What is solo travel? (12) Philippines

(7) Republic of the Philippines

First, the Philippines is not recommended for solo backpacking for safety reasons, and although it is probably one of the countries that are absolutely cautioned for travel, it is a beautiful and affordable travel destination if you use designated tourist facilities while paying attention to safety rules to enjoy marine leisure sports such as hobbies.

Let me introduce you. However, no matter how much I think about it, I don’t know why AI recommended it, so it’s clearly out of the ranking as a solo backpacking destination that should travel with absolute safety first, so here I’ll mainly summarize the precautions for AI’s recommendation.

It is an island country consisting of large and small islands among Southeast Asian countries that seem to float in the Pacific Ocean, with Manila as its capital and the economic and political center of the metropolitan area. As the largest city in the Philippines, it is also rich in popular music, art, and cultural resources.

However, it is known as a hotbed of unhealthy entertainment and crime, and it is also perceived as a place with only the bad points of a big city, such as traffic jams, air pollution, crime, and the gap between rich and poor, so the metropolitan area is not recommended for pure travel.

However, if you go outside the metropolitan area, you can enjoy various marine activities on the beautiful island, and if you travel to the north, you can experience the folk culture of the indigenous people who live with tradition.

To the south, you can visit lesser-known natural parks such as active volcanoes. To the east, Cebu, which is famous for its white sand beaches and seafood, is located here, which attracts the most Korean tourists.

During the peak season, it is a representative famous tourist destination that attracts many tourists regardless of nationality. In addition, to the west is Boracay, which is a popular honeymoon destination, and in fact, the western part of the Visayas Islands is considered one of the world’s most famous diving destinations for divers.

Along these beautiful coastlines, the best resorts and hotels in the Philippines are spread out in each tourist destination, and various activities are connected by land, sea, and air, so you can enjoy it according to your taste, and above all, it is a paradise for those who enjoy different kinds of food.

Overall, however, it is one of the least secure countries in Asia, and except for Venezuela, Brazil, and northern Mexico, there are few countries that are less secure than the Philippines.

In addition, due to the influence of the colonial rule of the United States in the past, it is a country where gun ownership is allowed like the United States, and kidnapping crimes, robbery, and theft are common along with Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia, so special attention is required, and most of the country is a tourist area, except for some famous tourist destinations

In particular, the entire southern region, especially Mindanao, has been issued a travel warning since it is a base for Islamic rebel groups in the Philippines, and Zamboanga, Sulu Islands, Basilan, and Tawi-Tawi Islands have been completely banned from travel.

It is important to note that if the public visits these areas, they may be subject to criminal penalties under the Passport Act. In the case of countries or regions where departure is recommended, there are no penalties unlike travel bans, but the state is not responsible even if there is a problem when entering.

In addition, if you suffer damage due to an accident or crime in such a place, you should keep in mind that the victim will be held responsible, so you should never rush to travel alone.

There is no big problem in tourist spots, but even when armed guards are standing in public places such as fast-food restaurants, supermarkets, convenience stores, banks, and restaurants, it is not uncommon for locals to shoot people with firearms if they get involved in a minor dispute.

Also, locals advise not to follow someone if they snatch something from their hands and run away. It is said that there is a high possibility that there are accomplices waiting for those with weapons such as guns or knives in the alleyway, and they often brandish weapons and steal things.

In addition, even if we assume that we only travel to peaceful areas, there is another problem, which is the slow Internet. This is because it boasts very slow speeds that are below average compared to the average internet speed in the world.

On top of this, the corruption problem is extremely expensive, so Wi-Fi is only available in hotels and offices that are necessary for business, and most homes are prohibitive, so it is very difficult to use the Internet.

In addition, as a country that belongs to the Pacific Ring of Fire, damage caused by earthquakes and volcanic activity cannot be overlooked, so even if it is an earthquake of the same magnitude, it is one of the developed countries such as Japan, Taiwan, Australia, and New Zealand that have some infrastructure for disaster preparedness.

Compared to other earthquake zones such as Chile, Mexico, and Malaysia, which are still at least prepared, it can cause much greater damage. And if you are going to visit the Philippines, the Philippine government must disclose

You should check the list of foreign criminals in advance. If you have your own name, you need to issue an NTSP (not the same person). So, if a foreign criminal who committed a crime before 2000

If your Roman name is the same or similar, you may be suspected of being a criminal and denied entry. Of course, there is no problem if you get an  NTSP (not the same person) document in advance and submit it at the time of immigration.