General Info

[MrHappyKat]

Planning my 1st trip:

First, huge thanks to all who post here. I've been lurking for some time as I contemplate my next extended trip (past trips to Argentina, Chile, and Dominican Republic) and wait out the worst of the pandemic headwinds. The collective wisdom and occasional humor have been amazing. I think I am about as prepared as I can be, until I get boots on the ground, of course, for an excellent time.

I'd appreciate some feedback on my preliminary plans. I'm looking to optimize for ST barfine sessions, then perhaps FL sessions, and since I have bad knees, minimal walking time to / from bars. I have decent budget available and I want to limit my 1st trip to the Manila and AC areas. Here's my current plan:

Flights: I will be flying business class because I can afford it. Non-stop from LAX to MNL. Prefer to arrive late afternoon to early evening.

COVID Stuff: Fully vaccinated and double boosted. It looks like I'll need the following to fly: One health card, recent PRC (or antigen?) test results, global entry card (already have TSA-Pre), travel medical insurance ($35 K or higher), and identify where I can get new tests in MNL before I fly home. Not sure if I also need "E-health Declaration" and "Case Investigation" - can anyone confirm?

Lodging: I'm thinking of staying 7-ish days in Makati, then 7-8 days in AC, then coming back to the Manila area for the rest of my stay. I'm budgeting about $50-$80 per night for hotel, and looking for girl-friendly and generally more upscale (or at least not shit-hole) locations near the local bars to minimize walking distances as much as practical.

Transport between cities: I'm looking at taking a bus for $5-$10 between Manila and AC. But I can pay more for a taxi if it's a more direct / safer / shorter trip.

Transportation in-city. As mentioned, I have bad knees and as a bigger guy, I'm not sure I'll fit in the trikes. So Grab seems like the way to go for short trips, maybe 4-8 per day depending on daily activities.

Daily routine: I'm getting older, so I'll probably only do a barfine or FL every other day, then recovering and maybe doing touristy crap (cover story) on the off days. Or if I meet a girl I really like, I can extend our session to the next day for additional funds.

Question on barfines in Manila vs AC: From what I have seen in past posts, a barfine in Manila or Makati gets the girl out of the bar, and then she expects an additional amount generally equal to the barfine for a complete experience. While a barfine in AC is "all-inclusive" with the expectation of a small tip (php 250-500) before she leaves. Is this correct? I've seen references to barfines in both areas between php 3 k and 4 k, with FL rates between php 2 K and 4 K. Should I plan on / budget for these rates by time I get there in July?

Packing: I'm an experienced traveler including travel in "poor" countries. But the tip about buying a pacsafe bag is a great idea. Thank you! I want to pack a 6-8 day supply of clothes, and use the hotel or local laundry service as needed. Shorts, light jeans, t-shits and polos, and a swim suit seems appropriate. Plus a baseball hat and sunscreen if I'll be outdoors for a while. Wil I need to bring my Verizon hotspot? Or is that just a waste of space / weight in my luggage?

Medical: I take daily meds, and will bring an ample supply, of course. If I lose my meds, do I need a prescription to refill them at a local pharmacy? And will a US-based prescription be accepted? Next, I am considering starting a PrEP regimen and will be asking my doctor about it. Should I be insisting on only drinking bottled water?

Sorry for the word-wall. I tend to over plan so I avoid surprises.

Anyone see any red flags or landmines in my plan?

Thanks for any and all feedback.

[RandMcNasty]

If you do this, be sure you have front, back, side cameras on the car. Saved a friend of mine from a car accident where the locals quickly pinned him as a foreigner to be at fault. However, he remained calm and when the police arrived along with his cell recording all the convo, replayed the events of accident and the people were quick to change their tune from burning him on the cross to displaying "empathy and compassion. " he also had a bat in the car in case things got out of hand.

As I suspected, the general consensus is that renting a car is a bad idea.

As inconvenient as it will be, I think on my next trip I will just try to use the buses to get around. Since I don't plan on making mongering the only thing I do, and I'd like to do some legit tourism and exploring, it would be nice to have the freedom of my own vehicle but the last thing I would want to deal with is getting involved in a scam where I could potentially have the police against me.

[DzikaBomba]

Agreed, and the same holds for large sums of Philippine pesos. Hotel employees may well know how to defeat the hotel's own room safe.

I always carry a product called pac-safe. It's like a canvas ditty bag, about 10 inches by six inches, and the canvas is reinforced with a wire mesh in between two layers of canvas.

Only fools hide their money and valuables in the room safe, as we don't know how else has the master key.

A pac safe is also not needed. I pack everything into refrigerator zip bags and hide it in the room, every room has some good places for hiding. Nobody will find it (unlike the pac safe, who will be found immediately).

I also hided things like that during Africa Trips and never had any problems.

[Soapy Smith]

Neither of us has priced in the risk of holding large sums of cash to be converted. Perhaps not a big deal for a 3 day business trip but certainly a consideration for a month or two of fun. Let's face it, some of the people we have in our rooms could be very tempted by several '000 dollars held in a hotel safe. Enjoy, G.

Agreed, and the same holds for large sums of Philippine pesos. Hotel employees may well know how to defeat the hotel's own room safe.

I always carry a product called pac-safe. It's like a canvas ditty bag, about 10 inches by six inches, and the canvas is reinforced with a wire mesh in between two layers of canvas. Virtually impossible to cut through with a knife or scissors. It comes with a length of plastic-covered aviation cable that can be looped around plumbing pipes and locked. Neither hotel staff nor a misguided p4 p is likely to get at the cash or other valuables inside. It can also be used to keep condoms and other paraphernalia away from prying eyes. I paid about $40 for mine a dozen years ago, and it has long since paid for itself.

I carry only enough cash with me for the immediate needs of each foray away from the hotel or condo -- in a money "belt" worn over the shoulder under my shirt. I leave the balance of my cash, dollars or pesos, my passport, and other valuables in the pac-safe in my room, including the money I anticipate needing for a p4 p picked up in a bar or the mall.

[AsianPursuits]

On Wednesday night, 4/6, the IATF officially allowed rapid antigen tests for entry to the Phils per Malacanang. Reported in Philippine Lifestyle News on April 8..

That's good news. Changes my pre-departure requirement to day before swinging by the local pharmacy where the Pharmacist will supervise and declare.

[Dashing Don]

On Wednesday night, 4/6, the IATF officially allowed rapid antigen tests for entry to the Phils per Malacanang. Reported in Philippine Lifestyle News on April 8. The IATF also recommended that Alert Level One continue until June 30.

The article contained some good news for mongers from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Mexico. Covid certificates from those countries will now be recognized for entry to the Phils.

[AsianPursuits]

The only issue I've had is that payments in the home currency to foreign accounts can get tricky eg paying USD into Philippines. There always needs to be some form of conversion, not just a transfer.

I'm a WISE user also. When I'm sending USD remittances to Ph I do the conversion before sending it onto their Ph bank. So the local Ph bank should be receiving the remittance as P10,000 avoiding the arbitrary Ph conversion fees.

They do have a Debit card that offers very good fees and features. The only thing that stopped me was a daily max withdrawal of $200..

I haven't struck their daily limit. The problem as I see it is they increase charges after $350 in a month. $1.50 per transaction + 1.75%. Ouch. I also find Australian banks apply a higher ATM fee also.

I do retain the WISE card for foreign purchases. Being able to obtain multiple card numbers and freeze cards online makes it great for online subscriptions.

For cash use though there are better options like ING.

[Goferring]

Will look into it!

I've used Wise extensively for non mongering purposes, both to transfer cash and to pay for foreign purchases. FX rates are very good and fees are minimal. They can be extremely fast too. Its not uncommon for a transfer to SEA to be available in the recipient's account in an hour or two. The only issue I've had is that payments in the home currency to foreign accounts can get tricky eg paying USD into Philippines. There always needs to be some form of conversion, not just a transfer.

They do have a Debit card that offers very good fees and features. The only thing that stopped me was a daily max withdrawl of $200. However that was a while ago and it may have changed. Let me know if it has as their platform is very user friendly and keeps getting better.

Cheers. G.

[WestCoast1]

This is very bank and home country dependant.

For me, I have a bank issued 'Travel Debit Card' it has low / no fees and (importantly) wholesale FX rates.

I have no 1st hand knowledge but many Americans report their banks refund all international fees.

I am aware of one such bank. Charles Schwab, offers a debit card that has no ATM fees (well, you pay them, then they credit you the money back at the end of the billing cycle). In addition, Citi offers a Visa credit card (not debit) that offers no Foreign Transaction Fees (FTF's) on purchases (and careful, as with any CC, using it at an ATM will be considered a cash disbursement and hit you with a $10 US dollar fee). The typical FTF is 3% on all foreign purchases. If anyone else knows of such debit cards that rebate back all fees, or CC's that have no FTF's, please holler so the gents can get one. A bank loan officer once said to me: "We are not in the business of not making money on every transaction". I was looking on several major bank's CC's recently and they all have the standard 3% FTF.

Web based peer to peer banks like Wise offer very good FX rates and fee structure.

Will look into it!

Neither of us has priced in the risk of holding large sums of cash to be converted. Perhaps not a big deal for a 3 day business trip but certainly a consideration for a month or two of fun. Let's face it, some of the people we have in our rooms could be very tempted by several '000 dollars held in a hotel safe.

We have discussed before the lack of wisdom of traveling with large sums of cash. Lost, stolen, or taken by greedy government officials. Once its gone, its gone.

[Amadeuss]

Anyone correct my digits.

Consider the eventually higher cost to get foreign currency in cash as security insurance. It not refers to the Philippines only, but for global travelling.

If I loose say 4000 Peso and my credit card -- its pain but not not the world. I use the second card to get new cash and inform my bank about the card-loss.

If I loose 4000 $, my trip is fucked up.

And to your digits: mine are lower as my card not charges for cash advance and get a slightly better rate than the moneychanger offers. But yes, I need to pay the local fee at the ATM.

[Goferring]

Anyone correct my digits.

This is very bank and home country dependant.

For me, I have a bank issued 'Travel Debit Card' it has low / no fees and (importantly) wholesale FX rates.

I have no 1st hand knowledge but many Americans report their banks refund all international fees.

Web based peer to peer banks like Wise offer very good FX rates and fee structure.

I can remember in the early days, on my first couple of trips, when I used a standard MasterCard credit card to withdraw cash from an ATM, the highest cost line item over the length of my holiday was bank fees. Now that was crazy.

Neither of us has priced in the risk of holding large sums of cash to be converted. Perhaps not a big deal for a 3 day business trip but certainly a consideration for a month or two of fun. Let's face it, some of the people we have in our rooms could be very tempted by several '000 dollars held in a hotel safe.

Enjoy, G.

[Pute Nut]

For entry / exit it is P10 K local currency. Seriously.

This has been increased to 50 K PHP.

See BSP Circular No. 922.

[Soapy Smith]

Personally, for such a short time, I would hire car and driver. In the current circumstances, many would jump at a 10 or 20 day package at very reasonable cost. However, if frequent mobility to out of the way places is important to you, then it's not a terribly idea.

I agree. Furthermore, these guys drive for a living and know their way around. And they speak the language to ask for directions to places they don't know. Most are decent chaps and some of them can carry on an intelligent conversation in English.

[WestCoast1]

For entry / exit it is P10 K local currency. Seriously. All travelers should keep the following in mind regarding Philippine customs regulations:

SNIP

I will usually carry P4 k which is the max amount I need for a transport NAIA AC. I always have this kept from a previous visit.

Already MM said he was clear on the Phils entry / exit policy. The policy is $10 k US dollars (not P10 k -- pesos, which would be about $200 USD). MM's question was regarding domestic flights inside of Phils: Is there a maximum limit one can carry on a domestic flight (say, from NAIA to Butuan)?

DO NOT exchange any currency and your home country.

Did not understand this. Did you mean 'in your home county'? I would agree, as the fees are too high.

You will be repoorted.

Reported to whom? For what reason? If I exchange $200 USD at my bank in my country for P10,000, why would that be reported, and to whom (and why would I care)? Alternately, if I exchange P10,000 (brought home by me from Phils previously) at my bank for $200 USD, why would that be reported?

I will swing by the ATM at NAIA arrivals and make a local currency withdrawal which gives a competitive rate. Failing that there are currency exchanges at NAIA.

Using an ATM in Phils to withdraw cash from your bank in another country would result in high fees. The ATM would give you pesos at a worse exchange rate than the money changer. In addition, there are ATM fees to be paid at the (usually p250 or such), and probably a $5 US dollar 'out of network' fee charged by your home country bank.

An example. Say today's exchange rate is p50 to 1 US dollar. The money changer is offering p49 per dollar. I hand the money changer $200 US dollars, and he hands me p9800 (200 x 49). I give up $200 and get p9800 (a p200 or $4 loss for using the money changer).

I go to a BDO ATM machine in NAIA. The machine demands a p250 fee ($5). I tell the machine I want p10000. The machine gives me p10000, but takes $208.33 from my US bank account (an exchange rate of p48 per $1 US dollar). In addition, my bank charges me a $5 US dollar fee for an overseas ATM use. I get p10000, and I give up $208.33 + $5 + $5 = $218.33. That's an $18 kick in the wallet.

Anyone correct my digits.

[Soapy Smith]

For entry / exit it is P10 K local currency. Seriously.

All travelers should keep the following in mind regarding Philippine customs regulations:

I will usually carry P4 k which is the max amount I need for a transport NAIA AC. I always have this kept from a previous visit.

DO NOT exchange any currency and your home country. You will be repoorted.

I will swing by the ATM at NAIA arrivals and make a local currency withdrawal which gives a competitive rate. Failing that there are currency exchanges at NAIA.

I find this advice confusing. First, P10 K is only $200 US. My recollection is similar to MontanaMonger: a limit of the equivalent of $10 K US for entering the country.

Second, your "Do Not exchange" statement is unclear. Do you mean don't exchange currency in your home country or from your home country? I have done both of these and nobody reported me. And what's the point of using a currency exchange at NAIA if you get reported for exchanging currency from your home country? In my experience the exchanges at the airport give a slightly better rate than from ATMs and with no transaction charge. Currency exchanges in the city give rates as good or better than exchanges at the airport.

Granted, I have not been in country in nearly three years, but I can't imagine these things have changed that dramatically. Have I missed something?