There are things to help protect you from various mishaps, emergencies and accidents that can happen during your travels to The Philippines. These are things that I have experienced or that I hear about often from others coming here. If even one of these things can help you then it will be worth your time.
#1 Travel Medical Insurance
Now the majority of people have not had problems and that is fantastic but it only takes one occurrence that will make you say, “I wish I would have been protected”. The things I hear about mostly are guys renting out motorbikes and getting into accidents, Dengue fever caused from a mosquito bite, stomach issues from food poisoning and various other incidents that can occur. Protect yourself while you are on your trip here, it doesn’t cost that much. Choose your age and the dates of your trip and you will be insured up to 250k USD and with a $250 deductible. Maya and I always make sure we are protected while out hiking, biking, traveling or any other activities that we may do. Click on the link for a quote.
#2 Have Multiple Sources of Accessing Money
Having multiple sources to access your money. I have mentioned numerous times about having a few cards to protect yourself and never carrying more than one card at a time with you in your wallet. The wallet I recommend can be purchased here. Have your bank in your home country, perhaps a credit card, a second bank account, Paypal, cash remittance set up and the one I like best is a Wise account with a debit card. You can sign up for your free Wise account using the link below.
#3 Careful With Food & Water
Be careful with the food and water in the Philippines. No different than traveling to any country. Be leery of street food and even eating at restaurants. Don’t use ice unless you can confirm it is from filtered or purified water. Same with the water used to rinse fruits and veggies, Bring some Imodium or Pepto Bismol just in case you have an upset stomach. It usually isn’t if you will get sick it is when you will get sick, it is inevitable.
#4 Travel With a Security Bag
Purchase a security bag, there are plenty out there that will protect you. I will share the one that I personally have and use for the last few years down below. These are great because they are slash proof, each zipper locks and also the strap can lock to an object like the seat on a train, bus or even your hotel bed. When I travel, I carry one of these and if I will sleep then I usually lock it to my seat. If I leave the hotel I lock this to the bed or any other immovable object while I go out for the day. I feel safe if the maid has to come in and clean. I highly recommend one of these bags. Yes, they are expensive but they are very well made and will last you a lifetime. Click the photo to be able to purchase one.
#5 Don’t do long-term stays initially
I have learned my lesson too many times unfortunately when booking something long-term. I have walked into AirBnbs that I instantly regretted and then was stuck for thirty days or I ended up leaving and losing money. Learning from this I now follow a rule when traveling which is simply this. Book three days at a hotel first, then go look at the location and property and make sure you are happy with it before booking a few weeks or a month there. Don’t lose money or be stuck in a place you hate.
Conclusion
These are just some of the ways that I use to protect myself during my travels, if you have more ideas please comment down below. There is no way to be 100% protected but you can do your best by following some simple things to better protect yourself.