General Info

[PhilJoy]

HaHaHa. Yeah you Aussie guys got it made your 3 times closer so yeah much cheaper. If I lived that close, what is it 8 HR flight, ID be there every weekend. Wish I was that close as from New York its a haul. Probably good thing I'm not, pussy that close would be too tempting.

Yes Mate, it's very close and very tempting to just go "Fuck it, I'm buying another ticket".

Now that would drain the cash pretty quickly. Thankfully I'm somewhat disciplined and combine my visits with business 2-4 times a year. Having said that, I'm admittedly not that disciplined when I'm in The Phils and have numerous sweet little pussies to enjoy. It's definitely not all work and no play_Phil.

[Locamotive]

Jeez Loco, it sounds like you guys are really getting ripped off.

I travel 3 times a year from Australia and the average price is usually about $USD700 return with selected seats on PA.

I know it's probably a much shorter flight (8 Hrs) and our dollar is shit at the moment in comparison.

That's a lot of up-front money before accommodation and cash spent on having a great time with the girls.

Long gone are the days of a cheap around the world ticket I used to get via Asia, Europe and North America before returning home.

There was the Filipina on the way, the English girls which were easy to score from any pub (beers were expensive), the Moscow experiences where random hot blondes would knock on your hotel door and then the late night NYC bars where everyone got laid.

Those were the days_ Phil.

HaHaHa. Yeah you Aussie guys got it made your 3 times closer so yeah much cheaper. If I lived that close, what is it 8 HR flight, ID be there every weekend. Wish I was that close as from New York its a haul. Probably good thing I'm not, pussy that close would be too tempting.

[Old And Ugly]

In prep for a 2 day layover in Macau, I did some reading about the mongering there, I been there before, but I was still married back then, and with the wife, so I didn't really had the chance to sample the goods.

The prices for services that are net inferior to PH, performed in saunas, maybe with better looking girls, are 10 X PH, and the guys are all excited about the evening gowns that the girls are wearing, now I know for sure where all this bullshit comes from, spilling in to the PH, asian imbeciles having Hollywood gala fantasies, instead of sexual ones, ruining the view for everybody, and helping conceal undesired body features, like a belly or mosquito bites sized boobs.

It appears that a few hours in a sauna, with clearly professional, well predefined services may set you back around USD1000.

Lots of desperate people in this world!

Glad to be in the Philippines!

[WestCoast1]

Instead of doing this I buy a ticket for to Singapore from Cebu pacific and pick "GO Flexi" this allows you cancel and instantly get the money back in a non expiring travel fund and rotate this ticket as needed. The travel fund is non expiring so I use this to buy tickets for people or myself or just rotate this fund again so I have a legit ticket. $0 paid to use this as you get the money back. I don't think it refunds the airport tax so never add that onto the ticket.

Previously CP's travel fund expired in just 90 days, leaving most 30-days-or-less tourists, who visit once or twice a year, out of luck. Once CP went to non-expiring travel fund, I started doing exactly what you do.

Jarango: I am unsure why anyone would spend $17 or so for a fake ticket. Why not keep things simple?

Some of the inbound fellas want to stay past the initial 30 days, and did not take the time (before arriving) to seek out the 59-day visa; they want to buy a 1-way ticket to enter, and then decide later when to depart. Alternately some fellas want to stay indefinitely, and thus just want a 1-way ticket into Phils. Either way, they must show an outbound ticket. Paying $17 is small potatoes to game the system, so that you can ignore that outbound flight without paying for it once you enter, and decide later when to leave.

[Jarango]

Last year arriving at Clark, I had to produce my onward tickets, which was a return leg which most would have. I imagine an onward ticket is always essential. I got bushwhacked by the new evisa system and I got my card filled up at Manila airport with great difficulty. I am unsure why anyone would spend $17 or so for a fake ticket.

Why not keep things simple?

[ThreeInches]

OnwardTicket only if the officer demands it. It takes a couple of minutes and you will have that temporary ticket ready to show on your phone.

Instead of doing this I buy a ticket for to Singapore from Cebu pacific and pick "GO Flexi" this allows you cancel and instantly get the money back in a non expiring travel fund and rotate this ticket as needed. The travel fund is non expiring so I use this to buy tickets for people or myself or just rotate this fund again so I have a legit ticket. $0 paid to use this as you get the money back. I don't think it refunds the airport tax so never add that onto the ticket.

[Sympalogy]

Symp's site sounds similar. Symp, what is the cost of using the site for this service?

It's probably the same website because it used to be $14 which is what you mentioned, and now it costs $16 for any ticket.

For The Philippines, this might be more necessary than before because you require to fill in eTravel as a foreigner before you arrive. And in the eTravel website, they ask you to put in your flight details with the flight number etc. No clue if the backend checks whether it is legit or not, so might as well spend $16 for the peace of mind.

However, as far as I am aware, what usually happens if you don't have an exit ticket is they ask you to buy one using your phone or an office there. So in that case, someone without an onward ticket but who has internet can use OnwardTicket only if the officer demands it. It takes a couple of minutes and you will have that temporary ticket ready to show on your phone.

[WestCoast1]

2. As I am planning to stay longer than 30 days, you are required to have an exit ticket / an Onward Ticket. Usually, I buy a cheap Cebu Pacific ticket then since those cheaper ones are not refundable, just forfeit the money.

But a found a cheaper option here: https://onwardticket.com/.

Some years back, some fella posted a similar link. That website made a reservation in your name for a legit flight of your choosing, then emailed you the reservation details including the airline reference number, then cancelled the reservation, all in the blink of an eye. They charged $14 for this service, and I availed and used the service. I recall choosing an outbound date 25 days after arrival. I was aware when the Immigration officer would ask for my outbound ticket, that it was already cancelled and worthless, hoping he didn't check. However he didn't ask for anything, he just stamped my PP and waved me thru.

Symp's site sounds similar. Symp, what is the cost of using the site for this service?

[Sympalogy]

I just arrived to the Philippines, and I made a few distinctions that can be very useful to fellow hobbyists:

1. The Airport WiFi is not reliable. A great way to prepare for this is to buy a travel eSim before arriving from the Globe App, then as soon as you arrive to any Airport in the Philippines, you can activate it and have internet to access anything you need at the airport or outside for 30 days. You can later on get a different eSim if you plan to stay longer. This is a convenience that lasts for 30 days then expires.

Here is the link I used: https://www.globe.com.ph/international/traveler-sim.

2. As I am planning to stay longer than 30 days, you are required to have an exit ticket / an Onward Ticket. Usually, I buy a cheap Cebu Pacific ticket then since those cheaper ones are not refundable, just forfeit the money.

But a found a cheaper option here: https://onwardticket.com/.

You will find mixed reviews about it, but I confirm it worked for me, and I know the source of the confusion.

When you activate a ticket from that website, it lasts only 48 hours then it gets cancelled.

So the trick is:

1. Buy a ticket choosing the date as around day 29 or 30 AFTER you arrive to the Philippines.

2. Only activate that ticket within less than 48 hours from your arrival date, so if they check the database it will be active and working.

To do this, there are 2 options: (1) Buying the Onward temporary ticket the day before you arrive to Philippines, (2) but that is a bit too risky for me as I like to plan in advance, so there is the option to activate the ticket "later".

Then, when you arrive to the Philippines airport, you can activate your Globe eSim, and use the internet to click the Onward Ticket activation link they have emailed you to have a fresh active Onward Ticket to show if necessary.

These were 2 new discovered for me, happy to share and pay forward.

In my research, I also found it is possible to use this app to get eSims before arriving to a country, but I have not used it yet:

https://saily.com/esim-philippines/

[Goferring]

Thanks but I am just stocking up on stuff for future use, not hetr. Good point about the body flushing out stuff.

I'm not sure where you are from nor your local prices but I haven't found any medicines in the PI cheaper than home. Esp now that generics are so widely available.

PI benefits are that you can often find anything OTC or worst case after a quick and cheap doc's visit. Also, medical or cosmetic procedures and hospital stays can be a fraction of the cost back home but as usual, research the quality of the institution before going under the knife.

Enjoy. G.

P.S. I'd agree that diahorrea is typically from the water or ice rather than food. It may simply be travellers diahorrea too as your body gets use to the new spices and tastes. I tend to let it run its course for a few days, stay hydrated and then resort to immodium if it lasted any longer.

G.

[Jarango]

Imodium .

Thanks but I am just stocking up on stuff for future use, not hetr. Good point about the body flushing out stuff. I often get caught short when hiking etc, mixture of my high fibre diet and bad water. Once on a 5 star hotel, all I could eat was plain omelette; I reckon it was water stuffing me up. I am here for aittle over a week mire and have switched to Western fare as the local. Stuff I'd aimed at local gullets, not me.

[Mr Enternational]

Imodium will stop it, but you want to let it run for a day or 2, the body is trying to flush out something bad.

It is more likely some bad organisms eating all of the nutrients his body needs, which would mean they need to be destroyed immediately.

[Old And Ugly]

I have just bought 100 anti diarrhea tablets for future use. Is there any other OTC medicine folk buy? I am looking at ibrofen but not sure if I want such candy. I am often on long hikes and bad water etc has caught me out badly more than once (you don't want the details). As it is all pharmacies here, one must ask what is worth buying here. Korean my hotel are bonking like buck rabbits.

Imodium will stop it, but you want to let it run for a day or 2, the body is trying to flush out something bad. Other natural remedies are dark chocolate, the darkest you can find, aged cheese, parmesan type, or plain rice. Avoid anything else, especially no sugar, milk, coffee, or greasy stuff. Ibuprofen is anti-inflammatory, I don't think will do anything for the runs.

[Jarango]

I have just bought 100 anti diarrhea tablets for future use. Is there any other OTC medicine folk buy? I am looking at ibrofen but not sure if I want such candy. I am often on long hikes and bad water etc has caught me out badly more than once (you don't want the details). As it is all pharmacies here, one must ask what is worth buying here. Korean my hotel are bonking like buck rabbits.

[WestCoast1]

Had to go to Germany for some surgery, and for return I checked all 3 airports CRK, MNL, CEB. I got MUC-CEB one way for 500 $ on Eva Air.

SNIP

Back when I was on a schedule it was different, had to pay whatever it was, but the prices were much lower then. Once I flew to China from LAX for $99, many times to HK for $299. Also the oposite is true, once I paid almost $3000 for a one way MNL-LAX, or maybe was SFO, because I missed the flight due to bad weather in Surigao, and had to be back in the states, like the day before.

Airfare from MNL / LAX, 1-way. Cheapest flights March to June, and the last pic is cheapest flights for a random day of Mar 3. Cheapest flight is on China Airlines, under $400 USD.