Philippines Travel Guide
ABOUT PHILIPPINES
At right in the heart of South East Asia is the Philippines, a rambling
chain of some 7,107 islands and islets. From north to south, this
tropical archipelago stretches for more than 1,700 kilometers towards
the equator. The South China Sea washes its western shores; a northern
neighbor is Taiwan, as are Hongkong and China; further north is
Japan. Westward lies other Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore,
Malaysia and Thailand. An arm of the archipelago points southwest
towards the isle of Borneo; and at its feet, the island chain that
is Indonesia. To the east and south, the waters of the Pacific Ocean
sweep its headlands, looking out towards Micronesia and Polynesia.
ENTRY REGULATIONS
Valid passport. Except for stateless persons and those from countries
with which the Philippines has no diplomatic relations, all visitors
may enter the country without visas and may stay for 21 days provided
they have tickets for onward journey. Holders of Hong Kong and Taiwan
passports must have special permits. Visas and special permits may
be obtained from Philippine embassies and consulates.
CURRENCY
Unit of currency: Peso (P) = 100 centavos. Bank notes: P10, P20,
P50, P100, P200, P500 and P1,000. Coins: 5c, 10c, 25c, P1, P5, P10.
Money changers will be able to give you the official guiding rates
and are located at the airport, local banks, and other authorized
foreign exchange dealers in commercial establishments.
CLIMATE
March to May is hot and dry. June to October is rainy. November
to February is cool. Average temperatures: 78oF/25oC to 90oF/32oC;
humidity: 77%.
LANGUAGE
Filipino is the national language. English is the business language
and spoken widely. Approximately 111 languages and dialects are
spoken in the country.
TIMEZONE
GMT plus 8 hours.
No daylight saving time at the moment
TRAVEL TIME
The Philippines is readily accessible from the travel capital
of the world. Traveling time to Manila from Hongkong is an hour
and 50 minutes; Singapore 3 hours and 10 minutes; Bangkok, 3 hours
and 50 minutes, Tokyo, 4 hours and 15 minutes; Sydney, 10 hours
and 20 minutes; London, 20 hours and 45 minutes; Paris, 21 hours
and 15 minutes; Frankfurt, 19 hours and 40 minutes; San Francisco,
20 hours and 15 minutes; Los Angeles, 15 hours ans 20 minutes; and
New York, 20 hours and 20 minutes.
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