines.The nightlife,the karaoke and the night scene is fabulous and similar to Pattaya. 1 Hour from Angeles City is Subic where you can be part of ocean adventures and safaris.In metro Manila,of course it is a cosmopolitan area and there are lot of shopping,lot of nightlife,lot of casinos etc.
-Picture Perfect : Owing to its cosmopolitan diversity,Philippines has been portrayed as Hongkong,Portugal and areas of Vietnam and even some areas of the united states in many of the
Hollywood movies.In an Indian movie "kamakshikala" Philippines was portrayed as Beverley Hills.
-Shopping : Shopping is favorite for Indians and Filipinos as well,they like to shop,they like to contribute to the local economy by shopping.SM Mall of Asia is the third largest shopping mall in Asia.Marcus is for low and high end shopping.Green Hills Market is another market where you find stuff with great Bargains.
-Adventure : Davao is home to the tallest mountain in the Philippines,Mount Apo.Mt. Apo is a volcanic mountain and excursions to the Mountain as well as picturesque trails and impressive wildlife.Palawan has more than a 1000 islands by itself and has lot of watersports like Banana beach rides, diving,surfing and para-sailing. Palawan also has underground river where you can go kayaking between those limestone caves. Clark hosts hot air ballooning festival and Bohol is the home to chocolate mountains. Boracay has lots of beaches. But the most important beach for windsurfers is Bulabog Beach.
-Language: English is widely spoken in the country,so language wise it's pretty easy city to tour around.
-The people: The Filipinos are the most friendly people and its rooted in their intrinsic values of healthy and supporting other families - their neighbors and members of other communities and hence they are very very amicable.
-The BPO Industry: Philippines is also known for the BPO industry and hence Bangalore contributes
to second largest source for tourist arrivals in the Philippines from India.
Verna from Philippines Tourism Board Says
"We are very happy that number of visitors who have come from India to the Philippines is increasing.In 2012, arrivals was a growth of 8%,but by this year till may we have a growth of 22%.Last year we rode our new Tourism Campaign Its more fun in the Philippines and the idea of the campaign stem from a single question our tourism minister asked us why would a tourist want to go to the Philippines?And the simplest direct answer we could come up was well because its more fun.The Philippines is just not a place to see , it is a place to be.The campaign is anchored on the warm welcome and upbeat nature of the Philippines. Its a fusion of place and the people."
Top 10 interesting facts about Philippines we never knew
Hot Air Ballooning festival in Clark
-Philippines is the second largest archipelago in the world with 7107 islands
-Clark hosts Hot Air Ballooning festival that happens every year
Moving homes still exists in reality
-Filipino hospitality is renowned world over and moving house as a community still takes place in some of the remote areas
-The Boracay island in the Philippines was named 2012 No.1 World's Best Island
-Philippines has 6 different shades of sand,including the pink sand
The game of brown symmetry,Chocolate Hill
Image Source:nipunscorp
-Chocolate Hills is in the race for the list of new 7 natural wonders of the world
-Philippines is one of the oldest filming cultures in asia
Palawan underground river,Image Source:gopalawan.travel
-The Palawan Underground River with a length of 8.2 km (approximately 5 miles) is the longest
navigable underground river in the world.
-A large of reality shows like Survivor series are shot in Palawan due to a lot of very secluded islands ,uninhabited islands
-Cebu is the queen's city of the south and its figured very prominently in the history of the
Philippines.
To know more visit:
34 Interesting Facts About Philippines
Philippines Currency
1 Peso = 1.40 Indian Rupee
Philippines Visa Process
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Creativity with Sand,yes Sand at Philippines Tourism Road Show
Glen from Philippines Tourism Board Says
"We have 14 days visa free entry to Philippines for Indian Tourist.The 14 day visa free entry is valid for Indian travelers with valid and current visa from Australia,Japan,Americas,any of the Schengen countries,Singapore and UK.The entry is through manila only at the moment.Indian travelers do not need visas if they have these visas".
Normal visa processing time(for the ones who do not have visa to the above mentioned countries) is 3 days.But the facility is also there to expedite it to 1 day and the rates and FAQ's is there on newdelhipe.com"
How To Reach Philippines
At present,Cathay Pacific goes to Manila via HongKong and Malaysian Airlines goes to Manila via Kuala Lumper.The round trip fare comes out to be somewhere around 27k.
Stay and Transport
For Backpackers:
Youth Hostels in Cebu,Manila and Palawan are great options.Range starting from Rs 500 onwards.
According to GoatsontheRoad,
Cost of two people in Philipines($50-60/day)
Budget Accomodation($5-$15/night)
Eating($2-$4 per meal)
Rice Terrace and Other Entrance Fees(Avg $5)
Alcohol($0.75 beer)
Plan your Budget Backpacking Trip to Philippines
For Transport,
Cebu is 1 hour 15 minutes from Manila
Bohol is an hour and 15 minutes by plane and 45 minutes by ferry from Manila
Palawan is an hour and 10 minutes from Manila
Davao is an hour and 15 minutes from Manila
Bus,Tram,Ferries and FastCraft are some of the options.For more information visit :
Getting Around Philippines
For Luxury travelers:
Resorts world manila is the newest mall at the same time entertainment complex near the newest terminal of the airport,they offer free transfers from the airport,they have 3 hotel in resorts world + a mall + an entertainment center + a theatre. It is also one of the popular destination for nightlife,bands etc.Marco polo
and Radisson are some of branded hotels
For a quick day out:
1)Pagsanjan Falls is one of the most famous waterfalls in the Philippines. To get to the falls, take the scenic one-hour boat ride that takes you up the Bumbungan and Balanac Rivers.
2)Taal Volcano is a complex volcano located on the island of Luzon in the Philippines.Get on a horse,go up the crater watch the steaming crater and come back again.Awesome experience.
3)Try cruises - Cocktail cruise which is for an hour or a dinner cruise which is a chartered cruise.
4)When in Cebu,try the Alegre Guitar Factory.You can take a look at the workshop to witness the craftsmen do the actual guitar-making process.The costing is anywhere from 500 pesos guitar to 5000 pesos guitar.Ayala malls is also one of the places to shop in Cebu.
5)Donsol in Philippines is located at the south of Luzon island and you can do whale watching here.
A typical itinerary would normally include:
1)2 days Manila,2 days Boracay,2 days Cebu : 6 days
2)2 days Manila,2 days Bohol,2 days Cebu,2 days Palawan,2 days Davao : 8-10 days
Still got questions on your trip to Philippines,ping me!It's simple isn't it :)
Have you been to Canada or Planning to,follow my parallel posts on Canada Travel
Have you been to Scotland or Planning to,follow my parallel posts on Scotland Travel
Watch me on Tanishq Ankionthemove on Tanishq
Image Source: tripwow.tripadvisor.com
-Mangoes : We share our common love for Mangoes.Yes,we do.Philippines is a destination where we get Mangoes throughout the year.The temperature too stays warm throughout.
-Festivals & Weddings : Like Indians,Filipinos love color and spectacle.They have a lot of festivals and so do we.They like organizing colorful weddings and fun events and so a perfect destination wedding at Philippines will be perfect for us Indians.For those looking to propose or a getaway on their honeymoon,the
picture perfect scenery makes it one of the kind experience.
-Eating Out : For travelers from India,the major concern is finding a good decent Indian food,sometimes vegetarian,sometimes pure desi. Philippines is the only country that offers food pertaining to the region you come from in India.There are also many Asian restaurants in Manila that caters to Thai food,Vietnamese food and Burmese food.So there goes the worry blues in the air.
-Nightlife : 2 hours from Manila is the Angeles City which is number one entertainment capital of Philippines.The nightlife,the karaoke and the night scene is fabulous and similar to Pattaya. 1 Hour from Angeles City is Subic where you can be part of ocean adventures and safaris.In metro Manila,of course it is a cosmopolitan area and there are lot of shopping,lot of nightlife,lot of casinos etc.
-Picture Perfect : Owing to its cosmopolitan diversity,Philippines has been portrayed as Hongkong,Portugal and areas of Vietnam and even some areas of the united states in many of the
Hollywood movies.In an Indian movie "kamakshikala" Philippines was portrayed as Beverley Hills.
-Shopping : Shopping is favorite for Indians and Filipinos as well,they like to shop,they like to contribute to the local economy by shopping.SM Mall of Asia is the third largest shopping mall in Asia.Marcus is for low and high end shopping.Green Hills Market is another market where you find stuff with great Bargains.
-Adventure : Davao is home to the tallest mountain in the Philippines,Mount Apo.Mt. Apo is a volcanic mountain and excursions to the Mountain as well as picturesque trails and impressive wildlife.Palawan has more than a 1000 islands by itself and has lot of watersports like Banana beach rides, diving,surfing and para-sailing. Palawan also has underground river where you can go kayaking between those limestone caves. Clark hosts hot air ballooning festival and Bohol is the home to chocolate mountains. Boracay has lots of beaches. But the most important beach for windsurfers is Bulabog Beach.
-Language: English is widely spoken in the country,so language wise it's pretty easy city to tour around.
-The people: The Filipinos are the most friendly people and its rooted in their intrinsic values of healthy and supporting other families - their neighbors and members of other communities and hence they are very very amicable.
-The BPO Industry: Philippines is also known for the BPO industry and hence Bangalore contributes
to second largest source for tourist arrivals in the Philippines from India.
Verna from Philippines Tourism Board Says
"We are very happy that number of visitors who have come from India to the Philippines is increasing.In 2012, arrivals was a growth of 8%,but by this year till may we have a growth of 22%.Last year we rode our new Tourism Campaign Its more fun in the Philippines and the idea of the campaign stem from a single question our tourism minister asked us why would a tourist want to go to the Philippines?And the simplest direct answer we could come up was well because its more fun.The Philippines is just not a place to see , it is a place to be.The campaign is anchored on the warm welcome and upbeat nature of the Philippines. Its a fusion of place and the people."
Top 10 interesting facts about Philippines we never knew
-Philippines is the second largest archipelago in the world with 7107 islands
-Clark hosts Hot Air Ballooning festival that happens every year
-Filipino hospitality is renowned world over and moving house as a community still takes place in some of the remote areas
-The Boracay island in the Philippines was named 2012 No.1 World's Best Island
-Philippines has 6 different shades of sand,including the pink sand
-Chocolate Hills is in the race for the list of new 7 natural wonders of the world
-Philippines is one of the oldest filming cultures in asia
-The Palawan Underground River with a length of 8.2 km (approximately 5 miles) is the longest
navigable underground river in the world.
-A large of reality shows like Survivor series are shot in Palawan due to a lot of very secluded islands ,uninhabited islands
-Cebu is the queen's city of the south and its figured very prominently in the history of the
Philippines.
To know more visit:
34 Interesting Facts About Philippines
Philippines Currency
1 Peso = 1.40 Indian Rupee
Philippines Visa Process
_opt.jpg)
Glen from Philippines Tourism Board Says
"We have 14 days visa free entry to Philippines for Indian Tourist.The 14 day visa free entry is valid for Indian travelers with valid and current visa from Australia,Japan,Americas,any of the Schengen countries,Singapore and UK.The entry is through manila only at the moment.Indian travelers do not need visas if they have these visas".
Normal visa processing time(for the ones who do not have visa to the above mentioned countries) is 3 days.But the facility is also there to expedite it to 1 day and the rates and FAQ's is there on newdelhipe.com"
How To Reach Philippines
At present,Cathay Pacific goes to Manila via HongKong and Malaysian Airlines goes to Manila via Kuala Lumper.The round trip fare comes out to be somewhere around 27k.
Stay and Transport
For Backpackers:
Youth Hostels in Cebu,Manila and Palawan are great options.Range starting from Rs 500 onwards.
According to GoatsontheRoad,
Cost of two people in Philipines($50-60/day)
Budget Accomodation($5-$15/night)
Eating($2-$4 per meal)
Rice Terrace and Other Entrance Fees(Avg $5)
Alcohol($0.75 beer)
Plan your Budget Backpacking Trip to Philippines
For Transport,
Cebu is 1 hour 15 minutes from Manila
Bohol is an hour and 15 minutes by plane and 45 minutes by ferry from Manila
Palawan is an hour and 10 minutes from Manila
Davao is an hour and 15 minutes from Manila
Bus,Tram,Ferries and FastCraft are some of the options.For more information visit :
Getting Around Philippines
For Luxury travelers:
Resorts world manila is the newest mall at the same time entertainment complex near the newest terminal of the airport,they offer free transfers from the airport,they have 3 hotel in resorts world + a mall + an entertainment center + a theatre. It is also one of the popular destination for nightlife,bands etc.Marco polo
and Radisson are some of branded hotels
For a quick day out:
1)Pagsanjan Falls is one of the most famous waterfalls in the Philippines. To get to the falls, take the scenic one-hour boat ride that takes you up the Bumbungan and Balanac Rivers.
2)Taal Volcano is a complex volcano located on the island of Luzon in the Philippines.Get on a horse,go up the crater watch the steaming crater and come back again.Awesome experience.
3)Try cruises - Cocktail cruise which is for an hour or a dinner cruise which is a chartered cruise.
4)When in Cebu,try the Alegre Guitar Factory.You can take a look at the workshop to witness the craftsmen do the actual guitar-making process.The costing is anywhere from 500 pesos guitar to 5000 pesos guitar.Ayala malls is also one of the places to shop in Cebu.
5)Donsol in Philippines is located at the south of Luzon island and you can do whale watching here.
A typical itinerary would normally include:
1)2 days Manila,2 days Boracay,2 days Cebu : 6 days
2)2 days Manila,2 days Bohol,2 days Cebu,2 days Palawan,2 days Davao : 8-10 days
Have you been to Canada or Planning to,follow my parallel posts on Canada Travel
Have you been to Scotland or Planning to,follow my parallel posts on Scotland Travel
Watch me on Tanishq Ankionthemove on Tanishq
Thanks for all those interesting facts on the Philippines. There are certainly a lot of islands and the people are friendly.
ReplyDeleteI love your first picture of the sand castle, it must have taken ages to build.
You make reference to Boracay Island being voted the best island in 2012. Which survey was that?
@The Guy:
ReplyDeleteHave you been the Philippines before?Yes it's an amazing place.
Thanks,but I do not think so that it must have taken ages.We had one sand artist from Philippines in India and she was damn gud at it,she kept creating sculptures on sand within minutes..
Travel + Leisure magazine named Boracay as World’s Best Island in 2012,The other top 10 in the list are:
Boracay, Philippines - 93.10
Bali - 90.41
Galápagos - 89.55
Maui - 89.53
Great Barrier Reef Islands,
Australia - 89.28
Santorini, Greece - 89.20
Kauai - 89.09
Big Island, Hawaii - 87.95
Sicily, Italy - 87.87
Vancouver Island, British Columbia - 87.48
For more information on top 10 beaches,check this out:http://www.ocean-republic.com/read/4/boracay-voted-best-island-in-the-world
Nice info about the beautiful place ....its like mini wiki on Philippines :) :)
ReplyDelete@njoyeverymoment:He he mini wiki is a new term but thanks so much,loved your article on tree houses too.Have you been to all of them?
ReplyDeleteWow! Philippines! Great trip and pics. Nice to see trot around the globe. :)
ReplyDelete@Indrani:Thanks dear,But I havent' been to Philippines yet,its just their road show I was part of.But one day...I think I will :).How about you?What's up?
ReplyDelete