Backpack Philippines is an independent travel guide written by backpackers, for backpackers.
No sponsored content. No AI-generated fluff. No resort reviews disguised as "travel guides." Just honest, practical information about island-hopping, eating, sleeping, and getting around the Philippines — with real prices and real opinions.
Most Philippines travel content online is either:
• Too vague — "Palawan is beautiful!" (Thanks, we can see the photo.)
• Too expensive — Written for people with resort budgets.
• Too sanitized — Avoiding honest takes so they don't upset tourism boards.
We do the opposite. We tell you which tours are worth it and which are scams. Which hostels have bed bugs and which are hidden gems. Which food is life-changing and which is just weird-for-the-sake-of-weird. Prices are real. Opinions are real.
A small team of backpackers who've collectively spent years exploring the Philippines. We've missed ferries in Coron, gotten dengue in Siargao, eaten things we can't identify in Cebu, and loved every minute of it. This site is what we wish we had before our first trip.
This site is free. We earn a small commission when you book through some of our links (hotels on Booking.com, activities on Klook, insurance through SafetyWing). It costs you nothing extra, and it helps keep the lights on. We only recommend services we've used and would recommend to friends.
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