10 things you should know about The Philippines

1. No matter how online bloggers will tell you that it is PERFECTLY FINE for a female traveller to travel alone. Pls try not to! Something unhappy happened to me during a part of my travel. I would highly discourage female travellers to travel alone in The Philippines, especially for foreigners who are not familiar with the local language.

2. Chow King: Chow King is one of the most popular fast food restaurant in The Philippines, famous for serving affordable and tasty Chinese food such as Chao Fan (Fried Rice). Meals start from as low as 39Peso. I have to say that the food is pretty decent for Fast Food.

3. Goldilocks: Goldilocks is the major bakery in The Philippines. They are famous for the quality of their Polvoron, one of my favorite snack from The Philippines. It is a Spanish shortbread biscuit with a strong milk taste & crumbly texture!



Goldilocks Polvoron

4. Jeepney: Jeepneys are the most common form of transportation in The Philippines. They are usually used for longer distance travelling within a city. Before boarding a  jeepney, you need to take note of the route of the jeepney (i.e. Bontoc - Sagada). Be nice and move in to the very inner part of the jeepney. Usually the locals know how much to pay for their fare. But if you are unsure, ask the driver. Passengers at the end of the jeepney will usually ask you to help by passing on the fare to the driving and telling him the destination. Unlike buses with fixed stops, you can stop at anywhere along the route with a jeepney!!! Fares depend on distance travelled.

5. Tricycle: The tricycle or a motorbike with a small cabin-like space is the most popular form of transportation for short distances. I've seen up to 10 people on a single tricycle! They usually charge per pax, depending on the number of passengers & distance traveled. Try to bargain before you take a tricycle.

Tricycles at Banaue

6. ETC Television Channel: If you need a sense of sanity in a world of tagalog language, tune in to ETC  public television channel. They have a really good range of foreign series including Nikita, America's Next Top Model, Keeping up with the Kardashians etc.

7. Jolibee: Jolibee is one of the most popular local fast food restaurant company. They are pretty much like a combination between McDonald's & KFC. Set meals start from 89Pesos. However, international brands such as KFC & McDonald's are starting to invade The Philippines, giving Jolibee a run for the money.

8. Peso (Ps): meaning 'weight' in Spanish, is the official currency unit throughout The Philiipines. This is adapted from days of Spanish colonialism in The Philippines. However, do note that other countries such as Argentina, Chile, Columbia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mexico and Uruguay are also currently using this monetary unit.

9. Telecommunication providers: The 3 main telecommunication providers in The Philippines are SMART, GLOBE & SUN. I used SUN pre-paid card (starting from 29Peso) when I was there. All providers have fairly competitive prices.

10. Last but not least, The Philippines is a very beautiful country yet to be discovered by the rustic traveler.