Travel to Philippines
Flying to Philippines
Flights to the Philippines are serviced by the national airline Philippine Airlines (www.philippineairlines.com).
Note: The period over Easter, from Good Friday to the following Bank holiday (and sometimes beyond), is a major holiday in the Philippines, as are Christmas and New Year. There may be some difficulty booking a flight during these periods.
London to Manila flights take 15 hours, and from Los Angeles 16 hours. Both include one change of plane, although Philippine Airlines runs a direct service in the other direction from Manila to Los Angeles (13 hours).
Php750 for international departures. Children under two years of age and transit passengers are exempt.
Getting to Philippines by boat
Although the country is a fixture on international shipping routes, there are no significant passenger services. The only international ferries run between Sandakan in Malaysian Borneo and Zamboanga on the Filipino island of Mindanao, operated by Weesam Express (www.zimnet.com/weesam/php/booking.php) and Aleson Shipping Lines (www.alesonshippinglines.com). The journey is slow, cramped and generally not recommended.