When visiting the Philippines for either a short or long-term vacation, you need to find ways to make your visit worth your while and worth your money. Whether you are visiting alone, with a loved one, or with your whole family, you would likely want to make sure that your visit would be something memorable.
Among the most important considerations to think about is the best time of the year to visit the Philippines.
When picking the right time to visit the Philippines, there are considerations you need to give attention to. In all these, it is best to plan and determine your expectations. Finding better reasons to visit the Philippines and planning way ahead of time of your visit in the country will certainly make your experience in the Philippines simply unforgettable.
This post is designed to give you the guidance that you need to make sure that you pick the best time of the year to visit the Philippines.
Your Decision to Pick the Best time to visit the Philippines
Should Depend on these Three Factors:
First things first. The Philippines is known to have only two seasons; the wet and dry seasons.
The wet season is often between June to October and the dry season is from November to May.
Depending on these seasons, you can think of what things you might want to do and what places you might want to visit in the Philippines. The good thing is, with more than 7,000 islands that comprise the Philippines, while some areas in the country are experiencing the wet season, some other parts of the country are experiencing fair weather.
So, let us begin to see through the three factors that can help you in your decision:
Where Do You Want to Go?
Do you want to go to the beach?
If you plan to go to the beach and enjoy the basking sunlight and wait for the grand display of colors during the sunset, it is best to visit the Philippines during the dry season. This way, you can go from one island to another with ease and enjoy the grand display of nature with full excitement on experiencing the activities that come with the adventure of visiting a tropical country.
Among the best locations to visit for island hopping include Batangas, San Fernando La Union, and the ever famous Boracay.
Under the new tourism programs of the Philippine government, several tourist spots were closed for rehabilitation and Boracay is one of those areas. The program has also affected the way the rules on the suggested behavior among tourists have been restructured. The goal of the program is to restore and preserve what has been saved to keep the destination beaches in the country as beautiful and invigorating as they are.
When visiting the beaches in the Philippines, remember to respect the locations you stay in and follow the rules and policies put in place to protect the said areas.
Do you want to go hiking?
If hiking is your thing, it is obvious you need to visit during the dry season. The best mountainous regions could be found in the northern region and the grand views are exceptional from sunrise to sunset.
Relatively, when hiking in the Philippine mountains, it is always better to contact local agencies that offer tours or guidance to make sure you are safe all the time. Contacting local agencies offering such services can help you enjoy your visit even when the weather is not that amicable.
Hiking in the Philippines has become even more trendy as more locals are opening their doors to serving as tour guides and safety offers to avoid any accidents along the way.
Do you want to just sleep in and go shopping?
Believe it or not, some tourists want to just sleep in and rest and just run away from everything.
If it is your thing to just explore the shopping malls in particular areas in the Philippines which may include Manila, Cebu, Davao, and other major cities in the country, then you might want to choose any time of the year and find a way to enjoy your stay and indulge on what the country has to offer to satisfy your idea of a restful and great shopping experience in the country.
For better deals, it is best to roam around the cities for shopping in December as special offers and discounts are in place. Special shops also make shopping experiences exceptional for many tourists and this could be done throughout the year.
What Do You Want to Do?
There are a lot of things to do when visiting the Philippines.
Some tourists want to experience the culture, some others want to experience nature, and others simply want to enjoy anything and everything that the country has to offer.
Do you want to enjoy the culture?
Cultural tourism is becoming an interesting fad among tourists around the globe. Instead of simply visiting interesting locations, some want to learn more about the people, how they live, the way they interact with each other, and the way they enjoy the community that they are living in.
In most cases, this type of tourism has created a new sense of realization among tourists and many among those who wanted to immerse in the Filipino culture for a few days, to a few weeks, to a few months, have found themselves falling in love with the culture and making a decision to reside in the country for good.
If this is what you want to do, then it would be best to pick between months that go from the transition between the dry to the wet season to get a legitimate feel of the lifestyle of the people from one season to another. This way you would be able to see how the people survive amidst the challenges that the wet season may offer.
Do you want to enjoy the Sceneries?
Professional and amateur photographers who want to visit the Philippines to capture the exceptional sceneries in the different parts of the country find it satisfying to visit the country between May and July. This gives them a complete feel of the seasons in the country, giving them a chance to capture nature, the people, and the lifestyle that is known as genuinely Filipino.
Whether you are a photographer or not, enjoying the sceneries throughout the year is certainly giving you a great open choice of visiting the Philippines any time of the year.
Do you want to experience the Festivities?
There are many festivities celebrated in the Philippines.
The truth is, all year round, several festivities are being celebrated around the country.
In Luzon, the most visited festivities visited by tourists include the Panagbenga which is celebrated between February and March in Baguio City. This festivity is designed to remind the people to be thankful for the flowering months and the rich harvest that the season offers.
The Ati-Atihan in Kalibo Aklan is celebrated in January and is designed to remind the country of the introduction of Christianity to the Philippine community.
The Masskara Festival in Bacolod is celebrated in October. This festivity hopes to keep the smiles flowing to keep the harvest high. With much laughter and happiness in the mix, it is expected that the harvest would be full enough to feed the members of the community.
How Much are You Willing to Spend?
How much budget do you have for your visit to the Philippines?
Your budget will help determine where you can go, what you do, and the length of time that you can stay in the country.
At some point, your dedicated budget will also determine the best time of the year to visit the Philippines for your vacation.
If you are on a tight budget, hotel bookings, and transportation rates coming into the Philippines usually drop with large discounts during the wet season. If you want to visit the country on a budget, the wet season could be considered an exciting time. Because of the weather condition, every price is dropped down.
Relatively, a lot of tourists found it exciting to be in the Philippines and roam around the country in fair weather. Knowing where to go and understanding how the locals enjoy even the wet season gives you that exceptional chance to see how Filipinos live within these seasons.
On the other hand, if you are willing to spend more on your vacation, your options will surely be broader. Contacting agencies that can help you decide on what you can do around remarkable locations in the country may be a great option for you to consider. This will help you plan your travel and pick the right locations to visit while also picking the right activities to engage in especially if you are traveling with the whole family.
Remember to Pack the Right Things for Your Visit
When deciding on when is the best time to visit the Philippines, you can also determine the right things to pack. It has always been one of the best advice to travel lightly. Not only will this allow you to reduce baggage expenses during transportation, but it would also give you the chance to roam around more freely compared to when you have so much to carry around.
So what things should you be sure to have during the travel?
First: Pack light clothes that are easy to wash and dry
Instead of bringing a lot of clothes, frequent travelers to the Philippines often find it more practical to pack some light clothes that are easy to wash and dry. Given that it is mostly warm in the country, it is easier to dry washed clothes than to have to carry a lot of clothes around.
Others also found it easier to buy their clothes in some of the local shops in the country.
The Philippine clothing market is known for its quality and discounted price. However, if you pick this choice, you need to learn to control yourself. Especially when you plant to roam around from one place to another. If you keep on buying too many clothes, then you will end up having so much to carry which you must avoid until the day when you are finally going back home and are already concluding your vacation in the Philippines.
Second: Pack Extra and Comfortable Flip Flops or Shoes
Backpacking tourists often find it more practical to bring extra flip flops or lightweight shows to have something to use when emergencies happen.
This is especially true when it comes to visiting remote areas, hiking in mountains, or going to beaches and islands that are located far from cities or local markets.
Third: Think of Safety and Pack basic medication and mosquito repellants
Basic medications for fever may be necessary for you to have ready in your pocket especially if you are visiting in the middle of April to October when the weather may be quite unpredictable. Some tourists find it harder to immediately adjust to the weather in the Philippines and sometimes feel the symptoms of fever during the first few days of arriving in the country. Nonetheless, if you have the right medication on hand, then it will be easier to respond to the situation faster and begin enjoying your vacation soon enough.
Also, mosquito repellants are found helpful by other tourists especially when visiting provinces.
If you have maintenance medication, make sure you have them on hand to avoid unnecessary emergencies when visiting any location in the country.
Fourth: Keep your documents safe on an easy-to-carry bag
Make sure that all our documents are within an easy-to-carry bag that you can immediately access as you travel around the country. Keep your documents close to you to avoid losing them along the way.
Key Takeaway
When picking the best time of the year to visit the Philippines, make sure to do some extra research especially if you are targeting a specific location to visit in the country.
Accordingly, the guidelines noted herein could give you an idea of what specific considerations you need to give attention to when you begin to plan your travel ahead of time. Doing so will not only help you enjoy your visit to the Philippines, but it will also help you make the best of everything and make your vacation a remarkable experience.
