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Getting around Malaysia
By plane
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JingJiang Theater
This combination teahouse, opera theatre and cinema is one of the mor
UK Public Holiday
Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2009-December 2010 period.
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PHILIPPINES TRAVEL GUIDE - GETTING AROUND
World Travel Guide Asia Philippines Getting Around
Picture choosen by: Misswen jing
Getting around Philippines
By planePhilippine Airlines and Air Philippines, Cebu Pacific, SEAIR, Asian Spirit and Interisland Airlines are some of the airlines that operate domestic flights. Philippine Airlines, Air Philippines and Cebu Pacific serve most large cities, while smaller operators like SEAIR, Asian Spirit and Interisland Airlines typically fly to popular resort destinations.
By train
Within Metro Manila, there is a network of light railway systems that connect various portions of the metropolis. The Philippine National Railways network in the south is currently under rehabilitation.
By car
The Strong Republic Nautical Highway has made travel by car across the various islands possible, albeit quite impractical for tourists due to long travel times required and the relatively cheap air fares between the major cities. If one is insistent on driving, the major car rental companies such as Avis, Hertz and Budget have offices in Metro Manila, notably at the airport. These companies have chauffeur driven rentals available and prices are bound to be reasonable.
Due to heavy traffic in Metro Manila, certain areas of the city have laws that restrict certain vehicles based on the day of the week and the ending number of your vehicle's license plate (this plan is called "Color Coding", though it has nothing to do with the color of your vehicle). For example: Cars with license plates ending in 1 or 2 cannot drive between the hours of 7AM and 7PM on Mondays on most main roads. Be sure to check with a local contact or the car rental agency/hotel concierge about whether these rules will apply to your vehicle, especially as foreigners driving can become targets for less scrupulous traffic aides.
Travel from Metro Manila to various provinces in Luzon will typically start off from either the North or South Expressways. These are tollways with good asphalt paved roads. Farthest tolls will not cost more than a few dollars from Metro Manila. From the expressways, national highways and provincial roads connect to the major cities and provinces.
Bridges and ferries connect the major islands together. Roads vary greatly in quality from the paved multi-lane highways to narrow dirt roads, which further complicates travel by car
By taxi
Taxis are generally available within the major cities but are usually not used for travel across the various provinces and regions. Some FX (shared taxis), however, usually ply provincial routes.
You can also call reputable Taxi companies that can arrange pickups and transfers as well as airport runs.
Basic Taxi Company Tel: 02 9001447 Tel: 02 6427777 Tel: 02 6437777
When hailing a taxi in the cities, ensure the meter is on and pay the metered fare. A tip of 10 pesos is acceptable. Also, make sure you have small denomination banknotes, as the drivers often claim not to have change in an effort to obtain a larger tip! Moreover, don't be surprised if drivers want to bypass the meter during rush hour.
By bus
Apart from flying, buses are usually the way to go when it comes to traveling across the Philippines, at least from within the major islands. Provincial bus companies have scheduled trips from Manila to provinces to the north and south.
By boat
WG&A SuperFerry and a number of other companies operate interisland ferries. There is a convenient Friday overnight ferry trip to Coron, Palawan. This allows divers to spend the weekend in Coron and take the Sunday night ferry trip back to Manila, arriving around noon. You can also stay on a Cruise Ship that's exploring around the Coron area. The 7107 Island Cruise Ship takes passengers around Coron and some of it's private islands.
Ferry trips to other islands can take over 24 hours, depending on distance.
Other major ferry companies include: Sulpicio Lines, Negros Navigation, Trans Asia Shipping Lines, and Cebu Ferries.
Oceanjet is a reliable company offering fast ferries throughout the Visayas at affordable prices.
Schedule Information is difficult to obtain - newspapers often contain pages with ads on certain days, but, believe it or not, most people rely on word-of-outh.
Warning: If the boat appears to be over capacity, do not board. Always check the latest weather reports before travel by ferry, as some captains are willing to sail even when a typhoon is approaching. Bringing your own life preserver is strongly recommended (but no substitute for common sense). Travel by boat should not be considered safer than air travel.
By jeep
The jeepney is by far the most affordable way to get around most major urban areas. Remnants of the Jeep used by the American troops during World War II, the innovative Filipinos modified the jeep (by lengthening the body and adding horizontal seats) to seat as many as 20 people (10 per side). Within Manila, you will find multiple Jeepneys per route, for added convenience. In the provinces, Jeepneys also connect towns and cities. For longer distances, however, buses are more comfortable.
Also worthy of mention are the tricycles and the pedicabs (three-wheeled vehicle); however, this may not be to the liking of most foreigners, as these are cramped and quite open to traffic. These means of transport are also usually only used for very short distances.
NOTE: The jeepneys, tricycles and pedicabs are meant for small people. Seating is cramped, even for locals, who are, on average, smaller by Western standards. Jeepney drivers/operators often insist on seating the vehicle to full capacity (say, nine per side) even if there's a very large person seated. Consider this if you're overweight or 6 feet or taller. Watch your head when boarding as the roof is low (compared to a bus). Also, drivers often don't look to see if anyone is boarding before driving off. As you board, you need to evaluate every half second whether you're going to abort or hang on to the vehicle if it starts to move. If you're not in good physical shape, don't even try it. Other Philippines Travel Guides Duty Free When to Go Getting There Getting Around Money Climate Things To Do Night Life and Entertainment Accommodation Public Holidays Stay Safe and Healthy General Information Food and Drink Communication Things To See Key Facts
RECENTLY SUBMITTED IN Philippines
Money, Philippines
Posted by Miss wen jing on 07 April 2010 05:58:08
Currency Philippine Peso (PHP; symbol Php) = 100 centavos. Notes are in denominations of Php1,000, 500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5. Coins are in denominations of Php10, 5, 2 and 1, and 50, 25, 10 and 5 centavos. Currency Exchange Cash in Pounds Sterling or US Dollars can be exchan... More
When to Go to Philippines
Posted by Miss wen jing on 25 March 2010 10:55:30
The favorable geographical conditions have boosted up the tourism sector and tourists are keen to visit this exotic island location. However a detailed knowledge about the climate will surely help in deciding when to go to Philippines. The general climate is tropical with hot and humid condition... More
Things To See in Philippines
Posted by Miss wen jing on 25 March 2010 10:55:01
• Explore old Manila and see the remains of the massive wall that protected the Intramuros (Walled City). Places of interest include San Agustin Church and Manila Cathedral, from which there are excellent views of the harbour, Fort Santiago ruins and Chinatown. • Visit upland Baguio, a haven ... More
