Anyone Been To Palawan, Boracay, etc

[outwest77]

[This message has been edited by outwest77]

Just curious, since my next trip will be more pleasure , exploration , than was this one, which was mostly business.

I heard Palawan is nice, would like to go to nice diving place, nice beach would be nice also, but sometimes you either get one or the other.

It would also be nice to go to a place which has not been infected by too many tourists yet, also hard to find,

Here is the Baguio Report
The last sunday Night,  we did go to Baguio. Very nice place, we hit it at the end of the Flower festival, missed most of the parades, etc, Got to go horsebackriding, those horses, up there
haul Butt, and they dont mind you galloping them, We walked along the vendor stalls downtown, went to the Strawberry fields, and bought some strawberry jam and fresh strawberrys, and then went to Eat At Greenwich, If you want to try something good , try the Chicken ala king at greenwich.

Later that night we went to the downtown area, we only were able to stay there one day, and rented a boat and rowed in the lake, Then, since it was the last night there, it was fireworks display time, Wow, huge nice fireworks display, and we were on the boat rowing at the time, so My gf, jane, and me had a fun time trying to avoid the other boaters, while watching the nice fireworks,
Then we had to get out of town and get back to manila since i was leaving in a few days so we went to the hotel, checked out, and tried to catch a cab with our luggage, NO LUCK, tons of cabs, but all were full, The traffic etc was like Tiimes square on New Years Eve, a ZOO
Then we decided to catch a Jeepney to the bus terminal, If you have never been to Baguio, you dont know how big the hills are there, They make San Francisco look flat, what a ride that is, but the jeepneys there (no trikeys, guess they cant climb the hills), the jeepneys have ttransmissions like tanks, and they navigate the winding hills like a slow boatride. The Trip back home was peaceful, 10pm, one stop in Tarlac, I asked my gf, what does that sign over there say.......
Bawal, etc ect Cr etc etc..............She says,..."oh , it say, DONT WEE WEE HERE, THE CR IS OVER DER"..... LOL, she cracks me up some times.

Anyway, any helpful tips about diving places, etc for the next trip would be appreciated

[Jimbo]

... in response to Anyone Been To Palawan, Boracay, etc, posted by outwest77 on Mar 9, 2003

Hi Outwest,

Next time I might try Coron or Busuanga Islands for beach and diving.  It's mostly wreck diving there.  Northern Palawan has most of the places but it's not as pristine as Southern Palawan.  In the south it's more expensive, generally, but I haven't been there, that's just what I've researched.

Check out palawan.com.ph.  The infamous 'Dos Palmas' resort is ridiculously expensive - no wonder the Abus picked the place.

Hey, I was in Dumaguete for New Year's.  It was wild there too with all the fireworks although not as bad as Manila.  Still, it was crazy enough that we spent most of the night at the hotel.  Siquijor was as safe and as relaxing as Camiguin.  The most dangerous thing in that area was the currents.

Jim

[Stephen]

... in response to Anyone Been To Palawan, Boracay, etc, posted by outwest77 on Mar 9, 2003

I've not been to Palawan, but I'd like to go also.

HOWEVER, I don't think that right now would be a safe time to travel there.  What do you others think?  Am I being a nervios nellie about it?

Stephen

[outwest77]

... in response to Re: Anyone Been To Palawan, Boracay, etc, posted by Stephen on Mar 9, 2003

Thanks Steve, Hum, Ray and Dave, I have been not putting mindanao on my map but this is not the first time i have heard that its one of the nicest places in the country,

I guess if we all avoid there, the terrorists win, and we also kill the economy more, as if it has not been killed enough.

I am always saying how the aussies, and kanos who wont go to bali or to the phils because of terrorists , are wimps, and here i am doing the same thing to mindanao, oh well, thanks for the input,

I would still like to see if anyone here has gone to Palawan, the pictures of it look amazing.

[Stephen]

... in response to Thanks All, posted by outwest77 on Mar 10, 2003

I'm going to Mendanao next month.  I'll be in Butuan City and Cagayan do Oro.

CDO is a great place.  Tess and I are considering retiring to CDO.

Stephen

[Humabdos]

... in response to Re: Anyone Been To Palawan, Boracay, etc, posted by Stephen on Mar 9, 2003

I would go tomorrow if someone will buy me a ticket! 95% of the Philippines is safe as far as i'm concerned.

Hum

P.s. save yourself some money and skip Boracay It's full of Germans and other Europeans.

[outwest77]

... in response to Re: Anyone Been To Palawan, Boracay, etc, posted by Stephen on Mar 9, 2003

Talked to Swagman travel when i was there and they book trips there all the time, its not in Mindanao, or muslim controlled, although it is where some kidnappings took place a few years ago of the american missionaries, Then again, kidnappings take place in manila too, and I feel very safe there, I just watch my back, same as anywhere else, If you go by the conventional wisdom etc, there is a travel warning for the entire philippines by the usa state dept, but its more specific to Mindanao and the muslim regions. Oh, well I am no expert, I am waiting for some more input. I definitely wont go to Surigao or southern Visayas, or mindanao though.

[Ray]

... in response to Re: Re: Anyone Been To Palawan, Boracay,..., posted by outwest77 on Mar 9, 2003

"I definitely wont go to Surigao or southern Visayas, or mindanao though".

That's a strange thing to say.

You're missing the best part of the country IMHO. There is a lot more to the Philippines than Manila and Luzon. I don't know what you expect to see in Boracay, but there are much better beaches in Surigao and the Southern Vsiayas. Boracay is really just a tourist trap and a VERY desirable target for terrorists.

The wacko Muslim terrorists want to scare all foreigners away from Mindanao because they want to take over the entire island make it their terrorist-run Muslim-fundamentalist "homeland". I say go to Mindanao anyway and send a message to the terrorists to stuff it up their big hairy butts! :-)

As a side note, I know MANY native Filipinos who have NEVER been South of Luzon and many of them are in their 60's & 70's.

Ray

[Dave H]

... in response to Palawan, Boracay, etc, posted by Ray on Mar 9, 2003

Hey Ray,

I agree 100%! "I say go to Mindanao anyway and send a message to the terrorists to stuff it up their big hairy butts! :-)"  Mindanao and the Bisayas are wonderful! Most of my friends from Manila think we are nuts to go there. "The only thing you have to fear, is fear itself!"

Dave H.

[Humabdos]

... in response to Palawan, Boracay, etc, posted by Ray on Mar 9, 2003

n/t