Holiday in the Philippines!

**CDNSushi** · 7th July 11, 09:04 AM

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** · 7th July 11, 10:20 AM

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** · 7th July 11, 07:28 PM

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** · 7th July 11, 10:21 PM

Originally Posted by azwildcat96

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** · 7th July 11, 10:30 PM

Originally Posted by ScotAtHeart

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

**ScotAtHeart** · 7th July 11, 10:35 PM

Originally Posted by CDNSushi

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

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

**Galician** · 8th July 11, 05:35 AM

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.

**ScotAtHeart** · 8th July 11, 06:37 AM

No spiders for me......thank you. The sight of one makes me jump about four feet straight up in the air.

**Morris at Heathfield** · 8th July 11, 03:30 PM

I'd like to go to the Philippines, but there are a lot of other places on my list to go to first.

And I hate spiders, but living in Guatemala I had to sort of get used to them, including very large ones.

**Mark Stephenson** · 8th July 11, 05:17 PM

I lived at Clark Air Base in Luzon in 1984-1986. I guess it was pretty much destroyed by the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo. In any case, when we wanted a great vacation and couldn't go too far away, we would go to the mountain resort city of Bagio. The weather was always cool and the city was delightful. I used to see GIGANTIC spiders around Clark Air Base, but I don't think those big ones lived up in the mountains.