Philippines

[feedthegoat27]

Anyone been?

Love SE Asia and it's been on my agenda for a few years now. Looks like I'm finally going next year as I'm holding off some cheap flights at work.

I've done bits of research but any tips or recommendations would be much appreciated. I'll have about a fortnight there so a decent window to visit a couple of places. Early thoughts are a couple of nights in Manila on arrival (I land very late), maybe 6 nights at Boracay and 5 at Bohol?

Also stopping over in Beijing on the outbound leg, got 30 hours there so again any pointers would be great, especially on central hotels. Not sure I'll have time to visit the GWOC but seeing Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square look essential when in that neck of the woods.

Cheers.

 

[jimharri]

Won't be as good as a week in Blackpool. Pricier too, I'd imagine.

 

[feedthegoat27]

Won't be as good as a week in Blackpool. Pricier too, I'd imagine.

As tempting as a week in Blackpool in February is, I think I'll have to give it a miss in favour of south east Asia :)

Just provisionally held a hotel in Boracay.....http://www.sulusea-hotel.com/en/index.html
Gives me a bit of framework for piecing the trip together but very open to any suggestions people may have!

 

[MadchesterCity]

I have travelled the majority of Philippines and depends what you are after

My recommendations would be land Manila, drink red horse, Emperedor and eat balut and BBQ chicken heart and intenstines, do Karaoke with the locals, after a couple days then visit Taal volcano, then get flight to Legaspi, bus to Donsol (Mount Mayon and swimming with 40ft Butanding) then flight to Palawan (underground river in Sabang then onto El Nido {best island hopping} (try the birds nest soup)

If you only have 30 hours then Tianamen square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven are a must then a trip to outdoor food markets (must try dog, sea horse, scorpion and fish lip with sea urchin soup OR shark fin soup, spend a night out drinking, you may end up more popular than you expense with the Chinese femails. Chinese have certain customs you should read up on before travel, I found them excellent, eager to please and very kind, I once ate a whole crab including the Shell, pincers the lot in a very posh restaurant and then they kept giving me food for free lol.

GWOC (Badaling) possible aswell but travel is a few hours both ways, I went to GWOC in December when it was snowing and very quiet but if in season it will be mobbed betond belief. If more time better to visit other sectors of the GWOC than Badaling. Let me know if any questions

 

[peoffrey]

Will he need a Visa for China? Friends went to see Wales in a football tournament last year and had to pay a fair whack. £50.00 or so.

 

[MadchesterCity]

Will he need a Visa for China? Friends went to see Wales in a football tournament last year and had to pay a fair whack. £50.00 or so.

There is certainly a form you fill in where it asks if you are an alien

Best check latest consulate advise, I think there is a visa fee if visiting as tourist but you can do it with a long wait in airport and process a transit visa, have done this elsewhere in China

 

[MadchesterCity]

Anyone been?

Love SE Asia and it's been on my agenda for a few years now. Looks like I'm finally going next year as I'm holding off some cheap flights at work.

I've done bits of research but any tips or recommendations would be much appreciated. I'll have about a fortnight there so a decent window to visit a couple of places. Early thoughts are a couple of nights in Manila on arrival (I land very late), maybe 6 nights at Boracay and 5 at Bohol?

Also stopping over in Beijing on the outbound leg, got 30 hours there so again any pointers would be great, especially on central hotels. Not sure I'll have time to visit the GWOC but seeing Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square look essential when in that neck of the woods.

Cheers.

Boracay beach been closed for a while for clean up, just recently reopened, I think 6 days there is too much personally

 

[MadchesterCity]

Anyone been?

Love SE Asia and it's been on my agenda for a few years now. Looks like I'm finally going next year as I'm holding off some cheap flights at work.

I've done bits of research but any tips or recommendations would be much appreciated. I'll have about a fortnight there so a decent window to visit a couple of places. Early thoughts are a couple of nights in Manila on arrival (I land very late), maybe 6 nights at Boracay and 5 at Bohol?

Also stopping over in Beijing on the outbound leg, got 30 hours there so again any pointers would be great, especially on central hotels. Not sure I'll have time to visit the GWOC but seeing Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square look essential when in that neck of the woods.

Cheers.

Bohol is amazing, Cheap flights direct to taglabaran direct from Manila, chocolate mountains, Loboc river (I swam up most of that with my fins and snorkels) and some of the most amazing beaches in Pangaloa Island, I believe development has really stepped up a fair bit in recent years.

If your interested in trip up Mount Pinatuba, ATM, bar hopping then Angeles (couple hours drive North of Manila is a winner)

 

[feedthegoat27]

Cheers for all the info and ideas, Madchester, certainly plenty of food for thought (though I couldn't bring myself to eat dog!)

No need for a visa for China; Beijing is one of a few cities in China where they allow visa free travel for up to 72 hours, or in some cases 144 hours stays.

 

[peoffrey]

The tournament was in Nanning.

Visas quite easy to obtain for most countries. I’m due in Turkey and Azerbaijan by the end of the year and am looking at £20 each.