The Philippines observes a tropical climate. The holiday seasons, New Year’s, Christmas and Easter are when the Philippines is packed with tourists. During the peak season (December to May), you will find that hotel prices have increased by almost three-fold, but that does not deter tourists from holidaying in the country. You would do good booking months in advance, if you plan to visit the Philippines during the peak season. October to early December is a convenient time to plan your trip if you do not want tourist inrush or rains to be the hallmark of your Filipino holiday. Expect heavy rains and storms if you visit the Philippines in June to September period, although there are some regions in the Philippines that are not hit hard by the rains. The tourist inflow is scarce during this period, and the prices are much more reasonable.
The Philippine currency is peso or PHP. Only rarely would you find any other currency mentioned in shops, such as US$ in some imported goods. The medical facilities here drawn many foreigners due to the affordable prices that are almost 80 percent lesser than that in the Europe or US. Metro Manila has many of these hospitals. Alternative medicine has grown popular in many Filipino spas.
Citizens of ASEAN countries, along with some others can visit the Philippines even without a visa, provided they have a return ticket, passport validity for a minimum of six months after their stay, and a stay duration within 30 days.
