THE PHILIPPINES

The Philippines is a great place to go scuba diving. It has wonderful marine life and is one of the cheapest places to dive and get certified. The beaches are nice; food, beer and lodging are cheap. So many people speak English, it's a very easy country to travel in.

How to go:

Direct flights are available to Manilla or Cebu. If you want to go to the south, go to Cebu. Cost around ￥47,000 for late bookings.

Money:

Filipino Pesos

Places to go:

Manila

Getting around:
There's loads of types of cheap transport to try:
Jeepneys - an open air type of truck with two benches on each side. Some have set fares, some you need to negotiate a price which may be difficult if you don't speak the language - English speakers can be ripped off.
Tricycle - a guy on a motorcycle with a side car for his passengers. Bargain for a good price.
Taxis - inexpensive and have strict regulations, which means they must use their meter (not just give passengers a random price). If they don`t turn on their meters, take down their licence plate and ID - this should scare them enough into turning it on - or get out. The expected tip is 10 %.
Highway Buses - fixed prices and the conductor will let you know what you owe. They are all private and the routes can be confusing.

to stay:
Friendly's backpackers - in the Malate area on M. Adriatico, about 4 minutes walk south of Robinsons Mall. Has a really homely feel.

to see:
Shopping in Manila:
Greenhills - a mall with individual stalls (called tiange) owned by individual owners. Sells everything from clothes, to CDs and DVDs and all the (fake) designer items you can think of. Almost nothing will have a price tag, so you must ask the price and then negotiate a reasonable price (aim for 25% to 50% less than the given price). There are also two movie theaters there and it's only 100 Pesos - less than ￥200!(brand new movies too). There's lots of restaurants too for when you get tired.
Although Greenhills is cheap by Japanese standards, there are much cheaper places, but they are also less safe. If you want to risk it, the same products at Greenhills can be found in Paranaque (pronounced 'paranyaque') Divisoria and Baclaran at cheaper prices. These areas are notorious for pickpockets and not-so-subtle kinds of robbery, so take care if you explore those areas.

Shoe Mart Mega Mall and the other 7 or so Shoe Mart malls in Manila are also very inexpensive shopping places with many restaurants and theaters. There is no need to bargain here.

Other Islands:

If you want to hop to another island, ask your hotel staff or at the airport for the best way. For example, to go to Boracay it will be about a 10-hour bus and ferry ride, but you could save time by flying there, which should not cost too much. Make sure the bus company you go with is reputable. There are flights from Manila to Caticlan by Asian Spirit then ride the boat to Boracay.
Cebu and Boracay are favorite tourist spots, but check out Cavite (has beautiful beaches), Tagaytay (really beautiful and it has a small active volcano in the middle of the lake and mountains surrounding it), Bagiou , and the Chocolate Hills. In any of these areas, you`ll be able to get some good outdoorsy fun.

Cebu

Moalboal - Small collection of guesthouses and dive shops. Pretty much everyone is here to go diving since there isn't much beach. Buses run to and from the South bus terminal in Cebu City. The dive shops and guesthouses are a few kilometres away from the village. Tricycles run frequently between the two.
to stay:
Marcosas Cottages - great place to stay. Clean and the staff is really nice.
to see:
Kawasan Falls - beautiful waterfalls. Go past the first set of falls and there's a small path that leads past the picnic tables and up to the next level, where you won't have to pay to sit at a table and relax.
diving:
Blue Abyss - great dive shop. Klemens is a wonderful teacher for the dive course.

Bohol

Fast ferries and slow ferries run several times a day from Cebu City to Tagbilaran.
Nuts Huts - outside of the small town of Loboc. "A fantastic place". Thatched cottages beside the river and a great cafe on the hillside. Walk 800 metres from the road or take a riverboat from the village. Rent bikes and go to the Tarsier centre or take a bus to the Chocolate Hills.

Malapascua

Buses run from the North bus terminal in Cebu City. Either charter your own boat for a "special trip" to the island, or get a ticket from the booth and wait until there are enough people for the boat to go. You have to also pay the small canoes which ferry you to/from the larger boats.
to stay:
Hippocampus Resort - Just renovated so the rooms are clean and fresh. From the boat landing, turn right and go down the beach.
diving:
Thresher Shark Divers - Good dive shop. Prices in Malapascua are a bit more expensive than the rest of Cebu.

Cebu City

to stay:
Cebu View Hotel - actually has no view but the location is good, downtown within walking distance of the Carbon Market and Basilica Santo Nino/Magellan's Cross.

TOP TIPS:

• If you can ask how much something is in Tagalog, they may give you a lower price. So, in Tagalog, "how much is this" is "mag kano po ito".
• Everytime you go into a commercial building like a mall, you`ll be asked to open your bags. They look for bombs and other weapons because there are terrorists living in the Philippines(see below).
• Do not go down to the most southern part of the Philippines. Terrorist groups linked to Al Qaida, are active there and they have taken foreigners hostage in the past.

Easter

Easter (in late March or early April) can be an interesting time in the Philippines. Easter Sunday itself is not as bad as Good Friday, when pretty much everything shuts down. Manila will be totally quiet that weekend. That said, things like the whale shark outing (in Donsol) shouldn't be a problem - the only trick will be getting a bus ticket out of Manila, since everybody else heads for the provinces around that time as well. If you can, arrange that bus ticket well in advance.
Easter in the Philippines can be pretty wild in the provinces. On Good Friday, you can check out the very unique and very morbid crucifixion re-enactment ceremonies in Pampanga, about 1.5 hours north of Manila, during which a number of people actually allow themselves to be nailed to crosses and hoisted up in the middle of a field while festival-goers munch on cotton candy and stereo speakers all around blare "Stairway to Heaven."

Diving:

http://www.asiadivers.com/asiadivers/index.php
Siquijor Dive Safari - A Miyazaki ALT has created these tours for ALTs who want to explore other parts of Asia. "Get out from hibernating under your kotatsu and come to the Philippines for some sun, tropical fruit and white sand beaches.
Siquijor Dive Safari runs trips over winter and Golden Week, and may expand to other times if demand is there. It is great trip for scuba divers and non-scuba divers to explore the islands and the sea.
Please contact Osa Relacion and Tata Relacion at osarelacion@yahoo.com for details of the package, pricing, and more information.

Websites:

http://www.tourism.gov.ph - for further information and accommodation.

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