Palawan. What are the vibes ?

[Backspin]

I was planning to fly to Phillipines. Stay there for 2-3 weeks. Then fly to Thailand and go to Pattaya for a couple weeks. But airfair is killing me. It just jumped. Its still not that bad. But I got a direct flight to just Manila cheap as chips.

Is it worth staying just in the Phills if Im saving around $1500+ on airfair?

I went to Boracay last time. It was great. But it just wasn't what I was looking for. I want Pattaya vibes and I got Koh Samet vibes there.

What about Palawan ? It looks like there tons of motorbike rental places. Unlike Boracay.

Or Bohol ?

Or Cebu ?

(Pattaya vibes has nothing to do with the prostitutes. Just the general feel of the place)

[reinvented]

its like a small dead Jedi

[Backspin]

Palawan is huge. What is the busiest part?

[Backspin]

Fuck sakes. Here's the problem. Hotels in say Palawan are just a lot more for what you get than Pattaya.

Staying at the Hard Rock hotel for example is just $100 Canadian a night in Pattaya. A place similar to that in Palawan is $250+

Here's what you get for $125 in El Nido https://www.agoda.com/el-nido-reef-s...ml?cid=1844104

[Backspin]

This in Pattaya is $25. I know its fancied up in the pics and not what you get in real life. But 25 bucks ? Chicken feed. How do you beat that

[katie23]

@backspin - Pattaya is Pattaya. It has walking street, the ladies & ladyboys of the night, the night markets, the malls, the water parks, the sewage, the flooding, etc.

Palawan is an island, away from the mainland. It's sometimes called "the last frontier" of the Phils. Most parts of the island are small, sleepy agricultural towns. There's Puerto Princesa, a small city. El Nido and Port Barton are the touristy towns. You don't go there for the nightlife or the whores. You go there for the beach, nature, diving, kayaking, chilling.

Crocman has a thread somewhere in the PH section - part of the trip was in Palawan. I made a thread about Coron, which is part of Palawan province but on another island. Similar island vibes & views (limestone karsts).

If you want vids, the channel of Jumping Places has loads of vids about Palawan island. They stayed for 4-5 months there during covid lockdown in 2020.

Also, will your Filipina wife be going with you and does she have any say re: your itinerary for this trip? Shouldn't you consult her too?

[aging one]

Also, will your Filipina wife be going with you and does she have any say re: your itinerary for this trip? Shouldn't you consult her too?

Katie he is moron. He cant figure out how airline tickets work. Or how to add on one more low cost segment to his itinerary. Just let him be. I am sure his wife knows what to expect from him.

[malmomike77]

Not sure why you'd want to take your wife to pattaya

[hallelujah]

I went years ago and had a night in Puerto Princesa before heading up to El Nido, which was an 8 hour drive at the time in a tourist minivan, and the islands off there are probably the best I've ever seen anywhere.

We also had a couple of nights in Puerto Princesa on the way back to Manila and went to the caves and had a drunken BBQ on the beach. Mountain biking somewhere too, but I can't remember where.

Highly recommended.

[DrWilly]

You don't go there for the nightlife or the whores.

Here's his problem.

[malmomike77]

Fuck sakes. Here's the problem. Hotels in say Palawan are just a lot more for what you get than Pattaya.

Staying at the Hard Rock hotel for example is just $100 Canadian a night in Pattaya. A place similar to that in Palawan is $250+

Here's what you get for $125 in El Nido https://www.agoda.com/el-nido-reef-s...ml?cid=1844104

So basically you want to treat your wife to a cheap long haul holiday where she waits while you get pissed in dance bars ogling the old fat whores in pattaya

[Topper]

I saw a couple of videos of Moalboal that seemed like it might fit your bill....



and

[Topper]

The nightlife....

[katie23]

@hallelujah - I think the drive from Puerto Princesa to El Nido now takes 4 to 5 hours in a minivan. One can also go directly from Manila to El Nido via Air Swift, a small airline owned by the Ayala Corporation (a rich Filipino-Spanish family, they own lots of malls, condo buildings, mooban/ subdivision developments & Globe Telecom).

The channel Jumping Places has loads of swimming, exploring, kayaking vids (w/ drone shots) of El Nido & surrounds.

@topper - Moalboal is in Cebu Island. Maybe Cebu Island or Cebu city is more of backspin's cup of tea. I've heard that Mango Avenue in Cebu city has the bars & the ladies of the night...

@backspin - if you really want to include TH/ BKK/ Pattaya in your trip, search for MNL (or Cebu) to BKK flights in Air Asia or Cebu Pacific airlines. They usually have promo (non refundable) fares.

I've been to Pattaya (in the daytime), saw Walking Street - nothing special. It was along the way from the pier (from Koh Larn) to the bus station bound for BKK. I've seen vids of Walking Street at night - not impressed. Maybe your wife will like it for a day or two (for the novelty), but probably wouldn't want to stay long either.

[baldrick]

airfair

the vibe is unfair and you may need to fully charge it

[BLD]

I've been pretty much all over the Philippines but not yet palawan, it's 100% on my bucket list for relaxation and natural beauty , it looks like a place that I can take the whole family. Socal. Accommodation is always going to be more expensive than Thailand I think, but it is what it is. @ katie I've enjoyed Finn snows palawan u tubes , so far I haven't visited because the distance to travel to places was just to long , but these days being fatter and smarter I've heard you can just fly in no need for 8 hour minibus ?

[BLD]

Oh, and it's still hard to fly to Bangkok from Perth cheaply and then on to Lao but it's super cheap to get to Manila or cebu ? Yeah I can't believe it. Me and her really needed to go to Lao at Xmas, for her health reasons and we hadn't been back for 3 years . but the Manila flights are looking sure tempting. I will wait to see what pans out

[Switch]

@backspin - Pattaya is Pattaya. It has walking street, the ladies & ladyboys of the night, the night markets, the malls, the water parks, the sewage, the flooding, etc.

Palawan is an island, away from the mainland. It's sometimes called "the last frontier" of the Phils. Most parts of the island are small, sleepy agricultural towns. There's Puerto Princesa, a small city. El Nido and Port Barton are the touristy towns. You don't go there for the nightlife or the whores. You go there for the beach, nature, diving, kayaking, chilling.

Crocman has a thread somewhere in the PH section - part of the trip was in Palawan. I made a thread about Coron, which is part of Palawan province but on another island. Similar island vibes & views (limestone karsts).

If you want vids, the channel of Jumping Places has loads of vids about Palawan island. They stayed for 4-5 months there during covid lockdown in 2020.

Also, will your Filipina wife be going with you and does she have any say re: your itinerary for this trip? Shouldn't you consult her too?

I remember your excellent travel thread on Palawan. Much too nice and prosaic for backspin. Plenty lively enough for dodgy old farts like me.

[hallelujah]

@hallelujah - I think the drive from Puerto Princesa to El Nido now takes 4 to 5 hours in a minivan. One can also go directly from Manila to El Nido via Air Swift, a small airline owned by the Ayala Corporation (a rich Filipino-Spanish family, they own lots of malls, condo buildings, mooban/ subdivision developments & Globe Telecom).

.

Is there something resembling a decent road now?

[Headworx]

Is there something resembling a decent road now?

Fair question. I did that drive long ago in a modified Jeepney with clapped out suspension that kept bottoming out on every bump along that road, it was about as uncomfortable as road travel gets for hours on end. Couldn't enjoy the 3 days there knowing we had to go back the same way. Would not surprise me at all to hear the road is still a fucking goat track.

[katie23]

@hallelujah - the roads are now paved/ cemented, but there are still hairpin bends. If you have the $$ and can't be arsed for a 5-hr drive, then I suggest to take the direct plane from Manila.

@BLD - yes, one can fly directly to El Nido via Air Swift, owned by the Ayala Corporation. If one wants to go to Puerto Princesa (where there's an underground river tour), one can fly to El Nido, chill & relax at the beach. Then 5h ride to Puerto Princesa, see the underground river, fly out of Puerto Princesa to Cebu or Manila.

Disclaimer: I haven't been to Palawan island itself, but have several friends who have gone there. Accdg to a friend, in El Nido the island hopping tours) are more beautiful - the sights, etc are nicer than those of Coron. He advised me that if I'll go on a packaged tour of El Nido, choose either Tour A or B, plus tour C.

In Palawan/ El Nido and in Coron (where I've been), during peak season there are island tours where you can be "joiners" - they group you with otger ppl. You pay a set fee (say P1, 500 or 2k for the day tour) and you don't have to pay for rhe whole boat. Of course if you've got $$, you can hire your own boat + crew = just arrange it with your hotel/ resort.

For the examples of the set tours, see my Cruising in Coron thread. For the DIY private tour, see Crocman's thread.

[katie23]

Deleted - double post cos wonky internet

[Backspin]

@backspin - Pattaya is Pattaya. It has walking street, the ladies & ladyboys of the night, the night markets, the malls, the water parks, the sewage, the flooding, etc.

Palawan is an island, away from the mainland. It's sometimes called "the last frontier" of the Phils. Most parts of the island are small, sleepy agricultural towns. There's Puerto Princesa, a small city. El Nido and Port Barton are the touristy towns. You don't go there for the nightlife or the whores. You go there for the beach, nature, diving, kayaking, chilling.

Crocman has a thread somewhere in the PH section - part of the trip was in Palawan. I made a thread about Coron, which is part of Palawan province but on another island. Similar island vibes & views (limestone karsts).

If you want vids, the channel of Jumping Places has loads of vids about Palawan island. They stayed for 4-5 months there during covid lockdown in 2020.

Also, will your Filipina wife be going with you and does she have any say re: your itinerary for this trip? Shouldn't you consult her too?

I understand that Katie. I am totally fine with the beach, chilling , nature et al. I am just conflicted about the price and the value for money spent on accommodation.

I don't care for the nightlife or whores or LB's. But Palawan probably has all of that. Boracay sure did.

[Backspin]

Not sure why you'd want to take your wife to pattaya

Because its 2023. Not 1998 or 2006. Pattaya has it all. Shopping, day activities, people watching, nightlife, beaches. And it is the best value for your money in the world in my experience.

[Backspin]

So basically you want to treat your wife to a cheap long haul holiday where she waits while you get pissed in dance bars ogling the old fat whores in pattaya

I want a R and R holiday.

Here. 8.6/10 rated hotel. Pool literally on the beach. $98 Canadian per night. Does price not factor into anything when you are deciding to go somewhere ? Of course it does. This kind of value gives me little choice.