Other Areas

[Goferring]

I've heard that there is a strip of good bars in Battangas that may be worth a stop over on the way to Sabang / Puerto Galera.

Can anyone elaborate? I'm a frequent traveller to PG so a stopover could be interesting.)

[Goferring]

Just a quick update on PG. A lot has been posted recently so I won't repeat those but will just add the following:

PG generally is attracting many more non asian couples and groups of Western girls. I saw many more white BF / GF or groups of girls on this trip. Some of the white chicks were an easy 8 or 9. Hoewever none were P4P.

Rates have stabilised at 1500 plus 1500 with discounts available for longer stays or bulk buys.

Broadway has been turned from one of the best bars with great girls and atmosphere in to a dark featureless live band bar with no WGs. Just keep walking straight past it. The girls from the Broadway have supposedly relocated to Hammerhead but I couldn't find any old aquaintences. I have no idea why they closed Hammerhead for months for "remodelling". Nothing has changed.

Coco Lips (aka Pink Panther) and Las Vegas disco were very much the lower class bars full of girls well past their prime. New owners have seriously upgraded the vibe of these places. Coco was full of plenty of 7s and 8s. Apparently there is a pool table and ST rooms up stairs. Vegas has some great fun girls and if the mood is right will put on strip shows (however, this seems to be more spontaineous than a reqular schedule). For the anti Koreans this bar seemed to attract the least.

I've noticed that many of the girls on previous trips have left town to be replaced by new stock. The new girls appear to be well trained but having said that sometimes familiar territory is nice too.

I always enjoy PG and this trip was no exception. Again, some of the best girls with incredible, fun attitudes.

[WestCoast1]

It's more fun in the Philippines as the slogan says,

DOT Has made a believer out of me. Maybe they can use some of my pics in their upcoming campaign?

[Stroker Ace88]

I arrived here yesterday from Cebu, together with a carry-on and a small checked bag that wouldn't fit into the overhead rack of the tiny, cramped Cebu Pacific plane. No matter. The flight was only 45 minutes and my bags and I arrived intact. One night at the Tavern Hotel with a Seaview room wasn't bad. The place is basic but clean and the oceanfront terrace attached to my room was serenity itself.

However, as I write this from the airport waiting area, having checked in for the flight back to Cebu, I find my serenity disturbed by the check-in from hell. [SNIP]

What a country! You'v got to love it.

GE

I have had similar experiences in Ozamiz, everything broken and security hand inspecting my things while all the locals looked to see what the foreigner had inside his bag. Amazingly some slightly larger airports like Davao and Bacolod are just big enough to have found a way to streamline the check in and security experience so no "checkin from hell" there.

I empathize with you GE.

And still they ignore everything foreigners say and suggest about how to make it "more fun in the Philippines".

I just wish some enlightened Filipino soul with senior credentials in TOURISM would invite people (seriously) to suggest ways to make things different (which means better).

If they started with airports that would be good.

I live here. I plan to stay here. I just hate the "head-in-the-sand" attitude.

It is so simple to improve so many things if only someone would listen and then act.

Honestly things change at a snails pace in the Philippines if at all. Don't hold your breath waiting for the light to go on in someones head because when it comes to common sense, it's always brownout time.

It's more fun in the Philippines as the slogan says, just have to take everything as it comes and accept that things are often backwards and hopelessly frustrating but it is what it is, a third World Country.

If filling out a million forms and getting a million more photocopies of those same forms, then waiting around in lines all day, only to be told go to the 4th floor department of redundancy department to file makes anyone happy, it doesn't. Sucks to see things so messed up, but it's there way of life. It's the way they do things and while it's not perfect by a long shot, it works for them. I just accept it and I am beyond the point of trying to understand why.

[GoodEnough]

I empathize with you GE.

And still they ignore everything foreigners say and suggest about how to make it "more fun in the Philippines".

I just wish some enlightened Filipino soul with senior credentials in TOURISM would invite people (seriously) to suggest ways to make things different (which means better).

If they started with airports that would be good.

I live here. I plan to stay here. I just hate the "head-in-the-sand" attitude.

It is so simple to improve so many things if only someone would listen and then act.

I was chatting yesterday at my hotel in Cebu with a Tourism student interning at the hotel. She told me that she had been taught that the country is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. When I contradicted this assumption by pointing out that in fact the country had one of the lowest tourist attraction rates in Asia, andd in fact received less than a quarter of the tourists that Thailand does, she shook her head and insisted that I must be mistaken. These folks are delusional, and belong to the "If I say it often enough sooner or later it may be true" school of management. The tourism infrastructure here is pathetic.

GE

[Red Kilt]

I empathize with you GE.

And still they ignore everything foreigners say and suggest about how to make it "more fun in the Philippines".

I just wish some enlightened Filipino soul with senior credentials in TOURISM would invite people (seriously) to suggest ways to make things different (which means better).

If they started with airports that would be good.

I live here. I plan to stay here. I just hate the "head-in-the-sand" attitude.

It is so simple to improve so many things if only someone would listen and then act.

[WestCoast1]

the inspector; a full-fledged police officer, meticulously went through all of the items she found, though she missed an entire compartment, and then apparently found me fit for travel. two minutes later, boarding pass in hand, i proceeded to the "departure hall," lovingly cooled by a fan that would be more appropriate to a small bedroom. but wait! i wasn't allowed to sit on the lovingly crafted php50 plastic seats before passing "final inspection," which is located about 2 meters from the "preliminary inspection." what a surprise! the xray machine and metal detector were broken here as well, so re-open the luggage and the hand-carry. this time, they confirep001ed a lighter, sternly admonishing me that lighters weren't permitted, while obliviious to the other 3 lighters packed in my hand-carry.

what a country! you'v got to love it.

ge

exact same procedure 2 years ago, and 5 years ago. five years ago there were only 3 flights per week (not per day). the initial entry wasn't as bad as you describe, but there was no x-ray machine or metal detector. two nice older ladies opened both my suitcases, took out every item (including toiletries) , and hand-inspected everything. it was about 5 minutes watching them eyeball my stuff, including my toothbrush (as if a white man's mouth somehow differently effects the shape of the bristles). and, they did not use medical rubber gloves (who knows how often the wash their hands). once inside, i found only 5 other passengers passed into the "departure hall" area (one was kano) , and my luggage (like yours) , had to be opened and hand-inspected again. yawn. at least in the butuan airport there are two evap-coolers cranking away.

[GoodEnough]

Sorry guys, for the double post. I've tried to remove one of them twice, but the system will not cooperate.

[GoodEnough]

i arrived here yesterday from cebu, together with a carry-on and a small checked bag that wouldn't fit into the overhead rack of the tiny, cramped cebu pacific plane. no matter. the flight was only 45 minutes and my bags and i arrived intact. one night at the tavern hotel with a seaview room wasn't bad. the place is basic but clean and the oceanfront terrace attached to my room was serenity itself.

however, as i write this from the airport waiting area, having checked in for the flight back to cebu, i find my serenity disturbed by the check-in from hell. understand that the airport is about as big as a good size living room, so space is at a premium for the two or three flights a day that serve this miniscule city on the northernmost tip of mindanao. a crowd of at least 5 people (maybe 4) was waiting for the narrow, closet-size door to open that would allow passengers inside to begin the check-in from hell experience. the guy guarding the door, in his perfervid desire to prevent terrorist acts, or perhaps just to demonstrate his bloated sense of self importance, scrutiized tickets and ids like they were the rosetta stone and he had just discovered the archeological treasure, of the century, thus turning what should have been a ten second per person process into a minute or more. once the rent-a-cop had bestowed his grudging approval, we proceeded to baggage xray and metal detection screening; except wait a minute,"we used to have an x ray machine and a metal detector but they've been broken since the beginning of the millenium." so, hand inspection and "body search" were the hallmarks of the day, thus turning what should have been a ten second, tolerable experience into three or four minutes from hell.

the inspector; a full-fledged police officer, meticulously went through all of the items she found, though she missed an entire compartment, and then apparently found me fit for travel. two minutes later, boarding pass in hand, i proceeded to the "departure hall," lovingly cooled by a fan that would be more appropriate to a small bedroom. but wait! i wasn't allowed to sit on the lovingly crafted php50 plastic seats before passing "final inspection," which is located about 2 meters from the "preliminary inspection." what a surprise! the xray machine and metal detector were broken here as well, so re-open the luggage and the hand-carry. this time, they confirep001ed a lighter, sternly admonishing me that lighters weren't permitted, while obliviious to the other 3 lighters packed in my hand-carry.

what a country! you'v got to love it.

ge

[GoodEnough]

i arrived here yesterday from cebu, together with a carry-on and a small checked bag that wouldn't fit into the overhead rack of the tiny, cramped cebu pacific plane. no matter. the flight was only 45 minutes and my bags and i arrived intact. one night at the tavern hotel with a seaview room wasn't bad. the place is basic but clean and the oceanfront terrace attached to my room was serenity itself.

however, as i write this from the airport waiting area, having checked in for the flight back to cebu, i find my serenity disturbed by the check-in from hell. understand that the airport is about as big as a good size living room, so space is at a premium for the two or three flights a day that serve this miniscule city on the northernmost tip of mindanao. a crowd of at least 5 people (maybe 4) was waiting for the narrow, closet-size door to open that would allow passengers inside to begin the check-in from hell experience. the guy guarding the door, in his perfervid desire to prevent terrorist acts, or perhaps just to demonstrate his bloated sense of self importance, scrutiized tickets and ids like they were the rosetta stone and he had just discovered the archeological treasure, of the century, thus turning what should have been a ten second per person process into a minute or more. once the rent-a-cop had bestowed his grudging approval, we proceeded to baggage xray and metal detection screening; except wait a minute,"we used to have an x ray machine and a metal detector but they've been broken since the beginning of the millenium." so, hand inspection and "body search" were the hallmarks of the day, thus turning what should have been a ten second, tolerable experience into three or four minutes from hell.

the inspector; a full-fledged police officer, meticulously went through all of the items she found, though she missed an entire compartment, and then apparently found me fit for travel. two minutes later, boarding pass in hand, i proceeded to the "departure hall," lovingly cooled by a fan that would be more appropriate to a small bedroom. but wait! i wasn't allowed to sit on the lovingly crafted php50 plastic seats before passing "final inspection," which is located about 2 meters from the "preliminary inspection." what a surprise! the xray machine and metal detector were broken here as well, so re-open the luggage and the hand-carry. this time, they confirep001ed a lighter, sternly admonishing me that lighters weren't permitted, while obliviious to the other 3 lighters packed in my hand-carry.

what a country! you'v got to love it.

ge

[Econo Tech]

Can anyone recomend a hotel near station 2 in Boracay? I will be there for 2 days only so looking for convinance more than anything. Pool, close to beach and D Mall.

Not close to beach, not close to the mall.

But, cross the road for the beach (the other side of the road belongs to the hotel) and free shuttle to the Mall, and stay away from the hustle and bustle of the area around D Mall. Look up Boracay Beach Club!

Quite and nice pool and good service. And they package in a in-room massage as well.

[Mc Don]

Can anyone recomend a hotel near station 2 in Boracay? I will be there for 2 days only so looking for convinance more than anything. Pool, close to beach and D Mall.

[WhiteTiger666]

I haven't read much about Legaspi on this forum but reading my Lonely Planet guide it says "Legaspi City is a noisy, convoluted maze of street stalls, market stalls and girlie bars". Is this true, or is it just a case of the reporter jumping to conclusions because they saw a few short skirts? I will be in Legaspi for a night or two, so if you did have any recommendations, I would visit and post a field report.

Anyone have any further details?

Legaspi is a bit boring and not as bad as described in your quote.

There are a few bar / restaurants in Albay at Penaranda Park. Or you can head to Embarcadero at Legaspi Port. There are more bars and restaurants there.

Girlie bars have been mostly banned from the city. For some action you will want to go to Lady Anne. It is located near the north east end of the airport runway. It features some gogo style dancing on a central stage. There are quite a few nice girls you can invite to your table and buy a San Mig. More action can happen on site. Not sure about take out or bar fine. I was there with family members so my options were limited to try out the offerings in more detail.

Whitetiger

[Gangles]

Purchasing property in the Philippines can be more complicated than previously outlined below.

Unlike almost all other countries operating under the Torrens Title system, in the Philippines, there are four legal sources of title to land.

So you, or your wife / gf etc may hold a legal title, but if some senator likes the look of your place, he can have a legal title to the same property raised in his / her name.

He then claims the property and argues the case in court. You will never win this argument.

In a test project in Quezon City a few years ago, a shop owner was found who was paying rent to three owners, all of whom claimed to have the legitimate title.

G

[HealthClubber]

Flash floods in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan. I visited a gf once lived in a shanty town in CDO, next to the mouth of the river. All of them were at best a foot higher than the river level. Sheet, sucks to be them.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-16229394

So is anyone getting pleas online for personal disaster relief? I figger, unless you're in that Sprint commercial, and are logging onto the Internet via your iPhone while you float out at sea, you're doing pretty good.

I'll be over there in a couple of weeks and toss 'them my 6" life-line

You're not very nice are you Jambo. Some would say a see*nt.