Things to Know Before Travelling to Philippines
No doubt that you have already seen thousands of pictures of beaches here in the Philippines and a lot of scenery from different tourist attractions from different parts of the country and also considering that there are more than 7,000 island here in the Philippines, you can really explore and discover breathtaking sceneries when you go here in the Philippines. You can choose any vacation that you want to do regardless if it’s related to sports or you want to relax on a nice hotel or resort, eat local cuisines, exploring different water works and experience the hospitality of the Filipino people as we are known for that but a trip to this wonderful country is does not come without a few surprises as well. Below are the things that you need to know before travelling to the Philippines.
- Weather – most of the foreigners who already had travelled here in the Philippines first notice the weather here. If it’s summer, the weather is really humid and hot, especially for those people who are not used to hot temperature. You may need to check about Manila weather or the weather update today in the Philippines before visiting this wonderful country.
- Language – The main language that the Filipinos used is Tagalog. This language was labeled Filipino to acknowledge the existence of many English and Spanish derived words. Some Filipinos tend to use Taglish as their language used for socializing with different people. The foreigners might be confused with the Filipino language as Tagalog is widely spoken in most parts of Luzon but there are different communities who used different dialects. Communicating with Filipino will be very easy since English is mainly taught in school and there are parts of the Philippines that the Filipino used English as their main language.
- Official Currency – The official money that the Filipino used is the Philippine peso. Exchanging money in the Philippines is as easy as it is the same standard to different parts of Asia. Luckily, the Philippines is a country with a mixture of different local and international banks that offers widespread ATM’s and online banking services. International credit cards can also be used here in the country just make sure to bring philippine peso if you’re going to rural areas.
- Security and Safety – Technically, there is no security threat to the country but you still need to check with your country’s travel advisory to get the most up to date information. Every traveler should take safety precautions because there has been an increase in different cases of robberies and crimes related to tourists. If you decided to go to public transportation, please avoid bringing a huge sum of money and always keep your bags or other belongings close to you as much as possible.
- Getting Around the Metro – The overall experience of travelling using public transportation here in the Metro will be a shocking and also tiring experience to every tourist. This includes riding the LRT, that has Line 1 and 2, MRT or bus. If you’re travelling for short distances, you can ride jeepneys or tricycles as well but nowadays, there are already mobile application design for hauling passengers either by a car or a motorcycle one.
