The Philippines Virtual Guide.

This is a website that we hope is going to become, one of the top tourist & information guides in the Philippines. A tall order you may think, but no, let me explain !

You see there are many websites out there about different aspects of the Philippines, some are very good, some unfortunately, are not so good. The main problem is they lack structure, order & quite often do not offer the information that a potential tourist may be seeking.

Take for example a hotel in one of the many cities here in the Philippines, they get themselves a nice new website, yet they give no thought as to how a foreigner or tourist is expected to find it, when 99% of the time they will not even know the name of the hotel. This website is going to address this situation & make it very easy for a total stranger to find not just a hotel in a particular city, but also many other businesses & points of interest, plus a wealth of information on many aspects of the Philippines.

I first came here back in October 2005 & many of the problems I faced in trying to find information, still exist today. From a tourist’s view point, it can be a daunting task having to wade through the numerous websites on the Philippines & after spending many hours trawling through the numerous pages that are available, I would end up walking away with a thumping headache ! and still no wiser than when I started.

When I did finally arrive here any questions asked of local people, eg. the nearest golf club, diving club, who does fishing charter, what amenities & attractions are in the area, were often met with a blank expression, simply because the people do not know. It is an unfortunate fact of life that travel & exploration are generally the domain of the wealthy & because of this it is hardly surprising that I encountered this problem.

However these pages are going to be different, in as much as they are going to be well structured in order to offer;

1. General info on the Philippines & the people, the culture, the history, geography, travel etc

2. Very good maps will be available on this site, many of the maps for the larger cities available down to street level. In fact at the last count there were 52 maps all with zoom & pan facilities.

3. City websites also in the form & layout of the main site, but with information more specific to that city & local area.

4. A Forum with free membership where you can discuss many different topics, share views & even make new friends.

5. Put it all together in one package & you have a website that should have all the info you are likely to want on virtually any aspect or area of the Philippines.

So is this website purely for tourists …?

No not at all, it has been designed for Tourists, Expats & Filipinos alike. There are many people here that , through no fault of their own, are totally unaware of what lies over the next mountain, or what lies outside a 50 km radius of where they were born & raised. This website hopes to open up the Philippines for access to everyone.

Therefore we have added a Forum to this website, in which people (expats, tourists & Filipinos) can ask questions, exchange ideas, get answers & information from those that actually live and work in the different cities & areas of the Philippines.

As a Tourist

Explore this website as if exploring the Philippines, discover the beauty of this tropical island paradise from the comfort of your own home ! Get a little background on the country & the people and discover what makes the Filipino people one of the warmest & friendliest people in the whole of Asia.

As an Expat

As expats living here in the Philippines we have a unique perspective on the people & the country, so why not share your experiences, let others know what a paradise the Philippines can be and also any possible problems that may be encountered, based on your own experiences.

As a Filipino

Be aware that tourism can be a very lucrative business for any country, if marketed correctly Increased tourism not only brings increased foreign income & investment to your cities & country, but over time will also help to provide more jobs. Therefore why not join in and help to promote not just your cities, but your country also.

We are always looking for people to help write articles, offer photos / videos of different areas of this wonderful country. Any material used will of course be credited to the person / persons providing it. If you would like to take part  then please either register for a free member account, or contact the webmaster  via email: webmaster@philippines-virtual-guide.com .

You may also like to take part in our new Forum, membership is also free and you can discuss many different topics, share views & even make new friends, not just here in the Philippines, but all over the world.