Philippines Tours & Holidays

Trips from 1 January 2023 onwards

From 1 January 2023, Intrepid will no longer require travellers to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 (excluding all Polar trips and select adventure cruises).

However, we continue to strongly recommend that all Intrepid travellers and leaders get vaccinated to protect themselves and others.

Specific proof of testing or vaccination may still be required by your destination or airline. Please ensure you check travel and entry requirements carefully.

PHILIPPINES:

Australia: No - not required

Belgium: No - not required

Canada: No - not required

Germany No - not required

Ireland: No - not required

Netherlands: No - not required

New Zealand: No - not required

South Africa: No - not required

Switzerland: No - not required

United Kingdom: No - not required

USA: No - not required

Citizens of most countries are allowed to enter the Philippines without a visa for a stay of up to 30 days, provided they hold a valid return ticket.

Tipping isn't mandatory or customary in the Philippines, but a tip of spare change or another small amount (20-40 pesos) would be appreciated by restaurants, drivers and other service workers, especially if the service has been particularly good.

Large cities and tourist areas have internet access available at cyber cafes, but expect limited internet access in remote and rural areas.

Mobile phone receptivity is at a high rate in the large cities, but coverage may be patchy or less reliable in mountainous places, remote areas and on some islands. Ensure global roaming is activated before leaving home.

You'll have to adjust to different standards of hygiene and sanitation whilst in the Philippines. The standard toilet is of the squat variety and this may take some getting used to although Western style toilets can be found in large hotels and some tourist areas.

Juice from a market stall = 10 pesos

Bottle of beer = 30-60 pesos

Basic lunch = 100-200 pesos

Sit-down dinner = 500-900 pesos

Drinking tap water isn't recommended in the Philippines. For environmental reasons, try to avoid buying bottled water. Fill a reusable water bottle or canteen with filtered water. Ask your leader where filtered water can be found, some hotels we stay in may have drinking water available. It's also advisable to avoid ice in drinks and peel fruit and vegetables before eating

Credit cards are usually accepted by large hotels, restaurants, shops and tourist-orientated retailers, but less so by smaller vendors like small, family-run restaurants, market stalls and guesthouses. Be sure to carry enough cash to cover small purchases as credit cards may not always be accepted.

Travellers will be able to find ATMs that accept foreign cards in the large cities but less so in remote towns and rural areas. Be sure to have enough cash before leaving the city as ATMs may not always be available outside of metropolitan areas.

• 1 Jan New Year's Day
• 28 Jan Chinese New Year*
• 25 Feb 31st EDSA Revolution Anniversary
• 9 Apr Day of Valor / Araw ng Kagitingan
• 13 Apr Maundy Thursday
• 14 Apr Good Friday*
• 15 Apr Black Saturday
• 1 May Labor Day
• 12 Jun Independence Day
• 26 Jun Eid’l Fitr *
• 21 Aug Ninoy Aquino Day
• 28 Aug National Heroes Day
• 1 Sep Eidul Adha *
• 31 Oct All Saints Day Holiday (Additional non-working day)
• 1 Nov All Saints Day
• 30 Nov Bonifacio Day
• 25 Dec Christmas Day
• 30 Dec Rizal Day
• 31 Dec Last Day of the Year

*Subject to change

Please note these dates are for 2022. For a current list of public holidays in Philippines go to WordTravelGuide.net

Absolutely. All passengers travelling with Intrepid are required to purchase travel insurance before the start of their trip. Your travel insurance details will be recorded by your leader on the first day of the trip. Due to the varying nature, availability and cost of health care around the world, travel insurance is very much an essential and necessary part of every journey.

For more information on insurance, please go to: Travel Insurance

Intrepid takes the health and safety of its travellers seriously and takes every measure to ensure that trips are safe, fun and enjoyable for everyone. We recommend that all travellers check with their government or national travel advisory organisation for the latest information before departure:

From Australia?

Go to: https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/

From Canada?

Go to: https://travel.gc.ca/

From the UK?

Go to: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice

From New Zealand?

Go to: https://www.safetravel.govt.nz/

From the US?

Go to: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel.html

The World Health Organisation also provides useful health information.