This interview is with top travel blogger Flip Nomad
Q1) What are some of the most popular places to travel in the Philippines?
A: The most popular destination as of now for both local and foreign tourists alike is Boracay. The island offers a wide shore of blinding white sand, crystal clear water and fresh seafood and of course great parties at night.
Q2) Conversely, what are some under-rated places you think a traveller should consider when vacation in the Philippines?
A: Ugh, quite hard to tell which one as we have 7107 islands. But for the places I’ve been to, I guess Palawan. It’s getting popular now though, but a lot of Filipinos have not seen the beauty of this island yet. For me, this would probably be one of the Philippines best kept secret. The island is abundant with wildlife. The locals are very friendly. And the beaches and islands of Palawan are breathtaking.
Q3) Sometimes in the media, which tends to propagate fear, the Philippines has a reputation for being dangerous in certain areas. Do you feel this is justified? Given your experiences and first hand knowledge would you suggest avoiding any areas?
A: I think all places in the world can be dangerous. The bad rap about the Philippines is blown out of proportion by the media. There are quite some places though that are considered dangerous in the country such as the islands in the far south of the Philippines due to reported cases of violence. I’ve never been there though but I know a few travellers who travelled there and went home unscathed.
Q4) You have extensive travel experience in SE Asia. How does the Philippines compare to other countries in SE Asia in terms of affordability? What would you recommend as a daily or monthly budget for a backpacker?
A: The Philippines is teeming with gorgeous islands and awesome beaches. We still have a lot of unspoilt and pristine islands that nature lovers will definitely enjoy. We lack though modern infrastructures in those islands in comparison to Thailand. But I think it’s a blessing in disguise for us because it means that we could still enjoy the rawness of nature.
If you are planning a trip to the Philippines and need to find a hotel in Boracay  or any other accommodation at a discount price, then you are better off searching online. There are many different options and search criteria you can use to find the best hotel for you. It’s also a good idea to budget for expenses to cost you from $10-$15 a day in addition to your hotel cost. There is the option of staying in hostels as well. Hostels though in mainland Southeast Asia are cheaper than what I’ve found in the Philippines. San Miguel Beer is definitely cheaper in the Philippines.
As long as you stay away from the city, you wouldn’t really spend that much.
Q5) You’ve recently released an ebook on the Philippines. How can one get a copy of this great resource?
Thanks for mentioning! The Ebook is my first collaboration with the Pinoy Travel Bloggers community. It has gorgeous (85) pictures of different places in the Philippines taken by 45 Travel Bloggers. It would be a great help for those who couldn’t decide on which place to visit in the Philippines.
Q6) I’ve noticed you’ve done some collaborative work with other bloggers based in the Philippines. Can you recommend a few of those blogs that would inspire others to travel there?
Sure! Here are five of them;
- http://JourneyingJames.com – He blogs about budget travelling in the Philippines. A great resource for those travelling with a tight budget.
- http://LakwatseradePrimera.com – She blogs about off the beaten paths in the Philippines including beautiful remote islands.
- http://Ironwulf.net – One of the pioneers in travel blogging in the Philippines. Awesome pictures about places and culture in different provinces in the country.
- http://EscapeIslands.com – Another great resource for travelling to some distant places in the Philippines
- http://Lakwatsero.com – A lot of helpful posts about diving and snorkelling in the Philippines
Q7) How has being away from your home country changed the way you view it? Is there anything you appreciate more now than you did before?
A: Travelling helped me see the similarities of people despite of our difference in race, color, religion etc. It also helped me see and appreciate whatever I have after being exposed to a variety of living conditions in other countries. There’re so many realizations and the list is almost endless.
Plus, travelling is also fun!!!! Way better than sitting in my old office.
Q8) What kind of travel and blogging plans/projects do you have for 2012?
A: For travel, it all depends with the cash flow. If I earn enough to fly me back to Nepal and India then I’ll go there, if not, I’ll probably go to some islands in Thailand or Indonesia. I’m also considering travelling back to China.
For travel blogging, I started http://bananaroti.com which will be my food blog. I wish I had started it though at the onset of the trip. I’m also working on some niche sites that could help me generate some funds for my travels.
Q9) In the past year do you have any particular favourite destination or country that you’ve visited?
A: I love India, it’s like an entirely different world. I’d love to go back someday. I also like France but I know it wouldn’t be possible for now to travel to Europe since I’m working on a small budget.
Q10) Can you give some more information about your blog. How can others follow along with your journeys?
A: I blog at http://flipnomad.com about my travels in Southeast Asia. It focuses on budget travelling tips in various destinations. You could also follow me in Twitter, Facebook and Google+.
such a nice blog Sir Samuel very informative. and to Jbangskie what kind of animal do you feature?
nice….. Filipino is one of the warmest people of the world. even though there are negative comments from other people but still Filipino excel not just in talent but also in advertizing its culture and nature. They say Filipinos are happy go lucky, no its not it! just they know how to smile in facing struggles in life. pessimistic “they call”.. proud to be one””Its more fun in the Philippines…
love Philippines…
I’m most definitely interested in visiting the Philippines very soon 🙂
Sir if you like you can view here some details about best destination spot in the Philippines & also feature’s rare animals that you can only seen in the Philippines. 😛
Sir if you like you can view here some details about best destination spot in the Philippines & also feature’s rare animals that you can only seen in the Philippines. 😛
I’d say, I’m proud I’m a Filipino! Yes, I’m from Philippines and I absolutely love this post. Not only you described the wonders of our country but you also gave your opinion about it. I really wanted to know other people’s perspective from the outside – how they see our country as a whole. And I’m glad you didn’t get scared or anything during your travel in our country. I’m also glad you collaborated with other Pinoy bloggers about our country.
Will surely read that ebook! 🙂
Great read! Flip nailed it in this interview. I hope you guys get to experience Philippines, underwater and above 🙂
PS. thanks for the mention Flip 🙂
Hi Samuel and Flip,
I am mad keen to get to the Phillipines. I’ve never visited and am currently living in Australia so I’m sure it will happen soon:) These tips have just fuelled my dream of going to the Phillipines and they’ll help me work out where to go when I do get there.
Annabel, I’ve travelled extensively in SE Asia but I’ve also yet to visit the Philippines! It’s very much a high priority for me as well.
do visit the Philippines Annabel, I’m sure you’ll enjoy your stay here especially if you love islands and gorgeous beaches… 🙂 diving and snorkelling is also awesome!!! 🙂
We just found out we’re headed to the Philippines later this year, so this is great information to know. Thanks to both of you for sharing!
im excited for your trip Ellen… if you get the chance to dive or snorkel, go for it… im sure you’ll enjoy your stay 😉
Great interview. I never knew the Philippines had that many islands. It’s good to hear what his suggestions would be of where to go. Sounds like he really is enjoying the good life.
come and visit the Philippines Chris 🙂
Sweet tips. I would have no idea where to start in the Philippines. A buddy of mines spent some time there before doing Australia and he was blown away by the price difference on things like scuba. Crazy!
snorkelling and diving here is crazy and awesome… you could also swim with whale sharks 😉
Philippines is one of the tropical countries that I want to visit whenever I want to escape and just relax. I heard Camiguin is an ideal destination as well. Aside from the beautiful beaches and scenes, I feel at ease with the Filipinos’ down to earth and friendly personalities.
Hey William,
I agree with you. I’ve met many Filipinos and it seems most share those characteristics of being down to earth and friendly.
Camiguin is awesome William and if you have some time, also drop by El Nido and Coron in Palawan 🙂
Thanks – lots of great info here! Planning to go in August – typhoon season, I know, but apparently not where I’m planning on (Siquijor and Bohol). Great interview & useful resources – I want to go to the Philippines even more now. Only ever heard good things 😀
Hey Tom,
I completely agree! I’ve only heard good things and this is one of the few countries in SE Asia I’ve yet to visit. It’s a high priority for me as well and Flip has encouraged me to go even more.
you’ll enjoy it Tom, if you have more time, go to Malapascua and Bantayan Island too in Cebu …
interesting read! Flip is one of my inspirations both in traveling and blogging! 🙂
He sure is! He’s found a way to keep himself going on the road which is quite inspiring.
Thanks Sam for the feature. Hopefully many will be going to the Philippines after reading this :))
Thanks Edmar, I’m really hoping so as well. I’ve yet to visit and I’m itching to go now!
two of my favorite travel bloggers speaking to each other! 🙂 nice! thanks for featuring flipnomad and the philippines too, Sam!
Thanks! Glad to be featuring Flip and for others to be learning more about the Philippines.
Thank you so much for featuring Flipnomad! I am hoping that his answers will finally push you to visit my beloved Philippines 😀
Hey Mica, I’d just love to go very soon 🙂
Love the resource here! My father-in-law has been to the Philippines multiple times. Would love to go there myself and experience it! $15/day is cheap!
Hey Derek, $15 is certainly cheap. I’ve found most of SE Asia to be very backpacker friendly in terms of budget travel.
a smaller budget is workable if you go outside the cities 😉 it’ll be awesome if you have a bigger budget as the country has a lot of nice luxury resorts too 🙂
I’m dying to get to the Philippines! Thanks for inspiring me even more.
Andi, I’m dying to go as well! I’ve done a lot of travel in Asia but I’ve yet to visit the Philippines.
come and visit the Philippines Andi, i’m sure you’re gonna love the beaches here 🙂
Great answer Flip…with your nice for sure, many would be convinced to visit Philippines.
I agree with you Eric, I’m certainly more inspired to go now.
thanks for the feature Sam
Thanks for a great interview! Glad to have you and I know this will inspire more people to travel in your home country.