Holiday in the Philippines!

[CDNSushi]

Guys, I am GEEKED! We finally get to take a well-deserved holiday in mid-August! It's been over 3 years since our last one, and our financial situation has finally stabilized enough for us to do this... (Heh... MAY have something to do with the fact that I'm working 4 jobs now. 1 F/T and 3 P/T), with my wife working 3 P/T.

So, we spun the globe around a few times (actually, truth be told, we just consulted our local, Japanese travel agency meta-site to see where was cheap) and we found great prices to Cebu, Philippines... From there, we are going to Camiguin Island for a week of scuba diving, sightseeing, and doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING while lying on the beach with a drink in each hand! I can't wait!

I filled in all the forms at work... As school board employees we are required to give detailed contact info if we go abroad during the summer. In the space marked: "Reason for trip" I wrote in: "Anthropological research." (I actually had written: "Drinking" as the purpose, but my supervisor recommended something a little more umm... legitimate-sounding).

Anyhoo... Just had to share this with someone! This is where we will be....



Anyone ever been there? If so, any recommendations? (Other than NOT getting ourselves kidnapped)...

[azwildcat96]

Last time I was in the Philippines was 1991. Flew into Manilla, then flew to Puerto Princessa on the Island of Palawan for a week stay. From what I remember, at the time there was still a bit of religious unrest between the Muslims in the south end of the island and the Catholics in the North, with Puerto Princessa being the dividing town. We headed North.

A fond memory was that our lodging (very primative huts, no electricity or running water) had mosquito nets over the beds. We were there during the dry season, so there were no mosquitoes. However we were told to use the nets and to place our shoes and other belongings under the nets while we slept. The first night, I woke up to use the restroom, switched on my flashlight, and instantly saw the spiders. They were not ordinary spiders, they were bird-eating spiders, about the size of dinner plates (named because they were known to literally chase down birds in the trees and catch and eat them before they could fly away.) The reason for tucking the mosquito nets under the mattress and having your things in bed with you was to keep these beasts from making a home in you shoe while you slept.

Anyway, it was a good trip, overall, and I'm sure you will be in a far nicer place than I was (more tourist friendly at least).

Enjoy the sand. Don't forget the sunscreen. Have a San Miguel (or six) for me.

[Matty Ross]

Anyone ever been there? If so, any recommendations

Yes, I have been there. However It was 1963 and I was 6 yeras old. I recomend you have FUN.

[ScotAtHeart]

A fond memory was that our lodging (very primative huts, no electricity or running water) had mosquito nets over the beds. We were there during the dry season, so there were no mosquitoes. However we were told to use the nets and to place our shoes and other belongings under the nets while we slept. The first night, I woke up to use the restroom, switched on my flashlight, and instantly saw the spiders. They were not ordinary spiders, they were bird-eating spiders, about the size of dinner plates (named because they were known to literally chase down birds in the trees and catch and eat them before they could fly away.) The reason for tucking the mosquito nets under the mattress and having your things in bed with you was to keep these beasts from making a home in you shoe while you slept.

[CDNSushi]

Yeah, I concur. What an odd definition of "fond memory..."

[ScotAtHeart]

Yeah, I concur. What an odd definition of "fond memory..."

I now have one very good reason to never go to the Philippines

[Galician]

Then you best scratch Central and South America off your travel lists too. They are native to that region as well.

A confrere told me that he was once watching a bush which seemed to be moving. Then he realized that the entire top of the bush was a spider.

[CDNSushi]

We were there during the dry season, so there were no mosquitoes.

Even during typhoon season we had very few. I was pleasantly surprised. But I still used copious quantities of DEET in the evenings, and all my clothes were pre-treated with permethrin before we left.

... we were told to use the nets and to place our shoes and other belongings under the nets while we slept. The first night, I woke up to use the restroom, switched on my flashlight, and instantly saw the spiders. They were not ordinary spiders, they were bird-eating spiders, about the size of dinner plates (named because they were known to literally chase down birds in the trees and catch and eat them before they could fly away.) The reason for tucking the mosquito nets under the mattress and having your things in bed with you was to keep these beasts from making a home in you shoe while you slept.

Didn't see any of those... But I DID get a large-ish brown spider crawling all over me as I was walking. He couldn't have been more than about 5-6 inches, but he got evicted from my person promptly.

Have a San Miguel (or six) for me.

Done.

[azwildcat96]

Even during typhoon season we had very few. I was pleasantly surprised. But I still used copious quantities of DEET in the evenings, and all my clothes were pre-treated with permethrin before we left.




Didn't see any of those... But I DID get a large-ish brown spider crawling all over me as I was walking. He couldn't have been more than about 5-6 inches, but he got evicted from my person promptly.


Done.

Glad the trip went well.

[seanachie]

You might enjoy this. I was in Manila about 6 years ago to train the new staff that replaced & made my entire department redundant. Anyway, there is a huge mall in Manila called MegaMall. It has an ice rink. All the lines are painted, goal creases etc BUT there is a cement column running, right smack into, if memory serves, the center ice redline. Gives new meaning to hit like a ton of bricks.