Tag: Thailand

Have you ever dreamt about spending time in sublime beaches without being surrounded by hundreds of other tourists? After traveling in Southeast Asia for almost a year, we can definitely promise you that the Philippines is the country that will fulfill the most easily these dreams of yours. But sure, how could it be not like this in a country that consists of an archipelago of more than 7000 islands and where almost the whole country is a beach? Apart from having first class beaches, hidden corners and fascinating locations for divers, there is one thing that will let you find your own paradise in this country: there are much less tourists in the Philippines than in other beach destinations. The amount of foreigners you find in this country can’t be compared to the mass tourism that you can find when you travel to Thailand, for instance. In addition to travel to the Philippines is also very special because of the people you will meet there. It might be because of the Christian heritage and the fact that their culture is much more similar to the European than in other places in Southeast Asia, but it is so easy to connect with the Filipino who start talking to you in any moment (most of them speak good English) or they just want to take a picture with you.

There are several reasons for that you will meet less tourists. Flying to Manila, the Filipino capital is not as easy and cheap as it is to other major cities in SE Asia. Then, traveling in the Philippines means taking other flights or boats, which make the trip slower, less comfortable, and sometimes even a bit unpredictable. Moreover, there are certain areas in the country which are considered dangerous because of the presence of fundamentalist religious groups.
Therefore, traveling to the Philippines requires good planning. In order to help you with the preparation of your travel to the Philippines, we prepared this brief travel guide for you with lots of useful tips.

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How to organize your trip to the Philippines

Looking at the map will immediately make you understand that organizing your travel to the Philippines is not something very easy. It is a country that consists of a lot of islands, which means that you will have to fly or travel by boat quite often. We strongly recommend you not to include too many islands in your trip to the Philippines, since you will easily get frustrated. Try to pick a couple of island groups at most, and focus your trip on those. In addition, flying to Manila is not as cheap as it is to Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur. Nevertheless, if you want to save money you’d rather fly to one of the previously mentioned cities and then take a low-cost flight (AirAsia, CebuAir, etc.) to enter the Philippines.

When to travel to the Philippines

The best time to travel to the Philippines is between December and May, which is the dry season, while during the European summer it’s the rainy season in the Philippines. During the wet months it rains almost every day, but you can still enjoy many sunny hours most of the days. Nevertheless, during these months you have to consider that your travel to the Philippines can coincide with one of the typhoons that hit the country every year. These typhoons cause quite a lot of damage usually, and they can ruin your trip, too. The Visayas Islands in the center of the country are the most protected islands from these huge storms.

Travel insurance

In the Philippines, just like traveling in the rest of Southeast Asia, it is very important to have a good travel insurance. You can get infected by different tropical diseases, and to have a good insurance is crucial for these cases.

Visa to travel to the Philippines

If your travel to the Philippines will last less then 30 days, you don’t have to bother too much. When you enter the Philippines, your passport will be stamped, which will let you stay one month in the country (not 21 days as it was before). You won’t have to pay any fees for that. If you want to stay more time, you can extend your stay for another month in the offices of immigration. This second month is not free any more, the current fee is 3.130 PHP (around 60 euros). More information on Visa issues.

Vaccines and medicine to travel to the Philippines

The only vaccine that you need to have, if you want to travel to the Philippines is the yellow fever, but only if you travel from an endemic area. Other vaccines that are usually recommended are: typhoid fever, diphteria, Japanese encefalitis and hepatitis A/B. As usual, we recommend you to visit a travel clinic in your country, where they will provide you with all the necessary information.

You have to consider that in most parts of the Philippines health care is pretty basic, hence it is quite important to have a complete first aid kit with you. In some areas of the Philippines there is also a possibility of getting infected by malaria, hence we recommend you to get informed on the current situation. Use of a good mosquito repellent is certainly necessary.

Time Zone

The Philippines is found in the UTC + 8 time zone.

Language

In the Philippines the official language is the Filipino (Tagalog), but there are many other languages spoken in the country. English is also a co-official language, hence much more people speak English than in other countries in Southeast Asia. In fact, to travel to Philippines is also a great opportunity to practice your English, if you are not a native English speaker. If you listen to Filipino people talk, you can also recognize many Spanish words, which was quite funny for us to hear.

Currency

In the Philippines the local currency is the Philippine peso (PHP). The current exchange rate is 1 euro = 52 PHP. In most bigger cities and tourist spots you will find ATM machines to withdraw money. Most local banks charge you 200 PHP as a commission (Citibank does not, but it is not so easy to find ATMs of this bank), so it is better to withdraw larger quantities.

WI-FI

In the Philippines, just as in most part of Southeast Asia, you will find free Wi-Fi in most of the accommodations. Even on islands that seem to be far from everything, you won’t have any problem in finding internet connection.

Safety

The Philippines is one of the countries where we would really like to go back soon. Nevertheless, we have to tell that the Philippines is not the safest country is Southeast Asia. In bigger cities (especially in Manila) thefts are quite common, whereas in more remote islands (especially in Mindoro) several tourists have been kidnapped by fundamentalist groups. It is always better to get informed before you travel to the Philippines, especially if you plan to visit more remote areas.

Where to sleep in the Philippines

In the Philippines it is not always very easy to find cheap and nice accommodation. Nevertheless, with some effort, you will always find something decent.

How to get around in the Philippines

Traveling in Southeast Asia, one gets used to traveling in local buses or by minivan most of the time, whereas your travel in the Philippines will include more trips by boat and by plane than on land.  This makes traveling more complicated, which also makes many people stay away from this country.

If you plan to fly, there are several low cost companies you can use for that. With AirAsia and Cebu Pacific you will find great deals most of the time.

Between islands that are close to each other, traveling by boat is the best option, although these boat services can have pretty unpredictable timetable. Sometimes they don’t leave until they have a certain number of passengers, they get canceled because of a breakdown, they don’t let you on board, because there is no more space, etc. When you travel to the Philippines, you need a good amount of patience, too.

Where to eat in the Philippines

Food is not the strongest point of the Philippines. There isn’t a perfect country, so we have to say that food is pretty disappointing in the Philippines, especially compared with the culinary delicacies in the neighboring countries. They eat a lot of bread, burgers and other not very healthy stuff. At least it’s inexpensive, and you will easily find food stalls to buy a sandwich or something similar for very little money. It’s also possible to find local restaurants, where you can try typical Filipino food. The most typical dishes are the filipino spaghuetti (with a sweet tomato sauce and sausage) or the caldereta (a kind of stew that we liked a lot).

Budget for your travel to the Philippines

We spent around 15 € a day each when we traveled in the Philippines. Nevertheless, we had to stay for 6 days in the same place, since Gábor was sick. Therefore, we can say that traveling in the Philippines is somewhat more expensive than traveling in the rest of Southeast Asia, but you can still make it on 20-25 € per day.

We hope that our short guide will be useful to organize your travel to the Philippines.

The major attraction in the Philippines are the beaches and marine life, especially the beaches in Coron and Palawan are breathtaking.  Nevertheless, there are also interesting natural and cultural sights to visit. Amongst them we especially recommend the famous Banaue Rice Terraces and the hanging coffins of Sagada.

Bangkok is one of those cities that instantly seduces you with its colors, sounds and odours. It’s one of the largest cities of Southeast Asia with so many different sides and faces, and most travelers love to return there every now and then. Bangkok has a lot of ancient monuments, fantastic gastronomy that gives you new impulses even after a lot of time you spent there. It’s also an ideal place for all sorts of shopping and everything is integrated together to such extent that in this city even the shopping malls seem to be monuments that have to be visited.

Here, we just give you a shortlist of what to see and do in Bangkok, the “must stuff” from our point of view.

VISIT TEMPLES AND OTHER MONUMENTS

Without any doubt the Grand Palace and the huge temple complex Wat Phra Kaew, are amongst the essential places to visit in Bangkok. The temple of Wat Pho is also indispensable with the famous golden reclining Buddha-statue in its interior. In addition, we really recommend you to visit a place that is not in all tourists’ agenda, that is climbing the Golden Mount, where you will find a beautiful golden stupa and you can enjoy the most spectacular views of the city.

Another not so touristic, but very authentic and somewhat peculiar location is Erawan Shrine, a holy place where locals say thanks to the Gods, which is situated between skyscrapers and skytrains. A strange encounter of modernity and tradition.

WALK IN SOME OF THE NICE PARKS

Despite the huge traffic in Bangkok, which you will notice everywhere, there are places in the city where you can escape from the hustle of the city. Our pick would be the Lumphini Park, where apart from a nice pond you can also meet some really huge lizards walking around (which are by the way completely harmless).

ENJOY THE COLORS OF CHINATOWN

Chinatown is probably the most vivid part of the city, where you can find endless variety of street food, small markets and shops, where you can buy all that you can imagine. At night street life becomes even more lively, and experiencing it is something that you really have to live at least once.

VISIT THE SOI COWBOY STREET

We included Soi Cowboy amongst the things that you have to see and do in Bangkok, because it’s a very peculiar place, which many of you will find funny and strange. A street with lots of lights, a little bit in Amsterdam style, a very small “red light district” with girls inviting you inside the bars to see the shows, where who knows what’s going to happen.

EAT, EAT AND EAT

If there’s something that especially makes worth visiting Bangkok, for us these are the food stalls, which you can find everywhere. It’s funny to see local businessmen waiting in line for a piece of fried chicken. We really tried to taste as many different kinds of things as possible, and we spent basically the whole day eating, since these food stalls are just everywhere and they make you feel like trying these delicacies.

If you are vegetarian or vegan, you will also find a bunch of great places to eat. Here’s a great guide for you about vegan Bangkok.

DO SOME SHOPPING

Apart from the famous MBK shopping mall, where you can find technological products of all famous brands (phones, laptops, etc..), we also recommend you a walk in the Terminal 21 shopping mall. The latter has a very original design: it’s like an aiport where all floors have the name of a famous city and the design is related to that particular city.

Another must visit place is the Chatuchak Market, which is the largest market in Thailand, and where you can buy absolutely everything you can think about, while you enjoy the great food you can taste there.

ENJOY THE VIEW OF BANGKOK FROM THE SKY

And finally we left one of our favorite places to the end, which really can’t be left out from the list of what to see and do in Bangkok, and that’s the impressive Sky Bar. They have a strict dress code, it’s very overpriced, but the views you can enjoy from there are unbelievable and compensate for everything. It opens around sunset, so it’s worth going there early to enjoy the day view, the sunset and the lights of the city at night, too.

We returned to Bangkok several times during our travels around Thailand, and we really fell in love with the city. It is so vibrant, it never makes you feel bored and wherever you go, you will always find surprises and new things to see and do.

Are you thinking of travelling to Thailand and don’t know which places to visit? We can understand you, it’s difficult to decide what to see and do in Thailand if you only have 15 days. We have visited the tourist sites in Thailand in different stages during our trip around the world and we would return to this country many more times. It’s a place that we love, a place where we have spent quite a lot of time on several occasions and that we love very much. To help you put together your itinerary here we give you ideas for several possible routes with the most essential places. We hope that this way it will be easier for you to decide what to visit in Thailand . In addition, in the second half of the post we have also included a very complete guide to help you organize your trip to Thailand .

What to visit in Thailand

Bangkok

Bangkok is a big city, full of hustle and bustle but also of charming places. It is certainly one of the most touristic places in all of Thailand, because its atmosphere and nightlife attract everyone. For us it deserves at least 4-5 days, we recommend spending the last day in Bangkok to buy gifts before returning home.

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What to visit in Central and Northern Thailand

Lopburi

It is not essential, but if you have 1 day to spare,  Lopburi is a small town with few tourists, but with some very particular things like a temple full of monkeys.

How to get to Lopburi:

The best option is the train from Bangkok.

Sukhothai

We recommend staying for a couple of days including Si Satchanalai.

In the Sukhothai Historical Park  you will find some of the most important ruins of the Sukhothai Kingdom. To explore the whole park by bike you will need one day.

How to get to Sukhothai:

By train from Bangkok or continuing from Lopburi. Once at the station, hire a tuk-tuk to get to the centre, the hostel area.

Yes Satchanalai

Near Sukhothai, it is also worth visiting one of the least touristy places in Thailand, the ruins of Si Satchanalai, which are impressive and much less visited than those in Sukhothai.

How to reach Si Satchanalai:

By bus from Sukhotai, it will take you about an hour to reach Si Satchanalai . Once there, rent a bike and enjoy the place.

Chiang Mai

We recommend staying at least 3 days

Chiang Mai  is definitely one of the places that everyone should visit in Northern Thailand. It is a city that we loved for its wonderful temples, its lively markets, its atmosphere, the massages, the food and I won’t go on any further because I’m going to buy a plane ticket right now. It is worth being there on a Sunday as there is a very nice market in the centre.

How to get to Chiang Mai:

From Sukhotai you can take a bus.

From Bangkok, by low-cost flight, train, bus or minivan – there are many alternatives. The bus is the most comfortable option.

Chiang Rai

We recommend staying for at least 1-2 days.

The city of Chiang Rai itself may not be the most impressive, but the White Temple of Chiang Rai located on the outskirts of this city has no equal.

How to get to Chiang Rai:

From Chiang Mai the best option is to take a bus.

Tourist places in Southern Thailand: The best beaches and islands

And now we move on to the wonderful beaches:

Depending on the time of year, choose the East or West coast.

The best beaches and islands on Thailand’s east coast

Koh Tao

Of the three most popular islands (Koh Tao, Koh Samui and Ko Pha Ngan) in the Gulf of Thailand, we chose Koh Tao. We recommend staying at least 4 days.

Koh Tao is a great place for snorkelling and scuba diving. Koh Tao Island is famous for being an island with many diving schools and for being one of the cheapest places to get the “Open Water” certification. Koh Samui is the island for families and Koh Pha Ngan is the island for parties, with the Full Moon Party taking place every month, a total mess.

How to get to Koh Tao:

From Chiang Mai there are direct flights to the south, you can also take the train, or go through Bangkok and then continue south.

The cheapest option is to take the train to Surat Thani and then take a ferry from there.

The best beaches to visit on the West Coast of Thailand

Ao Nang (Krabi)

Ao Nang beach itself is nothing special, but there are some nice excursions to be made from Krabi around the area. You can visit the beautiful Railay beach or take a tour of the 4 islands . We recommend staying for at least 2 days.

How to get to Ao Nang:

From Koh Tao you have to take the ferry to Surat Thani and from there a bus to Krabi (changing in Hat Yai) and then a bemos to Ao Nang.

The Phi Phi Islands

Who doesn’t dream of seeing the blue waters of Maya Bay? Perhaps this island along with Phuket is the most touristic place in all of Thailand. We advise visiting it outside of the high season when you will be able to experience much more of the magic of the place.

How to get to Phi Phi Islands:

We recommend taking a day trip to Phi Phi  from Ao Nang so you can enjoy Maya Beach without having to stay in Koh Phi Phi where there are many tourists and prices are more expensive.

Koh Lipe

Koh Lipe is an island of peace and tranquility, a natural paradise and for us it is home to some of the best beaches in Thailand. We recommend staying at least 3 days.

How to get to Koh Lipe:

From Bangkok you can take a bus to Satun (we recommend at night) or the train and get off at the station in Hat Yai. The other option is to take a Bangkok -Hat Yai flight.

From Krabi: This is the best starting point to reach Koh Lipe. There are two options, the first is a direct boat (which operates only in high season), the second is to reach Satun by land by bus, take another bus to Pak Barra and then take the boat to Koh Lipe (this type of connection is available all year round).