[Closed] Where to go in Philippines/HK

First off Hong Kong is not cheap , IMHO your better off staying on HK Island check the net for deals staying at one of the YMCAS , Victoria Peak , Star Ferry , Ocean Park are all within easy reach and are must visits ,make sure you buy yourself an Octopus card when you land at Chep Lap Kok airport , they are a stored value card and can be used on the Bus , MTR ( Underground ) and in shops like 7 -11 and many fast food places as well .

As for the Philippines its a stark constrat to the more developed Asian Countries with poor infstructure and rife corruption , dealing with any branch of goverment is slow and a drawn out process ...as for the people they are warm , friendly i should know i am married to one !!

Plane travel in the PI is very cheap with airlines like Cebu Pacific and PAL often running mega cheap promos , personally i would avoid the ferrys as they are routinly overcrowed and have poor safety records , buses are cheap and if you get one of the nice air con ones they have decent seats and even teles on board .

As your workin in Manila i would suggest a trip to Putero Galera for some fantastic diving and stunning secenery , the bus from the Jam Terminal on EDSA costs only 200 ish peso and take you straight to the Pier at Batangas where you can get a Banca Boat to take you across the sea to PG , total cost wont exceed more than 400 peso just dont make the trip across if there are high seas .

Heaps more places to visit depending on what intrests you and not to mention theres some crackin biking to be had .

Any questions just shout .

+1 married to a Philippina! As above, the roads are not the safest / best / fastest, to get around far from Manila it's best to fly. However I would strongly recommend a day trip out to Mount Pinatubo (the one which erupted in massive style about 20 years ago); it's about 2.5 hours each way from Manila and then you have to take some hugely fun open "jeeps" and then about an hour's trek to the crater - which is vast and has a lake in it.

Further afield thoroughly recommend Bohol / the Chocolate Hills; Bohol has a very good ecological philosophy to it and is very beautiful (that's a flight though). Everyone talks about Borocay, but my feeling is that it's got a bit too commercial now; there are better places.

The people are wonderful, but as above don't expect anything to happen too quickly / logically, just be patient and it gets there in the end (usually after a lot of eating and singing, the nation's two great pastimes). It is hot and humid, but November is probably getting on for the best time to go, although I understand the weather's been bonkers this year. No-one will have a clue by the way why you would wish to walk / trek anywhere! There are some mtb tracks (all unofficial as far as I know) around Manila.

Good luck!

(Waves to Matty)

Some crackin riding up on Clark Base which is in the shadow of Pinatubo with many well to do Pinnoys driving there flash 4 x4 and even flasher mtbs there at the weekend to play on the trails around the former US base , hikes up to the crater were suspended earlier this year due to some mudslides killing some tourists so best to check locally , if retail therapy is your thing then a vist to the Divorsa area is a must just go with a local work colleague and watch your valuables if you want a better shopping experience then a visit to Mall Of Asia is a day out in its self , with Cinemas , Restaurants , and lost more entertainment options .

Just make sure you try the national delicacy Bault as well , an experience not to be missed .

( waves to ononeorange kurmsta po )

Matty - Mabuti naman po, salamat. Ang galing ng balut comment mo! (I did have some help on that.....).

I didn't realise that Pinatubo was closed. Gosh.

I forgot to mention that Bohol is excellent for wildlife, too, they have the tiny lemurs there which are very cute. I borrowed a (tiny!) bike there last time and rode around a "country club" somewhere near Manila, there were loads of bikes there and to my utter astonishment, an Orange 5. All immaculate though. Will try to get to Clark when we're next there.

Balut masrap nalang !!( i did not have help on that ......)

Well Clark is right next to Angeles City , i guess you have heard of it and its entertainment district ?

I spent my honeymoon in Dumangette now thats well worth a visit and again some amazing secenery etc etc ..

Indeed I have, and not the singing variety of entertainment! Would like to go to the rice terraces up north - maybe next time. Supposed to be amazing!

Cheers. Good to know there's two of us on here.

No probs mate , feel free to drop a email if you ever fancy a chat .Cheers .

[url= http://www.amazon.co.uk/High-Heels-Head-Torch-Essential/dp/0330479717/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1282235070&sr=1-1 ]This[/url] might be useful...

You might not be backpacking but a) it contains some useful tips (like wear rubber flipflops in showers in South America as the water is heated by passing an electric current across the shower head - nasty!) and b) it's a good read anyway.

No, I am not a girl and I don't backpack - [explanation-slight plug]it was written by a friend of MrsJulianA's[/explanation-slight plug]!

I have never been to HK (love to go!) but I'm told that Chunking Mansions on Nathan Road is worth NOT staying in! (others here will, I'm sure) confirm or deny this...

Have a great trip!

Mini lemurs sound awesome - but FCO advises against travel in the south at mo. Will possibly find some dried ones in a market in HK though...

Anyone been to Sadanga? Seems like a smaller Baguio (sp??)

Sorry no showing off with Tagalog here... 😉

I used to live in HK and play in the Flips. Unfortunately, my perspective is distinctly male...

The words'HK' and 'budget' are not good bed fellows.
HK is a bit full on and a lot of people find it dirty/smelly/overcrowded/expensive etc. On the other hand, it's fantastic fun and there's a real buzz to it. I'd stay on HK island, sod the budget, stay in the Mandarin 🙂 You'll find things a lot cheaper though if you can get digs on Lantau or Lamma. Not sure what you're into but there's quite a bit of tourist stuff in HK though less of the outdoorsy stuff. What there is, feels a bit contrived (to me at least) as it's a largely urban environment.

Phillipines? Cebu, Borocay or Puerto Galera (as suggested above). PG is great fun though a lot more developed now than it was when I first started going in the early 90's. The upside of PG is travel by boat as outlined above, Borocay and Cebu you'll need to fly. The locals in your office should be able to help organise something (and mebbies avoid getting ripped off).

Not wanting to dis the Flips, but it is a bit Wild West-sh so take care.... Oh, and you do not want to go to Angeles City unless you fancy a new career in the sex industry...

Go to Puerta Galera in Mindoro,and check out some of the resorts in the area.Stayed there a few years back on the reccommendation of the wifes cousin who worked in Manila.Had a fantastic time,cheap as chips and no hassle.To be honest though,the Phillipines is not for the faint hearted,and you do need to be a streetsmart traveller,but then you can say that about anywhere.Go,you WILL love it,and the people are its greatest asset,wonderful!

Not sure why my business trip, many years ago, to Flips ended up in several strip joints drinking away with some dodgy looking law enforcement people. 😕 They were treated like kings! My friend did all the talking while I watched the dancing girls. 😯

Oh ya ... some areas are no go.

I have never been to HK (love to go!) but I'm told that Chunking Mansions on Nathan Road is worth NOT staying in! (others here will, I'm sure) confirm or deny this...

interesting place... couple of prostitutes in the room next to mine, and some interesting dark red/brown stains in the stair well... but it was ok really!!! perhaps not as a lone female though.

Plans are crystaliising a little...

Is north Luzon worth the 15 hour bus drive on round hairpin turns? Was thinking of Sagada (out in the sticks for some jungley trekking) but Banaue could be a go-er instead. Added complication is that there was a typhoon a couple of weeks ago that may have taken the roads out.

It would then be a fun 20 hours down to Puerta Galera (via Manila) as there seem to be no beaches in the north (other than surf beaches, but that will mean no snorkelable reefs) - or are there?