It's been almost two-and-a-half years since I traveled to the Philippines with my family, and to be honest, it was probably one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life (thus far.) Along with the general hype of travelling abroad, there were so many new things to see. I was seeing things in person for the first time rather than just hearing about it or seeing it on TV or in pictures. But there were certain factors that I wasn't necessarily told about beforehand and those ended up being what I remembered most about my trip. Here are 11 unique things I found out during my time in the Philippines:
1. Crazy Traffic and Risky Pedestrians
If you thought that driving through a college town was stressful, try driving in Manila, where the lanes are virtually non-existent and the people apparently have no fear of death as they run in front of, behind and in-between cars. I assume that, for those who have to live through this on a daily basis, it's normal and not startling whatsoever. At least that's what I got from the fact that our driver was cool as a cucumber, driving through these streets while my mom and I were sitting on one butt cheek away from the car doors in fear.
2. Decked out Jeepneys and Cramped Trikes
Speaking of traffic, these two modes of transport were very often seen and very easily distinguished within the lines of cars. I actually had the chance to ride both of them, mostly because they're so cheap to use in the first place. It was only a flat-rate of eight Philippine pesos to ride a Jeepney, which converts to only 17 cents USD! During one of our trips to Palawan, one of the most popular resort destinations in the Philippines, we paid 2,000 pesos total for a trike driver to give us a tour of the island, which converts to around $43. And even with that, the trike driver wanted to reject our offer because he thought it was too much .
3. Buyer Beware (because everything seems way too cheap)
Since we're on the topic of prices, it's very easy to get caught up in how cheap everything seems to be in the Philippines. Honestly, it's almost like being stuck in an endless dollar isle at Target, only a thousand times worse. For reference, 1 Philippine peso is equal to 2 cents in USD. However, certain brands are more expensive there than they are here since they're imported, such as Nike and Roxy.
4. Giant Malls
I know, this isn't helping with the whole "everything is cheap-ish but still be careful spending your money" thing, but I have to bring it up. There are so many large malls in the Philippines, many of them owned by SM Prime Holdings. I was able to visit quite a few of them, including the mall pictured above, The SM Mall of Asia. It's the fourth largest mall in the Philippines and 11th largest in the world!
5. Jollibee
And with every mall, there will probably be a Jollibee. If it's not inside the mall, it's probably right outside. In fact, there's probably one on the corner of every single block in the Philippines. They're everywhere. I like to say that Jollibee is basically the Philippines' McDonalds, in that it's a fast food staple that everyone seems to enjoy (at least at some point or another.) Some of its unique menu options include the Burger Steak (hamburgers in gravy, served with rice), Spaghetti (served the Filipino way - with a sweet sauce and hot dog slices) and small sandwich sliders that come with three filling options - corned beef, spam or garlic-fried chicken.
6. Cheap massages
After a day of walking around everywhere, a massage sounds like a heavenly idea. And, of course, like everything else, it's extremely cheap and very convenient because they can come to you. A massage for my parents and myself came out to about 700 pesos total, which converts to just $15.
7. Island Hopping
There are 7,107 islands in the Philippines, many of them open to receiving visitors and many of them popular hotspots for tourists. Because of this, boats such as the one pictured above are readily available to take people to each island for exploration. Though beware, the animals on said islands are very sociable and very fearless. I watched a woman nearly get her bag stolen by a monkey.
8. The Underground River
On Palawan, one of the hotspot tourist islands, in the city of Puerto Princesa, lies a beautiful and mysterious underground river that many people still visit in wonder to this day. Helmets and lifejackets are to be worn for safety, one person holds a large flashlight to light the way, and a guide sits at the front, telling historical stories about the cave's origins. Bats fly overhead and voices echo in this underground wonder as you float beneath it all.
9. The Tropical weather
I was told it would be hot. But for some reason, I never anticipated just how hot it would be. And it's not just the heat, it's humid heat. I know, I know...those in the South will be rolling their eyes because they think they're used to humid heat, but this? The Philippines are another story. And it's like that almost year-round. According to my mother (born and raised in Manila), there's only two real seasons, "hot and sunny or hot and monsoon."
10. The Resilient Food Vendors
But even in the stormy weather, the food vendors will be everywhere. Maybe it's because I'm what people call a "foodie," but I loved checking out the vendors and buying the small snack foods they would offer. It gave me an authentic feel of the city and country I was in. My favorite vendor food was Taho, a sweet, soft tofu snack that was carried by vendors such as the one pictured above.
And let's not forget...
11. Small people everywhere!
My brethren. Now this was mostly for my ego, but it's true. If you're taller than 5'5, you will stand out in the crowd. There's really no avoiding it. You also might have to crouch or duck in a few places, since many locations are built with the Filipino stature in mind.
