Philippines! help me out!

Travel International Travel
1

i really want to go to the philippines for a short vacation (maybe 7 days), but firstly im not sure where to go. im really feeling palawan, but it doesnt seem like there anything much to do there at night (or am i completely mistaken?). is there more to do in anywhere else…like say cebu?? or is it all swings-and-roundabouts and it dont really matter where i go and its all aces (except the terroristy parts of course)?

Also, does anyone know any travel agents that can hook me up with a decent deal? i heard that not many taiwanese want to go there cos its too dangerous so maybe the travel agents will find it hard. is that true?

Any help you guys can give me would be well appreciated, and thanks in advance!

2

We had a great time in Boracay, despite the fact that the mass-tourism has take over most of this tropical paradise.

Lovely beach, lots of restaurants, bars and entertainment, various tours here and there. Good vacation, unless you are looking for some un-spoilt, un-developed troical paradise.

3

Boracay is the PI for beginners and is pretty popular, but there are some pretty nice places around, just depends what you are into (diving is an exceptional thing to consider on a 7 day trip)

Regarding travel, I found that Cebu pacific is brilliant. Easy to use website, cheap, reliable, ontime and nice crew.
So my suggestion would be this: get youself to Manila using one of the main carriers from either Taiwan or the Philippines (Check online and with an agent), and then take a Cebu Pacific flight from Manila to where ever you want to go. www.cebupacificair.com

Oh, and if you do want to learn to dive, I can fill you in on some personal experiences/recommendations.

4

I’ve been to the Philippines many times, but I haven’t been to Palawan yet. I have friends who have been there and they loved it. Palawan is a big island, and there are many smaller islands just nearby. Diving and snorkeling are the biggest attractions, as is El Nido Marine Reserve.

IMHO nightlife is the most interesting in Manila (Malate or Makati), Cebu and Boracay. I’ve found that when I spend the day out in the sun (sunbathing, snorkeling, diving, etc.), I’m dead tired–too tired to do any nightlife. So I tend to choose sun or nightlife. If I want to do both on vacation in the Philippines, I split my time between the cities and the small towns/beaches. I do nightlife in the cities and just take it easy at night in the other places.[/quote]

I don’t know what these mean. :help:

I’ve never flown Cebu Pacific, but I have flown Philippine Airlines http://www.philippineairlines.com/ A big advantage of Philippine Airlines is that it flies into Manila airport’s newest terminal and allows the easiest transits to domestic flights.

Yes, I wouldn’t advise going to any of the islands in the Sulu Archipelago or Zamboanga City.

Decent deal? Well it all depends on what you want. I’ve found that most travel agents have itineraries for EITHER Manila or Cebu OR Boracay or other islands. I haven’t seen any that have both, but I haven’t really looked very hard. I’ve never been to the Philippines on a package, but I’ve used Interlink for fare quotes before http://www.interlink.com.tw/home.asp

I’ve heard the same for years. IMHO many Taiwanese are overly cautious about security, and that’s why they prefer to visit “safe” places like Japan and Singapore. But I think that my definition of security and that of many Taiwanese is different. I wouldn’t care if someone stole my watch, for example, as long as I didn’t get shot or stabbed, but I understand that many people would be scared of having their watches stolen. I’ve also lived in cities with high crime rates (even petty crime), but most Taiwanese haven’t.

That being said, I’ve never had any problems at all in the Philippines.

Feel free to PM me if you want any more help, and have a great vacation there!

5

thanks for the replies guys!! ill follow up these leads for sure!

so you guys think its probably better for me to jet out there and find a place to stay when i get there and not worry so much about scoring a package?

is it that easy to find cheap(ish) accomadation once youre out there?

david, thanks for your insights on selecting beach or nightlife. i think ill go for the beach option.

swings-and-roundabouts,

ha ha
dont worry about it, its a british thing. it means like you get some stuff somewhere and other stuff somewhere else and in the end it doesnt make much difference. that’s a totally poor explanation but maybe you get the idea. :slight_smile:

6

Robin, when are you thinking about going? The rainy season starts near the end of May, and the first month of any rainy season is pure Hell. April and May are the summer months–the hottest and driest, so it’s perfect beach time! Of course it’s the high season and bookings may be an issue. I’ve just looked at Interlink’s site, and the price for its package isn’t that much more than an Internet booking for just the airfare. A package sounds like a good deal, actually.

Since it’s your first time to the Philippines, and you have decided on beaches, Boracay is a nice, safe, easy way to be introduced to the country. I’m sure the travel agent can help you get from Boracay to another nice island for the rest of the trip (7 days in Boracay would be too long–it’s a pretty small island.) You can fly from Caticlan (Boracay) to Cebu (the airport is on Mactan island, which is very developed but nice beaches), for example.

7

im thinking of going pretty soon, like april 5th if i can.

i heard boracay and cebu were good ‘phlippine newbie’ places and ill check them out. perhaps with it being peak season and all i should do the package thing, dont want to be camping out on the beach for a week!

cebu sounds like it might be a bit more my thing if its got a little in the way of develoment. at least a bar, right?? and its cheaper than boracay too, so i’ve seen some people post.

ok ill get in contact with interlink or something and see what they can sort me out with.

thanks so much for your help david!!

ill let you know how it goes!

8

I am a complete Philippines virgin, and hope to go there this Chinese New Year.
I’m planning on going with the Truant’s suggestion:

[quote=“Truant”]Regarding travel, I found that Cebu pacific is brilliant. Easy to use website, cheap, reliable, ontime and nice crew.
So my suggestion would be this: get youself to Manila using one of the main carriers from either Taiwan or the Philippines (Check online and with an agent), and then take a Cebu Pacific flight from Manila to where ever you want to go. www.cebupacificair.com

Oh, and if you do want to learn to dive, I can fill you in on some personal experiences/recommendations.[/quote]

Cebu Pacific is stank cheap right now.
If I want to go to some of those smaller islands should I book those connecting flights now?
Or should I just get to Manila and book flights/boats when I get there?

I’ve never dived before, so I’d like to give that a whirl.
So I’ll take your recommendations Mr. Truant. (or anyone else)

9

Palawan is great: El Nido is a fantastic little town.

Or you could go from Manila up to Baguio and Banaue, then to San Fernando on the coast and back to Manila.

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Boracay is a nice little island with several diving shops and some good places to dive. I booked my flight (as part of a package) only a day or two before when I was in Manila, but it might have been off-season. To be save I would book in advance, if it can be done that is.

11

I agree 100%. I flew with them from Cebu to Davao in Mindanao, and it was a good experience - better than any domestic flight I’ve taken in Taiwan.