# A couple questions...



## NycFilipina (Sep 23, 2015)

Hi everyone- so my ex boyfriend and I booked a three week long vacation in the Philippines starting the end of November into Mid December. We have since broken up and I need to make my own travel arrangements for that time. Since three weeks is a long time for me to be paying for lodging alone, I'm looking for reccomendations of cheap places to stay and more importantly, for what cities it would be safe for me to travel to on my own.

I'm concerned about safety given recent events there, and am wondering if it's safe for me to go alone at all. If I would truly not be safe alone, I might just have to eat the cost of everything I've spent so far and not go. I guess my questions are:

1) is it safe for me to go on this trip alone? I'm in my mid 20s and have never been to the Philippines before. 

2) if i go, how much money should I expect to pay to stay in safe places over the course of 20 days- what's a reasonable budget for this?

Ugh thanks so much.

Amanda


----------



## pijoe (Jul 21, 2015)

Can you speak Tagalog? Do you know the culture?


----------



## dgsummers (Apr 15, 2015)

Where were you planning on travelling to?


----------



## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

I don't see why you shouldn't travel on your own. I would suggest that at least for your 1st night pre-book a hotel that has an airport pickup service. It just makes it a bit easier.


----------



## esv1226 (Mar 13, 2014)

I would get a refund and travel when I'm ready. Do you think you'll have a new boyfriend by then? A Fil Am?


----------



## NycFilipina (Sep 23, 2015)

I don't know much Tagolog at all other than words to say at the dinner table. My grandparents are Filipino but no one has been to visit since they left in the 40s.

That being said, I'm not close to any family there and don't have relatives to stay with. I have no preference on where to go visit. I have heard Cebu, Palawan, my grandpa is from Bicol so I was hoping to visit there if it's safe...


----------



## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

Those areas all sound pretty safe, just need to take the sorts of precautions you would when travelling anywhere you are not used to. If you allow $50 a night for hotels you are into the medium price range. Once you have the hang of thing you could cut back a bit especially in the provinces.


----------



## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

*Budget and safety*



NycFilipina said:


> Hi everyone- so my ex boyfriend and I booked a three week long vacation in the Philippines starting the end of November into Mid December. We have since broken up and I need to make my own travel arrangements for that time. Since three weeks is a long time for me to be paying for lodging alone, I'm looking for reccomendations of cheap places to stay and more importantly, for what cities it would be safe for me to travel to on my own.
> 
> I'm concerned about safety given recent events there, and am wondering if it's safe for me to go alone at all. If I would truly not be safe alone, I might just have to eat the cost of everything I've spent so far and not go. I guess my questions are:
> 
> ...


Here's an example of hotel rates in Manila. 30 Best Cheap Hotels in Manila on TripAdvisor

What it comes to your security... you will need to be aware of your surroundings or people following you, watching you, this may never happen, but those are just a few of the scams, they'll come up to you and who knows what they will say or in some cases act like they know you be careful the trust level should be lowered for just about everyone you meet.

You also will need as much small change or small bills as you can come up with, most people won't have change or say they don't have change...ugh I'm trying to give it a positive spin but? Well...it could be a real eye opener for you because this is a very poor country but my first experience was a shocker and I guess like many other expats I choose now to live here.

My mother-in-law is originally from the Bicol region and her father is from Luzon so I guess the positive part of my wife would be her father...read between lines on this....Lol. 

The area we live in South of Los Banos Laguna is full of farm workers, fishermen from that region, lack of jobs bring people from Bicol into Luzon for hard labor jobs.... People from Bicol... other than they party hard, seem generally happy.


----------



## galactic (Dec 2, 2014)

NycFilipina said:


> I don't know much Tagolog at all other than words to say at the dinner table. My grandparents are Filipino but no one has been to visit since they left in the 40s.
> 
> That being said, I'm not close to any family there and don't have relatives to stay with. I have no preference on where to go visit. I have heard Cebu, Palawan, my grandpa is from Bicol so I was hoping to visit there if it's safe...


If it's your first time here and alone at that, I suggest you plan very well.
Specific questions could easily be answered here.


----------



## Palawenio (Mar 4, 2014)

If I were you, I would spend my holidays way up north of Luzon Island ; anywhere near Vigan, Ilocos Sur ; or Laoag, Ilocos Norte.. Plenty of beaches there.. and there's an international airport in Laoag ( you have to come from Manila airport though ; airfare from Manila is less than $50 one way. It is about 600 kilometers north of Manila). NO foreigner gets kidnapped there. It is because there are no pirates up north who make a living out of kidnapping foreigners for ransom.


----------



## chris1jacobs (Jun 29, 2013)

Hi. 
I travel cebu bohol panglao and Neros alone often and never had any problems there, i know a few tagalog words a phrases but not enough and the visayas they speak visayan mostly anyway.
North Luzon is also beautiful and plenty to see but I prefer the visayas. I have not been to Palawan as yet bit it is on my list very soon
The only place I had some problems was manila with the taxis so yes if you can book your first night in advance with hotel transfer it will save you a lot of worries at the airport in cebu or manila
You say you your grand parents are filipino then you probably will not look like a total foreigner here and you will not have half the problems us foreigners have. 
What activities are you in to? Party, Scuba diving, snorkeling, surfing, hiking or just beaches, waterfalls and sightseeing?
When are you comming down? Rainy season and the typhoons should be finished for the year.


----------



## Rogdas (Apr 9, 2015)

Don't know what area of Bicol you are considering visiting. The area of Bicol that I go to and visit is the sorsogon region as this is where my wife is from and we have built a house there. (sorsogon city) the province has wonderful beaches and a beautiful hot spring resort in the town of irson. the people are friendly an happy. I go to the market, stores and reausterants regally by myself and have never had any problems. treat them with respect and you will get the same in return. 
we will be arriving there in a couple of weeks for a month visit we are so looking foward to are return there. 
on another note are 5 BB Boxes have been recieved at the house without any issues. Just driving wife sister crazy with anticipation because she can't get into them LOL>>>


----------

