People who love traveling want to do so all year round. The wet season in the Philippines shouldn’t scare you at all, you will just have to adjust your travel plans accordingly. With the following travel tips from our friends at www.philippinestravelpackage.com, this tag-ulan will be as fun as it gets.
Visit Laguna for its hot springs and waterfalls
Laguna is just a 2-3 hours from Manila. For people who live in Manila and around, or just visiting, a weekend or a day trip to Laguna is very much within reach when it comes both to time and budget. Although May – October can be extremely rainy, there are a couple of good reasons to visit Laguna during this time.
For instance, waterfalls are much more majestic during the wet season. Visiting Pagsanjan Falls during these months is a pleasurable experience. Whether it’s raining light or not at all, you will cruise the long and narrow canyon until you reach the falls themselves, and see them at their most plentiful.
Besides, Laguna is famous for being a hot spring destination. There is no better way to enjoy the hot springs of Laguna, than when it’s cold and rainy outside.
It is actually the best time to visit Camiguin, Siargao, Caramoan and more.
Among other places in the Philippines, these places are categorized as being a “type II climate” areas. It means that while these arease pronounced rainy season is from November to April.
It means that when it’s rainy in most parts of the country, you can enjoy the volcanos of Camiguin, the virgin Caramoan Island and the surf capital Siargao, and come back with a tan. These places tend to be vibrant during this time, as the good weather brings celebration to the local municipalities. In Camiguin for instance, the Lanzones Festival take place every October, and Siargao holds its fiesta every September.
Diving is not affected by the rain
Obviously diving while there is a typhoon coming is not advised. Even so, Central Visayas is rarely troubled by typhoons, and in general the wet season is not heavily felt, and the seasons aren’t very pronounced anyway. That’s why Cebu and Bohol are great destinations for wet season vacations. Cebu has many great diving spots to visit like Malapascua and Moalboal.
Traveling around Cebu Island is a bit time consuming, though you can stay in Mactan for the beach and diving. However, if you feel like having a weekend vacation, Bohol is the place for you. Easily accessible from Cebu City by ferry, you can actually fly into Tagbilaran airport. From there you will reach Panglao in no time.
Bohol has famous attractions like Chocolate hills and Loboc River, and is also one of the best diving spots in the Philippines. You can actually book a diving course if you haven’t dived yet, and learn how to dive over your short vacation there, as its schools are among the top in the country. Plus, your learning sites will be Pamilican Island, Balicasag Island, and other famous spots.
White water rafting is much more enjoyable when it’s wet
You’re going to get wet anyway, so it doesn’t make much sense to go rafting strictly when it’s dry. Moreover, when it’s dry the water level is low and that makes it very difficult to stir the raft. When it is wet, the water level is rising and the rapids are going faster, and it will make your rafting experience way better. The rain can add to the wild atmosphere surrounding you.
There are several great places to go white water rafting in the Philippines, but the two most famous ones are the Chico River in Northern Luzon, and Cagayan River in Cagayan de Oro. While both are great, Northern Luzon can be very stormy and unpredictable. Cagayan de Oro however enjoys a relatively stable weather, and is not prone to landslides.
You should definitely visit Cagayan de Oro, and let the adrenalin rush wash the stagnancy of being stuck at home or the office while it’s pouring outside. Cagayan de Oro also has adventure parks that are located in the mountains. It’s a bit chilly, but you will enjoy the great views, flying above on the hundreds meters long zip lines.
It’s still not too late to visit Sagada
The misconception is that Sagada is dangerous to get to during the wet season. It is not accurate as it is very difficult to reach during August to October due to the many landslides that occur in the area. June to July however are still ok to visit Sagada. It is for sure colder, and wetter, so you will need to dress accordingly.
But there is a special charm surrounding Sagada during that time. First of all, it is as close as it gets to winter in the Philippines. Secondly when you go spelunking in the many caves of Sagada, like Sumaguing Cave and Lumiang Burial Cave, you will hear, see and feel water flowing over many parts of the caves, including the ceiling and walls. It is a remarkable phenomenon indeed. And be sure not to forget to watch the sunrise in Mt. Kiltepan, and see the sun ascend from the sea of clouds.
So where will you go to this wet season?
Any of the destinations above will make a great trip in this rainy times. There are so many places you can visit that aren’t even mentioned in this post, as the Philippines is such a rich and vast country. So what do you think? Where else can you go? Please share your knowledge here, so we can all enjoy a better, more traveled tag-ulan.
