Anybody been to the Philippines?

Dante10

Hi guys I'll be in hong kon next week and have four weeks to spare before heading to Vietnam and im not quite sure what to do with myself. Although I have a double entry chinese visa, I think ive seen enough of China and would rather go elsewhere.
I'm seriously considering the philippines in spite of the fact that I dont know much about the place. Can anybody who has been there impose some wisdom?
Is it worth visiting?
What are the things to do?
Where are the places to go?
Where are the places to stay?
How cheap is it?
Ive found returnt flights from hong kong for 300 euro - is this reasonable??

As im in China at the moment I'm at a bit of loss when it comes to finding books about the philippines (let alone books in english) so this is why im asking the questions here.

Any advice would be much appreciated...thanks in advance!

Dante10

So ive done a bit of research and it seems to be a bit of a hardcore travellers destination with diving being the main attraction.

Opinions anyone?

InKonspikuou2

The Philippines is a beautiful country. Very diverse and worth a trip if in the region. Due to it being out of the way from the mainland a lot of travelers avoid it. And most that do visit are there to dive or trek in the many national parks. In Manila there's a huge amount of Europeans and Americans studying to be doctors. So it isn't too difficult to find westerners. Most of the locals speak English or a form of it so you'll be fine in that respect. It's also a Catholic country so drinking wouldn't be a problem like in some of the muslim countries. It's also safe if you avoid the southern islands. No tourists go there anyways.

Manila is a huge city and a cultural hub. Worth a walk around or if tired of cities you could check out Boracay. Great beaches there and has all the typical beach activities for cheap. Cebu is also nice. I can't remember some of the names of places i went to as it was a while back. I spent 3 weeks in the country and loved it. As it's an archipelago you'll need to travel by boat of fly to get around the islands. Make sure you look at the weather forecast if using the boat. They have a bad rep and a high capsize rate.

The Philippines is dirt cheap for most things. One of the cheapest places i've been to in Asia. Accommodation is cheap so you'll have no problem finding a place to stay. I'm not sure about the price you found for the flight. I flew from Kuala Lumpur return for about 200 dollars or so.

youcancallmeal

I would agree with everything the previous poster said. I spent a year traveling and my two weeks in the Philippines was probably the most enjoyable and memorable of the whole year. Manila comes across as very run down and poor when you first arrive but after you spend a while there you begin to understand its appeal.

I spent a week in the mountain provinces of Northern Luzon, they have the famous mountain rice terraces which are quite a sight to behold. Also visited a small village called Sagada which was amazing, I cant even begin to describe how good it was. After that I went down south and spent a week on Boracay, absolutely stunning! Easiest way to go is a return flight from Manila to Caticlan and then get the short boat ride over to Boracay. I really wanted to visit Palawan as well but I had only planned for two weeks in the Philippines.

The Philippino people are in general incredibly friendly. Going from the Philippines to Vietnam you will notice a massive difference in how you are treated by locals. I found Vietnam to one of the worst countries I visited while travelling, really rude and obnoxious people made doing anything a nightmare.

Cebu Pacific do fairly cheap flights from Hong Kong to Manila. I had problems booking online though and in the end had to go to their official office and pay in cash. Think it was around 200 euro at the time. Air Asia might also flight that route? As for prices I found the Philippines to be the cheapest place I visited in South East Asia, 50 cents for a beer!

Dante10

Thank you both very much for this advice....I'm really tempted to opt for the philippines and if I do it will more or less have been swung by your posts as there is no better way of finding out about a country then speaking to people who have been there. There is only so much lonely planet will tell you....
I'll have to decide between south korea (where i have a good mate) or the philippines. If I opt for the latter, can anyone give advice as to the cheapest route to take from Hong Kong, to Vietnam incorporating a 3 week stay in the philippines in between the two. Also, is it better to fly to Manila or Cebu??

Thanks a lot guys.

amz5

Air Asia do some good deals on flights and Manila is one of the places that they fly to. I´m off to the Philippines in May.

Dante10

well guys ive booked a return flight from macau to cebu for 150 eur.
Any suggestions on where to stay or what to do in Cebu or the country in general?

I know to avoid the southern islands but is manilla really not worth visiting?

Any recommendations re places to stay??

SoulTrader

Dante10 wrote: »

well guys ive booked a return flight from macau to cebu for 150 eur.
Any suggestions on where to stay or what to do in Cebu or the country in general?

I know to avoid the southern islands but is manilla really not worth visiting?

Any recommendations re places to stay??

Hi, just saw your thread.

That price of 150euro is good, I'm glad you didn't spend 300euro like you had mentioned earlier.

I've been twice and for various reasons, I always have to go to Manila, Makati in particular. It depends what you like really. If you're happy with the beaches then Cebu would be perfect, as would Boracay or Palawan.

Note that Metro-Manila is actually made up of 17 cities and districts, the place really is huge. Makati is the main financial centre of Metro-Manila, and the most Westernized. Some of the regions, like Boracay etc, are fairly cheap. However, don't be fooled into thinking that Makati is cheap. A 5 star hotel there will cost about 150euro per night, and prices of clothes and electronics are a lot more than the prices in the US.

If you're happy staying in a hostel though, or a 2 / 3 star hotel, you can get them for about US$70 per night. Try looking at the Prince Plaza in Makati, it's very nice and in a great location. In my opinion, the massive shopping malls nearby make Makati worth visiting. I've booked hotels in the Philippines before with www.travelmart.net.

And as someone else said, the people in the Philippines for the most part speak great English, and are very polite and friendly. That's certainly been my experience in the two times I have visited.

Dante10

Thanks a mil for that advice.


Just picked up my lonelyplanet guide today.

Which volcano is worth visiting the most??

Also, i would quite like to do some diving lessons, maybe do a beginners course. Lonelyplanet aside, where do you guys think is the best spot for doing a bit of diving?

Also, would I be correct in saying that i'd probably need to take out some form of special insurance in order to dive. I have general travel insurance and health insurance.....but dont think this would be sufficient?

Also, did yee guys take maleria tablets whilst in the philippines? I know that only some, remote parts are considered endemic.

Thanks again guys

Diabhal_Glas

I was there last April, last minute decision as I had some time to spare in Hong Kong, beautiful country and friendly people. Manila hasn't got that much to see and has a lot of poverty I wouldnt spend too long there.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/an_diabhal_glas/sets/72157622479908680/

There are plenty of dive centers all over, make sure they are Padi Certified and talk to some other travellers when you arrive. I did mine on Panglao Island which is a small island off the corner of Bohol. I got one to one tuition for less than 300 euros. They also had a pool to initially learn how to use the gear, I dont think this is always standard but it was a help.

SoulTrader

I took Malaria tablets the time I travelled to Boracay, but didn't take them when I just went to Manila. It just depends if you're diligent enough to remember taking them I suppose. It's generally recommended to take for travel to the rural areas, as far as I know.

Not sure about volcanoes - I haven't visited any of them, but Tagaytay (Taal volcano) is supposed to be very pretty, and is only 35 miles from Manila.

Sorry, no idea about diving! Although anything considered extreme sports is generally not covered by standard travel insurance.

Dante10

Thanks a lot guys....some really good advice.

Do you mind me asking how long it took you to complete the diving course and do you get a certificate after completion?

youcancallmeal

Open water Diver Certification. This is what most people will do as a beginner diver, there are other dive certs below that but they don't let you do much.

I did my Open Water course on Boracay with a shop called Dive-Gurus(Near beach station 3). Definitely look them up if you end up doing yours there! Most places on Boracay charge around 300-350euro to do the course. Generally you can do your Open Water course at your own pace but the minimum is around 2/3 days. Think I did mine over 5.

amz5

Has anyone got a visa for longer than 21 days for the Philippines? There's no embassy in Ireland. I've emailled the one in the UK, but I got no response. I'll try ringing them, but I was wondering if anyone would suggest going there and sorting it out over there. It just seems that I'll need proof that I'm leaving...it's pretty awkward when the embasy is in the UK. I'll be staying 2.5 months (if they let me!).

Dante10

Guys, firstly, I have to say thanks a million for all of the advice again. I'm almost at the end of my trip (in KL at the mo) and I have to say that the philippines have been the highlight (perhaps just topping Laos). Amazing country, wonderful people, lots to do and see............i'll definitely come back at some stage. I did the open water course in El Nido (which is one of the most beautiful places Ive ever been to and it was class how there was feck all tourists there.....amazing.....boracay was pretty ****e in comparison imo--i stayed one night there after a week on palawan and had enough of the place........too many people) and it was just super.
To the last poster who was wondering about visas, its really easy to just get an extension while you're there. I was travelling with two people who got it done in half an hour. Enjoy!

amz5

Thanks a million, that's such a relief! I was worried I'd have to send my passport over to the UK. I guess I'll just try to book a cheap flight or something to suggest that I'm leaving the country after 21 days and get the visa there. What company did you do your open water dive course with? I'd love to do some diving while I'm there, just got my dive course done in Novemeber. Delighted that you loved it, really looking forward to going.

Dante10

amz5 wrote: »

Thanks a million, that's such a relief! I was worried I'd have to send my passport over to the UK. I guess I'll just try to book a cheap flight or something to suggest that I'm leaving the country after 21 days and get the visa there. What company did you do your open water dive course with? I'd love to do some diving while I'm there, just got my dive course done in Novemeber. Delighted that you loved it, really looking forward to going.

Well, im pretty sure that when they stamp your passport at the airport they dont bother checking for return flights but obviously you'd be in trouble if you were to invalidly outstay the initial 21 day period and then try to leave the country.
I did mine in El Nido, on Palawan...........absolute gem of a place! You MUST go there if you have the time, and if you do, you should really forget about Boracay, its a major dissapointment after El Nido.
The dive shop was called Sea Dogs and they were super.
Depends on what you want to do and see, but I spent a fair bit of time in the Bicol area--Legaspi (I went there to climb Mt.Mayon--stunningly beautiful volcano) and Donsol (whaleshark snorkling and fireflies---both were amazing experiences). I didnt go to Manila and only spent 3 days in Cebu and that was more than enough as far as i was concerned.
Have a great time! (hard not too, as if worst comes to worst, you'll always have san migel to fall back on......the cheapest beer in the world!!- and its pretty damn good too!)