Destinations · Head-to-head
Philippines vs South Africa
Philippines and South Africa, side by side: live travel advisories, our resort catalog's real guest data, and each destination's honest weather picture. Everything you need to break the tie.
By the numbers
| Philippines | Measure | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution | U.S. travel advisory | Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution |
| 3 (better) | Resorts in our catalog | 0 |
| ★ 4.7 | Average guest rating | – |
| $170–$606/night pp | Nightly rates | – |
| 0 of 3 | Adults-only resorts | 0 of 0 |
| In the hurricane belt | Hurricane exposure | No hurricane season (better) |
| June–November | Rainy season | November–March (southern-hemisphere summer thunderstorms) |
| January–April | Sweet spot | April–September for dry, mild weather; also prime safari season inland |
| Filipino & English (English widely spoken) | Language | 11 official languages – English widely spoken |
| Philippine peso (PHP) | Currency | South African rand (ZAR) |
| 220V, Type A/B/C plugs (US plugs fit, but check voltage) | Power | 230V, large Type M/N plugs (special adapter needed) |
| On the right | Driving | On the left |
| Caticlan (MPH), via Manila (MNL) or Cebu (CEB) | Main airport | Durban (DUR) or Johannesburg (JNB) |
| ~15–20h+ from the US, with at least one stop | Flight time | ~15–17h from the US East Coast (often via Europe or the Gulf) |
Advisory levels sync from travel.state.gov; catalog figures reflect the resorts we've researched, not every hotel in the country. A marked row is one we are willing to call; rows without a mark are a matter of taste, or we have no comparable figure for both sides.
On the map
Philippines
South Africa
Weather, month by month
| Measure | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philippines · high °F | 86 | 87 | 88 | 90 | 91 | 90 | 88 | 88 | 88 | 88 | 88 | 86 |
| South Africa · high °F | 82 | 83 | 82 | 79 | 77 | 74 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 77 | 79 | 81 |
| Philippines · rain (in) | 4.0 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 3.5 | 6.5 | 7.0 | 6.0 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 6.5 | 5.5 |
| South Africa · rain (in) | 5.3 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 2.9 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 2.9 | 4.3 | 4.8 | 4.0 |
Approximate climate normals for Cebu / Mactan and KwaZulu-Natal coast (Durban): planning guidance, not a forecast. A deeper tint is a higher number, read within its own row.
Where you'd actually stay
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