Your Philippines Booking Pack
Starting in Manila
The Dragon Trip is the all-encompassing, flexible trip for adventurers seeking to discover the real Philippines, showing you the very best parts – including cultural, historical and adrenaline-inducing attractions, jaw dropping scenery, and local customs. Over the next few weeks, it’s our goal to show you a side of Philippines you’ll remember forever.
Joining your tour in Manila
Meeting Point
The meeting time is noon at the reception in Ola! Hostel, Manila. You will meet your Adventure Leader here, as well as the rest of your group, where you’ll have a pre-departure briefing before your tour kicks off.
Your hostel’s address
Ola! Hostel
1030 Pablo Ocampo Street Corner/Enrique Street
Manila, Luzon
1004 Philippines
How to get to your hostel
The best way of getting to your hostel from the airport is to take a taxi from arrivals. If you’d like help booking this, email us on info@thedragontrip.com.
Finishing your tour in El Nido
The trip ends in one of the most beautiful places on the planet: El Nido!
We can help you book extra nights on the beach, or help you with transferring you to an onward destination.
If you have any queries or issues with your trip, email our Ops team on mytrip@thedragontrip.com.
We can arrange for you to stay longer
If you are planning on spending additional nights in Manila at the beginning of your tour, we can book your accommodation for you. We can also extend your time on the beach- with extra nights in Ngapali Beach. Please email info@thedragontrip.com for more information or book on this page.
Book Optional Excursions
Some of the most popular activities that we offer need to be booked in advance. Please book and pay for these activities at least three weeks in advance in order to guarantee your space. We may not be able to guarantee availability if you make a last minute request to join.
PADI course in El Nido (£550)
Book an incredible experience (and gain a life skill!) in one of the most beautiful places on earth.
Pre Night in Manila (£12.50)
Settle into the nation’s capital before the tour starts, and stay in the starting location for the tour.
Airport Transfer (£40)
Book an airport transfer to pick you up from arrivals and take you to the starting point.
Insurance
Please don’t forget your insurance! It’s compulsory to have travel insurance on all our Dragon Trips. Please bring details of your travel insurance along with you to the pre-departure briefing. In the event of an accident, we may need to contact your insurance company on your behalf, so we will need the insurance company’s name and phone number, as well as your policy number.
Please make sure your insurance offers ‘Bad Weather or Natural Disaster Coverage’.
Please fill out our online emergency contact and insurance form: https://www.wjx.cn/jq/54597087.aspx
Don’t forget your passport!
Have you sent us your passport details?
The Dragon Trip needs your passport copy to book accommodation and transport tickets in advance of your trip.
Please ensure that you passport is valid for six months of onward travel, with a spare page for every country you plan on visiting (all those stamps!). If you need a new passport, make sure you send us your new passport details as soon as possible, or you may experience some difficulties whilst on tour. If you are travelling on a passport with different details to the ones provided to us, we may have to purchase new train tickets, which will incur additional charges.
Do I need a visa?
Short answer is no! The majority of nationalities do no need a visa, and can stay for up to 30 days. However, please check your restrictions prior to travelling.
Keep in touch!
We want to hear all about your amazing travels across the Philippines.
Whether you’re on the tour or reliving your amazing experiences, be sure to use the hashtag #thedragontrip to join in with our amazing community of fellow Dragons.
In addition, if you tag our profile in your photo with the handle @thedragontrip, we might just feature it! We love to see all the fun you get up to on your adventures.
Lastly: if you don’t want to have your photos appear on our social platforms, please do email us to let us know.
Your Welfare on Tour
Our adventure tours are a safe space where everyone is welcome. We kindly request that you show respect to your fellow adventurers, our Adventure Leader, as well as the local people and places we encounter throughout our journey. Any form of discrimination, bullying and violence is strictly prohibited, and we expect all travellers to adhere to the laws, customs, and regulations of each destination we visit. Behaviours that contradict these expectations or impede our staff’s ability to fulfil their duty of care or follow the planned itinerary, may result in the removal of the individuals involved from the trip. If you encounter any concerns during your travels, please promptly communicate with your Adventure Leader or local guide. Alternatively, you can discreetly contact the Adventure Leader via WhatsApp. They will be able to address the issue directly and help find the best solution.
Meet Your Fellow Dragons
As many of our Dragons travel solo, we want to take to make the process of meeting your fellow travellers as easy as possible. We create WhatsApp groups for every departure date in advance, meaning that you can get to know everyone on your tour before you hit the ground.
You can also like us on Facebook and join ‘The Dragon Trip: Adventure Advice‘ Facebook group – here, you’ll be in a community of past, present, and future Dragons who can all share tips and advice.
Our Ultimate Packing Check List
On all of our trips you will be required to carry your own bags, so pack light. There will be opportunities to pick up equipment on the journey too.
Documents:
- Passport (with a copy of the photo page)
- Insurance details and photocopies
- Student card (if you have one)
Money:
- Your credit/debit card – there are ATMs where you can withdraw cash for use on the trip.
- Philippine pesos
The Essentials:
- First Aid Kit (with medicine for diarrhoea, paracetamol, disinfectant etc)
- Camera and charger
- T-shirts
- Shorts/Skirts
- Long pants (for hiking)
- Long trousers and sleeved shirts (when visiting temples and some of the local villages)
- Swimming costume
- Flip-flops
- Sensible walking shoes/hiking boots
- Towel
- Washbag
- Flashlight/torch
- Mosquito repellent
- Sunscreen
- Hat
- Sunglasses
- Lightweight waterproof jacket
- Earplugs (for a better sleep in the dorms)
- Locks for bags
- Waterproof backpack cover
FAQ’s
Do I need bring power adaptors?
Yes – these are available to buy in airports or various stores before you arrive. Make sure you get adaptors that will work in the Philippines – types A, B, & C are accepted.
Do I need to bring a sleeping bag?
All bedding is provided by the accommodation.
Who looks after our bags when we are on transport and/or day excursions?
Your bags will be stored at the hostels, where they are tagged and recorded.
Can I bring loads of stuff?
We strongly recommend packing very light for The Dragon Trip. Most cities have places you can wash your clothes and you can easily pick up supplies. If you need specific supplies, you can also buy it there.
Suitcase or backpack?
A suitcase is OK, but a backpack or holdall is much more convenient.
Will my phone work?
Your phone is unlikely to work, but it’s possible to buy a SIM out there. Wi-Fi is available in all of our hostels.
In case of Emergencies
No matter where you are or what you do, safety always comes first. We conduct our own health and safety checks, but sometimes things happen that our out of our control.
The emergency services hotline in the Philippines is 911.
After the police arrive on the scene, you must produce your ID and describe what happened. If there is a language barrier it is the police’s responsibility to seek out interpreters. Otherwise, call your embassy for advice. This process can be very time consuming and tedious and may take a few hours to resolve. You may only leave the scene when the police permit it.
To contact our staff:
Email: mytrip@thedragontrip.com
24/7 emergency contact number: (+81) 050 5534 9557
Contact Us
Any questions or feedback?
Contact our London Team: info@thedragontrip.com
(Please note that this email is only monitored from Monday to Friday between 9:00 and 17:30 (Friday 17:00) UK time. If you have any urgent issues, such as flight delays or last minute cancellations, please contact our Ops Team.)
Contact our Philippines Ops Team: trips@thedragontrip.com
To read our full terms & conditions, click here.