Backpacking the Philippines

Rave about Thailand all you want, but the Philippines is still the best destination for backpackers. First of all, it's cheap to move around the country, and I've known Germans who have seen more places than I have during their 2-month stay here. Second, where else can you grab a bottle of one of the best beers in the world at less than fifty cents? Third, almost everyone here understands English, and I mean everyone, even the magkakariton (mendicants who collect recyclable trash with their pushcarts). If he can't understand you, he'll be able to text someone on his cellphone and ask.


The only thing to keep in mind when visiting is that there really are places to avoid, such as provinces in the south where peacetime occurs only a few days each year, and a few dingy places in Manila. Even Divisoria, the penny-pincher's shopping haven, can be safe if you know where to hide your wallet and if you can hire Batista to watch your back for a day.

I really feel so sorry for one-time tourists who speak ill of the country just because their bags were stolen at the airport or they were sweet-talked by a purty young thing at Ermita into spending all their money. Well, hello...? There aren't bad countries, I suppose, just dorky tourists.

The countryside should be your best bet if you want to really go on a Philippine adventure. Great beaches, inexpensive and scrumptious food, and hospitable people who would go out of their way just to make you feel at home. (But how on earth would you be able to relax if your host sleeps on a straw mat while he asks you to sleep in the master's bedroom?)