Long Connection Times?

Or right. Well it is the soonest time I can get over there, unfortunately. I don;t want to have to wait until my next holiday period. Do you have any idea what the weather is like around end of December beginning of Jan? I looked at it said there's fairly dry winds and not much else...

Thanks mate, sounds really nice, actually. Sorry for all the questions, but would I be right to think they use both the two and three pin, american style plugs over there?

Nice one mate, I can't wait. Getting excited planning everything.

Have you been to Manila at all? Also Navotas City is where the girl I know lives, currently, if that's anywhere you're familiar with?

Is Makati not pretty close to Navotas? When you say dangerous, does it bare a danger that is of particular concern to a tourist?

I was aware I'd have to be cautious, but was reading from some Manila locals that it's the same as other cities, the danger is there, but otherwise no more threatening to the wise person who acts vigilant and sensible.

I appreciate the reality check though. I will be cautious. I know it wouldn't matter if I was approached by a gang or held ransom, etc, but I'm not such a small guy, and I've very fit, so hopefully that will act as a small deterrent to trouble. I will be doing a Saganda tour, and possibly be going down to this girls province, Cabanatuan City.

The power is nominally 220 volts, close enough to 240 volts to be usable. American 110 volts is quite rare but where they are available there are usually 220 v sockets as well.

Pins are two prong flat. Adaptors that will accept both British three pin and Australian pins are cheap. Rarely earthed.

Power swings widely in most places so for anything delicate it might be worth getting a power voltage regulator. They're quite cheap.

If you want to travel over the Christmas/New Year period, you should book your tickets now.

You're right, Jim, I meant to write 1hr 55min.

Ah, you're misinterpreting the rules differently to how the BI Immigration Officer would! You assume that without a valid 9(a) Visitors' Visa, you'd be entering on a 21 day Visa Waiver and therefore your return ticket should be dated within that 21 day period, right? Umm, WRONG!!! All that is actually required is that you possess a valid ticket out of the country, period. And that is all that KLM should insist upon. It is perfectly OK for you to book a trip of four or five (or more) weeks' duration without necessarily holding a Visa. If you have sufficient Pesos, you can also buy the 38 day extension at the airport - ask the Immigration Officer as you hand him your Passport

The above is a statement about how it actually works in practice. Prior to gaining my residency here, I always travelled with the return booking 11 months after the outbound - that being the maximum time available at the time of booking and one can extend that by up to one month later on. However just prior to my last outbound, in 2010, my travel agent phoned me to tell me that she'd been contacted by KLM's reservations at Schipol who had queried my visa status - I was in fact intending to enter on a Waiver and buy an extension at Manila airport. Ricardo David, the BI Commissioner, had just written to all airlines insisting they check that their passengers hold tickets out of the Philippines before allowing them to board a flight to the Philippines. It was assumed (wrongly) at that time that the "exit" ticket needed to be dated within 21 days of arrival. Mine was for 11 months hence so my agent asked me if she should change the return date on my booking, I said no. In fact all I did was go online and buy a Tiger Airways ticket from Clark to Singapore for $20. I needn't have bothered, when I checked-in at Cardiff a week or so later, I wasn't asked for an "exit" ticket dated within 21 or 59 days!

However, Ricardo David resigned last week and his deputy is temporarily running the shop until Aquino appoints his successor. Things may well change again in the not too distant future.

A couple of things here, Jim. Firstly the 21 day waiver starts at the first midnight following your arrival and expires at midnight at the end of your 21st day. This means that your legal stay can be up to 22 days. Also, you can buy a 38 day extension on arrival, in the Immigration Hall. Simply tell the Immigration Officer that you want to stay longer than 21 days and he will direct you to the BI office where your Passport will be stamped (upon payment of about Php2800 or so).

This is the problem with KLM here - or rather, KLM's agents. The airline normally permits you to make one change - eg to the return date - completely free of charge using its Dutch or English websites. However, its Manila agents lock all reservations once your outbound has left Schipol and you can not make any changes yourself. You are forced to contact the agents and pay them up to $100 for something that should be free. One the one occasion I had to change my return booking - and pay the agent's fee - I complained to KLM's Customer Services on arrival at Schipol and was given a voucher for $100 off my next reservation.

The BI regulations do NOT require that your return trip be dated within 21 days of arrival. Unless you have a 9(a) Visa, all that is required is that you have a valid eTicket from the Philippines to another country - like Singapore - dated on or before the expiry of your Visa Waiver. If KLM is giving you conflicting information, I suggest you print the page on the BI web site that details the regulations for Visa Waivers and 9(a) Visitor Visas and produce that at check-in; there should be no arguments then.

But Jim, if you have a valid 9(a) Visa - issued by the Philippine Embassy - you automatically get 59 days' stay on arrival! It is, or was, actually a bit cheaper to obtain such a Visa than pay for the corresponding extension.

There has been talk of extending the Visa Waiver period but only for American former armed forces.

If I have one extravagance it is that for long haul flights (6 hours or more) I do travel Business Class and I've habitually used a travel agent in Milford Haven to book my tickets and she gets them from a flight consolidator at a significantly reduced price (compared to KLM's published fares). I'm over 6' tall and the thought of being crammed in with the other sardines doesn't hold much appeal. Also, due to flight timings, I've always had at least 4 hours at Schipol in both directions and KLM does have very comfortable lounges with free food - and there's a decent smoking area in each of them and free WiFi too. The one I use is that between "A" and "B" gates.