Post: #3251

(03-19-2016 02:53 AM)GeneralMacDaddy Wrote:  Vinny, I think you will really enjoy El Nido, it is truly an amazing spot. For natural beauty the best I've been in the Phils. Definitely bring a girl if you can, and probably you will have to pay their ticket too unless you find a wealthy one. PPS is pretty fun too, but doesn't compare to El Nido. In PPS the baywalk area is a good spot to go grab dinner with a girl at a local place. Honda bay was pretty good too, just a bit of a letdown after taking one of the A,B,C, or D tours around El Nido's islands but not bad if you decide not to go up there. Honda bay is a lot more commercialized. Starfish Island was pretty cool. Either way you will have a blast and its such a nice change and great place to recharge after Manila. Underground river was ok, a bit over hyped if you ask me and its a real pain in the ass to get a ticket depending when you are there but overall I think it was worth checking it out. Good day time activity with a date. If going on the underground river is important, try to book this first thing as soon as you land in PPS either with a tour agency or your hotel, so you get a spot as they limit the number of visitors that can go per day so it doesn't get mobbed. Do not book any El Nido tours in PPS, they are a rip off and very easy to book once you arrive to El Nido. Just pay the 500 pesos or so to get a minivan up there.

Speaking of getting up there, the only thing that sucks about El Nido is the 5-6 hour mini-van ride from PPS. They pack you like a sardine into the van (13-15 at a time), but there doesn't seem to be many other options. There was some other regular looking larger bus called Cherry that went there and seemed more for locals, so I bet it was cheaper but not sure about it, might try to look into it next time I go. If you don't end up taking a girl, there is some small but not completely terrible nightlife in El Nido, a few bars and clubs along the beach that will have drunk tourists there most likely. Best bet is to just stay at one of the McBackpacker places (can't miss them) right on the beach and you can easily game the tourist chicks.

There are daily direct flights from both Manila and Cebu to the private El Nido airport which is like a 15 minute drive away from El Nido: http://air-swift.com . It costs more but definitely worth it, took it when I was visiting there in February and way better then the long 5-6 hour van drives and all the transfers etc.

When I was there the place was filled to the brim with aussie and euro backpackers. The secret about Palawan is out, now voted the #1 island in the world by conde nast magazine.

Post: #3252

(03-19-2016 05:39 AM)Sojourn Wrote:  When I was there the place was filled to the brim with aussie and euro backpackers. The secret about Palawan is out, now voted the #1 island in the world by conde nast magazine.

Secret's been out for a while. Was there last November, and it was the same. Doesn't really matter because you'll want to take a girl with you to Palawan anyway, and Aussies don't tend to go for pinays.

Post: #3253

@asdfk I do have some experience of befriending groups. And guys are friendly here. But its quite a lot of work. You meet them all, then you slowly work your way to the girl that was giving you IOIs just to find out she has a boyfriend. I am not saying this is impossible, but just makes little sense with abundance of Tinder lays.

Just got a shortest sober girl lay I've achieved so far. Tinder and Viber chatting for few days. Date at shopping mall, half hour dinner, back to my place, 5 minutes conversation, barely touched glass of wine, 10 minutes massage, seal the deal. Less than 2 hours.

Why bother with 1 hour high energy social interaction in club with only friends made, when you can have this? This is discouraging.
If I would have more time here, I would do it. Befriend people, create social circle and run some sort of social game, but I only have 2 days left.

@Beyond Borders The girl just left my place had two necklaces, both removed before a back rub. She left nothing. I guess she did not really like me that much

@GeneralMacDaddy Don't think I am going to El Nido. I would love to and even read a datasheet on it here, but I need to be close to Puerto Princessa as I am requited to be able to travel on short notice, for next job assignment. I will have to do it another time.
Thanks for the great advice on Underground river!

Post: #3254

(03-19-2016 07:40 AM)Vinny Wrote:  @Beyond Borders The girl just left my place had two necklaces, both removed before a back rub. She left nothing. I guess she did not really like me that much

Eh, give her enough chances and she'll plant one eventually.

By the way, this reminds me of a funny story, so let's get a derail pass here....

Back in college I was living with about five or six other guys in this big house (one or two usually living on the couch), and we're running through tail like it's going out of style. This one night my girlfriend is out of town, and I pull this hippy broad home from my job working security in the movie theater parking lot.

Classy shit.

Most of the boys are on a snowboarding trip, and it's just me and one of my roommates and his live-in there. His ole' lady knows my girl, but dude is a supreme player, one of the best I've met, and she isn't going to say anything.

Anyhow, it starts all innocent with us four watching a movie, as it does. I'm still on the fence on whether or not I want to nail it. I'm a little picky, the girl seems like drama, and my main chick at the time is scorching hot (I must admit the random was not).

But this girl starts jacking me off under the blanket, so what can I do? I yank her back to my room and stick it in her mouth.

Same ole, same ole, I guess.

So, to make a short story long, this hippy girl is wearing a ring on just about every single one of her fingers - really wild free spirit type. And she leaves them ALL sitting on my bathroom sink (shared bathroom). My homies ask me what to do with them and I just shrug it off and laugh.

Couple nights later my ole' lady is in there taking a shower, and I'm drinking suds in the living room with the boys. Suddenly, we get a, "Honneeeey whose riiiiiings are these - some of them are reeaaally cooool!"

My friends are sitting there with these shit-eating grins on their faces (fuckers), and I just tilt my beer and holler, "Just some girl 'Chris' banged the other night - go ahead and have em'!"

Next thing you know she's wearing them shits around everywhere...

Of course, my roomate's chick and her friends knew the scoop - whole house did. Felt a little guilty every time I noticed her wearing one but damn did we get some laughs out of that one.

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Rudyard Kipling

Post: #3255

(03-19-2016 02:53 AM)GeneralMacDaddy Wrote:  Vinny, I think you will really enjoy El Nido, it is truly an amazing spot. For natural beauty the best I've been in the Phils. Definitely bring a girl if you can, and probably you will have to pay their ticket too unless you find a wealthy one. PPS is pretty fun too, but doesn't compare to El Nido. In PPS the baywalk area is a good spot to go grab dinner with a girl at a local place. Honda bay was pretty good too, just a bit of a letdown after taking one of the A,B,C, or D tours around El Nido's islands but not bad if you decide not to go up there. Honda bay is a lot more commercialized. Starfish Island was pretty cool. Either way you will have a blast and its such a nice change and great place to recharge after Manila. Underground river was ok, a bit over hyped if you ask me and its a real pain in the ass to get a ticket depending when you are there but overall I think it was worth checking it out. Good day time activity with a date. If going on the underground river is important, try to book this first thing as soon as you land in PPS either with a tour agency or your hotel, so you get a spot as they limit the number of visitors that can go per day so it doesn't get mobbed. Do not book any El Nido tours in PPS, they are a rip off and very easy to book once you arrive to El Nido. Just pay the 500 pesos or so to get a minivan up there.

Speaking of getting up there, the only thing that sucks about El Nido is the 5-6 hour mini-van ride from PPS. They pack you like a sardine into the van (13-15 at a time), but there doesn't seem to be many other options. There was some other regular looking larger bus called Cherry that went there and seemed more for locals, so I bet it was cheaper but not sure about it, might try to look into it next time I go. If you don't end up taking a girl, there is some small but not completely terrible nightlife in El Nido, a few bars and clubs along the beach that will have drunk tourists there most likely. Best bet is to just stay at one of the McBackpacker places (can't miss them) right on the beach and you can easily game the tourist chicks.

[edit: Sojourn beat me to it. I must have skipped this page.] You can also get direct flights from MNL to ENI (El Nido Airport) using Island Transvoyager (now AirSwift), but expect to pay more. If you book last minute it's about the same price as flights to PPS. The lack of information about terminal to go to, customer service response etc of the airline is laughably absent. If you book through them, their terminal is right by the A. Soriano hanger on Andrews ave in Pasay. It's a private terminal where you have your own padded armchair, free drinks and free food.

I've mentioned I liked staying in Honda Bay (in 2012) more than El Nido (in 2016) and I know that will go against a lot of peoples' experiences. While El Nido was more beautiful, I felt the alphabet tours were too rushed. Often they gave you only 40 minutes to enjoy a place and ferried you around half a dozen places in a day. On most of the tours you'll be brought to a few places with shallow coral that you can cut your feet on, and jellyfish that will give annoying stings. If you do go, bring closed feet wet shoes or sandals, like this:



Typical strap beach sandals will pop out from the sole, and you'll have to try to stand on coral while reinserting them, being pushed around by the surf. I ended up doggy paddling in 1 foot deep waters to avoid cutting my feet on the coral. Had to throw out the pair of sandals I brought. If it's jellyfish season and you've got a daypack, bring a bottle of vinegar for the jellyfish stings.

A big part of my bias may be the places I stayed at. I knew El Nido was going to be a bit rushed so I stayed in the city proper to make logistics easiest for doing the tours. Didn't get any days to just relax on a beach all day. If you were to stay at Cadlao resort or a similar place, you may have a different experience. You can also charter private boats for a day to the place of your choosing. An Aussie was telling me it was 3000php for a full days use of a boat. Split that between another couple and that's very reasonable. Then you can just tell him to go to one or two places and your experience is much more leisurely than the whirlwind tours.

In Honda bay I stayed at a private island resort with a phenomenal sunset, bar with decent cocktails, and a nice beach. The island hopping tours gave multiple hours to relax and snorkel. They had great SCUBA diving right on the side of the island and their own classes in house. YMMV.

At this point I've been to Bohol, Boracay, El Nido, and Honda Bay. If I were to go to a beach again in PI, I'd choose Bohol. Best value for money, Alona beach is private enough but nice enough, and has a decent enough amount of options for dining and drinks. Decent amount of tours for variety (caves, mountains, ziplining, snorkeling, etc). I had a blast in Boracay and would definitely go again if not for my reservations over sanitation.

Post: #3256

Has anyone traveled to more remote places like Samar, Leyte or Northern Luzon? I wonder how receptive the girls there are. 90% of this thread is about Manila, the Visayas and Davao. The most exotic places in the Philippines of which we have data on RVF are Cagayan de Oro, General Santos and Butuan. Anyone been to Legazpi, Tacloban or Ormoc?

Post: #3257

For the guys that traveled to the Philippines which airline did you find the best or most acceptable?
Especially from the east coast of the US.

Post: #3258

(03-19-2016 01:17 PM)RagnarLothbrok Wrote:  Has anyone traveled to more remote places like Samar, Leyte or Northern Luzon? I wonder how receptive the girls there are. 90% of this thread is about Manila, the Visayas and Davao. The most exotic places in the Philippines of which we have data on RVF are Cagayan de Oro, General Santos and Butuan. Anyone been to Legazpi, Tacloban or Ormoc?

Have not. Talked to a guy from Ormoc on a flight from Cebu to Manila. He showed me pictures and videos of utter devastation post typhoon Yolanda. Tacloban would be worse. People I've talked to from the area said they're still rebuilding. I would stay clear of places that were seriously rocked by Yolanda if I were you.

The other places (2nd tier cities) would definitely be interesting to me. Someday I hope to see Ilo Ilo, Bacolod, Dumaguete. From what I've heard, the people on Panay island (where Ilo Ilo is) have a reputation of being extra warm, even by Filipino standards. The Waray of samar (next to Tacloban) have a reputation of being kind of wild and violent. Small sample size, but the Waray mother of one of my exes would confirm that.

Other places I've heard of but haven't been to below. These are most likely more tourist destinations than places that are good for gaming:
Surfing: Surigao & Baler. Heard Surigao is best, but it changes based on what time of the year apparently.

Baguio: More European climate, very kind and trusting people. Peaceful, especially during the week.

Vigan: Old and well preserved Spanish colonial town

Pagudpud: Scenic northern tip of Luzon

Batanes: One of the northernmost islands. Steep mountains descending into the ocean. Pictures remind me of New Zealand. Cooler climate and trusting natives. Strikes me as the "Trendy Spot" that upper class Filipinos will flock to in the next 3 years, now that they've moved on from El Nido.

Post: #3259

(03-19-2016 03:48 PM)john54 Wrote:  For the guys that traveled to the Philippines which airline did you find the best or most acceptable?
Especially from the east coast of the US.

If your main concerns are price and flight time, do the following.

http://matrix.itasoftware.com/

Enter your home airport, Manila as destination, and the dates. Look for the lowest cost single carrier (multiple airlines means rechecking your bag and going to the ticket counter to print your other ticket- more chance of missing the connection) with a total travel time under 28 hours. Alternatively, you may decide to split it up so that you can get a hotel and sleep at your connecting airport.

I've flown American, JAL, Delta, and Qatar airlines. None of them stood out enough one way or the other to want to pay an extra couple hundred dollars for a specific one. Recently had a horrible experience with Qatar airlines, but will hold out to see how they resolve it before commenting further.

For east coast, anything under $1400 is good, though I've flown $1000 and under. If you've got someone who doesn't mind driving you to another airport on the coast, you may be able to shop around for a cheaper flight at one of the major hubs. It may also save you a connection and a couple hours of flight time.

Post: #3260

Better yet use the following thread:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mileage-run-deals-372/

Not unheard of for flights to hover $500-700, although you may have to purchase a connection ticket to MNL. Good deals come once a week, gotta be patient.

Post: #3261

I usually am able to find flights to SEA in the $700-800 range, taxes and insurance included. Which airline you use depends on which airport you depart from.

Post: #3262

@ john54. I fly out of philly and use qatar airways. Roundtrip to manila, is around 850$.

@ RagnarLothbrok. I'll be in Legaspi city next month for probably eight days, after Manila and Cebu. Plan on checking out the beaches, girls and seeing the volcano. Airbnb apartment with great view of the volcano is 35$ a night. Already started pipelining, have a couple girls volunteering to take me hiking around the volcano and waterfalls.

If your in the area, send me a pm.

Post: #3263

(03-19-2016 09:05 PM)thoughtgypsy Wrote:  

(03-19-2016 01:17 PM)RagnarLothbrok Wrote:  Has anyone traveled to more remote places like Samar, Leyte or Northern Luzon? I wonder how receptive the girls there are. 90% of this thread is about Manila, the Visayas and Davao. The most exotic places in the Philippines of which we have data on RVF are Cagayan de Oro, General Santos and Butuan. Anyone been to Legazpi, Tacloban or Ormoc?

Have not. Talked to a guy from Ormoc on a flight from Cebu to Manila. He showed me pictures and videos of utter devastation post typhoon Yolanda. Tacloban would be worse. People I've talked to from the area said they're still rebuilding. I would stay clear of places that were seriously rocked by Yolanda if I were you.

The other places (2nd tier cities) would definitely be interesting to me. Someday I hope to see Ilo Ilo, Bacolod, Dumaguete. From what I've heard, the people on Panay island (where Ilo Ilo is) have a reputation of being extra warm, even by Filipino standards. The Waray of samar (next to Tacloban) have a reputation of being kind of wild and violent. Small sample size, but the Waray mother of one of my exes would confirm that.

Other places I've heard of but haven't been to below. These are most likely more tourist destinations than places that are good for gaming:
Surfing: Surigao & Baler. Heard Surigao is best, but it changes based on what time of the year apparently.

Baguio: More European climate, very kind and trusting people. Peaceful, especially during the week.

Vigan: Old and well preserved Spanish colonial town

Pagudpud: Scenic northern tip of Luzon

Batanes: One of the northernmost islands. Steep mountains descending into the ocean. Pictures remind me of New Zealand. Cooler climate and trusting natives. Strikes me as the "Trendy Spot" that upper class Filipinos will flock to in the next 3 years, now that they've moved on from El Nido.

Alright, thank you for the intel on Samar & Leyte.

I have already been to Siargao and can only recommend it. It is my favorite place in South East Asia. It is also good if you are not a surfer. Stunning nature and also nice beaches if you do the island hopping tour. Just make sure to rent your own motorbike when you are there.

I have different routes in my mind for my next trip. This time I want to travel as much as I can again and not just stay in Cebu and fuck around for the sake of fucking around.

Route 1:

Manila -> Cebu -> Davao -> Butuan -> Cagayan de Oro -> Ozamiz -> Dipolog -> Siquijor -> Dumaguete -> Sipalay (Sugar Beach shoud be nice) -> Bacolod -> Iloilo -> Boracay -> Manila

Route 2:

Manila -> Cebu -> Dumaguete -> Dipolog -> Cagayan de Oro -> Butuan -> Davao -> Puerto Princesa -> Honda Bay -> El Nido -> Coron -> Manila

Route 3:

Manila -> Cebu -> Davao -> Butuan -> Cagayan de Oro -> Ozamiz -> Dipolog -> Zamboanga -> Tawi-Tawi -> Zamboanga -> Puerto Princesa -> Honda Bay -> El Nido -> Coron -> Manila

The last one seems to be the most adventurous, especially the Tawi-Tawi part. But it is also the most expensive and longest trip (unless I skip Palawan at the end). Not sure yet which one it will be in the end. Still have a lot of time to decide.

Post: #3264

(03-20-2016 12:43 AM)Schlep Wrote:  @ john54. I fly out of philly and use qatar airways. Roundtrip to manila, is around 850$.

@ RagnarLothbrok. I'll be in Legaspi city next month for probably eight days, after Manila and Cebu. Plan on checking out the beaches, girls and seeing the volcano. Airbnb apartment with great view of the volcano is 35$ a night. Already started pipelining, have a couple girls volunteering to take me hiking around the volcano and waterfalls.

If your in the area, send me a pm.

I won't be in the Philippines until July. But I would appreciate it a lot if you wrote a short report about Legazpi as this is pretty much uncovered area on RVF.

Post: #3265

Not sure how much of the hype is warranted, but Zamboanga strikes me as a risky place to go as a foreigner. I had an ex from Zamboanga del Norte, she traveled to Zamboanga city and felt unsafe even as a native Pinay. I doubt it's as risky as Basilan or Jolo, but Abu Sayeff and MILF (heh) are probably active there. Many foreigners who've ventured to the area have been kidnapped. May also be true to some extent for General Santos and south Cotabato, but opinions vary.

I know a lot of safety concerns are overblown regarding travel and needlessly discourage the adventurous, but this is one I've heard consistently and would at least look into before proceeding. From memory, I think THC traveled to General Santos. He may be able to give you more accurate info.

Post: #3266

I know about the safety issues in that region. Of course I will do some research before I go there. From what I have read and heard so far, Zamboanga shouldn't be that dangerous. The tawi-tawi province is another story though.

Post: #3267

(03-20-2016 06:36 AM)RagnarLothbrok Wrote:  I know about the safety issues in that region. Of course I will do some research before I go there. From what I have read and heard so far, Zamboanga shouldn't be that dangerous. The tawi-tawi province is another story though.

My apologies. Not sure how lenient kidnappers are, but I've always wondered if being able to identify with them might warm their hearts a bit more. In my experience, showing an interest in someone's culture and history smooths relations. If you look back on their history, it's not hard to understand their distrust and hostility to westerners, and especially Tagals. Throughout the Spanish colonial period, there was hostility between the Non-moro Pinoys and Moros. When the Americans came, they encouraged the Non-moro Pinoys to settle in Mindanao and demographically expand. The Yanks wanted to exert control in the region, launching a large campaign which decimated the Datus and overturned millenia of tradition.

Eventually the Datus agreed to disarm in exchange for efficient markets and protection from Tagal expansion from Luzon into Mindanao. This was after years of trust was built up between American administers and the Datus of the region. It was a huge move, as personal protection was considered an inseperable aspect of manhood in their culture for centuries. When the Philippines gained independence, the Americans reneged on their part of the deal and the Moros were left unarmed while the Non-Moros continued to populate the island with the protection of Luzon.

If you have an interest, I found the book The Moro War to be an enjoyable, though slightly overpriced read:

Post: #3268

Yesterday I've explored nightlife in Makati a little. Checked out Royal club and Club 7830 time. Both were quiet. Valkyrie does seem like a center of things.

Had my last notch earlier today, petite with a round butt and a maintenance bang later. I am now packing my bags and pipelining for the trip to Palawan. Tinder is nearly empty there. Swiped out in 3 minutes. But I do have some matches to work on. Maybe it will be a good motivation for me to do more daygame. And maybe catch some tourist girls. Tinder got me lazy.

So leaving Manila tomorrow morning, result 5 notches in 6 days. Which for me is really good, am I getting better or is it just Manila. 4 lays provided by Tinder and one from night game. Slightly better result than in BKK. Definitely coming back in may. Including several maintenance bangs I am kinda tired and drained. I am looking forward to my less busy (sexually) stay in Puerto Princessa.

Anyone in that area at the moment btw?

Post: #3269

(03-19-2016 05:39 AM)Sojourn Wrote:  There are daily direct flights from both Manila and Cebu to the private El Nido airport which is like a 15 minute drive away from El Nido: http://air-swift.com . It costs more but definitely worth it, took it when I was visiting there in February and way better then the long 5-6 hour van drives and all the transfers etc.

When I was there the place was filled to the brim with aussie and euro backpackers. The secret about Palawan is out, now voted the #1 island in the world by conde nast magazine.

Awesome, thanks for the link! About ~12,000php round trip it seems. Not terrible. I had heard there were direct flights, I might do that next time. Especially perfect for a weekend trip. It's a bit more costly but totally worth it compared to the kidney crunching mini-van excursion.

For somebody that has never been to Palawan, is it worth skipping PPS and going right to El Nido? Maybe, I guess it depends on their timeline. I think El Nido is the jewel of Palawan but it was still worthwhile for me on my first trip to hit the other spots (mainly Honda bay and the underground river plus PPS itself) and check out what it was like. So if you want to do that then just fly into PPS on a cheaper ticket and enjoy the experience. Or you could always fly direct into El Nido, then take a crazy 8 hour or so boat ride to Colon for some epic shipwreck diving (from what I hear). Now that is sounding like a pretty good trip too...tough choices for next time.

Post: #3270

(03-20-2016 06:31 AM)thoughtgypsy Wrote:  Not sure how much of the hype is warranted, but Zamboanga strikes me as a risky place to go as a foreigner. I had an ex from Zamboanga del Norte, she traveled to Zamboanga city and felt unsafe even as a native Pinay. I doubt it's as risky as Basilan or Jolo, but Abu Sayeff and MILF (heh) are probably active there. Many foreigners who've ventured to the area have been kidnapped. May also be true to some extent for General Santos and south Cotabato, but opinions vary.

I know a lot of safety concerns are overblown regarding travel and needlessly discourage the adventurous, but this is one I've heard consistently and would at least look into before proceeding. From memory, I think THC traveled to General Santos. He may be able to give you more accurate info.

Not to downplay any real risks, but I find Filipinos, especially women, are scared of everything. I noticed this with Cambodians too.

I think it has to do with a lot of the shitty health care and not having money - even if something small goes down, it can have serious consequences if you are dirt poor and have no access to good docs. And the serious lack of police protection probably adds to it.

So their whole lives their parents are constantly hollering at them about every little percieved risk or danger, reminding them to be careful. They tend to carry this over into adulthood and overexxagerate dangers a bit. That was my conclusion anyhow.

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Rudyard Kipling

Post: #3271

(03-19-2016 10:30 AM)thoughtgypsy Wrote:  A big part of my bias may be the places I stayed at. I knew El Nido was going to be a bit rushed so I stayed in the city proper to make logistics easiest for doing the tours. Didn't get any days to just relax on a beach all day. If you were to stay at Cadlao resort or a similar place, you may have a different experience. You can also charter private boats for a day to the place of your choosing. An Aussie was telling me it was 3000php for a full days use of a boat. Split that between another couple and that's very reasonable. Then you can just tell him to go to one or two places and your experience is much more leisurely than the whirlwind tours.

In Honda bay I stayed at a private island resort with a phenomenal sunset, bar with decent cocktails, and a nice beach. The island hopping tours gave multiple hours to relax and snorkel. They had great SCUBA diving right on the side of the island and their own classes in house. YMMV.

Hey Toughtgypsy!

Sounds like you had a baller place in Honda bay! Where did you stay? May be worth checking out next time.

You are definitely right, the tours on Honda bay are a lot more relaxed. You basically charter the boat for the day and then you can negotiate with the driver where to go and for how long.

The other somewhat annoying part of touring Honda Bay was that each island had its own entrance charge. 150php here, 200 php there...each time you stop somewhere even if its only for 20 minutes you need to pay up for each person. All those fees could add up pretty quick if you make a full day of it and stop at a bunch of islands. But overall, still fun.

Great call on the sandals. Those or any kind of water shoes are definitely recommended.

We also got a private tour for about 3000php or so, plus we bought all the food and beer for our group plus the boat driver and tour guide which is included on the group tours but obviously not on the private ones. The private tour is the way to go! When I was there we booked a boat with the tour guide we met on day one. It ended up a bit cheaper for two couples than paying the list price for 4 people, and he took us to a few more secluded spots where we could do whatever we liked. If you find a cool tour guide this is definitely preferable. Although the boat was a lot smaller and slower then the one we used on the larger group tour, it didn't matter that much since we had a lot more time to do what we wanted.

A lot of people book tours every day on El Nido, no time to stop and hang on the beach or whatever. They are rushing around trying to see "everything" during their 4-5 day stay. I usually do that for a day or two but then get tired and prefer to explore slowly. Rent a motor bike, or get a trike to take you and your girl around for the day, it is definitely worth it. There are a few beaches about 30-45 minutes trike ride away from El Nido proper that were truly incredible. The trike drivers know where to go. I spent two days hitting different nearby beaches. Both were great, had a few huts serving cheap local food and beer, and the place was far less crowded than El Nido in general. Forget the names but there are a few nearby that are great.

(03-19-2016 10:30 AM)thoughtgypsy Wrote:  At this point I've been to Bohol, Boracay, El Nido, and Honda Bay. If I were to go to a beach again in PI, I'd choose Bohol. Best value for money, Alona beach is private enough but nice enough, and has a decent enough amount of options for dining and drinks. Decent amount of tours for variety (caves, mountains, ziplining, snorkeling, etc). I had a blast in Boracay and would definitely go again if not for my reservations over sanitation.

I would agree. Boracay wins for nightlife, but is otherwise a disgusting shithole of an overcrowded island and mediocre beaches.

El Nido is the most breathtaking, but you are kinda trapped there.

Alona beach is a nice in-between. A bit more to do, great scuba diving, and not so isolated like El Nido.

Post: #3272

Man, these Filipinas really are too much. Just talked to my main there for a brief second on Skype for the first time since I left, and her AND her friend just burst out crying. Uh...okay...

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Rudyard Kipling

Post: #3273

(03-20-2016 11:34 PM)Beyond Borders Wrote:  

(03-20-2016 06:31 AM)thoughtgypsy Wrote:  Not sure how much of the hype is warranted, but Zamboanga strikes me as a risky place to go as a foreigner. I had an ex from Zamboanga del Norte, she traveled to Zamboanga city and felt unsafe even as a native Pinay. I doubt it's as risky as Basilan or Jolo, but Abu Sayeff and MILF (heh) are probably active there. Many foreigners who've ventured to the area have been kidnapped. May also be true to some extent for General Santos and south Cotabato, but opinions vary.

I know a lot of safety concerns are overblown regarding travel and needlessly discourage the adventurous, but this is one I've heard consistently and would at least look into before proceeding. From memory, I think THC traveled to General Santos. He may be able to give you more accurate info.

Not to downplay any real risks, but I find Filipinos, especially women, are scared of everything. I noticed this with Cambodians too.

I think it has to do with a lot of the shitty health care and not having money - even if something small goes down, it can have serious consequences if you are dirt poor and have no access to good docs. And the serious lack of police protection probably adds to it.

So their whole lives their parents are constantly hollering at them about every little percieved risk or danger, reminding them to be careful. They tend to carry this over into adulthood and overexxagerate dangers a bit. That was my conclusion anyhow.

I can see that. An ex used to refuse to ride aircon buses or jeepneys because they "were unsafe." She just wanted to be ferried around by her brother in the family car. Meanwhile I see a lot of westerners dipping their toes into borderline dangerous areas just for the hell of it. The age of exploration and conquest is over, but I think traveling to the unknown frontiers scratches that urge.

At least when it comes to different regions, I think a big part of Pinoy apprehension is the clannish culture. When a family settles, they often get a place that's within the immediate area of all their brothers, sisters, cousins, grandma, etc. They're insulated from outside dangers. I think it's a holdover from when blood feuds and revenge killings were a big part of the culture. The central state still doesn't do an effective job of policing crime, so to an extent it still makes sense. That sense of geographic isolation makes them greatly distrust the safety of venturing to other areas, to the point of absurdity.

If you ask a girl from the province if her town is safe, she will often say "Oh yes, it's very safe and peaceful." Whereas, if you ask a girl from a city the next province over about the same city, she might say "Oh you don't wanna go there as a foreigner, it's not that safe." In general, if I know a girl living in the area and she still says that's it not safe for me (prioritizing my safety over her desire to have me come to her area), I think the fear is warranted. But often it is overblown.

Post: #3274

Girls in Manila would tell me Davao was very dangerous, girls in Davao would tell me Manila is very dangerous.

Post: #3275

Exactly. I asked a girl from Dipolog about Zamboanga and she said it is safe. I asked a girl from Manila about Zamboanga and she said she will pray for me and that I should tell my family about my endeavors before going there