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Mount Mayon, Philippines
Mount Mayon, Philippines
Author: Sir Mervs (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic)


The Philippines is an archipelago nation in Southeast Asia. It covers 299,764 sq km (115,831 sq mi) and comprises 7107 islands on the western Pacific Ocean. With about 92 million inhabitants (2011 estimate), the Philippines is the world's 12th most populous country. Its capital is Manila while its most populous city is Quezon City. Both Manila, Quezon City and over a dozen other Filipino cities are part of a metropolis known as Metro Manila.

Guide to the Philippines Hotels

It's never easy finding the hotel that's just right for your stay. Still, by taking a little time to do your research, you increase your chance of getting a good hotel at the best price. Go through the list of hotels in the Philippines which we've put together, arranged city by city, with full description, star rating, address, location map and evaluation. Pick the hotel of your choice and view the rates offered by different booking sites, such as Expedia. Yes, we show you prices from different websites, so you don't have to visit them one by one.

More about the Philippines

Being an island nation, the Philippines is a country surrounded by bodies of water. Its immediate neighbours include Taiwan, across the Luzon Strait in the north, Malaysia, across the Sulu Sea to the southwest, and Indonesia, across the Celebes Sea to the south. The South China Sea separates the Philippines from Vietnam. To the east of the country is the Philippines Sea, which is contiguous with the Pacific Ocean.


Our Lady of Atonement Cathedral, also called Baguio Cathedral, Baguio City
Our Lady of Atonement Cathedral, also called Baguio Cathedral, Baguio City
Author: Ischaramoochie (public domain)

 The Philippines was a former colony of Spain, and the United States. It is one of two only predominant Roman Catholic countries in Asia, the other being East Timor. In addition to the Roman Catholics, there are also a number of minority religious groups, including various Christian denominations, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and other beliefs. Multiple ethnicities, and cultures are found throughout the islands.

The Philippines derived its name from King Philip II of Spain in the 16th century. It was called Las Islas Filipinas by Spanish explorer Ruy López de Villalobos when he explored the islands of Leyte, and Samar.Although there were other names for the archipelago, the name Filipinas was eventually chosen. The official name, however, changed a few times throughout the course of its history.


Kayangan Lake, Coron Island
Kayangan Lake, Coron Island
Author: Michael Ocampo (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic)

 During the Philippine Revolution, it was called República Filipina or the Philippine Republic. From the period of the Spanish-American War, and the Philippine-American War, until the Commonwealth period, American colonial authorities referred to the country as the Philippine Islands, a translation of the original Spanish name. The name "Philippines" began to be used during the American period and was adopted as its current official name.

The Philippines is eight hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC+8). Traffic is driven on the right here, just as in the United States. The electricity of the country is 220V/60Hz. The phone IDD code for the Philippines is +63. The official currency is the Peso (PHP). Filipino (a language based on Tagalog) and English are the official languages.

The economy of the Philippines is transitioning from one based on agriculture to one based on services and manufacturing. It is one of the newly industrialized countries of Asia which includes China, India, Thailand and Malaysia. In 2010, the Philippines had an estimated nominal GDP of $188.719 billion, equivalent to a per capita nominal GDP of $2,007. Its per capita GDP at purchasing power parity stood at $3,737.


Public market, Pasig City, Metro Manila
Public market, Pasig City, Metro Manila
Author: P199 (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)

 The Philippines experiences a tropical maritime climate. The temperature is quite uniform, hovering around 26.6°C (80°F) for much of the year, with January being slightly cooler and May slightly warmer. Differences in elevation creates a more distinct difference in temperature and climate, with the city of Baguio at 1,500 m (4,900 ft) above sea level having an average temperature of 18.3°C (65°F). The rainy season in the Philippines is from June to November while the cool dry season is from December to February.

The Philippines is on the typhoon belt. It often experiences torrential rains and thunderstorms from July to October. Within a year, there would be approximately nineteen storms of typhoons magnitude entering the Philippines. The country is also on the Pacific Ring of Fire, making it prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.


Manila, the Philippines
Manila, the Philippines
Author: 9shaun (Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0)

San Agustin Church, Manila
San Agustin Church, Manila
Author: Wikipedia@natividads.com (Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0)

Getting there

The main entry points for the Philippines are the international airports at Manila, Cebu, Davao, Clark and Subic.

Arriving by Air in Manila

The majority of overseas visitors arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL) in Manila. The airport has four terminals. Terminal 1 is used by non-Philippines Airlines and non-Cebu Pacific carriers. Terminal 2 is used by only Philippines Airlines. Terminal 3 serves both Cebu Pacific and Air Philippines. The fourth terminal is the Manila Passenger Domestic Terminal used by the domestic airlines such as Zest Airways, Interisland Airlines and SEAIR.

If you arrive at Ninoy Aquino Airport, you can catch a taxi for around 150 to 200 peso to most of the hotels in Manila.

In addition to Ninoy Aquino Airport, you may also arrive at Clark Air Base (officially the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport) in Angeles City. This airport is used by low-cost carriers such as Air Asia and Tiger Airways.

Arriving by Air in Cebu

The Mactan-Cebu International Airport (CEB) is the airport serving the island of Cebu. It is also the second busiest airport in the Philippines. Apart from Philippines Airlines, the other carriers flying to this airport include Asiana Airlines, Korean Air, China Eastern Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Malaysia Airlines and SilkAir.

Budget Travel within

In this section, I will only touch on getting around the Philippines as a whole. For Manila, I will describe within the Manila section.

As the Philippines is an archipelago, you will find that flying is the most practical way for you to explore the country. It is also by far the most comfortable and least time consuming.

The country is also served with an extensive interisland ferry service. The following are some of the ferry operators: While taking ferries and boats are cheaper than flying, be wary of overcrowding, which has often lead to sinkings. Do not board if the ferry appears over capacity.

Useful Links

  • National Capital Region Vacation Rentals: Find the perfect rental on TripAdvisor.

    • More Photos of the Philippines

    Makati Central Business District, Manila
    Makati Central Business District, Manila
    Author: Themanilaxperience (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)

    Cebu City, Philippines
    Cebu City, Philippines
    Author: P199 (public domain)

    Robinsons Place Shopping Mall, Bacolod City
    Robinsons Place Shopping Mall, Bacolod City
    Author: Mike Gonzalez (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)

    Ortigas Center, Pasig City, Metro Manila
    Ortigas Center, Pasig City, Metro Manila
    Author: Ramir Borja (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5 Generic)

    Capitol Building, Cebu City
    Capitol Building, Cebu City
    Author: Mike Gonzalez (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)

    MacArthur Landing Memorial at Palo, Leyte Island
    MacArthur Landing Memorial at Palo, Leyte Island
    Author: Morten Nærbøe (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)

    The Bajau seafaring people at Zamboanga, Sulu Sea
    The Bajau seafaring people at Zamboanga, Sulu Sea
    Author: Alexis (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0)

    Banaue Rice Terraces, Luzon
    Banaue Rice Terraces, Luzon
    Author: Magalhães (public domain)

    Coconut Palace, Manila
    Coconut Palace, Manila
    Author: Paul Shaffner (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0)

    Jaro Cathedral, Iloilo City
    Jaro Cathedral, Iloilo City
    Author: Kguirnela (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0)

    Chocolate Hills, Bohol | Philippines Travel Guide
    Chocolate Hills, Bohol | Philippines Travel Guide
    Author: Jeroen Hellingman (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)

    Seaside in Palawan, Philippines
    Seaside in Palawan, Philippines
    Author: Magalhães (public domain)








    Major Attractions of the Philippines

    1. Banaue Rice Terrace
    2. Chocolate Hills
    3. Coconut Palace
    4. Corregidor Island
    5. Mount Apo National Park
    6. Mount Mayon
    7. Pagsanjan Falls
    8. Taal Volcano

    Biggest Cities of the Philippines

    1. Quezon City (2,700,000)
    2. Manila (1,661,000)
    3. Caloocan City (1,379,000)
    4. Davao City (1,363,000)
    5. Cebu City (799,000)
    6. Zamboanga City (774,000)
    7. Antipolo City (634,000)
    8. Pasig City (617,000)
    9. Taguig City (613,000)
    10. Valenzuela City (569,000)

    Ten Biggest Islands of the Philippines

    1. Luzon (104,688 sq km)
    2. Mindanao (97,530 sq km)
    3. Negros (13,074 sq km)
    4. Samar (12,849 sq km)
    5. Palawan (12,189 sq km)
    6. Panay (12,011 sq km)
    7. Mindoro (10,572 sq km)
    8. Leyte (7,368 sq km)
    9. Cebu Island (4,468 sq km)
    10. Bohol (3,821 sq km)

    Cities and Sights in and around Metro Manila

    1. Metro Manila
    2. Angono
    3. Anilao
    4. Antipolo
    5. Balesin Island
    6. Burdeos
    7. Cainta
    8. Calamba
    9. Cardono
    10. Cavite City
    11. Corregidor Island
    12. Infanta
    13. Kawit
    14. Laguna
    15. Laguna de Bay
    16. Lake Caliraya
    17. Lake Taal
    18. Liliw
    19. Lipa City
    20. Lucena
    21. Luisiana
    22. Mabitac
    23. Majayjay
    24. Morong
    25. Nagcarlan
    26. Pagbilao Grande & Pagbilao Chico
    27. Pagsanjan
    28. Pagsanjan Falls
    29. Pakil
    30. Polillo Islands
    31. Quezon National Park
    32. Quezon Province
    33. Real
    34. San Jose Church, Las Piñas
    35. San Pablo
    36. Santiago de Apostol Church, Paete
    37. Taal City
    38. Taal Volcano
    39. Tagaytay City
    40. Tanay
    41. Taytay

    Cities and Sights in Central Luzon

    1. Angeles City
    2. Bacolor
    3. Balagtas
    4. Baliuag
    5. Barrio Barretto
    6. Betis
    7. Bocaue
    8. Bulacan Province
    9. Malolos
    10. Marilao
    11. Minalungao National Park
    12. Mount Arayat
    13. Mount Pinatubo
    14. Mount Samat
    15. Meycauayan
    16. Pampanga Province
    17. San Fernando
    18. Subic Bay
    19. Tarlac Province
    20. Valenzuela
    21. Zambales Province

    Cities and Sights of Ilocos Region

    1. Bacnotan
    2. Badoc
    3. Balaoan
    4. Bangar
    5. Bolinao
    6. Hundred Islands National Recreation Area
    7. Ilocos Norte Province
    8. Ilocos Sur Province
    9. Laoag
    10. La Paz Sand Dunes
    11. Lingayen
    12. Manleluag Springs National Park
    13. Pagudpud
    14. Pangasinan Province
    15. Paoay
    16. Pinsal Falls
    17. Quezon Island
    18. Rosario
    19. San Esteban
    20. San Juan
    21. San Nicolas
    22. Santiago
    23. Sarrat
    24. Tagudin
    25. Urdaneta City
    26. Vigan

    Cities and Sights of Northeast Luzon

    1. Aparri
    2. Aritao
    3. Aurora Province
    4. Baler
    5. Bambang
    6. Bayombong
    7. Cagayan Province
    8. Cauayan
    9. Fuga Island
    10. Gamalaniugan
    11. Gattaran
    12. Hanging Footbridge of Ambaguio
    13. Iguig Calvary Hills
    14. Ilagan
    15. Isabela Province
    16. Palanan Wilderness Park
    17. Palaui Island
    18. Quirino
    19. Rio Grande de Cagayan
    20. Santa Victoria Caves
    21. Tuguegarao
    22. Tumauini

    Cities and Sights of the Central Cordillera

    1. Agamatan National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary
    2. Apayao Province
    3. Banga-an
    4. Baguio
    5. Balbalaasang National Park
    6. Balbalan
    7. Banaue
    8. Bangued
    9. Bauko
    10. Bontoc
    11. Hapao
    12. Ifugao Province
    13. Kabayan
    14. Kalinga Province
    15. Lagawe
    16. Mayoyao
    17. Mount Pulog
    18. Mount Timbac
    19. Poitan
    20. Tam-an Village
    21. Tinglayan
    22. Tinongchol Burial Rock

    Cities and Sights in Bicol Peninsula

    1. Albay Province
    2. Atulayan Island
    3. Bacagay
    4. Barcelona
    5. Buhi
    6. Bula
    7. Bulusan Volcano National Park
    8. Cagsawa Ruins
    9. Calabidong Caves
    10. Camarines Norte Province
    11. Camarines Sur Province
    12. Caramoan Peninsula
    13. Casiguran
    14. Cataduanes Province
    15. Daet
    16. Gubat
    17. Hoyop-Hoyopan Caves
    18. Irosin
    19. Kulapnitan Caves
    20. Lagonoy
    21. Lake Bulusan
    22. Leaning Tower of Bombon
    23. Legaspi
    24. Luyang Caves
    25. Malilipot
    26. Masacrot Spring
    27. Mount Isarog
    28. Mount Mayon
    29. Naga
    30. Nahulugan Falls
    31. Panicuason
    32. Pili
    33. Roca Encantada
    34. Sorsogon Province
    35. Tabaco

    Cities and Sights on the Islands off Luzon

    1. Ambil Island
    2. Ambulong Island
    3. Apo Island
    4. Bathala Caves
    5. Boac
    6. Botongan
    7. Burias Island
    8. Cabra Island
    9. Elephant Island
    10. Ilin Island
    11. Luyang Baga
    12. Mainit Hot Springs
    13. Malbog Sulfur Springs
    14. Mamburao
    15. Marinduque
    16. Masbate
    17. Mindoro
    18. Mount Halcon
    19. Mount Iglit-Baco National Park
    20. Mount Malindig
    21. Naujan Lake
    22. North Pandan Island
    23. Puerto Galera
    24. Pungaw Hot Springs
    25. Romblon Province
    26. Salomague Island
    27. Tablas
    28. Tamaraw Falls
    29. Ticao Island
    30. Tres Reyes Islands

    Cities and Sights of Eastern Visayas

    1. Balangiga
    2. Barugo
    3. Basey
    4. Biliran Island
    5. Biri Island
    6. Borongan
    7. Carigara
    8. Guiuan
    9. Hilongos
    10. Homonhon Island
    11. Leyte
    12. Limasawa Island
    13. Mahagnao National Park
    14. Marabut
    15. Ormoc City
    16. Palo
    17. Panaon Island
    18. Pinipisikan Falls
    19. Samar
    20. Tacloban City
    21. Tong-onan Hot Springs National Park
    22. Villaba

    Cities and Sights of Central Visayas

    1. Cebu City

    2. Badian Island
    3. Balicasag Island
    4. Bantayan Island
    5. Bohol Island
    6. Camotes Islands
    7. Carcar
    8. Carmen
    9. Chocolate Hills
    10. Danao City
    11. Kawasan Falls
    12. Mactan Island
    13. Malapascua
    14. Moalboal
    15. Panglao Island
    16. Tagbilaran

    Cities and Sights of Western Visayas

    1. Amlan
    2. Antique Province
    3. Apo Island
    4. Arevalo
    5. Bacolod
    6. Bacong
    7. Bais City
    8. Boracay Island
    9. Cadiz City
    10. Canlaon National Park
    11. Canlaon Volcano
    12. Capiz Province
    13. Catilaran Cave
    14. Culasi
    15. Dumaguete
    16. Guimaras Island
    17. Iloilo City
    18. Jaro
    19. Kalibo
    20. Miagao Fortress Church
    21. Molo
    22. Murcia
    23. Negros Oriental
    24. Roxas City
    25. San Jose de Buenavista
    26. Silay
    27. Siquijor Island
    28. Sira-an Hot Springs
    29. Tambobo Cove
    30. Tanjay
    31. Valencia
    32. Zamboanguita

    Cities and Sights of Palawan

    1. Aborlan
    2. Apulit Island
    3. Balabac Island
    4. Bataraza
    5. Brooke's Point
    6. Busuanga Island
    7. Calauit National Wildlife Sanctuary
    8. Coron
    9. Culion Island
    10. Dinakya Island
    11. El Nido
    12. Lake Cayangan
    13. Maguinit Hot Springs
    14. Paly
    15. Pangulasian
    16. Puerto Princesa
    17. Quezon, Palawan
    18. Rio Tuba
    19. Tabon Caves
    20. Tarampitao
    21. Taytay, Palawan
    22. Ursula Island National Bird Sanctuary

    Cities and Sights of Mindanao excluding Zamboanga

    1. Davao City

    2. Babak
    3. Balo-i
    4. Bolon Sabak Bilaan Village
    5. Bukidnon Province
    6. Butuan City
    7. Cagayan de Oro City (CDO)
    8. Camiguin Province
    9. Cantilan
    10. Cateel
    11. Compostella Valley
    12. Cotabato City
    13. Digos
    14. General Santos City (Gensan)
    15. Gingoog City
    16. Iligan City
    17. Kaputian
    18. Kidapawan
    19. Lake Lanao
    20. Lake Sebu
    21. Lanao del Norte Province
    22. Lanao del Sur Province
    23. Limunsudan Falls
    24. Magsaysay
    25. Malaybalay
    26. Mangkangagi Island
    27. Marawi
    28. Mati
    29. Misamis Oriental Province
    30. Mount Candalaga
    31. Mount Hamiguitan
    32. Mount Malindang
    33. Mount Puting Bato
    34. Oroquieta City
    35. Ozamis City
    36. Palaopao Hill
    37. Panaon
    38. Pilar
    39. Polomolok
    40. Prosperidad
    41. Samal Island
    42. Siargao Island
    43. Sigaboy Island
    44. Sta Cruz
    45. Sungko
    46. Surigao City
    47. Tagum
    48. Talaingod
    49. Tandag
    50. Tangub City

    Cities and Sights in Zamboanga and the Sulu Islands

    1. Basilan Island
    2. Bongao
    3. Dapitan City
    4. Dipolog City
    5. Great Santa Cruz Island
    6. Jolo
    7. Lamitan
    8. Pagadian City
    9. Sulu Province
    10. Taluksangay
    11. Tawi-Tawi
    12. Zamboanga City
    13. Zamboanga del Norte Province



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