Best Part Of The Philippines To Visit.....Advice Needed

[Scottish Gary]

Im going to the PI for the first time in March and im not sure where to go. I keep hearing about Angelis, Subic City and Cebu. What in your opinions is the best one of the three? Is Manilla worth a visit?
I like a bit of culture by day and preferably a beach and some Pattaya style naughtiness at night. I will be flying from Bangkok.............cheers

[Davis Knowlton]

Manila: No beach. Little culture. Expensive nightlife.

Angeles City: No beach. No culture. Inexpensive nightlife.

Olangapo (home of the former Subic Bay Naval Air Station): Some beaches. No culture. Limited nightlife.

Cebu: Beaches. No culture. Acceptable nightlife.

[Bettyboo]

^took you 9 minutes, Davis - you're slowing down...

Is Flippoland gonna make a good holiday location from Thailand? I'm a lot bored of the local region, would like to try further afield, but not too far.

Make sure to post your pics and report SG.

[Davis Knowlton]

^took you 9 minutes, Davis - you're slowing down...

Is Flippoland gonna make a good holiday location from Thailand? I'm a lot bored of the local region, would like to try further afield, but not too far.

Make sure to post your pics and report SG.

Well Boo, there are some great beaches here, and super diving. Also more stunners than can be imagined. Every time I go to a mall or someplace like that, I always see one or two real traffic stoppers. Nightlife ranges from raunchy and fairly cheap (Angeles) to some real stunners in expensive Manila. But, you have to decide what you want to do as attractions like good beaches and diving are not often co-located with blowjob bars. No real culture. You can see some WW2 sites of interest, and some super old churches, but basically it's Asian shopping malls just like LOS. Filipino cuisine is nothing like the great food of Thailand, but you won't starve. Angeles City, which is wall-to-wall whores and bars, has a surprising number of decent little restaurants, mostly run by Swiss or German expats.

[Dillinger]

Manila: No beach. Little culture. Expensive nightlife.

Are we talking 3 somes here Davis ?

[Davis Knowlton]

Manila: No beach. Little culture. Expensive nightlife.

Are we talking 3 somes here Davis ?

Pick yer number, mate...all things are (easily) possible here.

[Scottish Gary]

I often hear ex pats in Pattaya saying they are going over to Angelis for a few days. Funny thing is the two of them sound exactly the same. If its just the sex then why not save yourself the cost of a flight and stay where you are?
From what you say Davis it sounds like there is nothing in the PIs i couldnt get in Southern Thailand apart from a new country to tick off.
Im not to sure if i want to go now.

[Davis Knowlton]

OP: I just took a glance at some of the older threads in this forum, and there is very good coverage of most places that should answer almost all of your questions - with pictures.

^I've lived in both - 6 years in Thailand - 17 here. There isn't all that much difference. Two main points are language and food. When I lived in Thailand, it was kind of nice to pop over here and actually be able to hold a conversation. Now that I'm here, I look forward to trips to Thailand for the food. Otherwise...same-same, but different.

[leemo]

There's lots of culture at Angeles, just be sure not to catch any.

[beerlaodrinker]

Are we talking 3 somes here Davis ?

No,3 holers

[cyrille]

I really liked Cebu, in particular Bantayan Island, north of Cebu.

Will probably be a mess after the hurricane, though.

[Bettyboo]

good beaches and diving

This bit is what I'd be interested in - I find Thailand lacking in the beach department; over-rated, imho, & filled with horribleness. Although, I'm sure you can find nice places - I should get in the car and drive down the coast past Chaam until I get to far south dodgyness; sure I'd find lots of nice beaches.

I enjoyed a short Sri Lanka break last year, so a Flippolad break could be nice, also see a different set of people in their homeland. I find them a nightmare here in Oman, but I'm sure it'd be very different in the motherland. Just don't find Thailand interesting really...

[helge]

Haven't been there since 87, but the Pureto Galera area had beaches and nightlife (bars)

Is that 26 years already

[reinvented]

No,3 holers

theyre catholics, its birth control

im a papist too before the inquisition arrives
ive only been to manila and i liked it, some really hot women, fantastic mexican food and interesting beers beyond red horse
flip food is shit and everyone is armed to the teeth but the flip girls ive known were a lot of fun

[aging one]

This bit is what I'd be interested in - I find Thailand lacking in the beach department; over-rated, imho, & filled with horribleness. Although, I'm sure you can find nice places - I should get in the car and drive down the coast past Chaam until I get to far south dodgyness; sure I'd find lots of nice beaches.

have you been to Lanta, and Raillay in Krabi? Or Kata, and Kata noi southern Phuket? Those to me are some of the nicest beaches I have encountered. Phi Phi in low season is still a great beach as are Chaweng and Lamai on Samui. The gulf of Thailand does not do it for me. I love the Sheraton in Hua Hin, but I dont bother with the beach as the resort is so nice.

If you have been to those places what times of year were you there?

[cyrille]

I enjoyed a short Sri Lanka break last year, so a Flippolad break could be nice

ime cebu beaches are nicer than sri lanka.

good snorkelling on bantayan.

better beer than thailand, which wouldn't be difficult.

the food is a disaster though.

[beerlaodrinker]

Its all good, you just have to get it in perspective gary, angeles is a good option to fly into thus avoiding manila, which as far as im concerned is a shithole, if you go to angeles
or subic or manila,you wont get the real picture, but if it just pussy you need then angeles will do the job , do a side trip to subic and hang out with some retirees, interesting dudes they are are to. some of of em submariners, crusty fuckers, but good guys to have a beer with,straight shooters,go for it gary ,Report back with a picture thread,

[Davis Knowlton]

Should have mentioned, Gary, with the new highway, Subic is only 45 minutes or so from Angeles. You can drink, whore and stay in Angeles, and easily do day trips to Subic, Barrio Baretta, etc for beach, sun and a daytime change of pace before returning to Angeles as the neon lights come on. If you picked a winner the night before, take her with you. They love a day trip out of Angeles. In fact, you'll find most of them, wherever they're from, have never been out of Angeles since they started working there.

[Bettyboo]

Lanta

Nope, worried it's like elephant island, just the trendy set looking for the latest beach...

Raillay in Krabi? Or Kata, and Kata noi southern Phuket?

Yep. Went to Krabi about 20 years ago with 9 Danes; spent the Thai new year. Nice. Hired a fisherman a couple of times; deep sea fishing, touring the islands, snorkling, lovely.

We also went to PhiPhi, not very developed then, nice.

Stayed in Kata for 6 months 15 years ago, very nice, not built up too much then (did a dive master/instructor thingy...)

Chaweng and Lamai

Yep, 20 years ago. Nice.

I've been back to Phuket and Samui in recent years, horrible... Horrible people, Thais and foreigners, overbuilt beaches, dirty, scammers everywhere - Thailand has really become a shitehole in these areas, imho. Although, people who live there and have a car can no doubt find nice places; the tourist areas are truly horrible - Chawaeng and Kata are worse than Benidorm, I'd much rather spend a week in Benidorm than either of them...

Many folks say that Krabi is still nice. I hope so, I've thought about hiring a car there, or driving down, and spending a week there.

To be honest, Sri Lanka was much nicer than Thailand is now, and much cheaper too. Thailand is now expensive for horrible areas. Paying 3,000 baht for crap accom and crap service in Kata is just ridiculous, imho. Sri Lanka was a fraction of the cost, the beaches were clean and beautiful...

Thailand has been past it's sell by date for a decade or more as a holiday destination, imo. Much better places for the same money can be found in other countries; not sure why anybody would spend 1,500 pounds on flights and accom to come here from Europe (maybe the sun...). I'd rather tour the North of England or South of France, they're just more beautiful... Maybe I've soured a little over the years...

Yes, I reckon Flippoland could be a nice place to have a look - beaches and a day or 2 of easy diving.

[cyrille]

Thailand has been past it's sell by date for a decade or more as a holiday destination, imo. Much better places for the same money can be found in other countries.

Care to give examples?

I see you've vaguely mentioned countries, but no specific 'places ... in other countries'

I'd rather tour the North of England or South of France

What, like, now?

Yes, I reckon Flippoland could be a nice place to have a look

Don't get your hopes up.

[Bettyboo]

Care to give examples?

I did already, the heart of Samui and Phuket.

&, I did: Sri Lanka. I also went to Nepal a few months ago, that's a wonderful place and not expensive - I paid 3,000 baht a night for places that'd be many times that in Thailand. My Thai friends pay 10,000 baht + per night when they go to Hua Hin, just don't know why you would - for a week, I'd rather fly to Nepal or Sri Lanka (or Burma or +++) and stay in nicer hotels with nicer beaches and end up paying less money... Have a click on my Sri Lanka thread; I didn't stay in, but a had lunch a couple of days, in a really nice 5 star hotel, the price of drinks and food was great, the drink and food was great, much better than you'd get in Hua Hin that'd cost 3 or 4 times as much. Yes, I've been to Hua Hin a few times. It's a total rip off for averageness...

What, like, now?

Yes, the winter is a beautiful season. I lived in Ulaan Bataar where it gets to -40 and colder, so around zero is hardly cold by that standard. All seasons show beauty. It's rather limiting if we only go sight seeing in summer (not saying that you were suggesting that)...

[cyrille]

Care to give examples?

I did already, the heart of Samui and Phuket.

Those are examples of places that are nicer than Thailand?

Yes, the winter is a beautiful season. I lived in Ulaan Bataar .

So you'll be heading there on holiday when it's at its coldest ... or will you be looking at somewhere like the Philipines?

Really not sure what your point is.

You seem to be just getting into 'I'm a more discerning person than you' mode, tbh.

Let me know if you really are that pathetic, and I'll just stick to reading your stuff on cricket.

[steevee]

What's Batangas and area like?

[Davis Knowlton]

I live in Batangas. Actually a bit north of Batangas City. It's a quiet little place, close to good shopping in Alabang (50 minutes north) to Manila (about 90 minutes north). Within an hour or so of some decent beaches. If I leave my house at 10AM, I'm in Batangas Port and on the ferry by 11, and in Puerto Galera by noon. Good schools for the kids. Clean, good air, not much traffic....you could do worse.

[cyrille]

Sounds cool.

How do you do for food, davis?

Is the local stuff good?