FAQ
Essential Information
-What bag should I bring?
-Will there be last minute changes?
-What about the food?
-Do I need Travel Insurance?
-What to bring:
-What not to bring:
Before You Get Here
-Can you help me find flights to Cebu, Philippines?
-Can you help me find flights within the Philippines?
-What visas or passports do I need to travel to Cebu, Philippines?
-Do I need shots or vaccinations before coming to Cebu, Philippines?
About the Trips
-What kind of people will I be on tour with?
-What's the weather going to be like during the trip?
-What do the prices include/exclude?
-Are there any hidden charges not included in the trip cost?
-How much spending money should I bring?
-What happens if one or more of the activities I've paid for is cancelled because
of the weather or other unforeseen circumstances?
-Where do I meet my group?
-How many people will there be on each tour and what is the common age range?
-What will the accommodation be like?
-What kind of transport do we use?
-Can I pay extra for single accommodation?
-Do you make provisions for special dietary needs?
-How much free time will I have?
-Will I have access to the internet during the trip?
-How can my friends and family contact me in case of an emergency?
About Cebu, Philippines
-What is the size and population of Cebu, Philippines?
-What time is it in Cebu, Philippines?
-What's the currency in Cebu, Philippines and where can I change money?
What bag should I bring?
Most flights into Cebu are with budget airlines, so have a limit of 15kg this limit can be increased for a fee but 15kg is plenty. Baggage will need to be limited during the ten days on the road to one backpack/rucksack per person no larger than 75 litres in size, and one daypack no larger than 25 litres in size.
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Will there be last minute changes?
Aware Adventure's itineraries (using the services of independent suppliers) are planned many months before your holiday. There are a range of factors over which we have no control that can make adjustments necessary to travel arrangements. If we are aware of any major changes in advance we will let you know. Should any activities be cancelled due to reasons beyond our control, our tour leader will offer possible alternatives to the group to consider. These will include adventure activities similar in nature and/or value where possible.
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What about the Food?
We include four breakfasts lunches and dinners. We have designed our adventure trips to allow freedom during the evenings for you to order whatever you like from the resort we are staying in or to try local restaurants either independently or as a group. Please advise in full of any dietary requirements. We aim to provide the healthiest food possible, but the choice is yours!
Click here for a sample menu from Moalboal’s Last Filling Station.
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Do I need Travel Insurance?
Travel insurance is compulsory for all adventure holiday bookings. We recommend World Nomads for travellers with a zest for adventure. World Nomads travel insurance covers a range of adventure activities such as canyonning, trekking, white water rafting and scuba diving. World Nomads also provides members with a free travel journal and SMS security alerts to make sure you well-informed on the road and keep travelling safely. You simply buy one travel insurance policy and it doesn't matter where in the world you travel; you're covered! World Nomads are also doing great philanthropy work through their Footprints Network which fits in well with Aware Adventures' core values. Please note that some things are not covered by World Nomads insurance so please check the fine print of your policy so you are aware of your rights.
Your insurance policy document is as important as your passport and should be carried with you on tour. Please ensure that you take your policy document (or a copy of the actual policy document) with you, as your tour leader will ask to see this at the start of the trip. Your documentation must show evidence that you are the named policy-holder and that the cover is valid for your period of travel. The documentation must also indicate that you have cover for at least Medical Expenses and Emergency Repatriation. Please ensure that a 24-hour contact telephone number for your Insurance Company is stated on your documentation in case of emergency. Travel with Aware Adventures is not possible without valid insurance, and time is not available for this to be organised on the day the tour starts. There will be no refund should you not have a policy.
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What to Bring:
-Personal clothing for the trip, including shorts, swim wear, long pants for hiking, and several changes of socks. Warm clothes are not really needed in this tropical environment, but you should bring a jumper for ridiculously cold air-conditioned ferries, planes and the occasional cold night.
-Sturdy foot wear for the day hikes and soft shoes or sandals for water-based activities.
-Diving booties are highly recommended for caving and canyoneering.
-Swim suit and/or shorts and towel for swimming.
-Hat and safe/edible sunscreen for UV protection (if you can’t eat it don’t put it on your skin).
-Camera, drink bottle (we will provide you with a Poly-Carb drink bottle).
-Day pack for biking and hiking trips.
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What Not to Bring:
-More than a 75 litre or 30kg back pack.
-Cooking equipment.
-First aid equipment.
-Tent or sleeping bag.
What kind of people take this tour?
Groups are dynamic in their composition, and typically include ‘go-getter’ individuals, friends, backpackers, and couples. Adventurous travellers from several countries and many walks of life will usually make up an interesting and diverse group. Some people take this tour to inject a bit more life and vitality into themselves. We especially encourage people looking to inject more passion into their day-to-day lives to come, because living a life of adventure is what we do best.
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Can you help me find flights to Cebu, Philippines?
We usually get the cheapest flight we can find to Singapore and then book a separate flight with budget airline Cebu Pacific Air direct to Cebu. Sometimes we get a Jetstar flight to Manila then an internal Cebu Pacific Air flight to Cebu. The Manila option is not real convenient but often necessary. Air Asia is also offering really cheap flights to Manila and is another option, as is Tiger Air. The best thing you can do is read the 'Cheap Flights Guide' available on the link to the right and make an informed decision. Yuo can also update your preferences for our E-communications to recieve occasional 'Exciting flight updates'.
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Can you help me find flights within the Philippines?
Many international flights will arrive in Manila, and, depending on your itinerary, you may need one or more internal flights. Email us your dates of arrival into the Philippines and we will happily shop around for prices for you. For internal fares have a look at:
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Do I need shots or vaccinations before coming to Cebu, Philippines?
There are no required vaccinations other than Yellow Fever if you are coming from an affected area. Make an appointment with your doctor or travel clinic for a basic health check-up at least 6–8 weeks before you depart to find out if any vaccinations or further health checks are required. It is important that you discuss your personal travel plans with a health professional, so they can determine the correct vaccinations for your trip and any booster doses of childhood vaccinations that may be necessary.
Aware Adventures does not recommend vaccines due to their highly questionable health benefits but we are obliged to mention it. Search in our blog for artices about vaccines.
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What visas or passports do I need to travel to Cebu, Philippines?
People travelling to the Philippines for business and tourism purposes are allowed to enter the Philippines without visas for a stay not exceeding twenty-one (21) days, provided they hold valid tickets for their return journey to port of origin or next port of destination and their passports are valid for at least six (6) months beyond the estimated departure date. However, Immigration Officers at ports of entry may exercise their discretion to admit holders of passports valid for at least sixty (60) days beyond the intended period of stay.
Note: All tourists wishing to stay longer than 21 days need a visa. It’s possible to extend your visa in the Philippines for a fee (if you don’t mind queuing) before the 21 days is up.
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What's the weather going to be like during the trip?
The Philippines has a tropical climate tempered by constant sea breezes. There are three distinct seasons: the rainy season (June to September), cool and dry (October to February), and hot and mainly dry (March to May). Evenings are cooler. Typhoons occasionally occur from June to September.
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What do the prices include/exclude?
Our tours are fully inclusive of transport and accommodation. All adventure activities are included except on the two designated rest days. On teh rest days you have the optio to rest or pay extra to teh independent operators we are staying with to do one of their excellent activities. The reason we have structured the tour this way is to give you maximum choice and freedom and to keep the overall price of the tour as low as possible.
Breakfast is included four mornings, and lunch is provided four times and dinners will be also be provided four times. This gives you flexibility to explore some of the diverse and authentic dining experiences the islands have to offer.
All accommodation is included and is chosen for their convenience and location. All transport is included as well as any back-up support necessary for a quality adventure holiday. Any additional activities (such as indoor climbing in Cagayan or Cebu) not included in the itinerary can be arranged at extra cost while the trip is in progress.
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Are there any hidden charges not included in the trip cost?
The advertised price is the total price to pay, we do not charge a "local payment" in Cebu and there are no hidden charges. Please don’t forget that you will need to pay for any activities on rest days and other requested add-ons as described in the previous point.
An outgoing travel tax is also charged to international travellers so budget 1620 pesos or about $50 AUD for that.
Tips are discretional and although appreciated, not expected by our guides.
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How much spending money should I bring?
You could get away with this trip really cheaply if you wanted too. Great meals can be had for under $5 and everything is quite cheap. Realistically though you'll want to bring money along for a few souvenirs, as well as a few nights out. Dinner at a good restaurant will range anywhere from AUD$10 and up. Beer is cheap and you can have a huge night out and shout half a dozen locals all night for under $100 (though wiping yourself out is not what we are about- it’s just not being AWARE!).
You will need to budget for 8 evening meals at between $10 to $15 each, you will also need to budget for 8 lunches and breakfasts at between 5-10 dollars.
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What happens if one or more of the activities I've paid for is cancelled because of the weather or other unforeseen circumstances?
If an activity is cancelled through no fault of your own (most commonly because of the weather) we will attempt to book you on another activity during the tour of equal value. If this is not possible we will refund the value of the trip that was not available. Please see the booking policy for more details.
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Where do I meet my group?
Details will be emailed to you about where to meet your group if you are already in the Philippines otherwise we will pick you up from the airport. We are starting at a small beach resort on Mactan Island.
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How many people will there be on each tour and what is the common age range?
We guarantee no more than nine customers on any one trip. By keeping the numbers down we are able to offer exceptional customer service that characterises an Aware Adventures holiday. Our commitment to responsible and ecologically sound tourism is further reason why we have guaranteed to keep our group numbers to single figures. The age of our clients varies from 20's through to 50's. We have found our typical customer is in their mid 20's to mid 30's and wants to fit as many adventure activites as possible into an amazing adventure experience.
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What will the accommodation be like?
We have chosen quality budget accommodation for our guests. Convenience, atmosphere and compatible values are the criteria we use to choose our accommodation. We use a mixture of single and shared accommodation and we don’t really care how many stars it has. Where possible you will get your own room but realistically the majority of places we stay at this is just not possible. You could be sharing most of the time but really its imossible to say until we get started.
We generally stay with locally owned businesses as part of our dedication to responsible tourism. The tour leader will be in charge of room allocation and unfortunately not all rooms are created equal so you may not always get the best room. Some options may not be available from time to time, especially with later bookings.
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What kinds of transportation do we use?
A variety of transport is used throughout our adventure tours in order to facilitate the activities and may include jeepneys, hubal hubal (motorbikes), buses, taxis, V-hires, bancas, ferries and boats. Aware Adventures make every effort not to deviate from the proposed itinerary, however travel changes brought about by weather, politics, schedule changes or road and track conditions, although rare, are a possibility and out of our control. We cannot be held responsible for any such changes but will aim to minimise disruption and changes in such circumstances.
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Can I pay extra for single accommodation- a single surcharge?
We don’t offer single supplement because some of the places we stay only have limited numbers of rooms. If you are really concerned discuss it with the tour leader and we will do our best. Extra costs may be involved but that will be dealt with on tour.
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Do you make provisions for special dietary needs?
We can make provisions for any special dietary needs. Once you make a booking please provide details of any special diet or other requirements you might have. This is your holiday and we will do all we can to cater to your needs. We are familiar with some common dietary requirements. Examples that we can work around include: vegan (no meat or animal products); vegetarian (no meat products); pescatarian (vegetarian, but eat fish); no red meat (eat chicken & fish); gluten intolerant (no wheat, rye, barley or oats); lactose intolerant (no dairy products). Please be aware that you will still need to notify us of such dietary requirements well in advance.
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How much free time will I have?
You will have two rest days in the tour. The itinerary is designed to be an adventure holiday that fits A LOT into a short time. But don't worry there'll be plenty of time for photos, a laugh and of course the evenings are free to unwind or check out the night spots in some of the more built up locations. The rest days have been designed with more flexible options, so there will be free time to explore, relax and pick and choose activities you want to do along the way.
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Will I have access to the Internet during the trip?
I would not bank on it! There are internet cafes in some places but generally it’s not readily available in most places we stay at. Please do not bring a laptop because you will just worry about it being stolen!
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How can my friends and family contact me in case of an emergency?
Our team will be available to take any communications while you are on our trips, whether it's over the phone or by email. Our tour leader will at all times be available for contact from the base for any important messages that your friends or family might want to pass onto you. The number on our website is automatically re-routed to both Melissa and Sean's mobile phones so we are almost always contactable.
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What is the size and population of the Philippines?
The Philippines has a population of well over 86,000,000. Most of these people live in Manila. Cebu City has a population of less than a million and the whole Visayas region has around six and half million. There are three main areas and they are Luzon –Northern, Visayas – Central, and Mindanao – Southern. There are 7107 islands in the entire Philippines.
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What time is it in Cebu, Philippines?
Cebu, Philippines is 8 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time). Cebu is in the same time zone as Perth and Singapore
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What's the currency in Cebu, Philippines and where can I change money?
The currency in Cebu, Philippines is the Peso. You can exchange money at money changers at the airport or on the street. Credit cards can withdraw money from ATMs and that’s the easiest way to get cash and is often the best rate. 1 Australian Dollar (AUD) is approximately equal to 40 Pesos (PHP). If the exchange rate is above the average of 35 then that’s very good for you!
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