Philippines is composed of 7,107 beautiful tropical islands. It means there are thousands of scenic spots to explore and enjoy. Traveling to the Philippines gives you memorable experiences to cherish as you grow older. Listed below are some travel tips for you to discover and enjoy the country’s sheer beauty to the fullest!
When to Go?
*If fiesta or festival is your purpose in visiting this stunning tropical paradise, then have it on January, May and December. Numerous colorful fiestas or festivals are held during these months. Enjoying the serenity of azure seawater and white sand beaches are fantastic on summer days, which will begin from March to May. Furthermore, these are the months to behold the breathtaking sights of the Philippines as the weather is pleasurably warm.
What to Bring?
*It would be great if you travel light as most of the things you will need are available in here. Choose only the items that are necessary and important to you. Furthermore, do not forget to bring your sturdy footwear for an exciting mountain climbing and island hopping adventure and flip flops for an ultimate beach getaway.
What to Wear?
*Just like any tropical countries, you should dress for the weather- hot! Bring light clothing because it is ideal for whole year round and wear only thick ones for cold nights. However, observe proper dress code when you will visit temples, churches or business offices. Although, dining establishments and hotels do not impose strict dress code but wearing slippers and shorts are deemed inappropriate.
Tipping
*It is normal to leave a tip when someone rendered a service. On major restaurants and hotels, a 10% service charge is added to your bills, which serves as a small token of gratitude. There are also some business establishments like shopping malls where tipping is not allowed. However, it depends upon the costumer if he/she is going to tip or not, thus making the tipping optional. Apart from major restaurants, hotels and shopping malls other small commercial establishments as well as cab drivers also look forward for extra money in return for the service rendered.
Business Hours
*Public and private offices operate from Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with lunch breaks from 12:00-1:00 p.m. There are other private establishments, which will open on Saturday. Banking hours is from Monday to Friday that will open 9:00 a.m. and closes at 3:00 p.m. Other banks are open on Saturday except for public holidays. As for shopping malls or department stores, they do not usually have a fixed schedule or business hours due to several factors like on Christmas Day that needs an early opening and late closing.
Time
*Philippine is 8 hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). For example, when it is 12 in the afternoon in this tropical country, it is 3:00 am in London, 8:00 the previous evening in San Francisco and 11 in the evening in New York.
Currency
*The official currency in the country is Philippine Peso. Notes are issued in the following denominations of 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1000 whilst coins come in 5, 10 and 25 cents, 1, 5 and 10 pesos.
Electric Power Use
*Electric power used in the country is 220 Volts/60Hz.
Languages Spoken
*Its official language is Filipino in the form of Tagalog and English is the second official language, which is widely used in the country.
Source:
http://maniladarlings.com/travel_info/philippine_travel_tips.php |
