12 Tips for Traveling with Kids in the Philippines

12 Tips for Traveling with Kids in the Philippines

If there is any easy travel you can find it the world, it would be the Philippines. Things can be cheap and generally everyone can communicate in English so it wouldn’t be too hard to check on what you need when you’re traveling. But how about traveling with kids in the Philippines? We talk about more of this below.

Traveling with kids needs more planning and attention than when you’re traveling solo or traveling with adults.
Even when you’re traveling in a kid-friendly country like the Philippines. There are still a lot of things to consider.
Read here Things to know before visiting the Philippines and Philippines honeymoon destinations!

SIM CARD AT MANILA AIRPORT

I wouldn’t recommend you to buy a sim card at Manila airport. If you wish comfort you can buy eSim online and if you aren’t in a hurry just go around phone shops in the city and compare prices to buy the cheapest sim card in Manila. Read here Philippines sim card for tourist and best Philippines eSim

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 imagine if you are two of you traveling in the Philippines, it will be $10 USD each.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR ACCOMMODATION WITH BOOKING AND AGODA!

BOOK YOUR TRAVEL INSURANCE

You can read Heymondo Vs Safetwing cheapest travel Insurance. You can get for $135 USD your Heymondo Travel Insurance with Heymondo discount code valid for 90 days. Read our full Heymondo Travel Insurance Review

You can get Safetywing Travel Insurance for Digital Nomads valid for 28 days Safetywing for $50 USD per month with kids until 10 years old included

Traveling with Kids in the Philippines

1. Modes of Transportation

Traveling by driving – Before traveling, check the roads and travel time if you will be traveling by your own. There are some good roads in the Philippines. But there are also tough ones especially if you’re going up (Baguio for example).

Traveling by renting cars and vans are popular in the Philippines. However you’ll be surprised that if you are coming from Western countries, that traveling with safety seats for kids are not that popular. So you’ll have to keep that in mind if you’re traveling with very young children.

If you’re not interested in driving yourself, a good option will be booking cars and drivers for hire.
Traveling by public transportation – Depending on where you’ll be traveling from, you will either need to take buses or boats/ferries when you’re traveling with kids in the Philippines. Since it is an archipelago. Some schedules can be tricky, or it can take a lot of hours, so better check the schedule properly so you can prepare how you can bring your kid with you while traveling.

Traveling by plane – If you’re only traveling for a short time, mixing air travel with land travel can be some of the best mixes while traveling so you can cover more area and you can take the comfort that you need when traveling. Planes will have their standard practices when you are traveling with kids.

2. Food and Diet

If you’re traveling with a lot of dietary requirements for your child, it is very important to research beforehand to make sure that you are prepared. If you’re traveling with kids in the Philippines very young or picky eaters.

It is advisable that you bring snacks with you that are safe for them, and can always fill them up to give yourself enough space to not worry about what to feed them when traveling in some remote places or provinces or even in the islands. Or sometimes transportation takes so long plus waiting time better you are ready for this when traveling with kids in the Philippines.

One thing that we’re highly careful about is when traveling in beaches and islands. We usually try to carry our own water containers and always try to get clean water instead of drinking tap water, especially for children. We find that traveling in beach areas like El Nido and Coron in Palawan in general can be very tricky and even adults can get stomach flu easily. So we make sure not to even use water from tap when brushing our teeth.
Again, safety first. If in doubt, always asks the staff of the accommodation you’re staying in.

3. Medicines

Just like when you’re traveling as adults, something very important to have are medicines. When we travel with our kid, we always have mosquito repellents and paracetamol for fever. These are just basics we always have because you never know how strong kids are when it comes to changes in weather or adapting in different ways of travel.

In our case where we usually travel 2-3 weeks straight, keeping these basics always help us be prepared especially when you’re in remote places that you have no access to pharmacies and groceries 24/7.
There are places like Boracay Island where you will find a doctor available 24 hours just in case you need for attention at night.

4. What to do in Emergencies

The general rule is to always familiarize yourself with the place you’re traveling to. How far you are from restaurants, the main attractions of the place you’re visiting, hospitals or pharmacies especially if you’re traveling in provinces.

There are a lot of places in the Philippines that have easy access to all of these, especially the tourist places, however there are a lot of places that are remote, or at least will take a few kilometers of travel to reach these places.

If we travel with a kid, we make sure that we travel or stay in places with easy access to the most important places. Usually, if we are booking our own accommodation. We make sure that we are walking distance to these places, unless we’re really traveling in remote areas.

At least, have important contacts saved on your phone like your main tour guides. Or a local that you can trust to make sure you will have someone to help you in emergencies or when you have questions.

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

5. Mobile phone signals and Sim Cards

Nowadays, having phone signal is a must. Or at least, when traveling in the Philippines, making sure that you know if you’re traveling to a place with or without cell reception in advance will help you plan a lot of things.

Since we also work in the road, we find it very helpful to have two sim cards (the two main companies in the Philippines) – Globe and Smart. This gives us a lot of chances to always have signal or data unless we are traveling in very remote islands where you usually know that you will not have signal.

6. Making friends in the Philippines

How easy is making friends in the Philippines. There are always kids to play around. There are many kids everywhere in the Philippines. So your kids will never get bored in the hotel, beaches or around the neighborhood. As most of the people talk English will be easy to make them play around.

More Tips for Traveling with Kids in the Philippines

7. Tours and Island Hopping

When traveling with kids in the Philippines island hopping and tours will be their favorite. There are snorkeling spots where they can see fishes, turtles, whale shark and dolphins. When doing tours in the Philippines and Island hopping guides are very helpful taking care of kids.

They will help you to get him to the water and bring them to the spot that you are trying to watch. Going up and down in the boat and sometimes they can even have special food for them.

8. Beaches aren’t very clean in the Philippines

The beaches aren’t so clean in the Philippines. We have to say that everyday this situation is improving and many people are taking care of the beaches cleaning. There are islands like Siargao, Boracay and El Nido where plastics aren’t allowed anymore.

You can read here about Boracay Island after reopening which was closed for 6 months to make an amazing clean up and how much improved the island.

We have been traveling in Philippines islands and beaches. We usually try to clean the beach and keep the trash in our bag. Our little one learnt about this and he always do this before swimming. It’s great he could learn about plastics and keeping the beach clean when he is 5 years old. Plus he believes that when he cleans the beach before swimming later fishes will come so he can see them!

9. Make sure your there is a pool in your Hotel

Pool or beach is great for kids in the Philippines. We always make sure that we are close to the beach or we have a pool when traveling with our little one in the Philippines. They love jumping, swimming and playing around the pool. Plus they spend so much energy. They are hungry anytime and they will sleep early without any problem.

10. Activities for Kids in the Philippines

Research in advance which places have activities for kids. For us one destination that we travel a lot is Subic. Most of the hotels and resorts are ready for them with toys and activities. We will mention below our favorite ones in the Philippines. Check pictures of some fun activities with kids in the Philippines:

11. Kids Love Nature and Animals

There are places to visit in the Philippines where you can stay in contact with the nature and animals. You can visit the tarsier in Bohol which is so popular and kids love it.

You can also hike mountains and waterfalls is so easy. Most of the time you will find places where you can stop for lunch. You can bring your own food or order in the restaurant so kids can play around.
They also love when there are cats and dogs in local homestays that they can play around.

12. Learn About Culture

Kids will learn about culture in the Philippines. Our little one remembers the tribes in Banaue. He was so curious asking so many questions to them. He love meeting fisherman and people around. It makes him more extrovert and he is learning everyday.

Hotels and best places to see traveling with kids in the Philippines

We will write our favorite places for traveling with kids in the Philippines.

Boracay Island

Boracay Island is one of the most popular places to visit in the Philippines. We have been twice already. Last time we spent two weeks because we love it and it’s so convenient. Great place for swimming, pictures, good for work and you can find almost everything.

For us the best station in Boracay traveling with kids is station 1. We love it these two places Hampstead Boutique Hotel and Discovery Shores Resort:

Hampstead Boutique Hotel

For our stay at Station 1, we chose Hampstead Boutique Hotel. It’s just a 5-minute walking distance to the beach. We enjoyed a calm area with bars and restaurants around. Also, we enjoyed our private villa. Check our pictures below:

Discovery Shores Boracay

For our trip in Boracay, we stayed in Discovery Shores Resort where we had a sublime time. The hotel has various restaurants to choose from. Indigo Restaurant for foreign food and Fresco for Filipino choices all with a top-of-the-line dining experience.

If you choose to spend your time in the hotel, there are already various amenities and activities that you can enjoy. The best luxury resort in Boracay is in White Beach Station 1 super well located. So you can easily get to all the party and beach areas of the island. The hotel is also located just 15 minutes driving from the port, easy access for travel. Check our pictures below:

Read here full where to stay in Boracay Island and Boracay Island travel guide.

Moalboal

Moalboal is a quiet and calm area close to Cebu where you can find almost everything. There are beautiful beaches in Cebu, you can also visit Kawasan Falls and hike to Osmena Peak if you prefer the mountain.
There are bars and restaurants and you can do island hopping!

Pescadores Seaview Resort

We stayed at Pescadores Sea View Resort, and we recommend our stay 100%. The staff is super friendly and here you can enjoy a delicious local breakfast. There are board games and a pool table available in the reception area.

If you want to do activities like snorkeling and kayaking, they will provide the gear for FREE if you are a guest. The beach is really nice for swimming, snorkeling, and kayaking. You can even see turtles not so far from the seashore.

Not to mention that taking pictures here or flying a drone were really awesome because of the stunning views. And the sunset, who doesn´t like to enjoy a magical sunset after an amazing day swimming and kayaking?

We rented a Kayak but not the usual one. It was a transparent kayak which we enjoyed a lot because the water is so clear and you can see where is the right place to snorkel.
Click here to check availability and prices!

Read here our things to do in Moalboal.

Subic

Subic is only one hour far from Angeles City and 3 hours far from Manila. You can relax in the beach and enjoying the resorts around the area. We have been in Subic many times already and we always have so much fun!

Le Charme Suites

Le Charmé Suites- Subic offers rooms in Olongapo. Providing a restaurant, the property also features a terrace, as well as a hot tub and a sauna.  Guest rooms are equipped with a flat-screen TV with cable channels, a electric tea pot, a bath, free toiletries and a desk. With a private bathroom equipped with a bidet and a hair dryer, certain accommodations at the hotel also have a balcony.

At Le Charmé Suites- Subic, every room is equipped with a seating area. A buffet breakfast is available daily at the property. The accommodation has an outdoor pool. The area is popular for cycling, and bike rental is available at Le Charmé Suites- Subic. The price starts at 140 USD.

The Lighthouse Marina Resort

The Lighthouse Marina Resort features an outdoor pool and views of the sea. Guests can enjoy the on-site restaurant. Every room at this hotel is air conditioned and features a flat-screen TV with cable channels and DVD player.

All rooms are equipped with a private bathroom fitted with a bath. For your comfort, you will find bathrobes, slippers and free toiletries. You will find a 24-hour front desk at the property. Rate starts at 7,700 PHP.

Click here to check their rates and availability.

Tagaytay

Tagaytay is one of the most popular destinations around Manila. It’s only two hours drive and there are activities like hiking Taal Volcano. You can also relax in the resorts in Tagaytay. The weather is so cool and not so warm like the rest of the Philippines.

Taal Vista Hotel

Taal is the best adventure that you can do while in Tagaytay, but there are definitely other things that you can do. There are many places to stay in Tagaytay, for example. Either for shorter family vacations and celebrations, or for longer trips.

Our choice was Taal Vista Hotel – definitely the perfect place to stay in Tagaytay. This was a special choice for us because from our room, we already have the view of Taal Lake. We spent a couple of days enjoying the view of the volcano. The sunrises were totally amazing.

You can feel the luxury of staying in one of the top hotels in Tagaytay. We enjoyed walking around the gardens, enjoying the facilities and the comfort of our room. It’s the perfect place for relaxing and it’s located in a very quiet area.

There are various food options when staying with Taal Vista. The food was great in  Cafe Veranda Restaurant with buffet for breakfast and dinner. We especially loved La Taza Restaurant where we tried the best food so far in the Philippines (trust me, the a la carte is to die for!)

We tried different dishes like Mezze which was delicious with different humus – chorizo, olive oil and spinach cream with ham joined with pitta bread. We also had for breakfast Egg Benedicts with Salmon and Croque Madame both of them were very tasty. I know we haven’t tasted heaven, but is this it?

Hotel Kimberly

We had a great welcome at Hotel Kimberly. The staff took our luggage and carried into the room while we were doing the check-in. Just opened the door and we were taking pictures of the great room set-up. When suddenly, the staff knocked the door. And big surprise!

They were welcoming us with mango juices and chocolate cakes for us!! Rachel and I were traveling with our little one and he fall in love with this place. It was the beginning of total spoiled treatment for us during the weekend.

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Happy Travels!