You may perhaps be planning to enjoy your holidays in the Philippines. By default, this country is considered to be a budget-friendly destination. It attracts budget travelers and backpackers from across the globe. Knowing some budget options can help you to extend your stay. According to regular travelers, you should travel just like another local here to be within your budget.
Tips to spend less during your trip
- Avoid travel rush: Try to book your travel during off-seasons. This time, most of the hotels and guesthouses remain empty. Hence, they offer steep discounts to their guests arriving this time. School holidays are during the months of April and May. Avoid traveling this time including Christmas, as charges of almost everything are more than double. Also avoid traveling during festivals, Chinese New Year, and the Holy Week.
- Seat sales: Airline seat sales allow travelers with budgeted options to travel internationally. Choose a budget airline carrier for your travel. Research and subscribe to mailers to know about the latest seat sales. You can also get to know about Piso fare. It allows you to derive cheap air tickets and is preferred by budgeted travelers.
- Public transport: Avoid using taxis, Uber or renting a van. Rather, use buses, jeepneys, tricycles, motorcycles referred to as habal-habal, and motorcycles having sidecars. Ro-ro, also known as ‘roll-on/roll-off ships are known to partner with buses at major terminals offering affordable inter-island travel. You can avail AC buses to enjoy more comfort from the otherwise humid climate of this country. However, regular buses can help you save more.
- Cheap places to travel: Palawan, Boracay, Cebu, and Manila are fabulous places to be, but quite expensive. So, better shorten your stay here. Instead, explore the suburban of these cities. Also, visit smaller towns and less-known destinations as it will be much affordable.
- Pension houses: You can come across pension houses offering cheap accommodations. They are similar to bed & breakfasts in many countries. Their rates range between $5 and $10 a night. A few cheaper hotels provide dorm-style rooms at lower rates.
- Overnight buses: In case, you plan to travel to another destination located about 6 hours distance or more, then travel by overnight buses. This will help save you from lodging expenses. By the time you reach your destination, it will be morning and you can check up and freshen up to have more adventure.
- Become a local when having food: It is not necessary you have to consume street foods always when hungry. You can find several affordable fast-food chains across the country offering a wide range of delicious food. You can have Jollibee, Chowking (Chinese food), etc. Food halls and food courts at the different malls do offer cheap alternatives. Smaller towns have diners called karenderias.
- Carry along small coins and bills: Cash is mostly used across the Philippines for transaction purposes. Credit cards are favored mostly at major tourist destinations and bigger cities. Bring cash. Local currencies for foreigners can be a bit tricky. Carry Philippine pesos in small denominations. Also, learn how to activate gcash mastercard to make hassle-free payments.
Knowing the above tips will allow you to make the most of your travel to this beautiful country.
