WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO VISIT THE PHILIPPINES?


The climate of the Philippines presents several geographical variants according to location within an overall theme defined by the dry season, between December and May, and the rainy season from June to November, though some overlap is present during May.

The dry season has within itself two distinct characteristics, the ‘cool’ dry season from November to February, with temperatures ranging between 20⁰ - 30⁰C and the hot dry and humid season from March to May, which Filipinos describe as Summer, when temperatures can easily reach into the upper 30’s.

The highest rainfall and greatest humidity is generally falls between May and December, with its peak typically during August, during which travel can occasionally be disrupted, though there are regional exceptions that reverse this pattern, most notably along the east coast fringes of the Philippine Archipelago, including southern Luzon, Samar, southern Layte, Siargao and eastern Mindanao, where rainfall is at its highest between November and March, with April to October being the driest, though most humid months.


The heaviest rainfall of the more typically prevailing August highpoint is experienced geographically on the western coastal areas of northern Luzon, including Manila, western Mindoro, northern and western Palawan, eastern Panay including Boracay, and western Negros.

Elsewhere in the Philippines, the seasons are less pronounced including the eastern side of northern Luzon, northern Panay, south-eastern Palawan, northern Negros, Cebu, Bohol, south-western Layte and Mindanao experiencing less overall rainfall although falling into the general pattern, more evenly spread.


The general temperature of the Philippines is hot, and remains very warm even in the ‘cool’ season, requiring only light clothing, but if you are visiting upland areas, or mountain climbing, the altitude will likely require additional layers, especially at night.

Typhoons are a feature of life in the Philippines and generally occur between June and September, peaking in August, with most typhoons effecting landfall in Northern Luzon and the eastern Visayas, with Palawan being the least affected area. Typically, around twenty typhoons enter the general area, of which 6-9 make landfall. In some years, particular individual storms have caused severe devastation and considerable loss of life.