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Philippines Travel- Information

Environment
The Philippines consists of 7107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean, only 2000 of which are inhabited. Luzon and Mindanao are by far the largest, and comprise roughly 66% of the country's area. Only about 1000 islands are larger than one sq km and 2500 aren't even named. The Philippines' nearest neighbors are Taiwan (north), Eastern Malaysia and Brunei (south-west), and Indonesia (south). 
The archipelago has a volcanic topography and experiences frequent seismic activity. There are 37 volcanoes in the archipelago and the highest peak is Mt Apo (2954m) in Mindanao. About half the country is under cultivation and about a third remains forested, despite tree-felling and slash-and-burn agriculture. There are more than a 1000 species of birds and animals, notably wild dwarf buffalo, mouse deer, crocodiles and pythons. There are over 10,000 species of trees, shrubs and ferns, the most common of which are palms and bamboos. 

Climate: 
The Philippines are hot and humid year-round. The weather pattern across the archipelago is complex, but can be roughly divided into the dry season (January to June) and the wet season (July to December). The average annual temperature is 25 degrees Celsius. The best time to visit is between December and May, but avoid Manila in May when temperatures reach 40 degrees Celsius. 

Language: Tagalog was declared as the national language. Philipino is based on Tagalog, but has linguistic elements of other Philippine languages.  English remains the language of commerce and politics in the Philippines and is of course widely spoken. There are still other communities, where Spanish is not forgotten. 

Transportation:
Basically the only way to get to the Philippines is by plane; Manila and Cebu are the only major entry points. Manila International Airport is featuring a brand new Terminal, so Immigration check will be much faster than in the past. There are flights between the Philippines and plenty of Asian cities, Australia, New Zealand and the USA. There are also flights between Davao in Mindanao and Manado on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. Departure tax is US$20; confirm onward flights at least 72 hours before departure.
There is only one operating railway line, from Manila to Naga in southern Luzon, so long-distance buses are the main overland alternative. There are plenty of ferries and boats operating between islands, though the safety and quality of services vary, we recommend traveling by air, as there are every year quite a few ship accidents. Car rental is also available, and international agencies have offices in most major cities. Local transport includes jeepneys (originally reconstructed jeeps), metered taxis, PU-Cabs (small taxis without meters), tricycles (motorbikes with sidecars) and trishaws.

Visa-requirements:

•  21-day visas are issued on arrival. 

•  59-day visas can be obtained in advance and cost around US$35

Health risks: 
cholera, hepatitis, malaria, rabies

Currency: Peso                                 Currency-converter !!!

Time: UTC plus eight hours

Electricity: 220V, 60 Hz

Accommodation: please find further information via our Hotel list!

Tours: please find further information via our Tour Site