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moflika posted:Rain concerns March to May is also typically summer weather in the region, so rain should be minimal even then. You could probably get away with buying a cheapass folding umbrella once you're there, if you want to be 100% sure.
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Mar 13, 2010 14:44
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Hillridge posted:I'm headed to the Philippines in a few days with little to no itinerary. Are you by any chance referring to Luna in the northern La Union region? If so, my clan's ancestral home is in Bangar, which is the next town over from Luna. I suggest taking a daytrip from Luna to Vigan, Ilocos Sur, about a 100-kilometer drive. The Calle Crisologo area there is a total throwback to the Spanish colonial days, which has made UNESCO declare the city a World Heritage Site. You can also spend a couple of hours wandering about and relaxing in the Hidden Garden.
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Mar 1, 2011 16:57
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B-Rad posted:Anyone been to the Philippines? My personal recommendation would be either of two places, at near-opposite sides of Luzon: 1) Caramoan Peninsula, in the southern Bicol region - the venue of multiple Survivor tapings (I believe Survivor Norway and Sweden are taping there now). The main Caramoan landmass serves as the starting point for jumping around the various white sand beach islands surrounding the area, and I can definitely say that spending the day island-hopping with a full case of beer and munchies aplenty is my idea of a beach bum's paradise. You can travel there by taking a 40-minute plane to Naga City, then a 1-hour shuttle van to Sabang port, and a 1.5-hour boat ride to Caramoan. 2) Pagudpud in the northern Ilocos region - the beach is a nice as Boracay, but the place is a hell of a lot more laid back. You can definitely get your beach bum on there. Getting there is either 10-12 hours overland from Manila, or you can take a 45-minute flight to Laoag, then a 2-hour bus trip to Pagudpud from there. I suggest checking for flights on Cebu Pacific to/from Laoag, or Air Philippines going to/from Naga.
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Jun 16, 2011 05:35
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TheLizard posted:I'm going to the Philippines for two weeks in November. The plan is to fly to Coron, spend a few days island hopping and then fly to Puerto Princesa to see the underground river. I don't have much time, but it sounds like Palawan is an awesome place to go and that it will be significantly less awesome in 5 years as the tourists discover it more. Does this sound like a good plan? Any specific hints/places to see in these two towns? Try to check out Kayangan Lake while in Coron, and Baker's Hill in Puerto Princesa.
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Jul 6, 2011 01:35
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TheLizard posted:Kayangan Lake is a definite; what is Baker's Hill? It's a quaint little bakery/theme park in Puerto Princesa that also happens to carry a nice selection of local baked goodies. You can probably kill an hour or so wandering around (longer if you've got kids with you) before filling up at the bakery, if you want a bit of a change from the regular beach itinerary.
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Jul 6, 2011 06:00
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eviljelly posted:I read up on the Manila-love post, but what's the deal with Cebu? I'm flying over to Bangkok from Korea, and it looks like it'll be about the same price for me to have a stopover in Cebu as it would be to fly straight over to Bangkok. I've got time to burn, so that's not really much of an issue, but is Cebu actually worth going to for 3-5 days? Cebu's quite a bit nicer than Manila, IMO, and you can easily eat up the 3-5 days by spending them in both the Cebu and Bohol islands (the ferry from Cebu City to Tagbilaran, Bohol costs between $4 to $10 one way).
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Jul 31, 2011 05:28
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ANGRY_KOREA_MAN posted:So I should be hearing in the next week or so whether or not I have attained employment in the Philippines, I'll be living in Manila specifically working for as a network support technician for the American government If you do wind up over here, let me know. It would be cool to actually meet some fellow goons.
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Oct 21, 2011 16:41
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Cynic Jester posted:So looks like I landed a job in Manila and I've got a few questions that I'm hoping one of you world wandering goons could answer. Regarding your money question: 1) Is that 75k per month gross or net? Check with your employer what tax rate will be applied to that salary first. 2) If you know how to cook, food is not going to be too much of an issue, since cost of living (read: groceries) is going to be quite a bit lower over here. Planning on lots of eating out and takeout? Most casual dining places will set you back about 300-400PHP per meal, although cheaper local places are always around. Make friends with any local coworkers when you get here and ask them where the good, cheaper eats are. 3) Local cigarettes cost anywhere from 25-50PHP for a 20-stick pack, depending on the brand and whether you buy soft or fliptop packs. If you're a smoker, you'd be better off buying a whole carton of 10 packs, which shouldn't cost more than 300PHP. 4) Electronics is where you're going to get shafted over here. Most stuff here gets released 4 months or so behind any US release dates, plus importation taxes and whatnot will make sure that gadget will actually cost more than it does in the US. I bought the laptop I'm currently using last March 2010, when I was working in the US, for $975 (around 43000PHP). When I returned home November last year, the same laptop had just been released here and was selling for about 60000PHP. That Galaxy Nexus phone coming out around the end of the year over there? I'll be happy if it comes out earlier than May 2012 over here. No idea regarding Steam though. *shrugs*
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Nov 9, 2011 15:10
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I'm a local Pinoy, and I wish I could contest any of this. Sigh.
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Jun 27, 2012 12:05
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Haraksha posted:Well then I'm just going to stick with the airport service. I'm willing to pay a premium not to get screwed. Here you go. It's more or less a 22-hour ferry ride one way, so you might want to consider spending extra for the flight and using up the time savings actually doing stuff in Cebu.
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Oct 31, 2012 16:46
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Bloodnose posted:Sure. I assume SIM cards are easy to get at the airport or convenience stores? When Viettel in Hanoi gave me a week of unlimited 3G for like $15 USD, that was the most awesome thing ever. Yeah, it's pretty easy to get a prepaid sim here. Go for a Smart sim, get a couple of 500PHP (~$12.27) reload cards, key them into your smartphone, and you'll be pretty much set. You can get 1GB of data for 499PHP, good for 30 days, by texting 'ON 499' to 2200. Another 250PHP gets you 100 call minutes to all networks, including back to HK if you wish (text CALL250 to 5908). I might be free tomorrow as well. I'll PM you my mobile number. E: goonmeet in Manila woop woop anakha fucked around with this message at 04:50 on Feb 8, 2013 |
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Feb 8, 2013 04:48
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So, after perusing promo fares for a few weeks, we've decided that the next family vacation is going to be this May, in and around the Hanoi area for 3-4 days. Just a couple questions for goons who have been around that area as we plan our itinerary: 1) My dad's a pretty husky guy and also has a bum knee, so we'd like to avoid doing anything that will involve a lot of walking if possible. Any suggestions for sights or activities that will have a lot of sitting down (like in a cruise or boat tour or something) or at least allow frequent breaks for him to take some weight off his knee? 2) We might need to do some navigating to get around, so I plan on taking my GSM smartphone there. Any recommendations for a decent prepaid carrier with good coverage that will allow me to load enough credits for a few days' worth of 3G browsing? Where would I be able to pick up a SIM card from such a carrier?
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Mar 6, 2013 14:30
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Many thanks Senso and duralict. That was a big help.
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Mar 7, 2013 11:15
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Tytan posted:Ah that's a shame. I'll still be in town until the 5th though, so might still be able to grab a quick beer one night if you're about? Wondering this as well. I'll be in Hanoi for a few days in May.
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Mar 23, 2013 07:45
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Hopefully this power thing isn't going to mess with my Hanoi trip this weekend.
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May 23, 2013 14:20
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So it turns out visiting Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum on a free day is not such a hot idea when everybody gets the same idea. Place was cool, though. And I could get used to the idea of Pho for breakfast, everyday. 
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May 26, 2013 10:02
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Bun cha is the poo poo. Now I'm off to sleep off this food coma.
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May 26, 2013 13:54
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At Noi Bai airport, waiting for my flight back to Manila. Halong Bay was nice, but pretty similar to Coron in Palawan island. Had fun exploring the Old Quarter and had a very interesting look at the North perspective on the Vietnam War in their History Museum. And I will never complain about motorcycle riders in the Philippines again.
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May 28, 2013 17:15
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Yeah, I remember seeing that on TV and thinking to myself, 'he's still got quite a few operations to go before he comes close'.
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Jun 2, 2013 09:45
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^^ I laughed way harder at that than I really should have.
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Jun 16, 2013 00:12
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blk posted:I think I've posted in here once before, vaguely, but things are starting to resolve. I was just in Hanoi and Halong Bay last month. Frankly, if you had to decide between Angkor Wat and Halong Bay as tourist destinations, go with the former. Halong Bay was kinda depressingly dirty.
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Jun 21, 2013 12:05
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MrNemo posted:On a somewhat random note, my plan to go diving in Thailand got altered as my dad is currently in Vietnam and now so am I. I'm in Hanoi tool Sunday and then heading to Sapa for a couple of days in case any goons are up here and want to get drinks or something? Gorge on some Bun Cha on Hang Manh Street. I miss that dish.
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Jul 27, 2013 03:17
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ReindeerF posted:Hell, there's even Popeye's Chicken, heh. Several friends who had tasted Popeye's in the US and I went to the opening of the first Popeye's franchise here in Manila several years ago. We immediately ordered a dozen biscuits since these were the things we missed the most. They tasted worse than Bisquick crap. That restaurant closed less than 8 months later.
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Aug 5, 2013 05:24
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Well, it has a little bit of competition here in Manila for salsa: a Chipotle ripoff chain.  I swear, the Philippines has the most US chain ripoffs that actually come reasonably close to the original. Which just screws them over worse when the originals finally arrive.
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Aug 5, 2013 05:40
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I've tried the In N' Out. Definitely not as good as the original, but not necessarily bad per se. I think it really comes down to the quality of beef being different here.
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Aug 5, 2013 06:57
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Quoting from another thread:kenner116 posted:I'll be in Manila from Sunday through Tuesday if any goons want to drink cheap beers and discuss why this is ReindeerF's favorite city. The Philippines will also be hosting a super typhoon tomorrow. Sadly they do not have the equivalent of Li's Field. Any other Manila goons willing to brave the elements on Sunday? anakha fucked around with this message at 11:36 on Nov 7, 2013 |
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Nov 7, 2013 11:33
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toasterwarrior posted:It's a shame because if there's any time you want to drive to Manila coming from the north, it's on a Sunday. Oh well, enjoy and warn them about getting on buses! Depriving the masses of beer and cigarettes by pricing these out of their meager budgets is a surefire way to start riots over here.
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Nov 8, 2013 04:20
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Cynic Jester posted:It's windy. Yeah, pretty much. It might have been worse down south where the typhoon actually passed, but in Manila it was relatively quiet.
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Nov 9, 2013 05:36
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^^ As per the path shown here, the hardest hit areas were mainly in the central Visayas region. There are no final damages being reported as of yet, but I'm seeing estimates of up to $3.2M in agricultural/crop damages alone. E: Another city getting a lot of attention for the damage it took was Ormoc City, also in Leyte. anakha fucked around with this message at 11:54 on Nov 10, 2013 |
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Nov 10, 2013 11:49
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Cynic Jester posted:Anyone else down for the meetup? Was planning to go, but I'm completely wiped out from playing babysitter for a day to a couple of toddlers. I'd forgotten how tiring taking care of babies could be. 
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Nov 10, 2013 15:11
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ReindeerF posted:Lose (or scramble) the egg and that's some good poo poo! For whatever reason I really enjoyed longanisa breakfasts. Despite my love for other ASEAN cuisine, longganisa is what keeps my palate mainly Filipino. No other country in the region does sausage anywhere near as well.
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Nov 10, 2013 16:23
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ReindeerF posted:Finally, just don't play The Eagles, man. Or My Way. Heh. The latter extends to most of Southeast Asia, I think. At least in the Philippines, its been known to get people shot.
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Jan 5, 2014 15:56
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Ooh, foodchat! Filipino food has its fair share of detractors (and rightfully so), but there are a few highlights. Too bad they're all what we'd call 'cardiac's delights' here: - As mentioned before, the longganiza/sausages here are far better than what you'd get in most of the rest of Southeast Asia. - Bourdain has raved about both sisig ('If you’ve never had this divine mosaic of pig parts, chopped and served sizzling and crisp on one side on a screaming hot platter, then you’ve yet to have one of the world’s best beer drinking dishes.”) and lechon ('Of all the whole roasted pigs I’ve had all over the world, the slow roasted lechon I had on Cebu was the best.') - Other signature dishes here are pork-based as well: deep-fried pork belly (lechon kawali) and deep-fried pork hocks (crispy pata) And here's a thread by fellow goon Gravity84 on Filipino food that got included in the GWS wiki. My favorite quote from that thread: quote:I love filipino food...but it can be the Paula Deen of Asian cuisine. VV Yeah, the beef dishes did slip my mind. Want to add Bulalo to the list as well. Thanks for reminding me. anakha fucked around with this message at 02:35 on Feb 1, 2014 |
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Feb 1, 2014 02:11
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The duckmaster saga continues.
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Jun 4, 2014 16:02
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ReindeerF posted:I don't care who you are. I am a fun loving guy and I try hard to make any place fun, but Manila will stymie you whoever you are. When drinking Red Horse around tables full of red chairs with bad fried food is a highlight your city sucks. HOW DARE Y- oh yeah, you're right. 
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Aug 25, 2014 23:51
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SE Asia Megathread: Our Capitals Suck rear end
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Aug 26, 2014 00:04
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Waltzing Along posted:And the MBK mall is so insane. I've been trying to describe it to friends back home but how do you explain three hundred cell phone stalls all crammed together all selling the same things. It just doesn't make sense. How do they stay in business. I'm guessing rental space is crazy cheap. If it's anything like Manila, a lot of those stalls are owned by the same people and the prices vary only to make people think they're getting good deals when they're still overpaying.
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Sep 13, 2014 05:39
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lemonadesweetheart posted:Someone tell me some stuff about Hanoi. I'll be overnighting there with me missus. Eat all the bun cha.
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Sep 23, 2014 23:10
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nelson posted:Headed to Vietnam tomorrow. 4 nights in HCMC, 4 in Hoi An, 3 in Hue, 5 in Hanoi. Any advice/comments for a first timer? lemonadesweetheart posted:I will be heading to hanoi/halong tomorrow. Eat bun cha in Hanoi. Eat all the bun cha.
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Oct 3, 2014 14:49
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DontAskKant posted:If I had the money for US prices and was in in the US I would, but I'm in Korea and the Philippines are the cheapest warm beach place. Speaking as a Filipino who lives in Manila, you really don't want to use Manila as anything other than a hub to get to the other places in the Philippines. Check out Cebu Pacific and Air Asia for cheap flights from Manila to Palawan/Cebu.
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Dec 5, 2014 02:29
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