Philippines is an archipelago of 7,107 islands located in western Pacific Ocean. It is the 12^th  most populated country in the world with democratic form of government. The capital city is Manila. Philippines is an ideal location for beach and nature lovers. The naughty nightlife is an additional feature of Philippines.

Most of the tourists fly in via Ninoy Aquino International Airport of Manila. Be prepared to line up for immigration checks as the services of this airport take a test of your patience. Since Philippines is an archipelago, many international airports are located in different cities for the convenience of the travellers. While visiting Philippines it is advisable to buy an open jaw ticket.

Philippines experiences tropical maritime type of climate. There are three seasons in Philippines-hot dry season from March to May, rainy season from June to November and cool dry season from November to April. Typhoons known as bagyo and thunderstorms are common from June to November. They mainly affect the islands of Luzon and Visayas.The hottest month is May and the coolest ones from January to February.

The best time to visit Philippines is from January to May. Avoid visiting Philippines in the typhoon season which lasts from June to November.

Boracay is a small island of Philippines, but it has great features such as picturesque beaches, very beautiful resorts and adventures like parasailing, cliff diving, scuba diving, snorkeling, motor biking, kite surfing and horse riding. Also there are boat tours to watch stunning sunsets, explore the volcanic caves, remote coves of turquoise lagoons. Night life of Boracay is very vibrant. When the sun goes down, Boracay night-life vibrates with restaurants many and bars serving food, drinks and unlimited fun until dawn.

Chocolate Mountain is one of the top tourist attractions in the Philippines, Chocolate Hills are geological formations  that consists of at least 1268 individual hillock scattered throughout the interior of the island of Bohol. The almost symmetrical and same-sized formations range from 99 to 163 feet high and are covered in green grass. During the dry season the grass turns brown, that is the reason it name Chocolate Mountain. There is no consensus on how these hills were formed. One theory holds that the Chocolate Mountains are the weathered rock formations of a kind of marine limestone on top of an impermeable layer of clay.

In South of Manila, where Tagaytay Ridge is located at 2250ft above sea level. From there you will have an opportunity to take a panoramic view of the Taal volcano, resting in the middle of serene Taal Lake. The Taal volcano is also considered as the lowest and smallest volcano in the world. By sitting serenely in Taal Lake, the volcano is a deceptive sight, considering the eruption back in 1965 which took 300 lives. Visit to the People's Park is included for a picturesque 360 degrees view of the three provinces in the South of Metro Manila.

If you ask the best place in Philippines, El Nido would be the answer. El Nido is located in northern most tip of mainland Palawan about 420 kilometres southwest of Manila. It is situated in Bacuit Bay and is the home of some ancient limestone cliffs, 888 species of birds, 4 archaeological sites, 45 islands and 2,645 hectares of mangrove. It is a perfect tourist destination for island hopping, kayaking, snorkelling and diving.

Banaue is a town located in the north of Luzon Island. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, mostly visited for its rice fields.

The time difference between India and Philippines:

India is 2:30 hours less than Philippines. For example if India is 22:18,Thurday,March 13,2014 then Philippines will be 00:48 Friday, March 14,2014.

The unit of currency in Philippines is peso (P) and one peso makes 100 centavos(c).The banknotes come in the denominations of 10,20,50,100,200,500,1000 and 5000 pesos. The best way to bring cash in Philippines is in the form of credit cards, cash cards and debit cards. Through them you can withdraw cash and cash advances from ATMs and banks. Please be careful of local moneychangers as you might get fooled by false money. Credit card and ATM facility is limited to urban areas, in rural areas you should be ready with cash. It is beneficial to carry some US dollars.

1 philippines peso = INR 1.45/- aprx

Filipino and English are two official languages of Philippines. Filipino is mainly based on Tagalog language. It has also been greatly influenced by English, Spanish, Malay, Indonesian, Hindi, Arabic, Chinese and many other languages from Indian subcontinent and Europe. English is the second official language of Philippines. It is not the native language but understood by the people of Philippines.

Ancient Philippines has seen the coming of traders from India, China, Islamic and Europeans states. The influence left by these cultures on arts, literature, architecture and language of the Philippines can be widely seen. The major influence came from the side of Spanish who left a permanent mark of the culture of Philippines. There impact can be seen in the architecture, family naming system, language and religion. Christianity was brought by Spanish traders and now 90% of the Philippine population are Roman Catholics.However,traditional religion is still practised by tribals and aboriginals.

Although the cuisine of Philippines is not as popular as Thailand and Vietnam it is worth a try. Filipino cuisine is distinct in the sense of the bold combination of sweet, sour and salty flavours. The sweet is paired which salty dish which turns out to be a pleasing combination. It is blessed with abundant seafood, tropical fruits and creative cooking. Some popular dishes are Adobo,Lechon,Sisig,Crispy pata and Chicken inasal.

Manila nightlife is gregarious in terms of the large number of bars and nightclubs present here.These city never seems to be sleeping.Manila nightclubs host live music and local band programmes in the popular nightclubs and bars.These nightclubs keep on changing from time to time therefore it is advised to check the websites which keep on updating the present  nightclubs.Other cities of Phillippines with nightlife are Ermita and Malate,Makati and Quezon City.Quezon city is popular for live music and student bands.

• Valid passport with at least six month validity from the date of travel.
• 1 Form.
• 1 Photo (only latest camera clicked taken within one month of visa application).
• Photocopy of the passport (1st page and last page) is MUST
• Covering Letter addressed to The Visa Officer, Embassy of Phillipines on letterhead or if not on letter head then we need the NOC or LEAVE Letter from company on company letterhead.
• NOTE: [Applicant having any of the above VALID VISAS can enter Philippines WITHOUT VISA, if still wants to apply in India, will have to give STRONG reason in COVERING LETTER in support of him/her applying visa here.]
• Ticket with ticket number.
• Hotel Confirmation.
• Sponsership or Invitation.
• In case of a married couple travelling together Marriage Certificate is required to be attested by HOME+MEA+EMBASSY and embassy can also ask the same for any couple at random.
• Financial Documents:
• 1- Personal Bank Statement for last Six months in original with original bank seal with minimum 80,000 balance.
• 2- Personal IT Return last three years.
• Pax direct contact number, either landline OR mobile.
• Birth Certificates Attested by HOME+MEA+ Philippines for children of 20 years or less.
• If Children below 15 years not accompanied by the Parents then VEG is required to be attested from HOME+MEA+EMBASSY.[Note: VEG is a NOC Letter signed by both the parents on a Stamp Paper attested by Local Govt].
• If Spouse is Philippino then Spouse Name should be indicated in the Visa Applicants passport copy and report of Marriage issued by the Philippines Embassy or Philippines Govt.
• Any document if asked to furnish by the Embassy should be submitted within 5 Working Days from the day it is been asked to submit by the Embassy, failing which the applicant is required to apply afresh along with all the documents by paying the visa fees again.

For Tour Group Visiting Philippines:
 

In addition to the above mentioned requirement, the following documents in relation to the Group are also required:

• Notarised Agreement between the Indian and Philippines tour operators,covering at least (1) year period[Authenticated by MEA].
• Certificate from TAAI / TAFI / OTOAI, that the Indian Tour Operator/travel agent is a bonafide member of said association, of good standing and has been doing business for certain number of years.
• Copy of the tour package on the Letter Head of the Philippines tour operator, created for the tour group handled by the Indian tour operator/travel agency with (1) Name of passengers with passpor details. (2) Hotel name that group will be using while their stay in Philippines. (3) Detailed Itinerary of the destination chosen by the Group to visit. (4) Exact arrival and departure dates of the group.

*The above information is provided as per the concern consulate and it may change time to time subject to their jurisdiction. Please recheck the above information at the time of visa submission.

03 to 04 Working Days