Hello everyone, hope your all well. I'm hoping to visit Philippines soon, just wondering where to go, culture and bit of beach. Also I live on the south coast of UK, so anyone want advice on where to visit feel free to ask
Hi welcome to the forum I can't really advice much on where you should go since I haven't even traveled much on my own country but you definitely can't miss CEBU, BORACAY and PALAWAN Wait and see what others have to say as a lot of them here have traveled to Pinas.
When I travelled to Cebu I stayed on the Moalboal peninsula because it's very good for diving and scuba. There is a resort right at the end called 'The blue Orchid resort' (google it) owned by a westerner and managed by western managers. It's very nice and has it's own private reef . If you don't want to go to the province there is a also a very nice resort called 'Acuatico' (google it) which is about 3 -4 hours drive south of Manila. The coral there isn't so good, but it has an infinity pool and it's own private beach. That's nice too. I personally avoided Boracay - too many crowds and drinking - and my wife told me to avoid Palawan because of the dangers of the terrorists running around kidnapping westerners.
Yeah. It's nice. I stayed in one of the cottages with the terrace overlooking the water. However - to be honest - I would recommend the honeymoon suite at the blue orchid resort more. You get the use of a whole house, living room with rooftop terrace and games room, free use of swim fins and canoes and a very nice in-house reef. It's also not so full of posturing wannabees like the acuatico unfortunately is.
Depends on what you want to do. Most likely its seeing a beach. What type? If you like a party style, boracay. A little outback style, then el nido palawan would be good. Snorkeling? There are plenty to choose from (coron in palawan, batangas, etc) All of the above would require a domestic flight from manila or cebu. If you want to, you can fly using emirates and fly directly to cebu and then go around the nearby islands.
The truth is that like anywhere in the world it can be dangerous, first time I went there Boracay was pretty empty pretty quiet and rather nice but there had just been four murders on the island three foreigners and a local maid hacked to death in a what I think was reported as a robbery, that was 2004. My largest customer at the time was involved with the Philippines (in the Batangas area) in an electronics joint venture with a large Japanese manufacturer setting up a manufacturing facility in 1997, at that time westerners working there on business tended to be housed in walled compounds with armed guards and that was the world my colleagues found themselves in for a year or so. Me I was stuck in the UK supporting them at 4am in the morning making sure the factory MRP software kept working so I never experienced those days but my friends in that company would take breaks in Boracay and said the place was truly beautiful back then much less developed. I never got there until 2004 and by that time it had changed a bit, a bit more commercialised but still really nice, a few short years later I did experience the crowded Boracay and that was not so pleasant.
I might be a bit biased but of course,my first suggestion based on your criteria would be...Bohol. There are terrorists running around in Palawan kidnapping foreigners?
I guess people have long memories. I seem to recall there was a movie made about a group of westerners kidnapped from Palawan back in 2001. There is currently a US Travel advisory about the place. https://ph.usembassy.gov/security-message-u-s-citizens-travel-advisory-palawan-province/ "The U.S. Embassy has received credible information that terrorist groups may be planning to conduct kidnapping operations targeting foreign nationals in the areas of Palawan Province, Philippines, to include Puerto Princesa City, and the areas surrounding Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park. U.S. citizens are advised to carefully consider this information as they make their travel plans and to review personal security plans, avoid large crowds and gatherings, and remain vigilant at all times." I think it's been in and out of the news this year. I saw something like that too. In summary. I don't want to go there enough to risk it.
Kidnap threat in palawan is like everywhere else in ph. It is the island's proximity to sulu archipelago that is the main reason. But if you keep to normal tourist areas like puerto princessa or el nido or coron, i think you are reasonably safe. Palawan is a big island which are unexplored and untamed (cheap and very natural a lot of virgin beaches etc but also means the security arent the best, it is still a small town mentality which a stranger is known as soon as you get there more if you are foreigner). My husband and i was in bohol when the last of the abu sayaf person was captured. The locals were very confident any of those threat would be easily eliminated since its an island where everyone is a distant relative of someone. If you think about it, its very logical. A non-native group barging in, making and looking for trouble? You are committing suicide if you dont have support of the locals - where will you hide, find food etc? In the end, it is also common sense. This sort of things are everywhere nowadays. I had friends pick pocketed while they were inside the sistine chapel while they were praying but who would think you'd be a victim of petty theft inside a church with mass going on?
Anywhere is Dangerous. Just follow your guts of where you think is safe. Suggestions are 1. CEBU (Either North or South, nice beaches. It's not sunny in Ph now. Expect rain every now and then in all parts of the country and a bit of thunder storms and wind) 2. PALAWAN (El Nido or Coron - bcoz I haven't been there, I'd go for the best tourist spot based on other (most) peoples' experience. 3. BORACAY -regardless of its summer or not, this one is a must. You go via Aklan then commute to Caticlan or straight to Caticlan - depends where you're flying from (Manila/Cebu/Davao). Really depends on your itinerary. Unplanned trips within ph is also possible if you're not a worrier warrior. He he! Welcome to the Philippines (for future reference)
