What to wear in the Philippines – Our Philippines Packing List

What to wear in the Philippines and our Philippines packing list. The Philippines is definitely one of the most exotic and sought after destinations in the Southeast Asia and in the world. We’ve been here multiple times, and we definitely will always come back, there’s no questions.

The Philippines has amazing weather, best beaches in the world, and with the locals speaking English and being happy people, it’s one of the easiest countries to travel to. Let’s explore the best time to travel in the Philippines and what you should pack when you are visiting this part of the world. Read here Philippines travel tips.

Read here budget travel in the Philippines and best tourist sim card, our 27 favorite Instagrammable places in the Philippines and Philippines off the beaten track.!

BOOK YOUR TRAVEL INSURANCE

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PHILIPPINES PACKING LIST (WHAT TO PACK FOR PHILIPPINES)

Let’s look at the weather details of our Philippines packing list and what to wear in the Philippines.

WEATHER FOR PHILIPPINES AND BEST TIME OF THE YEAR TO VISIT

The Philippines is an archipelago, and apart from having 7000 islands that you can enjoy and explore, it has one of the most desirable weather and climate, being near the equator. The Philippines has a tropical weather, and enjoys a pretty distinct dry and wet season.

Traveling the Philippines is good year round, however it would be good for you to consider how much time you are planning to stay in the Philippines, including travel. Being an archipelago, some places might actually take time for you to reach, and it’s always best that you pick a specific itinerary or part of the Philippines that you want to explore because you can’t see it all (if only we can – but you can always come back!)

The Philippines has 3 main parts: Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Usually, an international flight will land in Manila which is in Luzon, and you might need to take another local flight from there to go to your island of choice. Unless you are staying in the capital to do a little bit of exploring.

DRY SEASON

Dry season usually starts around December to April or May. Rain or wet season can start around May, although the strongest ones will start entering the country around June and July and will last until September and October.

The hottest months will be March to April which is peak season for travel in the Philippines (including locals), however prices of travel in the Philippines have a good range, so it will actually not be too bad to travel in the country during these months. You’re guaranteed complete sunshine during these months.

WET SEASON

If you are traveling the islands, especially beaches and coastal areas, you will need to plan your trip properly. July – September gets a lot of rain, and although you’ll still get sunshine during these months, rain can sometimes last the whole day, and days on end, so it will always be better to check weather forecast when you’re planning your trip.

The good thing is that prices will be lower in the rainy season, although travel and prices here are relatively cheap. Now if you are traveling in Luzon and Visayas and you experience very rainy weather, you can check if the weather in Mindanao can be opposite. We suggest checking out Siargao islands!

Click here to know more about the weather in Philippines

WHAT TO WEAR IN THE PHILIPPINES

The main rule when traveling in tropical countries is that you need lighter layers of clothing. This is because the general weather is warm, even during the wet season when you’ll still experience a good amount of sunshine.

Lighter jackets that are waterproof, waterproof bags, water proof cases to protect your things and your devices and good walking shoes are a must to bring, so that you’ll be ready for any rain showers when traveling, during the wet season.

What to wear in the Philippines during the dry season? During dry season, definitely have some sun protection for your face and your body, to make sure that you are protected from the harmful rays of the sun.

FOOT WEAR

What to wear in Philippines for foot wear? A good pair slippers will be enough for a travel packing for a trip to Philippines. There are a few activities to do in Philippines hiking, walks and other sight seeing, so having extra pairs of going out clothes that are not exactly bikinis and coverups, but thin and comfortable enough for the hot sunny weather will sure come in handy.

Make sure not to overpack but the Philippines can be rainy and getting cold at night time. If you’re expecting a few sit down dinners, or maybe hitting a few clubs, or parties, you can pack extra shoes and extra clothes for this. Sandals will be for relaxing when the weather is warm.

WHAT TO WEAR IN THE PHILIPPINES: CLOTHES FOR ACTIVITIES

What to wear in the Philippines for hiking and activities? There are volcano activities that will require extra clothes like a jacket or a raincoat. It will depend if you for a day trip just a few hours hiking or you will stay overnight. But if you hire a guide they will provide most of the things that you need

SKIN PROTECTION FROM HEAT AND THE SUN

In addition to proper summer outfits and clothes, packing for protecting your skin will be imperative. A sunblock with protection for UVA and UVB (for the best brands, choose a sunblock with triple +++) is very important. You’ll have to re-apply your sunblock every 20-30 minutes, especially if you’ll be staying under the sun for a long time, so make sure you pack enough for your trip.

The sun will most likely affect your hair too, so best if you pack hair products and conditioners that will be good for protecting your hair. For your makeup, make sure that you have the right sunscreen and foundation for your skin. Don’t forget your moisturizers and lotions, because skin can get dry pretty easy in this weather. If you choose to bring makeup in this trip, choose lip balms, lipsticks and chapsticks that are light colors or good for very sunny weather.

These will likely be lighter than darker. Just like your skin and body, your face will most likely need to stay hydrated, so mist sprays can be very helpful to keep your face refreshed all day long.

If you have hair dye or hair color, make sure you bring the appropriate products or consult your stylist on what products to bring to prepare your hair for the weather! Heat protectants will be very important especially if you will use a lot of blow dryers or iron in the trip, or even just for extra lounging time under the sun!

WATER BOTTLES

Keep your body hydrated! Instead of expecting to buy multiple water bottles for the duration of your trip, try to have a water bottle handy with you at all times so you can keep yourself hydrated and also be mindful of waste!

ACCESSORIES

What to wear in the Philippines where it’s important to be bringing a lot of comfortable clothes for hiking and make sure you also bring a swimming suit if you are visiting waterfalls will be great to refresh yourself.

A day bag will also be good to have, to bring with you on some activities on the island. In any trip, we suggest to keep your valuables – money, credit cards, passports, identification cards, and other valuables in secure containers to avoid any theft — a general rule for any travel.

BAGS, CONTAINERS, LUGGAGE

What to wear in the Philippines talking about bags and luggage, depending on how long you’re planning to stay in the Philippines, a small hand luggage or small suitcase should be enough. This, a day bag, packing cubes, and water proof protectors are all you’ll need.

What are packing cubes you say? One of the biggest packing hack that we swear by is dividing your luggage in packing cubes so you can go from packing to unpacking, to packing again in no time. Organization will be a breeze, and you will minimize stress when you’re trying to look for your things on a holiday.

Usually, what we do is have a bigger packing cube for clothes, and casual outer wear. A separate one for underwear and swimwear. A separate packing cube for gadgets and devices (make sure that these are actually in water proof containers), and a separate packing cube for toiletries and makeup.

PRE-TRAVEL PREPARATION

Ahh, the struggles of being a woman! Now, there are definitely a lot of ways for you to prepare, but since you can expect that you’ll spend a lot of time in bikinis and short wears, have your waxing appointments ready before your trip. If you shave yourself, or you have your own shaving kits, make sure you bring these, with your creams to not have the stress later on during your trip.

You want to be swim ready at any moment! If you need some nail work done, brows, lashes, make sure you have these prepared too before your trip!

MEDICINE KITS AND OTHER EXTRAS

In addition to sunblocks, lotions, moisturizers, heat protectants, and tanning products, emergency supplies will always come in handy. Have some mosquito repellent and bug spray ready, in case the places you’ll stay at have these in the cooler evenings and your clothes make you more exposed to them. Medicines, vitamins, and essentials are always good to have in any trips too.

WHAT TO PACK FOR THE PHILIPPINES IF YOU’RE A CONTENT CREATOR..

Water proof bags are definitely a must. You may want to bring your phones and camera gear near the water, or even in the water during this trip, so bring the appropriate water proof day bags, and water proof cases for your gear. Even if you’re not a content creator, it is now very usual to bring your phones out with you in the water, so having protective cases and covers are a must!

Don’t forget your underwater or water proof cameras if you’re planning to do a lot of shooting in the water! A snorkeling mask is always a great idea to enjoy. Bring yours from home and you will have available all the time to see the underwater life in the Philippines.

You should know they use the American adapter. A few places make it possible to fit your European adapter in the plug. If you are coming from European countries, we recommend you to bring an American adapter to be able to charge everywhere.

I´m bringing my camera and phone with their respective chargers and powerbank

I´m bringing my laptop and charger and a universal adaptor

I´m bringing my passport, and Travel Insurance with Safetywing

PROTECTION FOR GADGETS AND FOR THEFT

Anti-theft bags, locks for luggage, keeping important numbers and identifications with you, and spare money are all necessities in any travel. It will always be in handy to have these ready with you when you travel, even in a holiday destination like the Philippines.

INSURANCE AND GENERAL THINGS TO HAVE WHEN TRAVELING

Insurance is very important to have when you travel. For us, if you’re traveling a lot in places that expose you activities like hiking having insurance for important gears is good too. Double check that you are protected the best way you can.

Having insurance while you are traveling outside your home country is very important. Make sure that you have one too, to keep you safe in your trips around the world.

BASICS AND TOILETRIES

Finally, making sure you are covered with the basic needs in our the Philippines packing list like your personal toiletries are good to have when packing for a trip. When you are staying in high end resorts you will most likely have the best toiletries available, but just prepare any special products and knick knacks that you always want to have with you. Have your perfumes, deodorizers.

For the women, since a lot of the time will be spent in water, and lighter and thinner clothing, check if the trip will come during your time of the month. You don’t want to not be ready or to be stressed of having the special products you want to have during your special week, so have your feminine products with you.

If you haven’t tried menstrual cups, you might want to try or have these with you, if you are expecting to have your period and will still want to be in your cute, scrimpy bikinis all day long!

A COMPLETE PHILIPPINES PACKING LIST THAT CAN WITHSTAND ANY SEASON

Want to see a complete Philippines packing list of things what to wear in the Philippines. Here you go:

Pair of comfortable pants and shirts / blouses – the Philippines is humid all year and it’s a standard for any tropical destination to always pack light layers

A pair (or two) of comfortable foot wear – A good pair of sneakers that can go from day wear to outerwear is always useful for activities like walking and hiking and even for casual events and dinners

2 pairs of Swimwear or Swimsuits

A light waterproof jacket, a raincoat and/or umbrella – Always be ready for unexpected showers. This may not happen when you are visiting during the dry season, however if you are visiting during the wet season, and the months in between, these are a must

Waterproof bags and cases and covers – These are all essentials when you’re traveling during the wet season, but also if you’re traveling in the coastal areas or planning to do activities with the waterfalls

A Pair of Sunglasses

3-4 pairs of Underwear

Toiletries

Spare batteries, chargers, power banks, extension cords especially if you’ll be staying in properties, hotels or hostels with limited plugs

Travel adapters – the Philippines follows the Standard US plug types, and there are two types – A and B. Plug A which has two parallel pins, and Plug B which has 2 parallel pins and a grounding pin. Make sure that you are plugging in the right voltage 110 or 220 when you are in the Philippines

A fanny pack or smaller secure bag to always keep with you to make sure your valuables are kept safe

WHERE TO STAY IN THE PHILIPPINES

You can get accommodation starting from 800-1000 PHP (less than $20 USD) for a room in a guesthouse. Can you imagen if you are two of you traveling in the Philippines, it will be $10 USD each.  If you are looking for budget accommodation in the Philippines you can also try AirBnB starting from 800 PHP.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR ACCOMMODATION IN THE PHILIPPINES BEFORE YOUR TRIP WITH BOOKING AND AGODA!

Click here if you want to get your discount booking activities in the Philippines with Klook!

FOOD BUDGET TRAVEL IN THE PHILIPPINES

If you go to carinderias, local places for food. Prices start at $1-2 USD per meal. What´s included in $2 meal in the Philippines? You can get rice, sauce and vegetables, chicken, pork, depending your order. Also there are many tropical fruits like mango, bananas that you can get between that price too.

Read here 57 Filipino dishes to try!

CASH IN THE PHILIPPINES

The Philippines currency is the Philippine peso (PHP) , and 1 USD is equal to 50 pesos. There are lots of ATM’s and exchange currency in many part of the country. And you have to know the dollars is very common and well-accepted in the country.

Click here to know the exchange rate!

Hope you loved our Philippines packing list blog post guide! And can’t wait to hear about what to pack for the Philippines and if we forgot anything what to bring to the Philippines.

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Happy Travels!