If you’re heading to the Philippines between end-Feb and early-March, first of all — great choice. You’re travelling in the dry season, which means blue skies, calm seas, and days that feel made for island hopping. But packing right for this trip is important, because this isn’t a “stay in one city” kind of holiday. You’ll be flying, ferrying, swimming, walking, and living out of a suitcase more than you think.
1. Essentials
- Passport (should have at least six months validity from date of departure to qualify for the visa free stay)
- Travel insurance – never travel internationally without one.
• Money – Carry a mix of forex card + some USD in cash. You would require a total of approximately 300 – 350 USD for our 8 nights 9 days trip. Extra 200 USD for the folks extending the trip for diving specifically. Only 100 USD extra for those extending with the intention of chilling.
ATMs exist, but on islands like Siargao and Moalboal, they can be unreliable or empty. USD is easy to exchange almost everywhere, and you’ll often get a better rate converting USD to Philippine Peso than withdrawing multiple times from ATMs or exchanging for INR. This is a subjective amount and in case one consumes more alcohol or wishes to shop more, then they’d need to carry more accordingly.
- Keep small bills handy — island cafés and boat operators don’t always have change.
• Also, don’t forget a universal adapter to be able to charge your phones and gadgets.
• Mandatory form – the form mailed by our team to you on your trip confirmation is mandatory for all travellers to fill individually. The same helps us connect you to one another and make arrangements smoothly. Those of you who are still left to complete it, please do so at the earliest. Just search for our email address in your inbox.
2. What to Wear in Philippines
First, let’s look at our expected temperatures:
- Moalboal: 30 – 22 degrees
- Siargao: 28 – 24 degrees
- Bohol: 30 – 24 degrees
(Days will be nice and sunny to be able to swim around. At the same time it shall be dry and humid. Some possibility of lightning and light showers)
We urge you to please also cross check temperatures closer to your date of travel as things keep changing nowadays worldwide.
Rental option & special discount for MM travellers!:
We understand that a lot of things required during your travels may not be needed by you after that one trip, thus, meet SharePal available with rental, pick up and delivery options across 6 major cities. Anddd, with some exclusive discount codes for our MM travellers 🙂
For clothes, think light, breathable, repeat-friendly.
• cotton or linen tops, loose dresses, shorts, skirts, and flowy pants. Tight fabrics get uncomfortable fast in the humidity.
• Carry at least two swimsuits. You’ll swim more than you think — waterfalls, sardine runs, island hopping, beach dips.
• A rash guard or swim T-shirt is genuinely useful — protects from Sun, helps during water activities, and saves you from reapplying sunscreen every hour.
- Similarly, a cotton shirt/ shrug to throw on will keep you comfortable in the heat.
- A light shrug or thin hoodie. Ferries and flights blast AC, and you’ll be grateful for it.
Bring out your tropical prints and bright colours, the island life is waiting for you!!
Footwear:
You don’t need many shoes — just the right ones.
• Comfortable sandals with grip will be your go-to.
• Flip-flops are for beaches and quick walks.
• Water shoes/ beach socks are a game-changer for activities involved in this trip (canyoneering, snorkelling, etc.) — seriously worth packing.
• One pair of light sneakers is enough for travel days.
Accessories
• You can consider a dry bag
• A quick-dry towel, cap or hat, and good sunglasses.
• A reusable water bottle is handy — you’ll be out in the sun a lot.
• A water protection cover for your phone
Toiletries & Personal Care
• A good sunscreen (SPF 50+) and an after-sun or aloe gel — sunburn sneaks up fast near the sea.
• Mosquito repellent is important, especially in Siargao and Bohol. Evenings can get buggy.
Pack skincare you know works for you — experimenting in humidity isn’t fun.
3. Miscellaneous
- • Filipino food is nice, but after a few days, you might crave something familiar.
A couple of ready-to-eat packets, instant tea/coffee, or dry snacks can be comforting — especially for our vegetarian friends and for early mornings or long travel days.
• While our trip leader carries a basic first aid kit, if you’re on some medication or susceptible to some form of illness while travelling, please carry the requisite medicine. For example: those with motion sickness, must carry avomine as the trip has significant road journeys involved.
• Similarly, if you require a neck pillow or anything else to make your road journeys smooth, carry the same.
4. MM&Co. Trip Add-ons
A few small things can make shared moments even more memorable!
• UNO / playing cards / small games: Great for all the group chilling and fun!
• Portable speaker: Did someone say partayyy
• Saree/ kurta: We like creating Bollywood moments for our gang, so, everyone please bring one saree or kurta and let’s let our inner SRK dreams out 😉
5. Final Packing Advice
– Pack lighter than you think you need to.
– Repeat outfits.
– Choose comfort over aesthetics.
This trip is about jumping into water without planning, walking barefoot on sand, and not worrying about your bag being heavy. So, let’s have a lot of funnnnn!!