Tips And Tricks For Surviving The Philippines That Will Save Your Vacation!

Pea delivers a comprehensive boots-on-the-ground survival guide for foreigners visiting the Philippines, covering accommodations, travel companions, food safety, transportation, money handling, and vendor negotiation. This is the second part of a two-video series — the first covered pre-trip preparation, and this one picks up from the moment you land.

Accommodations: hotels vs. Airbnbs ​

• Start with a hotel — they're usually what you see on the booking site, reviews are reliable, and it's worth paying a bit more for the first few nights
• Airbnbs in the Philippines are "like buying a pig in a poke" — photos are deceptive, the place could be 30 minutes from civilization or built in someone's backyard next to a chicken coop
• Filipinos are endlessly creative about jamming a living space into crazy locations
• Pea's strategy: book a hotel for at least three nights, then personally visit any Airbnb you're considering before committing

The Filipina companion dynamic (whether you planned it or not) ​

• If you came to meet someone, she will be in your hotel room immediately and will not leave — "unless you stuff her in a taxi at gunpoint and set her on her way, she's going to be stuck to you like glue"
• She'll run interference against any other women — giving the stink eye to anyone who glances at you
• Upside: having a Filipino companion makes everything easier — getting around town, finding food, navigating paperwork, negotiating prices, communicating with locals
• Key cultural communication warning: never ask a Filipino for directions — they'll give you wrong directions rather than admit they don't know, because losing face by looking foolish is worse than sending you on a wild goose chase
• Filipinos also use prepositions (on, in, near, around, at) differently than native English speakers, adding to confusion

Finding a travel guide (if you're not tied down) ​

• Four methods: (1) ask trike/cab drivers — they always have a friend or family member available; (2) travel agencies, though they're more expensive and not necessarily better vetted; (3) Pea's favorite: Facebook Messenger — search "[city name] tour guide" and meet candidates in person to check chemistry and agree on price; (4) general word of mouth
• Warning: many Filipinas who advertise as tour guides are also looking for boyfriends — it's a great way for them to meet foreigners
• If feelings develop (often on the Filipina's end), she'll make it very difficult for you to meet anyone else — "she'll never be more than a few feet away, giving the stink eye to any woman that so much as glances in your direction"
• Pea's anecdote: one of her patrons hired a woman from a coffee shop as a tour guide; halfway through the trip, the woman professed her love and got clingy — punchline: they just got engaged

Money and the "tambay" problem — don't be too generous ​

• Don't be overly friendly with "tambay" — people who are hanging out, not working, usually drinking
• If you buy one a beer, everyone within sight will expect the same — "good luck explaining why you're not treating the whole neighborhood to a keg party"
• If you pick up someone's tab, they'll expect it every single time they see you — same goes for relatives of friends
• Tipping at restaurants: most locals don't tip at all; if you do, never more than $1-2, which is already huge
• Never give the impression you're loose with money — not because you'll get robbed, but because everyone will start asking to borrow money
• "The words borrow and loan mean gift" — you'll never see that money again, and everyone in town will start hitting you up
• Best strategy: pretend you're flat broke and barely getting by — "the last thing you want to do is look like Mr. Moneybags"

Beating the "skin tax" (kano price) ​

• "Kano" comes from "americano" but refers to any foreigner — since all foreigners are assumed rich, vendors pad their prices
• An apple that costs a local 50 pesos might suddenly become 75 for you
• With a companion: play "hide the kano" — stay far away and out of sight while your companion shops; if you're spotted, even your Filipina gets charged the higher price; best to just stay at the hotel
• Solo strategy: learn two words — "magkano" (how much?) and "talaga" (really?) — saying "talaga" after hearing a suspicious price signals you're not a clueless newbie, and the vendor won't risk losing the entire sale

Food and water safety ​

• Street food is extremely risky for newcomers — cooking oil may only be changed once a month; your stomach hasn't adapted to local bacteria
• Pea's warning: "Don't say I didn't warn you" and "Do you really feel lucky? Well, do you, punk?"
• Safer to eat at brand-name restaurants, though not guaranteed either
• Never drink tap water outside certain areas of Manila — locals are immune to the bacteria but you're not
• Always drink from bottles, never from glasses
• Never get ice in your drink — freezing doesn't kill the bacteria, and a little melted ice can contaminate your whole system; "you and your toilet will be best buddies for the remainder of your trip"
• Always carry toilet paper — many places don't stock it because (1) it gets stolen immediately and (2) Filipinos don't use toilet paper
• Pea mentions her friend Derek keeps asking her to explain the Filipino bathroom method in detail — she hasn't made that video yet

Getting sick is almost inevitable ​

• Nearly a third of first-time visitors come down with a cold, flu, or unknown bug — your body simply isn't used to the local germs
• Carry antibacterial wipes and use them after contact with public transportation or facilities

Cheap services worth knowing about ​

• Street barbers: 60 pesos ($1) for a haircut, just as competent as mall salon stylists
• Dentist: teeth cleaning for about $25, cavity filling for $15 — so cheap that some people delay dental procedures until their Philippines trip to help pay for the vacation

Shopping frustrations ​

• Many Western products can't be found or go by different names
• Best approach: Google a picture of what you need and show it to the sales clerk
• Don't worry about brand or model number — you'll only get something similar
• If you find the exact product you want, buy a lot — stores often don't restock the same items; "you can see your brand of deodorant one day and not see it again for 6 months"
• Unless you have someone shipping things cheaply from home, "make do with what's available — don't expect to bring the West with you"

Local transportation and day trips ​

• Trikes (motorbike with cab) and jeepneys (like city buses) are the main cheap options in-city
• For day trips: rent a trike and driver for the full day — 20-30 bucks plus gas gets you a personal chauffeur; get the number of drivers you like
• Drivers love daily rentals because they skip the hustle of finding customers and get guaranteed pay

Island hopping and long-distance travel ​

• Ferries run between all major islands (and many minor ones) — tickets are cheap, no advance reservation needed, multiple runs per day on the same route
• For distances more than two islands away, fly instead — Cebu Pacific or Philippine Airlines, under $100 for domestic flights; flights are so short that "as soon as the captain turns off the seat belt sign, he has to turn it right back on again"

Renting vehicles: proceed at your own risk ​

• Pea does not recommend renting for new arrivals (references a previous video about driving in the Philippines)
• If you must: film every inch of the rental car inside and out before driving away — otherwise the owner will claim every scratch and dent is your fault
• If you get into any accident, even if someone purposely jumps in front of you, it's automatically your fault as a foreigner
• Witnesses will either vanish or develop "sudden amnesia"
• If in an accident: do not move the vehicle, take photos immediately, then call police — if you move it, they'll claim they can't determine what happened
• Strongly invest in a dash cam — as a foreigner, actual footage is your only way out of being blamed

Handling money in the Philippines ​

• Bring cash in fresh, unfolded bills with no writing or markings — exchange services are extremely picky about bill freshness
• ATMs accept Western credit cards; some Western banks reimburse ATM fees
• Don't bother opening a local bank account for short visits — it's not easy and even many long-term expats never do
• Carry cash for small purchases since most small businesses don't take credit cards — "cash is always king"

General advice for newcomers ​

• Go slowly, enjoy new sights and sounds, take time to meet people who can help
• Visit the local barangay captain (local police chief) — bring a bottle of wine and introduce yourself; he's the guy you want to know in an emergency
• Expand your circle of friends, smile and nod at everyone
• Filipinos are genuinely friendly and welcoming — "just relax and adapt to the new flow"

📺 Watch the full video on YouTube

🔔 Subscribe to The Filipina Pea