According to Thesciencetutor, the Philippines is more than 7 thousand incredibly beautiful islands stretching over almost 300,000 sq. km. Cozy islands attract tourists from all over the world with snow-white beaches with clear turquoise waters, luxurious hotels and well-developed local resorts, amazing tropical nature, delicious cuisine and plenty of water activities (especially places for diving and surfing). Tours to the Philippines is a first-class, comfortable and beautiful vacation!
Philippines: location. The Pacific Islands of the Philippines are located in Southeast Asia. The islands are washed by 3 seas: South China, Philippine and Sulawesi. The closest neighbors of the Philippine Islands are Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia.
Philippines: capital. The capital and one of the most populated cities in the country is Manila – a large metropolis with dizzying skyscrapers and ancient cathedrals. From what to see in Manila: Manila Cathedral and the Cathedral of St. Augustine, the Presidential Palace (Malacañan), Rizal Park and the National Museum located in it, as well as Manila Ocean Park.
Philippines: language. The country has two languages: English and Filipino.
Philippines: visa. For Ukrainians , a visa to the Philippines will cost $ 100 (when booking a tour, that is, with a paid hotel reservation). The maximum stay on a visa is 59 days. Without hotel confirmation, the cost of a visa to the Philippines is $ 130. Visa processing will take from 7 to 10 days. Cities Travel, a tour operator in the Philippines, provides support to tourists regarding visa processing and obtaining.
Philippines: features of customs control. The customs regulations of the Philippine Islands limit the duty-free import of 400 cigarettes / 50 cigars / 250 grams of tobacco (your choice!) / 2 liters of alcohol. The amount is more than $10,000 and all jewelry, without exception, must be declared. The import of drugs and narcotic substances, weapons and their models, plants and seeds, products without packaging is prohibited.
Philippines: climate and seasonality. The temperature stays at +29 to +33 for almost the whole year, rarely rising to +37. The dry season lasts from December to May, and the rainy season from June to November. The ideal months for diving are March to May, where visibility is at its best.
Philippines: time. The time difference between Kiev and Manila is +6 hours.
Philippines: currency. The official currency on the islands is the Philippine peso. One dollar is approximately 45-46 Philippine pesos.
Philippines: tips. Leaving a tip in the Philippines is customary at a rate of 5-10%.
Philippines: telephone. The most convenient and cheapest way is to buy a local SIM from a SMART operator, which provides fairly inexpensive calls and convenient internet packages. As for emergency numbers, it is worth remembering the following numbers: 166 for the police and ambulance, 117 for emergency and rescue services.
Philippines: electrical network. The mains voltage is 220V, the sockets are American type (2 flat parallel pins), so it is better to take an adapter with you.
Philippines: clothing etiquette. There are no special rules. But it is better to take clothes from the most light, breathable, natural fabrics, especially if +30 degrees is predicted.
Philippines: official holidays. Standard holidays in the Philippines: Catholic Christmas (25.12), New Year (1.01), Easter, Independence Day (12.06). Local unique traditional festivals in the Philippines will also be interesting for tourists:
- Dinagyang is a festival in honor of the patron saint of the Philippines, Santo Niño, held at the end of January in the city of Iloilo on about. Panay (in 2017: 27-29.01). The holiday is accompanied by bright processions-carnivals to the incendiary musical rhythms of a huge number of people in traditional costumes. In addition, there are a lot of theatrical, musical, dance performances, a beauty contest, exhibitions and more.
- Flower Festival, which takes place in the resort of Baguio in February. All the streets are buried in flowers and lush tropical greenery, various carnivals, competitions of musicians, dancers, orchestras, exhibitions of flower sculptures and other beautiful “flower” events take place.