S1 E87 | First Day in the Philippines – Arrival, Visa-Free Entry and First Impressions

We started our morning in Singapore with an early metro ride to the airport, excited to begin our journey to the Philippines. Traveling light has always been our way, but this time the airline made us check in our backpack for free due to lack of cabin space. That meant juggling a smaller overflow bag, but we managed.

At the airport, we exchanged 50 Singapore dollars, which gave us 37.25 pesos per dollar. Once we landed in Cebu, the very first thing we did was buy a local SIM card – 29 GB of data for 15 days at 500 pesos. A good deal to stay connected while traveling around the islands.

From the airport, we took the “My Bus” to the North Bus Terminal. The real adventure started here, as we prepared to transfer across the city to the South Bus Terminal to catch our onward connection. That’s when we first encountered the Philippines’ most iconic mode of transport – the jeepney. Brightly painted, crowded, and full of character, it was unlike any bus we’d ever taken.

Immigration was a surprisingly smooth experience. As Indian travelers, we entered visa-free for 14 days because we had a valid multiple-entry Singapore visa. The officers asked for return tickets, hotel bookings, our vaccination certificates, and the One Health Pass form. Although they didn’t check every single document, they did review our Singapore visa carefully. One officer even asked about our YouTube channel and noted down the link – maybe we gained a new subscriber that day!

What stood out most was the warmth. The Philippines’ tagline, “It’s more fun in the Philippines”, felt true right at the immigration counter itself.

Our first impressions of Cebu were fascinating – the traffic, roads, and everyday chaos reminded us so much of Bangalore. Between waiting for buses and exploring jeepneys, the day felt like a blend of the familiar and the completely new. This was just the beginning of our Philippines adventure, and we couldn’t wait to see what the islands had in store.