#  >  > Travellers Tales in Thailand and Asia >  >  > Philippine Forum >  >  Where to go for a short Philippines trip?

## Bettyboo

I wanna spend a week away from Korea (something like the 10th to 15th February), somewhere warm, somewhere I haven't been before and somewhere within about 5 hours flight time.

Thus, Philippines seems to be a good option - I have never been and know nothing about the place, other than return flights are anywhere between $150-350 which is nice and cheap. There seems to be lots of options from Incheon: Manila (Clark or Manila airport), Cebu City and Puerto Princess all seem to have available flights at good prices, maybe Boracay too.

I just wanna try somewhere interesting, some beach, some bars (not into whoring...), maybe a city or some interesting cultural places - maybe for 5 or 6 days, and I don't wanna be travelling around too much, maybe an hour or 2 bus a couple of times.

Any ideas: which place? Specific hotels or beaches? I suppose I'm thinking of $30-150 per day spending money including Accom; I'm really quite open to ideas. 

Suggestions/advice, please.
(Papillion, no need to tell the secrets of BoyzTown as I have no interest there, thank you...)

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## cyrille

I would forget about Manila and go to Cebu.

Have a look at Bantayan Island, North West of Cebu

Nice beaches, but not overcrowded and still with some local character and huts right on the beach.

First photo is Main St. Second photo is the view from my hut.  :Very Happy:

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## uncle junior

If you just want some subshine and beaches, Saipan's quick and easy from ICN.....cheap pkg deals too from the korean travel agents

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## Latindancer

I'd suggest Puerto Pricesa. Palawan still has a lot of unspoilt beauty whereas Manila is a dump and Cebu is overused, not to mention Boracay. It was painful just flying through Manila. And Cebu. But once you get through, the islands are nice.

Here is what I wrote about my Philippine trip to a friend :


I arrived in Manila and got a taxi to a backpackers' hotel mentioned in Lonely Planet but it had been gutted by fire. Dragged my suitcase up the street to another place but it was quite expensive. Hauled myself back ( on the street, as footpath broken up and very dirty ), couldn't find a cheapish backpackers', and a tout offered to take me to a cheap place around the corner. I paid him 50 pesos ( about $1.80 ) and he seemed very happy. All the way down the street, there were people trying to sell stuff by waving things in front of me, from phone chargers to sunglasses. They had desperate looks on their faces. Children were living and sleeping on the ( very dirty ) street, and begging ( hassling, actually ) the people for money and looking more woe-begone than they actually were to stimulate pity. 

I hardly got any sleep because I discovered the hard way that there was a karaoke place next door that went till something like 3 am. Got up haggard and found there was no water for a shower.  Wandered down the street to find a backpackers restaurant for breakfast, but there were none.....just fast-food places. Finally got a banana waffle with Nuttella, but couldn't taste the banana, so had to get two fresh ones to go with it. Hauled myself off to a travel agent to buy a ticket to Cebu ( 45 minute flight ), and they quoted me 2800 pesos 
( about 90 bucks ).

I figured that I could get a cheaper one, so went directly to the airport and the Philippine Airlines office. ....they wanted 5,000 pesos. Went to Airport # 2, where I waited in the "Express" line at Cebu Pacific for an hour. Even the Filipino man behind me was tut-tutting that service was slow. And there were only about 15 people.....the line just wasn't moving, though there were 3 people serving !
Got quoted 4,500 pesos, but realised that I didn't have enough cash, so went to the ATM in the corner. Unfortunately it accepted Visa cards, but not my "Maestro/Cirrus" ATM card.

The ticket-clerk directed me to the gas station across the busy highway ( no crossings...I had to skip across ) where she said there was an ATM. There was ! And it was a Maestro/Cirrus one ! But it was out of order.
Skipped back, and she and another lady said I had no option but to take a taxi to 
Global Village / "Market-Market", 20 minutes in a taxi ( 5 bucks) down the road. Apparently there were a few banks there. Got there and saw 3 ATMs immediately, two of which had Maestro/Cirrus.....but you guessed it....both out of order. Luckily there was one inside which actually worked.....

Had to wait 30 minutes in a line (unusual) for a taxi back from "Market-Market", arriving after the time she said she'd hold my ticket till....so had to pay 5,300 pesos ( about $160, for a 45 minute flight ).......almost double the original figure I'd been given. While I was at the counter, an American guy came and told the girl that he'd clearly requested a 10 o'clock flight, whereas he'd been given a 6am one.....which didn' t match up with his other flight.  On first impressions the clerk was a cute little thing, with large spangly green pieces stuck on to her teeth between her braces......quite well done actually, and certainly looked more fashionable than plain braces. She stared at the computer screen with a really quite bovine and ever so slightly cross-eyed  ( with mouth open ) expression for a while, as if it was the computer's fault, then disappeared for about 10 minutes, while her friend fiddled with my booking...........

Finally I got the ticket, went to check in, and was told that my bag was too heavy.
My allowance from Qantas for an international flight was 25 kilos, and I only had 19. 
But Cebu Pacific allowed only 15, on domestic flights. Had to rearrange stuff between my cabin bag and suitcase. Argh !
 other Western guys to find a nice girl.......and there isn't here. I don't see many other Westerners at all. Maybe backpackers have abandoned the place due to it being too run-down, or maybe they go straight from Manila / Cebu airport to the islands ?
The place has degenerated in the 20 years since I was here previously.....

..................................................  ....
Right now I'm in Cebu, in the Southern Philippines. I'm not sure how long I'll last here. God, what a dump..everything is run down, the streets stink of piss, and.........blah, rant ...etc. 
 Also,  I took with a grain of salt the Lonely Planet guide's description of the Philippines as a "meat-mad" country, but it's true. It's very difficult to get anything which doesn't have meat in it.....apart from junk food-ish meals. Poles apart from Thailand. Actually, it's strongly reminiscent of Thailand, but everything is degraded...people included.
Half the letters are worn off this keyboard, and have been painted on again, so I won't write more....It's difficult.

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## Bettyboo

Kalibo is another alternative, btw - just reading the above posts now. Many thanks for the replies.

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## stroller

> I just wanna try somewhere interesting, some beach, some bars (not into whoring...), maybe a city or some interesting cultural places - maybe for 5 or 6 days, and I don't wanna be travelling around too much, maybe an hour or 2 bus a couple of times.


Cebu or Puerto Princesa.
Don't go into Manila. Don't leave the tourist trail - you won't enjoy it. Always order a _cold_ beer, or it won't be cold.

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## David48atTD

Agreeing with a few above ... Manilla is not Bangkok.  Avoid.

Katie23, Tizme or Davis K live there (Philippines).

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## nidhogg

Puerto galera was ok.  Manila, down to batangas and a boat across to the island.  Nice beaches (as i recall) fantastic diving.  Probably some nice day boat trips.

Drop in and say hi to Davis at batangas.

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## Davis Knowlton

Palawan,,,Puerto Princesa. Should fill the bill for what you seek. Puerto Galera would work as well.

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## TizMe

> Have a look at Bantayan Island, North West of Cebu


We are booked to go to Bantayan Island in 2 weeks time. I prefer to avoid crowds, so I'm looking forward to it.

Panglao Island is another place that I enjoyed. 
Its only about 2 hours by ferry from Cebu.
Other than the beach, you can hire a driver for day to take you up to the Chocolate Hills,  Hinagdanan Cave, Tarsier Sanctuary, etc.

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## stroller

> Puerto galera was ok.


Yeah, but it would take all day to get there, not 1-2 hours bus ride.

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## hallelujah

> Puerto Princesa.
> .


The thing is with Palawan is that the best beaches are around El Nido, which is a 6-8 hr trip from Puerta Princesa by road.

Edit: just seen they do a flight these days. 40 mins.

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## katie23

@bettyboo - if you have the $$ for the additional flight, then you can try Puerto Princesa in Palawan, or Panglao Island in Bohol.

One that hasn't been mentioned is the island of Coron - look up my thread about it. A colleague went there last week. She said the weather was perfect, not too hot nor cold. You'll see limestone karsts. If you'll take a boat tour as a joiner, get Tour C - it's relaxing. If you need the name of a tour company, it's there on the thread as well.

As for Puerto Galera, it's also good. Around 1.5 hours bus/taxi/Grab from airport to Batangas city port. Then take a boat to Puerto Galera. The ticket will depend on where your resort is:, either White Beach port, Muelle or Sabang. I also have a thread re: PG and Bohol. If you want your own private beach, I can recommend the sister resort of the one where I stayed at. I didn't like Sabang beach bcos it was too touristy, and I wasn't there for the bars or diving. But if you're into that, then check out Sabang beach. Hotels or resorts in PG can cost from 1,000 php to 5,000 php. (1 USD ~53 PHP now).

You could also go to Boracay Island, but it needs another flight from Clark or Manila. You also need a confirmed hotel/resort reservation now - new rules. They won't let you into the island/speedboat to island if you don't have a reservation.

If you fancy some backbreaking hiking during your trip, PM me. Lol. Or even for a coffee meet up, but depends on time, as I have work. Any other info you need, PM me.

Cheers and good luck!

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## TizMe

> Puerto galera was ok.





> Yeah, but it would take all day to get there, not 1-2 hours bus ride.


40 minutes by sea-plane from Manila.

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## Dillinger

Mindanao looks nice

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## Switch

I have spent time in Cebu, which was a bit underwhelming. I did enjoy a week on Mactan though. Something for most tastes there.
I was partnered up so I would recommend the fine dining. The steak house was bloody good, with decent wines too.

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## nidhogg

> Yeah, but it would take all day to get there, not 1-2 hours bus ride.


We used to take a cab.  2 hours to batangas?

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## Dillinger

I heard  its a 3 hour journey to  Angeles City  from the airport

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## Switch

> I heard  its a 3 hour journey to  Angeles City  from the airport


Only about 14/20 minutes from Clark. 
 :Wink:

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## Headworx

> I heard  its a 3 hour journey to  Angeles City  from the airport


Depends on the day, time, weather, etc. I've done it in 75 mins and I've done it in 6 hrs.

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## katie23

@betty - if you're going to Puerto Princesa, Coron, Bohol, Boracay or Cebu, I think it's better to fly in via Clark Airport. It's smaller and less busy than the Manila airports. But if you're going to Puerto Galera, then fly in to Manila. Batangas port is 1.5 to 2 hrs from the airport by land, then 1H travel by boat to PG. You can go by taxi / Grab (2-3k pesos) or if you want to be like a backpacker or local, you can travel by bus. PM me for details if you'll travel by bus - I can give you instructions. 

If going to Bohol/Panglao, stay somewhere in Dumalaon Beach, NOT Alona beach. The latter is now overrun with tourists and lots of seaweed on the beach. See my Bohol thread for pics. There are lots more pics from that Bohol trip, but I've been so busy the past months that I don't post much pics anymore. 

Another option that hasn't been written is to go to a beach near Subic. I can't give recos for that, since I only went for a beach day trip via company outing. I think Tizme or Davis has stayed at the Subic beaches.

Angeles City is ~30 min from Clark Airport. But there's nothing there except girly bars. Unless you want to make it a jump off point for a Mount Pinatubo hike. I did a thread about that, but the pics are gone due to the Photo bucket purge.

Cheers and good luck!

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## katie23

> Depends on the day, time, weather, etc. I've done it in 75 mins and I've done it in 6 hrs.


Yes I agree with this. It can range from 1.5H to 4, depending on many factors. However, there's a new highway now. Accdg to a colleague who's from the area, average is 2-3H from Angeles City to Manila. I recently travelled in that road (Jan 28), and it took ~2H from Tarlac to Manila. It was around 2 am, so no traffic. My group was coming back from a hike to Mt Purgatory in Benguet.

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## Davis Knowlton

> We used to take a cab.  2 hours to batangas?


As said, always a crap shoot with traffic, time, etc. I don't use public transportation, but in my car, Manila airport to my house is 90 minutes....then another hour or a bit less to Batangas Port, Then an hour boat ride to PG.

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## jabir

> Puerto galera was ok.  Manila, down to batangas and a boat across to the island.  Nice beaches (as i recall) fantastic diving.  Probably some nice day boat trips.
> 
> Drop in and say hi to Davis at batangas.


Batangas, ah that brings back memories. Is Andal still there, the corrupt mayor that used to sell illegal weapons confiscated at police stops to needy crims, and who owned the furniture shops, bank and much of the rest the town? 

More important, is Helen his daughter and mother of two of his kids still alive, or did he off her for trying to off him? Would be nice to know.

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## Bettyboo

Doing my research, thanks to all, many options...

This looks really nice:




I'm surprised it's so nice close to Manila, and it looks easy enough to make ones way down:https://badladz.com/how-to-get-to-puerto-galera/ Could be an interesting trip, maybe a look around Manila, it'd be rude not too.

Or, Air Asia fly direct to Kalibo at a good price. &, Gin Air have direct flights to Cebu at a good price. I'm still looking for available flights to Palawan at a good price. I'm looking through many threads on here, so many lovely looking places, but those 4 options are probably favourite to this point. I'm gonna walk the dog, do a bit more researching, then maybe book a flight/hotel (or maybe ask some more advice here).

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## katie23

@betty - the resort where I stayed at was Badladz Dive Resort, which was ideal for me since it was only few minutes walk from Muelle Pier and in between Sabang and White Beach - I visited both. The coastline on White Beach is bigger and has cream colored sand. Sabang has a small beach or coastline only, but it's the place for pubs, girly bars and there are also many diving resorts.

Badladz Dive Resort has a sister resort, Badladz Beach Resort. Last time I checked, rate there was 1.5 to 2k per night. As a client of Badladz, I was allowed to use the pool & beach in the sister beach resort. Pics of those are in the later parts of my thread. If you want to relax, I would recommend Badladz Beach Resort since they have their own private beach. If you want to visit White Beach or Sabang, just hire a tricycle (trike).

I also visited 2 waterfalls during that trip - the large Tamaraw Falls and smaller Aninuan Falls, which required a bit of walking to get there.

IMO, you could prolly have a 3-5 day holiday in PG for 10k pesos or less, but then I'm a local. If you want to dive or go on boat trips, Badladz can arrange it for you. The owners are a Canadian man & his Filipino wife.

The South African guy - forgot his username here - he has stayed at both Badladz Beach resort & the dive resort on diff occasions; I recommended it. AFAIK, he enjoyed both stays.

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## baldrick

why not Sri Lanka   :Smile:

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## Takeovers

> Panglao Island is another place that I enjoyed.


There is now a direct flight connection from Korea to Panglao. Mostly Korean tourists there. Alona beach used to be a paradise. I no longer enjoy it, really. I was there when tourism was not even a distant concept and then from the beginning with the first basic resort. Mostly for divers. You can get into the water at the beach but better not swim out because of crazy boat drivers, very dangerous. But accomodation from very cheap and ok 200m from the beach to luxury hotel. A number of attractions on the main island Bohol. The spectacular Chocolate Hills, a swinging rope bridge over a wild river. Butterfly farm. I had a few fireflies in my bedroom occasionally.

A thread by Katie

https://teakdoor.com/philippine-forum...-in-bohol.html

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## cyrille

> This looks really nice


Looks like the only good thing to come out of Manila, as the old joke goes.  :Very Happy:

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## Bettyboo

I didn't realise that the Philippines has such a wealth of interesting and beautiful places to visit.

Thanks for your hotel suggestions, Katie, I may well stay there.

Sri Lanka is great, Badders, you must've enjoyed my Sri Lanka thread (and related Nepal thread) - just too far to fly; I want 5 hours or less to fly. I really enjoyed Vietnam last year, Danang and How An except as Takeovers mentions the direct flights from Seoul mean endless Korean tourists and Chicken&Beer bars, it'd be nice to get away from Koreans for a while (nice as they are in a Korean sort of way...). I wanna try somewhere new, so that's Saipan, Philippines, Hong Kong or Taipei; I wanting beach and a bit interesting, so that rules Saipan out(until another day).

I used to do lots of diving, so maybe an easy day trip with a couple of very easy dives could be on the cards, my PADI/BSAC/TDI accreditation is probably no more than 15-20 years out of date...

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## Dillinger

^ but who's gonna look after your Mac Mini? :Smile:

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## NamPikToot

Annnnnd is Lulu dog sitting........

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## katie23

@betty - I really enjoyed my stay in PG, and would go there again, given the chance. However, there are other places to visit and more mountains to climb!

As I've stated, I visited Badladz Beach resort & enjoyed the vibe there, very peaceful and with their own private beach. If you (and your wife) would like to watch a nice sunset, hire a trike to bring you to White Beach - on a good day, the sunsets there would be so great. When I went there, it was slightly cloudy (it was Sept), but still the sunset was nice. Feb or March would be a great time to visit here, as the chance of typhoons is less. For the purpose of my trip, I liked my stay at Badladz dive resort since it was midway of White Beach and Sabang Beach.

BTW, if you book that beach resort, you'd need a ticket to Muelle Pier of PG, then from the pier, take a trike to the resort. Trike to the resort should cost 150 to 200 php. Motorbike taxis from Muelle to White Beach was 100 php, as I remember. Trike rides were 150 php. 

Cheers! If ever you do visit PG and Badladz, you owe me a coffee!  :Very Happy:

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## uncle junior

If nothing else a morning flight to BKK and be on Koh Chang for dinner.

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## Bettyboo

> @betty - I really enjoyed my stay in PG, and would go there again, given the chance. However, there are other places to visit and more mountains to climb! Cheers! If ever you do visit PG and Badladz, you owe me a coffee!


It's about 50/50 at the moment because looking at flights and arrivals, I'd likely be in Manilla next Friday night or Saturday morning, and I can imagine that's gonna be a bad time to be travelling to PG (even though I really like the looks of the place). The hotel you stayed in close to the jetty is available, looks to suit my purpose, and is $40 a night on Agoda.

So, the other option is a flight to Kalibo with Air Seoul. Just wondering what kind of advice for transportation to Boracay, any places to stay and stuff to do other than diving (I might do one day of diving wherever I go, but that'll be it). I wanna relax on a balcony (with my laptop) overlooking a beach. I want sit in coffee shops with my laptop, have some beers in interesting bars, have a walk around for a km or 2 here and there, maybe go on a trip somewhere picturesque, maybe 5 days in total, no wife in tow because she has to stay home and look after her puppy...  :Smile: 

I'm reading through these two excellent threads, some great info, thanks.

https://teakdoor.com/philippine-forum...pt-2015-a.html
https://teakdoor.com/philippine-forum...pt-2015-a.html (Boracay Sept 2015)

Edit: scrap the Boracay idea, I don't like the look of that place at all... Maybe there's some other interesting places to go on the main island, and stay in Boracay for a couple of nights?

I think I could handle this for a couple of days:

https://www.agoda.com/en-gb/bahari-beach-resort/hotel/caticlan-malay-ph.html?checkin=2019-02-09&los=5&adults=1&rooms=1&cid=1646623&tag=655ae14  6-37bb-9ba8-bc0b-05cd2dbc81a0&searchrequestid=642405da-140f-41ae-9fa0-dba04648c2d6&travellerType=0

Now, just gonna research if much to do around town.

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## Bettyboo

Thinking about times gone by, and Davis on this thread, this seemed somewhat appropriate:



https://teakdoor.com/the-teakdoor-lou...e-of-them.html

Les Dawson has great legs, but Davis was rather fond of the Little Sailor Girl...  :Smile:

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## katie23

@betty - If you fly to Manila on a Friday night, you'd have to stay at a hotel, since the boats from Batangas port to PG don't travel at night - they have a cut off, 2 or 3 pm only, I think. It would be better to arrive on a Sat morn (early arrival, maybe 5 am?) then taxi or bus immediately to Batangas port & boat to PG. That way you can still enjoy the morning or half day. It's good to travel on a Saturday morn bcos there's less traffic. There are balconies at Badladz beach resort. They also have this metal garden chair set on the back lawn, it's overlooking the beach. Nice place for your Gay Macbook Air while you surf TD.  :Very Happy: 

Re: Boracay, I think the flights land during daytime as well, since the speed boats to the island operate only during the day. The planes actually land near Caticlan port (or Kalibo Airport, depends on your airline). Caticlan or Kalibo is part of Panay island, then you'll ride a boat (5-10 min) to get to the small island of Boracay.

The resort where I stayed in Boracay is called Alice in Wonderland Resort, owned by a Japanese consortium. There were only 1-storey bungalows, but each had a small porch. There's also a central area where they serve breakfast, and a small pool. Room there was ~1k pesos when I stayed. However, it may not suit your bourgeois needs  :Smile: , so I would also point you to La Carmela de Boracay. Rooms there are 3.5 to 5k, with balcony, swimming pool, and depending on your room, can have a sea view.

I found Boracay more touristy and pricey than PG. The sand is whiter and finer in Boracay, and there are more establishments in terms of food and shopping. You can also be a "joiner" in a boat tour (island hopping) - just ask around. A friend of mine did that; he was with his wife & son. Some ppl like Boracay more (bcos it's more touristy). However, I liked PG more, bcos I was able to see waterfalls, hike a bit, and it was generally more peaceful. It suited my needs & frame of mind at that time. However, diff strokes for diff folks.

Go to the Boracay news thread, re: the closure of Boracay. I remember that I posted a YT vid there of some vloggers and their opinion of Boracay after it reopened late last year.

BTW Boracay is also a fave destination of Koreans, bcos of the direct flights. When I visited, there was a large K group.

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## Bettyboo

> @betty - If you fly to Manila on a Friday night, you'd have to stay at a hotel, since the boats from Batangas port to PG don't travel at night - they have a cut off, 2 or 3 pm only, I think. It would be better to arrive on a Sat morn (early arrival, maybe 5 am?) then taxi or bus immediately to Batangas port & boat to PG. That way you can still enjoy the morning or half day. It's good to travel on a Saturday morn bcos there's less traffic. There are balconies at Badladz beach resort. They also have this metal garden chair set on the back lawn, it's overlooking the beach. Nice place for your Gay Macbook Air while you surf TD. 
> 
> Re: Boracay, I think the flights land during daytime as well, since the speed boats to the island operate only during the day. The planes actually land near Caticlan port (or Kalibo Airport, depends on your airline). Caticlan or Kalibo is part of Panay island, then you'll ride a boat (5-10 min) to get to the small island of Boracay.
> 
> The resort where I stayed in Boracay is called Alice in Wonderland Resort, owned by a Japanese consortium. There were only 1-storey bungalows, but each had a small porch. There's also a central area where they serve breakfast, and a small pool. Room there was ~1k pesos when I stayed. However, it may not suit your bourgeois needs , so I would also point you to La Carmela de Boracay. Rooms there are 3.5 to 5k, with balcony, swimming pool, and depending on your room, can have a sea view.
> 
> I found Boracay more touristy and pricey than PG. The sand is whiter and finer in Boracay, and there are more establishments in terms of food and shopping. You can also be a "joiner" in a boat tour (island hopping) - just ask around. A friend of mine did that; he was with his wife & son. Some ppl like Boracay more (bcos it's more touristy). However, I liked PG more, bcos I was able to see waterfalls, hike a bit, and it was generally more peaceful. It suited my needs & frame of mind at that time. However, diff strokes for diff folks.
> 
> Go to the Boracay news thread, re: the closure of Boracay. I remember that I posted a YT vid there of some vloggers and their opinion of Boracay after it reopened late last year.
> ...


Thanks for all your valuable info, Katie.

Now, let's be very very clear: I do not have a gay MacBook Air, because they are for men that like men... I have a very manly MacBook because that's what real men use; if you don't believe me ask Papillion or Mr Sausage.

I do like the look of PG very much, but also like the ease of flying directly to Kalibo then maybe staying at a nice beach place close to Caticlan for a couple of days and maybe Boracay for a couple of days (I don't think I could handle more than 2 or 3 days on Boracay as it seems a bit one-dimensional; and if I came across any fire-wavers, endless K-people, never-ending hawking of products then I may be forced into a frenzy...). I may spend the next 10 days researching then go back to work on the 17th...



Or I may just get on with it and book somewhere.

What I have learnt is that the Philippines looks great, I should've visited years ago.

I found this (might be some interesting places to visit rather than just doing the beach?):
*Suggested itinerary on the WEST coast of Panay Island from Boracay going south*

*Boracay* - most popular beach in the Philippines*Malay* - Nabaoy River, Pangihan Cave, Nagata Falls, Agnaga Falls, Naasug Point, Malay Ecological Park, Motag Living Museum*Nabas* - wind tubines, Hurom-Hurom Cold Springs*Pandan* - Malumpati Spring*Libertad* - Maanghit Cave, Ati Cave and Bungan-Bungan Spring*Sebaste* - Igpasungaw Waterfall*Culasi* - Malalison Island*Tibiao* - hot kawa-bath, white water river rafting, Bugtong Bato Waterfall, rice terraces, Tibiao Bakery, pottery, fish spa*Anini-y* - Nogas Island, scuba diving
*Suggested itinerary on the EAST coast of Panay Island from Boracay going south*

*Boracay* - most popular beach in the Philippines*Malay* - Nabaoy River, Pangihan Cave, Nagata Falls, Agnaga Falls, Naasug Point, Malay Ecological Park, Motag Living Museum*Nabas* - wind tubines, Hurom-Hurom Cold Springs*Kalibo* - Bakhawan Eco-Park, Tigayon Hill*Tambak* - oysters*Capiz* - Roxas City*Carles | Estancia* - Gigantes Island Boat Tour, Lighthouse of Gigantes Island and Bakwitan Cave of Gigantes Island*Iloilo* - Batchoy Indulgence
http://www.thelonerider.com/2016/dec...han_cave.shtml

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## stroller

That's much more travelling than the max two hours bus ride you initially envisioned.

Don't plan too tight a schedule, getting around in the Phils can be very tiring & hazardous.

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## Looper

> Where to go for a short Philippines trip?


If it is a short trip you are looking for then I heard that there is a girly bar in the phils that is staffed entirely by dwarves.

I am not into girly bars myself but it would be worth a diversion to see a place like that!

Or take a walk on the wild side and let Miss Katie do a number on you with her climbing ropes and straps. She will blindfold you and take you up the Khyber Pass with a goretex strap-on I heard!

 :Smile:

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## Dillinger

> I want sit in coffee shops with my laptop, have some beers in interesting bars, have a walk around for a km or 2 here and there, maybe go on a trip somewhere picturesque, maybe 5 days in total, no wife in tow because she has to stay home and look after her puppy


....and the MacMini?  :Smile:

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## Headworx

Betty just one thing that nobody's mentioned to you as a first time visitor, the Philippines is a very different destination for foreign travellers than Thailand as far as personal security goes. Just be a bit more aware of your surroundings, and keep your valuables out of sight. Enjoy your holiday!.

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## katie23

@betty - Stroller is right, don't plan too tight a schedule. It can take many hours from point A to B when travelling in PI, especially in the Visayas region (which Panay Island is a part of).

Example: I've been to the town of Bugasong in Antique province twice, as I stayed with a good friend/ colleague who is from there. It took me average of 4 hours by bus to travel from Caticlan port to Bugasong Town. I took the 2go ferry. (look at a map while you're reading this)

To get from Caticlan port to the town of Tibiao (where there's Tibiao ecopark, zip line, trail for hiking, etc), takes maybe 3.5 to 4H from Caticlan port. My friend and I planned to go to Tibiao ecopark with her kids, but wasn't able to go due to Xmas/NY festivities and she had mom and daughter duties. It was OK with me, since I was just a guest and her hometown was a welcome change from my usual scene. But I digress.

Tibiao ecopark is a bit far from the main road. You'd have to arrange some form of transport to get there. 

To get to San Jose town (from Bugasong) took us an hour or so. We went there to get stuff for NY eve celebrations. 

In my Boracay trip, from Caticlan port, we had to travel to Roxas City port, to catch our ferry back to Batangas. It took us 6 hours to get there and we barely made it in time for check-in to our ship. Google maps and some blogs will tell you it's just 4 hours, but if travelling by public transport (we went by bus and trike), with all the stops and transfers, it took us 6 hours. The reality is different.

If I were you and I had only 5-6 days, then I'd base myself in PG. Soak the sun for 2-3 days, then if I felt like it, ask the resort ppl of where to go in the vicinity. In PG, you could visit Tamaraw Falls and swim in the pool there. You could also trek to nearby falls but you'd have to hire a guide. When I visited PG, they were making a road in the mountains to make wind turbines. Maybe you could visit the turbines there too.  You could also visit the town of Calapan - the capital of the province. Just people watch, see the provincial capital and eat at a Jollibee! Lol. Maybe there's a Starbucks there too, for your bourgeois tastes.  :Smile: 

Edit after seeing Headwork's post - he's right. Buy a padlock (the combination type) for your bags. If you're going to do a lot of transfers, it's better to bring a backpack than a suitcase - easier to haul it in buses, trikes or minivans. When travelling in PI, I always use a backpack, so I can carry it on my lap in buses, jeeps or trikes, or wear it on motorbike taxis!

P. S. There are also places in Panay Island that I wouldn't advise a white foreigner to go to, especially in the mountains. If you had a local friend guiding or taking care of you, I would feel better. But if you're alone, then don't be too adventurous. Stick to the tourist trail. There are some rebel groups / insurgents in the mountains (and some towns, coz they have to get supplies) in Panay Island.

BTW, to get from Caticlan port to Iloilo city takes 6-8 hours, depending on traffic and number of toilet/ rest stops.

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## katie23

@loopy dahlink - the invite to join me in hiking in PI is still open. If blindfolds are your kink, I'll blindfold you and tie your arms in ropes before we hike the knife edge (cliffs) and "kiss the wall" parts of Mt. Halcon or Mt. Guiting Guiting.  :Very Happy: 

@betty - you could also check out Bohol Island, but don't base yourself there. Base yourself in Panglao Island, Dumaluan Beach (maybe Villa Umi Resort - check out my Bohol thread) or Bohol Beach Club. The Dubay Resort where I stayed might be too proletariat for you.  :Very Happy:  Don't stay in Alona Beach - lots of C tourists when I was there. But do go there for the afternoon/ dinner and some ppl watching.

From Panglao Island, you can go on a boat your (Island hopping, snorkeling, dolphin watching). You could also see the tarsier sanctuary, python sanctuary, Chocolate Hills, Hanging Bamboo Bridge, etc - all in a day tour. You can be a joiner in an organised tour or hire your own motorbike. But make sure you have travel insurance if you'll do that!

Edit: Tizme has stated it, but I'll say it again. From Bohol Island, you can take a ferry (fast ferry, 2H, 400 php OR slow ferry, 3.5H, 200 php) to the south of Cebu island. You can base yourself in Panglao and go on a day trip to South Cebu and just explore the small towns there. There's also canyoneering in Kawasan Falls (look it up on YT, many vids), but Kawasan Falls is a bit far from the port - you'd have to base yourself somewhere in Cebu Island. You don't even have to go to Cebu City (that's in the North) if that's not your fancy. You can also go whale watching in Donsol, Cebu. Forgot if it's in the North or South Cebu - see a map. 

So you can base yourself in Bohol and just explore from there, coz as Takeovers said, there are direct flights from Korea.

BTW, Kalibo airport is 1.5 to 2H away from Caticlan port, depends on time & traffic. So even if you flew into Kalibo (there's an Air Asia flight), you'd have to travel by bus, minivan or taxi. Almost same as if you flew in to Manila and went to Batangas Port + Puerto Galera.

BTW is my browser fooling me, or are the pics back up in my Boracay & Sagada threads? They were gone before due to the Photobucket purge.

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## nidhogg

> If it is a short trip you are looking for then I heard that there is a girly bar in the phils that is staffed entirely by dwarves.
> 
> I am not into girly bars myself but it would be worth a diversion to see a place like that!
> 
> Or take a walk on the wild side and let Miss Katie do a number on you with her climbing ropes and straps. She will blindfold you and take you up the Khyber Pass with a goretex strap-on I heard!


You would be sadly dissapointed.  I think you are talking about the hobbit house in manila.  Not really a girly bar, more just a bar staffed by dwarves.

Google says it is permanantly closed, so no idea.  Looking at on line reviews, definately give it a swerve.

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## katie23

Canyoneering in Kawasan Falls, Cebu by Travel Beans. I've watched a few vids from this couple. They're a young Brit couple and have travelled Thailand and PI extensively. They've also done a vid about TH and PI; I thought they were spot on.







Edit: seems Photobucket has restored the links to my pic threads. Yay!  :Smile:

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## stroller

> If I were you and I had only 5-6 days, then I'd base myself in PG. Soak the sun for 2-3 days,... You could also visit the town of Calapan - the capital of the province.


Presumably there is a proper road & bus service by now?
When I went 20 years ago, it was 4 hours on a dirt track, cramped into the back of a Jeepney - not an enjoyable experience. Had to go there for the only ATM which would accept my Coconut Farmers bank card.

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## katie23

@stroller - a lot can happen in 20 years.  :Smile:  Yes, the main highway is now cemented from PG to Calapan, all the way to Bulalacao Port, located at the south of Mindoro island. There are also minivan and jeepney services from PG to Calapan, located near the town proper (Poblacion). The journey takes ~2H now. 

If you scroll through my 2016 PG thread, I used the PG-Calapan Road on the way to Tamaraw Falls. I hired a motorbike driver and took pics along the way. 

https://teakdoor.com/philippine-forum...pt-2016-a.html (Pretty Good in Puerto Galera (Sept 2016))

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## Bettyboo

Ok, I'm booked in the Philippines; leave my apartment midday Friday, and if all goes to plan should arrive back almost exactly 7 days later.

Flying in on the worst airline I've ever flown (that I promised myself I'd never fly again...), so that should be a good start. I expect terrible check-in experiences followed by early boarding, waiting on the tarmac in the plane for several hours (just like when I flew them to Danang - I was wrecked, fell asleep, woke up hours later happy that we'd landed, but no, still in Seoul, hadn't taken off yet - 3 hours on the tarmac...) then the worst legroom I've ever experienced; this time I paid $30 each way to get the emergency exit/front row aisle seat so leg room shouldn't be an issue.

Landing in Manilla then off to PG as suggested by folks here (Katie ferry style). I booked 3 nights up the Sabang hills with a hill/sea views balcony (can do some work on the manly laptop while feeling relaxed) and decent wifi ($30 per night including breakfast) then a couple of nights in the place Katie stayed at ($40 per night). Then boat back to Manilla for a 11pm flight to Seoul.

Thanks for all your suggestions, especially Katie, and I'll be making a photo thread if I make it out of Manila onto the PG bound boat...

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## NamPikToot

> but she was actually fuming...


Bets, you know what they say "never go to bed on a wasted opportunity", least that's what i think they say. Now ref your wife funing, you need to get to the bottom of this, or perhaps she does looking at the piccy...... :Smile:

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## katie23

@betty - Congrats on choosing PG, I hope you enjoy your stay there.  :Smile:  From the airport, you can take a taxi/Grab to Batangas City port, should be ~2H if early morn & no traffic. Negotiate the fare first bcos it's a long ride. I think the first boat to PG leaves at 6 am.

In PG, try to visit White Beach bcos the sunsets are great and it's also fun to ppl-watch. If you fancy a Balut (boiled duck embryo), there are many vendors around. If you eat one, my opinion of you will be higher, despite your gay macbook. Be sure to take pics for evidence!  :Very Happy: 

Since you've booked at the Dive Resort, you can also go to the their beach resort & use the pool/beach. If you're booked on a weekday, try to get a room on the 2/F (but 1/F for Brits) and overlooking the sea. Who knows, you may even get the room that I stayed in! The views were great and it was very peaceful to stay in the balcony and have a meal or drink. 

Re: the boat ride back, the sea can get a bit choppy during afternoons. I don't know how your sea legs are, so if you don't like rough seas, try to get a morning boat out of PG.

As you get out of the boat, there will be touts offering taxis to Manila or elsewhere. If you feel proletariat and want to ride the bus, just walk out of the terminal and you'll see the bus station (use my thread for reference). A bus to Manila (with A/C) should cost ~200 php. Taxi costs 2 to 3k.

If you have time to while away in Manila, you can go to Rizal Park, Intramuros (the walled inner city) or Mall of Asia (MOA) and Manila Bay. There are many nice restos outside of MOA - very pleasant to have beer/coffee and spend time while waiting for your flight. Those areas aren't too far from the airport either.

You can leave your luggage at MOA (SM Dept Store or National Book Store) for free while you explore. They'll give you a bag tag just like in the supermarket - I've done that before. Just make sure you have no valuables in your luggage. 

You can also leave your luggage for free at the Mall in Resorts World. There's a big mall and casino. RW is very near Terminal 3 Airport. BTW, if your flight is on a Fri night, make sure you leave for the airport early. The traffic during Fridays is horrible - I almost missed my flight one time. 

BTW trivia for the Brits here: PI was under the Brits for a few months, but the UK "gave" PI back to Spain as part of the Treaty of Paris in 1763. There was another Treaty of Paris (between US and Spain) in 1898, which also concerned PI. 

Cheers and happy vacay! Take lots of pics!  :Smile:

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## Davis Knowlton

Have a great visit!

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## beerlaodrinker

> You would be sadly dissapointed.  I think you are talking about the hobbit house in manila.  Not really a girly bar, more just a bar staffed by dwarves.
> 
> Google says it is permanantly closed, so no idea.  Looking at on line reviews, definately give it a swerve.


Closed now in manila i hear that part of manila was turned into a ghost town by  mayor lim There was also a Hobbit house in boracaay. Might still be there

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## TizMe

> You would be sadly dissapointed. I think you are talking about the hobbit house in manila. Not really a girly bar, more just a bar staffed by dwarves.
> 
> Google says it is permanantly closed, so no idea. Looking at on line reviews, definately give it a swerve.





> Closed now in manila i hear that part of manila was turned into a ghost town by  mayor lim There was also a Hobbit house in boracaay. Might still be there


I was there about 12 months ago. I hope that it has closed.

Overpriced, horrible food and its kept so dark in the hope that you don't notice all the cockroaches scurrying around the place. 
We left before we even finished our first drink, after a cockroach the size of a small fighter jet flew into my daughter's head.

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## stroller

Was shut last month.
Not that I wanted to go in, just happened to walk past.
They also used to pad the bill and shortchange. One needs to be a miser like myself to count all the 20 Pesos notes in the dark.

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## cyrille

> Not that I wanted to go in


No, no.

There's no reason why a bar staffed by dwarves would be of any interest to you.

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## uncle junior

> They also used to pad the bill and shortchange


Well, they were dwarves

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## beerlaodrinker

Shifty little fookers. Wouldnt trust em as far as i could throw em

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## TizMe

> I would forget about Manila and go to Cebu.
> 
> Have a look at Bantayan Island, North West of Cebu







> We are booked to go to Bantayan Island in 2 weeks time. I prefer to avoid crowds, so I'm looking forward to it.


In case you missed it in the other thread.  :Wink: 




We had a great time on Bantayan Island and a day trip to neighbouring Virgin Island.

We went with a few friends of TizShe from college and one of their sons, husband & 2 sisters. 

Was really impressed about how clean the place was.

Don't know why anyone would choose to go to Boracay.

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## cyrille

I did miss it.  :Very Happy: 

Glad you enjoyed your trip.  :dog rocks:

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## katie23

@Tizme - thanks for the vid - I enjoyed that. Yes, I missed it too in the other thread, as I'm less on TD these days. One of my friends went to Kalanggaman Island, also near Cebu. It looked great - quiet beaches, mostly locals.

Re: Boracay, I guess many people, esp the young crowd, would go there for the bars, partying, and for being "seen and heard" in Boracay. For the young, IG and FB generation, it's more of bragging rights to say that you've been to Boracay.

However, with the closure of Boracay last year, other beaches are gaining exposure too. There are the beaches in La Union (good for surfing too - no need to go to Siargao which is costly from Luzon). I've also heard about Dingalan in Aurora, Calaguas & Caramoan islands in the Bicol region, Burias Island, etc. So many beaches and islands to choose from. I think for some foreigners, it's the difficulty of getting there that hinders them. For Boracay, it's easy to get to since there are many flights.

I've recently been to Anawangin Cove in Zambales, but have been too busy with life to post pics here.

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## TizMe

Yeah, I think you are right Katie.

Kalanggaman Island is on our to do list.

We are going to Baler next week.

For those that don't know, it's where Apocalypse Now surfing scenes were filmed.

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## cyrille

> Re: Boracay, I guess many people, esp the young crowd, would go there for the bars, partying, and for being "seen and heard" in Boracay. For the young, IG and FB generation, it's more of bragging rights to say that you've been to Boracay.


Long may it continue, I say.

Keep them all corralled in one place.  :Very Happy:

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## katie23

^haha. But I've seen quite a few posts of younger  friends that they went to the beaches in La Union, so it's now also a "hip" destination among the local  IG/FB crowd, esp those that live in Manila or surrounds. The good thing about La Union is that one can do it in tandem with a Vigan historic tour, so you can get a beach/culture holiday in one trip.

I'm a member of a group on FB where the tour/hike organizers post their events and look for "joiners".

Aside from mountain hikes, the main beach destinations that I've seen posted are Dingalan in Aurora, Calaguas (been there), Caramoan, Burias Island, Bohol + Panglao islands, Anawangin or Nagsasa Coves, Apo Reef in Mindoro, Treasure Island which is off Batangas Coast. Now that the heat & summer is here, tour companies are in robot mode.  :Smile:

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## TizMe

> Now that the heat & summer is here.


sure is. 2 weeks ago I was feeling cold... All of a sudden the A/C is getting cranked up.

If anything spoiled the Bantayan Island trip it was the heat on the day we toured around the island. Should have just found one spot with cold water, some shade and lots of cold beers.

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