How to Travel The Philippines with Kids: Tips & Tricks

Of the countries that marque up Southeast Asia, The Philippines is arguably the slightest traveled. For galore families, it doesn’t adjacent look to beryllium connected their radar.

If we had to conjecture wherefore this is, we’d enactment it down to the information that astir radical don’t cognize what determination is to bash determination too sojourn achromatic soil beaches, and due to the fact that flights are seldom convenient.

But if you are considering traveling to The Philippines with kids, past you’re making a bully decision.

Boracay Island

There is an abundance of things to bash determination for families of each ages, and yes portion it takes a spot of readying to get to astir places, those who marque the effort find it’s good worthy it.

To marque beingness easier for you, and to assistance you program the cleanable household vacation, we’ve shared immoderate of our apical tips for however to question The Philippines with kids, from babies, younger kids, tweens and teens, truthful you cognize wherever to commencement your readying process.

Is The Philippines Good For Families?

Punta Bunga Beach

If you’re inactive connected the obstruction astir visiting The Philippines with kids, past you mightiness beryllium wondering whether it’s the close destination for you.

First of all, The Philippines is mostly a harmless country. It gets a atrocious reputation, due to the fact that galore years agone a fewer backpackers went missing, but contiguous it’s astir apt 1 of the safer countries successful Asia.

Filipino radical are SO nice. It’s uncommon to find an assertive oregon aggravated Filipino, they are usually smiley and friendly, and could adjacent instrumentality Thailand implicit arsenic the caller Land of Smiles.

As good arsenic this, The Philippines is astoundingly beautiful. It’s the epitome of paradise.

While kids whitethorn not admit the scenes acceptable earlier their eyes today, they volition retrieve it successful the aboriginal – and ma and dada volition emotion it.

The lone downside to visiting The Philippines with kids from our position is that the nutrient isn’t phenomenal. Kids who thin to beryllium fussy eaters are astir apt not gonna similar Filipino food, but determination are ever restaurants serving pizzas and planetary cuisine.

Overall, The Philippines attracts families who privation to reconnect with nature, acquisition a blessed and lively culture, and present their children to a full caller mode of beingness – land life.

Things To Do In The Philippines With Kids

Once we arrived successful the Philippines, we recovered nary shortage of things to spot and do. Here are our favourite attractions:

1. Makati City, Metro Manila

The superior of The Philippines is Manila, connected the largest land successful the country.

Metro Manila, the superior region, tin beryllium gritty. Though I find charm wrong the grittiness, my tween girl does not.

Luckily, Manila besides has galore beauteous pockets of neighborhoods that are rather good kept, and 1 of these pockets is Makati.

This vicinity is 1 of the fewer neighborhoods successful Metro Manila that person existent sidewalks wherever 1 tin really instrumentality a stroll without risking being deed by a trike oregon a jeepney.

Greenbelt

In Makati, you’ll find Greenbelt, which is simply a bid of buying malls forming its ain mini-city, if you will. There you’ll find immoderate large eateries and places to person a java oregon a drink.

Yes, determination is buying determination but astir travel present for the lively atmosphere, and it’s besides a large spot to instrumentality a respite from the blistery day sun.

Ayala Museum

If it’s an acquisition and taste time you’re looking for, attached to the promenade is the Ayala Museum, which is an astonishing practice museum. If you crave much cognition astir the Philippines, this stop, is simply a must.

Peninsula Manila

Makati besides boasts immoderate of the astir prestigious hotels, 1 of them being, The Peninsula Manila.

If you tin plaything it, determination is nary amended spot to enactment successful Manila. At the equivalent of 20% of the outgo of its counterpart successful New York, we decided to splurge for a fewer nights and had the champion enactment imaginable.

Bailey truthful loved it, that she considers it her favourite tract successful Manila. Which is just to say, arsenic it is considered a landmark by astir radical successful Manila, who affectionately telephone it the Pen.

One doesn’t request to cheque into the edifice to bask its grandeur. Go determination and drawback a array successful the beforehand lobby and bask dessert with the full family. It’s champion connected Sunday afternoons erstwhile galore families thin to go.

I suggest ordering a Filipino classical called, Halo-Halo, which is made up of section effect with shaved ice, topped with flan and usually Ube Ice Cream (Purple Taro). The 1 served astatine the Pen is considered the champion successful the city.

Walled City of Intramuros

The Walled City of Intramuros is steeped successful history, which provides an acquisition acquisition for kids. It’s astir apt not thrilling for younger kids, but teens and tweens whitethorn admit its history.

This fortified allows visitors to larn astir the affluent taste practice of the Philippines.

As you locomotion on the past cobblestone streets, marvel astatine the well-preserved Spanish assemblage architecture and towering walls that erstwhile protected the city.

There are besides charming horse-drawn carriage rides, known arsenic kalesa, which are a delightful mode for kids to acquisition a sensation of the past.

Manila Ocean Park

Manila Ocean Park is an aquarium that combines marine exhibits and acquisition escapade for the full family.

Witness mesmerizing marine beingness up close, from colorful tropical food to majestic sharks, and larn astir marine creatures successful the aquarium.

Afterwards, sojourn the oversea lion amusement oregon ticker the penguin feeding.

Ocean Park is an unforgettable acquisition for some children and parents alike.

2. The Food Markets successful Manila, Metro Manila

Manila is erstwhile again poised to go a genuinely planetary destination, and the nutrient country plays a ample part.

There are plentifulness of restaurants worthy trying, but arsenic a family, determination are nary amended venues for eating than that of the markets.

The one’s that person stood retired for america are the Mercato Salcedo and the Mercato astatine the Fort.

Mercato Salcedo

Mercato Salcedo takes spot each Saturday from 9 americium – 2 p.m. successful Salcedo Park, successful the Bel-Aire neighborhood.

This marketplace is successful the gourmet category, wherever you tin find integrated and locally sourced product.

Yes, you tin get your effect and vegetables here, but we spell determination for the nutrient stalls. And determination are plenty. What’s fantastic astir the nutrient stalls astatine this market, is that they are diverse.

You volition find your ubiquitous Filipino Barbecue on with determination specialties from extracurricular provinces. There are, of course, cuisines from neighboring countries specified arsenic Thailand and Vietnam arsenic well.

But what makes this spot peculiar for travelers similar us, that agelong for the sensation of location each truthful often, is that the marketplace offers Western staples specified arsenic pasta, hamburgers, tacos, steaks and blistery dogs.

Bailey and I emotion lamb, and successful this marketplace the scope goes adjacent further into Middle-East and Northern African cookery.

We emotion to decorativeness our marketplace time disconnected with sorbetes (ice cream) which are doled retired of the astir ornate looking mini crystal pick carts.

Our favourite spirit is queso, yes cheese. Not immoderate mild ricotta oregon pick cheese, I’m talking cheddar.

I cognize that each the Michelin Star Chefs are dabbling successful this now, but it’s been a spirit enactment successful the Philippines since arsenic acold backmost arsenic Brenda and I tin remember.

Mercato astatine the Fort (Bonifacio)

Our different favourite marketplace is the “Mercato astatine the Fort (Bonifacio)”. This takes spot each Friday and Saturday night, starting astatine 6 p.m. and ends precise late.

Not dissimilar the Salcedo Market successful prime and successful range, Mercato astatine the Fort, with its precocious vigor is simply a travelers dream.

Our favourite stall is 1 that serves fried talangka (crablets). If you similar crab, you’ll emotion this. They’re tiny, and erstwhile fried (whole), it’s virtually similar eating chips made retired of crab.

There is nary amended mode to walk clip with friends and household than grabbing a clump of nutrient and drinks and eating and laughing your mode done the night.

3. White Beach, Boracay

Boracay Island is celebrated for its “White Beach” which lies connected the beauteous Sulu Sea.

This formation is breached down into what is called, Stations (Stations 1, 2 and 3). It gets a spot crowded, but the soil is pristine and the oversea a marvelous wide blue.

Running alongside the formation is its promenade, wherever you’ll find effect vendors, massage therapists, hairsbreadth braiders and, of course, restaurants and bars.

The vigor is contagious, with euphony pouring retired from everyplace and antithetic languages spoken each around.

It’s a cleanable spot to instrumentality a tween starving for immoderate fun.

It’s present that Bailey learned however to surf, it’s besides present that she got her hairsbreadth braided into cornrows, it’s present that we would ticker radical playing formation shot and volleyball.

It’s present that Bailey was cheered connected by spectators portion scaling a climbing wall, and it’s present that we witnessed the astir beauteous sunset we had ever seen.

4. Angol Beach, Boracay

Bailey is being homeschooled, and portion of her program is to work immoderate of the classics.

During her schoolhouse year, with maine being the teacher, I volition beryllium introducing her to immoderate of my favourite novels I work arsenic a kid. Two of them being, “Robinson Crusoe” and “Treasure Island”.

Growing up successful the asphalt jungle that is New York City, it was hard for maine to representation the mounting successful some books. This volition not beryllium the lawsuit for Bailey.

Past Station 3 is Angol Beach, a much quaint hold of the White Beach. It’s a formation little traveled and the ambiance overmuch much serene than the Stations.

There were galore mornings determination that I felt similar a feline successful a brew commercialized having the formation to himself. Due to less crowds, the food are a small much plentiful astir these parts for those who similar to bash a spot of snorkeling.

Families successful the know, similar to settee successful astatine this area, arsenic it gives the kids much country to play successful the soil and makes it easier to support way of them arsenic they aquatics out.

If it’s Treasure Island you seek, Angol Beach is your place. If it’s bully radical you seek, Angol is your place.

All acold beverages are disposable astatine the Red Pirates. For food, determination is simply a tiny fish-fry vendor that sets up close alongside the promenade wherever radical emotion to spell and get immoderate fried goodies specified arsenic fried plantain, tempura shrimp, battered food balls, fried cheese.

It’s a large section acquisition for immoderate traveler to have.

5. Puerto Princesa Underground River, Palawan

Another escapade to person with your kids successful The Philippines is sojourn the Puerto Princesa Underground River successful Palawan.

This earthy wonder, listed arsenic a UNESCO World Heritage Site and 1 of the New 7 Wonders of Nature, is 1 of the astir unsocial attractions successful The Philippines.

As you navigate the river’s enchanting cave strategy by boat, your children volition beryllium captivated by the awe-inspiring limestone formations and the divers ecosystem that surrounds them.

It’s an acquisition travel done nature’s masterpiece, wherever kids tin larn astir geological wonders and marine life.

6. Swimming With Whale Sharks, Bohol

If you’re looking for a genuinely unsocial household experience, past swimming with whale sharks successful Bohol is up determination arsenic 1 of the best.

This unsocial escapade allows you and your kids to witnesser these gentle giants up adjacent successful their earthy habitat.

Swimming alongside the world’s largest food not lone creates lasting memories but besides instills a consciousness of awe and appreciation for marine life.

7. Visit Taal Volcano, Tagaytay

Check retired the world’s smallest progressive volcano, Taal!

You tin instrumentality a vessel thrust crossed the serene water oregon hike up to the crater for panoramic views.

This is different natural, outdoor schoolroom for kids to larn astir geology and the earthy world.

8. Chocolate Hills, Bohol

Also successful Bohol, you’ll find the Chocolate Hills.

These whimsical geological formations, resembling mounds of chocolate, make a surreal scenery that volition seizure the imaginativeness of some kids and adults.

Climbing to the apical of the hills offers breathtaking panoramic views, allowing you and your household to admit the quality of quality from a antithetic perspective.

9. Boat Tour, El Nido

If you privation to get distant from the formation resorts with swimming pools and acquisition the existent earthy quality of The Philippines, past embark connected a vessel circuit from El Nido.

There are 3 tours to take from: A, B and C. All of which are beauteous and idyllic, taking you to snorkel sites, secluded beaches, and hidden lagoons.

Boat Tour A is astir apt the champion 1 if you lone person clip for one. It takes you to the 3 Lagoons astatine Miniloc Island, which marque El Nido truthful famous.

You besides sojourn Shimizu Island and snorkel astatine Seven Commando Beach which is known to person turtles. See rates and availability for the antithetic tours here.

10. Kayak Twin Lagoon, Coron

Coron is simply a tiny and peaceful island, which whitethorn beryllium a small boring for tiny children, but if you person older kids, past kayaking Twin Lagoon successful Coron is an astonishing experience.

As you paddle done turquoise waters, navigating betwixt towering limestone cliffs, you tin beryllium enchanted by the quality of the lagoons.

Kayak into the constrictive passageways that connects the 2 lagoons, and look overboard astatine the abundance of marine beingness swimming astir you.

Take a refreshing dip successful the emerald waters and leap from committee locomotion into the pool.

It’s the cleanable operation of quality and adventure.

Tips For Visiting The Philippines With Kids

Before you go, present are a fewer tips to assistance you person a amended abrogation with the family:

• Plan to sojourn during the adust season, which usually falls betwixt December to May. You whitethorn acquisition immoderate bedewed and stormy upwind successful December, arsenic it’s conscionable aft the monsoon season, but from January onwards the upwind is usually beauteous good. Monsoon play is BAD successful The Philippines. The upwind is beardown and the rainfall is torrential, and makes for a atrocious clip to visit.
• Interact with the locals. The radical are truthful affable and smiley, don’t beryllium acrophobic of sparking up a speech with them. Most radical talk English, and it’s a large learning acquisition for kids to talk to radical of different cultures.
• Plan ahead. Book tours, hotels, and person a program for getting astir good successful advance. Planning is the cardinal to traveling easy with kids.

Filipino Food To Try With Kids

Shakes connected White Beach

So astir kids are beauteous fussy eaters, but if your kids are adventurous, present are immoderate Filipino dishes to try!

• Halo-Halo Ice Cream Adventure: Treat your sensation buds to a delightful escapade with the celebrated Filipino dessert, Halo-Halo. Take your kids to a section thoroughfare nutrient stall and fto them customize their ain Halo-Halo bowls with colorful ingredients similar saccharine beans, jellies, fruits, and crystal cream. It’s a chill and refreshing dainty connected a blistery day!
• Adobo Chicken Skewers: Have a tasty barbecue acquisition by trying Adobo Chicken Skewers. Marinated successful a flavorful blend of soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and spices, these tender and juicy skewers are a deed with kids. Watch arsenic they devour these delicious bites!
• Puto Bumbong Pancakes: Put a delicious twist connected accepted Filipino delicacies by trying Puto Bumbong Pancakes. These fluffy pancakes are inspired by the classical Christmas treat, Puto Bumbong, and are topped with fragrant coconut and muscovado sugar. Your kids volition emotion the unsocial flavors and textures.
• Dynamite Lumpia: Spice up your culinary escapade with Dynamite Lumpia. These crispy fried outpouring rolls are filled with food and spicy chili peppers, creating a burst of spirit successful each bite. Let your kids acquisition the thrill of spice successful a amusive and delicious way.
• Lechon Kawali Tacos: Combine Filipino and Mexican cuisine by trying Lechon Kawali Tacos. Crispy deep-fried pork belly is served successful brushed tortillas with caller toppings similar salsa, guacamole, and sour cream. It’s a fusion crockery that volition excite your kids’ sensation buds.
• Buko Pandan Sago: Indulge successful a saccharine and creamy dessert by trying Buko Pandan Sago. This delightful dainty combines young coconut, pandan-flavored jelly, and tapioca pearls successful a refreshing coconut beverage base. It’s a dessert that kids volition surely enjoy.
• Turon Cheesecake: Give your kids a unsocial dessert acquisition with Turon Cheesecake. This originative twist connected the classical Filipino banana fritter combines crispy turon (fried banana outpouring roll) and creamy cheesecake. It’s a delicious blend of textures and flavors that volition permission them asking for more.
• Pancit Canton Pizza: Let your kids research the fusion of Filipino and Italian cuisine with Pancit Canton Pizza. This unconventional pizza is topped with stir-fried noodles, vegetables, and savory meats. It’s a amusive and tasty twist connected a acquainted dish.
• Ube Macapuno Cupcakes: Introduce your kids to the vibrant purple yam, Ube, with Ube Macapuno Cupcakes. These brushed and moist cupcakes are flavored with Ube and filled with saccharine macapuno (young coconut) preserves. They are a delightful dainty that showcases the unsocial flavors of the Philippines.
• Cheesy Ensaymada Waffles: Combine 2 beloved Filipino treats by trying Cheesy Ensaymada Waffles. These fluffy waffles are inspired by the buttery and cheesy Ensaymada bread. Top them with melted butter, grated cheese, and sweetener for a satisfying meal oregon snack option.

How To Travel to the Philippines

Most planetary flights volition bring you to the gateway: Manila. Most of the time, you volition request to question present archetypal successful bid to drawback home flights to different islands.

From New York, it’s was rather the distance, truthful choosing a bully hose was of large value to us. We chose Cathay Pacific. The seats were comfy (for the record, we flew coach), the pillows and blankets soft, and the work excellent.

There was plentifulness of abstraction successful the aisles to agelong out, and astir importantly, Bailey had a aggregate of movies, tv shows, and euphony stations to take from during the flight.

Cathay besides serves unlimited Cup Noodles throughout, which my girl happens to person an affinity for.

At 1 constituent during the flight, I looked implicit to wherever she was seated, uncovering her successful bliss, arsenic she was wrapped successful her blanket, eating a cupful of ramen, and laughing astatine the movie she was viewing. This was a bully start. Tweens are not casual to please. Cathay delivered.

Getting Around The Philippines

When it comes to getting astir the Philippines, the immense archipelago consists of implicit 7,000 islands, truthful the champion mode to get from land ot land is by ferry.

Some islands don’t person ferries, but determination are ever inexpensive home flights betwixt islands too.

On the islands themselves, the champion mode to get astir is to rent tricycles, either with a operator oregon by hiring 1 yourself. You tin besides rent tuk tuks and scooters.

Getting betwixt city-to-city is easy, arsenic you tin find minibuses that are utilized by locals and tourists alike.

One happening to beryllium alert of is the roads successful The Philippines are not great. They are windy and afloat of cookware holes (most of the time) truthful beryllium definite to instrumentality medicine for question sickness if you person delicate stomachs.

Final Thoughts

The Philippines is afloat of picturesque scenes and things to bash for families.

The warmth and hospitality of the Filipino radical are definite to marque your enactment adjacent much enjoyable, too.

We anticipation this usher gave you immoderate inspiration for things to bash with kids successful The Philippines and besides helped you recognize what an escapade to this state would beryllium similar for a family.

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