Philippines forum

edwuppy, yes these are the rainy months in the Philippines. Bringing an umbrella or rain coat would be a good idea. Philippines is a place with beautiful beaches, sadly you can't enjoy the sea, sun and sand at these times. and you can't really take good pictures when it's raining. anyhow, you can still enjoy many tourist spots or historical places in Luzon, so you don't need to go to other islands when the weather is bad.

I have one suggestion for you. Bukidnon. I've been hearing it is a beautiful place. Just dying to go there myself.

I also found a site with some tips for those places I suggested.

http://tourism-philippines.com/destinations/

Southern Visayas (Bohol, Negros, Camiguin and others) don't get much typhoons during the rainy season, that should be a relatively safe bet.

I hope this reply isn't too late.

It's often raining in Luzon during the months of July and August, but that's not the case in the southern regions. Especially in northern and eastern Mindanao. It's safe for tourists (even local travelers), but if you have some doubts, you may check out Davao region or Siargao.

Not far from Davao City is Samal Island. It has nice beaches and lodging. If you're feeling adventurous, you may want to try water tubing in the town of Sta. Cruz (Davao del Sur) or explore some caves in Davao del Norte. The mountainous region of Compostella Valley offers hot springs and assorted waterfalls.

Siargao Island (in Surigao del Norte, northern Mindanao) is a surfing haven. At the back of it is Bucas Grande Island. I visited the isle a couple of years ago, and I can tell that it's a different kind of isle.

You may want to visit my blog (http://franz-goingplaces.blogspot.com) to know more. You can also get in touch with the Department of Tourism in able to get the contact numbers of the tourism offices in Davao and Surigao. I'm sure they'll be glad to assist you.

I hope this helps.

Palawan is your best bet during the rainy reason. Three places you can consider checking out: Puerto Princesa, the capital of Palawan where you can access beaches by land & the famed underground river, El Nido famous for its beaches, diving & limestones, and Coron also famous for its beaches, diving and safari-like sanctuary. All three have accommodations ranging from first class to basic.

Because of it's location, the typhoons manage to always miss it. Only problem is that if it's raining hard in Manila, flights maybe cancelled. Whatever happens, never ever travel by sea during those times.

Contrary to what you may think it does not rain all day every day in the rainy season,just don't expect dry sunny weather all day every day.Its a good time to travel as prices are reduced for low season and as school holidays are over in Philippines it tends to be less busy and crowded.
Try some island hopping, Cebu,Bohol and the beautiful enchanted island of Siquijor to name but a few

@ goonistik -did u visit bukidnon yet?.

It's still hot in the Philippines during the rainy season. If you're staying in Luzon, there are many tourist spots there aside from the beach.

For example:
* Taal Lake
* Hundred Islands, Pangasinan
* Banaue Rice Terraces, Ifugao
* Undergound River, Palawan

It's also good to visit the beach as long as it's not raining. If you don't like beach resorts with lots of people, Palawan Island would be a great choice.

you say : I am planning a vacation to the Phillippines in July and August
1st oct.+nov. would be better
2nd vacation what for?
3rd where you come from?
if you're a diver or biker, rainy season not good!
try to get ya holidays other time
-good luck!

there are expected typhoon on july and august but most of them are just mild, like it won't strike the land and others are just "passing by" so you don't have to worry.
if you want a place that is beautiful and less touristy, Rapu - Rapu Islands is perfect! visit http://alyzamonicaaguilar.blogspot.com to know about the place. It's not expensive too and is really safe

I am posting this as reference for those who will be having the same query in the future as probably the person who started the post have visited the country already.

July - August is rainy season in the Philippines and usually, it is during these months that typhoons are frequent. Most places especially in the northern part are most likely to be affected where floods and rains are heavy.

I would suggest visiting Cebu. They have good diving spots in Moalboal and lately a good tourist attraction in the southernmost part (Oslob) has become popular for whale shark seeing and diving too. For those who love to go to clubs, they have many in the metropolis. International hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, and other beaches abound too.

Hi edwuppy!

It's really hard to say for the Philippines since the country is divided into 4 different climate zones. I am at the moment in Dauin, Negros Oriental. We have pretty good weather so far. There is a bit rain but not too bad so still great for a vacation.
I found very good information about the climate zones on this page. Maybe that helps:
http://www.travellingthephilippines.com/thephilippines/climate/

Bohol might be a good choice since it is not that affected by typhoons because it is surrounded by many other islands. Alona beach could be worth a try at this time.

Cheers

You can check out any of the places in Palawan-- Coron, Puerto Princesa, and El Nido.

It's the sunniest place I've been to, I must say. Rain occasionally falls here. But not the same drops we get in Manila.

Hey, I know it's already September and by this time you might have packed your bags and headed off to the Philippines. I hope I can still help you decide where to go.

For starters, why don't you head to Bicol Region? It's relatively accessible by land (7 hours by bus from Manila). It's down south and is home to a lot of "virgin" beaches and islands.

You can find hotels and inns in Naga City, depending on your budget. You can opt for inexpensive inns (Php1,000 or less/USD 25) or the classier 4-star boutique hotels (USD100).

Getting around is relatively cheap. Of course, if you want to join small tour groups, you can.