Manila-Boracay-Palawan-Manila (on my own)
Let's start from the very beginning.
The season in the Philippines depends on the island. But, in general, the most successful time for rest is February-April. We couldn't wait until the season and planned to leave on November 22.2008. They call this time “cool”. Cool is, of course, a relative concept; ) The temperature did not drop below 30 degrees, it rained only a couple of times and then - closer to the night, and in the morning the sun was shining, and the sand dried up very quickly. We don't complain about the weather.
We had grandiose plans: 2 islands (Boracay Island, Palawan Island) and the capital of the Philippines (Manila) in two weeks.
The tour was ordered not through Moscow, but through a Philippine travel agency in Manila, which saved a decent amount (specially compared with the Maldivian offer).
We flew with Qatar Airways via Doha (Qatar), we booked the tickets ourselves, because the Aeroflot tickets offered by the travel agency cost 2 times more.
The flight, I must say, is quite long - 5 hours to Doha, transfer (4 hours when flying there, and 2 hours when returning), and then another 9.5 hours to Manila. It was possible to fly with Emirates and other companies (via Tokyo, Singapore, etc. ), but everything is either more expensive, or inconvenient transfers, or both. Before that, we flew Emirates to the Maldives. The service is the same, the only thing is that we like the Boing 737 (Emirates) more than the Airbus A330 (Qatar), somehow they are more thoughtful or more convenient. And, without a doubt, duty free in Doha is 10 orders of magnitude inferior to Dubai. But in Qatar they fed better. But these are all the little things in life compared to the amazing and unforgettable adventure that lies ahead of you.
Capital of the Philippines. Manila.
At the airport in Manila, a driver was already waiting for us, ready to take us to the hotel. We chose the hotel not the most expensive, taking into account the fact that we were not going to spend a lot of time in it, but within Makati City (Manila's business center), which we advise you. Why?
Manila is a city of contrasts, next to chic skyscrapers you will see more than modest shacks, slums; with a policeman with a weapon, in an ironed white shirt and dazzling white gloves - beggars. In general, you will feel much more comfortable and safer in the center. Despite the low prices, the hotel (Oxford Suites Hotel) turned out to be very decent, although in the last two nights in Manila, we (in a dream) were attacked by some unknown insects and were severely bitten. I would like to think that these were just harmless ants, which, by the way, climbed into a bag with fruits bought as a gift and traveled with us all the way to Moscow). This slightly spoiled the impression of the hotel. Another minor annoyance is the need to pay a security deposit. You pay depending on the days of your stay. For 1 day - 500 pesos (divide by 2 to represent the amount in rubles).
A good tip is to make a cash deposit, not a credit card, because they have some strange procedure for returning funds to a card, we never fully understood it. At the time of writing this review, the money has not been returned to us. You can pay in dollars, upon departure from the hotel at the reception you will be refunded the entire amount in Philippine pesos at the rate of the hotel. Their course is normal everywhere - you don’t have to worry. In general, both the peso and the dollar are in use in the Philippines. Visa is accepted almost everywhere.
Now about the city. I can tell you right away that I liked the city. There is where to walk, there is something to see, a lot of places where you can eat cheaply and well, and good shopping. The city center, as I already said, is built up with beautiful office skyscrapers. Plants grow everywhere on the streets, which we buy for a lot of money in OBI and other stores and reverently, carefully grow at home: difembachia, dracaena, ivy, and so on. and so on.
And, of course, palm trees! Which, by the way, they decorate very beautifully with garlands. About ways to get around Manila: the best way is by taxi. There are no problems with a taxi in the city at all - you can catch it in any part of the city, there are also special taxi stops. Do not take a taxi from the hotel - it is at least twice as expensive. Feel free to go outside, prices are very liberal, bargaining is appropriate. We also took a ride on the subway for educational purposes. I don’t advise - it’s dirty, there are huge queues for tickets, the scheme is not very clear, there are no signs anywhere. In Manila, there is a very curious ground public transport, the so-called "jeepneys") - open cars, as if from a film of some old movie. Each driver tries to somehow stand out, so you are unlikely to find two identical jeepneys. Cool. And there are cabins attached to a motorcycle or bicycle for 1, maximum 2 people.
In the City Guide, which you will be given at the airport or hotel, you will find information about possible excursions. For example, an excursion to an active volcano located near Manila. We did not have time, but I think it is very exciting. But we managed to visit the Manila Oceanarium. Impressions are twofold. Frankly, they expected more from a sea country. Sharks, of the size that is represented there, we literally “hand-fed” in the Maldives. In addition, just crazy crowds of people, schoolchildren, screaming, taking pictures. You need to squeeze through to the aquariums with a fight; ). But for those who have never been to the aquarium and who have nothing to compare with, I advise you to go. Outside of Manila, there is another aquarium where they promised to show whales, sharks, and so on. But it takes a long time to get there. We didn't have enough time.
In terms of shopping, we recommend visiting the Mall of Asia - the largest mall in Asia and the third largest in the world. The size is really impressive.
A friend who was already in the Philippines in 2006 recommended Greenhills. We followed the advice and were not disappointed! Greenhills is a rather large shopping center, where both fairly civilized shops and stalls are gathered. If you do not find the pearl market yourself - ask passers-by, policemen. Filipinos are generally very friendly and speak good English, so you won't get lost. The market is large, there are a lot of pearls, hung, laid on. You'll like it. We spent a lot - bought both for ourselves and as a gift. Then, having already left, they regretted that they had not taken it in reserve; ).
Immediately consider for domestic flights - the flight schedule is quite flexible and the flight schedule is constantly changing. We were notified of all changes by our travel agency, she also coordinated the time of ground transfers to hotels. If you go by yourself - ALWAYS specify the departure time the day before by phone or on the Internet.
Also, be prepared to pay airport taxes that are not included in the ticket price. Separately, they seem not so significant (on average, 200 rubles per person separately for arrival, separately for departure on domestic flights, for departure from the country - about 400 rubles), but since we had a lot of flights, the fees poured out to a tidy sum. There are quite a lot of airlines in the Philippines, the planes are small, pretty, everything is painted, just like toys; ). The flight is also comfortable and short - about an hour both to Boracay and to Palawan. Most of all we liked CEBU PACIFIC.
Filipinos are very smart about this. They take everything. For every suitcase. We advise you not to spoil. For us, for example, a dollar for bringing suitcases to the room seemed like a small amount after the Maldives. In fact, the dollar is a significant amount in the Philippines, more than 50 pesos (despite the fact that a bottle of beer costs 20).
So we learned from our experience that 20 pesos for such services is quite enough. Regarding restaurants - a normal tip - 10% of the bill. In some restaurants, tips are already included in the cost of dishes, you can add at your discretion, or you can not - no one will be offended.
O. Boracay. Willy's Beach Resort.
The next day after arriving in Manila, we flew to about. Boracay, more precisely Caticlan, from which a boat transfer to Boracay is organized. After the boat transfer, most hotels also organize a land transfer to the hotel. Our hotel was called Willy's Beach Resort. The location of the hotel is very favorable, it is located on the famous Long White Beach. You can walk to the main street in 5 minutes, but at the same time, the hotel is not as crowded and noisy as those near the main street in the center of the beach. Exit from the hotel - directly to the sea. We lived on the second floor in a Deluxe Room with windows overlooking the sea.
We really liked the room, cozy, clean and spacious, despite the very low prices. Very nice and large balcony with a tea table, chairs and a lounger. With this balcony, the rooms on the second floor compare favorably with the rooms on the first floor, where there is only a “walk-through” veranda. There are not so many sun loungers and umbrellas on the beach adjacent to the hotel, but the hotel is not crowded in principle, and you can always ask the staff to put additional sun beds. You can sunbathe and swim not only on the territory of your hotel, the beach is common, but we did not dare to encroach on the sunbeds of someone else's hotel - as a rule, they are watched. When preparing for the trip, we read a lot about the Philippines. Yes, and you have probably already heard about the whiteness of the sand on the island. The sand is really very white, but does not produce the expected impression, because.
the people trampled it, the tide flooded it - only near some hotels you can admire the whitest, fine, beautiful and unstained sand - they specially pour it onto the territory, around the palm trees, take care of it and ennoble it. The beach is generally beautiful, with classic sloping and tall palm trees, but not very well maintained, for example, compared to the Maldives. In addition, there are a lot of intrusive local people offering various types of water activities. This is annoying, because there are REALLY a LOT of them, every five meters. During walks on the beach, they track you down, and trudge after you with a laminated price list until they are replaced by another person who wants to. After some time on the island, we learned to ignore them - and it became easier. In 2006, says a friend, this was not in sight. Not a lot of people, and not a little.
Of course, a vacation in Boracay cannot be called secluded (again compared with the Maldives), but it also has its own charm.
We took BB food, firstly, because they practically don’t offer anything else, and secondly, because they heard from people who know that eating in Boracay is not a problem, the food is varied - European, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and, of course, the local Filipino. And they did not regret it - at every step along the beach you can find a place where you can have a dense, tasty and cheap meal. Basically, we had lunch and dinner in a restaurant at the hotel, there is a good menu and almost always all dishes are available, unlike some other places. But I also advise you to visit a restaurant, I don’t remember the name, in which all the seafood is on display, fresh, beautiful. Whatever you choose, they will cook for you. It is located on the main street, somewhere closer to the beginning. I think you will find it.
We took mainly local dishes and seafood. If you like to try something new, interesting and exotic, not conservative in your choice of food - Boracay is for you. I especially advise you to try the Philippine soup "Sinigang" (seafood: shrimp, squid, mussels, fish in various combinations (who cares what) in a pleasantly sour broth). The hotel has a very tasty signature crab. Seafood coconut soup (served right in the coconut), pancakes with seafood are also interesting. In general, nothing that we tried did not seem tasteless to us, so the choice is yours. Another must-do program is a banana-mango shake - an awesome drink and perfectly quenches your thirst! In general, necks and freshly squeezed juices are very popular in the Philippines! It is easy to find both in Boracay and Manila, the price is ridiculous (25 rubles in terms of our money for a decent glass). Try GREEN mango juice - it's worth it!
As for the prices for food - very, very pleased. In our hotel it was possible to eat well for 1500 rubles. for two with a bottle of good wine. I'm talking about the most expensive option - a kind of festive dinner with several dishes, appetizers, crab, after which you barely leave the restaurant due to overeating; ). And it's still more budget-friendly. Portions are big. If it’s soup, then it’s definitely a pot, etc. By the way, a very good local beer “San Miguel” costs about 50 rubles in restaurants, and only 10 rubles per bottle in a store.
We warn you - there is no snorkeling in Boracay! Only in one place on the other side of the island we found a reef, but, as you remember, you have to pay for everything - the zone is fenced, a Filipino swims around on a boat and offers tickets to everyone who has sailed; )). Yes, to be honest, there is nothing to see. This is not the Maldives for you with a house reef, a beautiful and diverse underwater world.
Boracay is a big island.
Means of transportation - funny booths attached to motorcycles. We did not use them ourselves, we walked. Were on other beaches, including on the opposite side of the island Long White Beach. The beach made a depressing impression - like after a tsunami, the water near the coast is dirty, because big waves, discarded algae, a lot of garbage, a lot of locals, a strong wind. Of the proposed entertainment, we chose Hopping island - around the island on a boat. Liked. We saw Puka Beach from the boat, it seemed to us that the beach was clean and secluded, but we did not have time to go there.
Boracay Island is famous for its sunsets. Indeed, we were amazed by the sunsets, they took home a lot of very successful shots. At sunset, sailboats intended for the entertainment of tourists, all as one "go out" to the sea and barrage parallel to the coast. The picture is VERY impressive!
O. Palawan. Hotel Club Paradise.
Through Manila (because there are no direct flights from Caticlan to Busuanga) we go to about. Palawan.
Again we go by car and sail by boat. The hotel is located on Damakya Island. From the transfer impressions are the most positive. As for the land, we got acquainted with the way of life of the local population outside Manila. Poverty, of course, is terrible, but there are many interesting things: what are rice fields alone with herons walking through them, a cow lying in a huge puddle (when we returned, we found it in the same place), or an empty public transport stop with a thematic inscription: “ Waiting for something!! ! ". And about the water - the delight of flying fish. And here we are. The Club Paradise hotel is the only one on the island. The island itself is small, the rest on this island somehow reminded the Maldives, there were few people, they lived in the Beachfront cottage with their own sunbeds, in close proximity to the sea. We really liked the bungalow, tastefully decorated.
In general, about hotels in the Philippines, we can confidently say: for less money than in the Maldives, you will be provided with a MUCH more cozy and comfortable room. But there were a couple of "buts". First of all, and this is the most important thing - MOSHES, small, but painfully biting. All over the beach. They appeared somewhere by one o'clock in the afternoon and did not disappear until the next morning. You understand, sunbathing on the beach at this time is unpleasant, almost impossible. There are no midges on the veranda of the house, you can lie in a hammock and read a book, or just walk around the island, or go snorkeling. But since I still counted on a beach holiday, I was very upset by this fact. The second "but" is the waves. The excitement at sea did not stop in principle. Most likely due to the fact that we were in the off-season. On the first day, we were in a little blues because of this, but then the sea calmed down a bit, and it was possible to enter without problems, but at a depth the excitement is not felt so much.
Unlike Boracay, they entertained themselves with snorkeling. The underwater world, of course, is not as rich as in the Maldives, but overall not bad. The wildlife is interesting, in addition to all sorts of fish, we saw a stingray, an octopus, turtles, sea urchins, a bunch of starfish. My young man went diving, in his words - he liked it, but again - it's better in the Maldives. Since there is no infrastructure other than a hotel on the island, we naturally ate at the hotel restaurant (FB). We must pay tribute - the food is very good and varied, everything is delicious. Buffet. Every day - seafood (crabs, mussels, squid, octopuses, shrimps, fish), there are also familiar dishes. And MOST IMPORTANT - mango!! ! Unlimited!! ! We ate at least one mango for breakfast, lunch and dinner. WHAT are there mangoes!! ! It turns out that this is an amazing, juicy, extremely tasty, fragrant, sweet fruit with a pleasant sourness! You will not try this in Moscow!
Mango in Russia and Philippine mango are two fundamentally different things! This is not a green with a red barrel (at best), a hard fruit with a characteristic flavor of a Christmas tree. Mango in the Philippines is a calm yellowish hue, soft and indescribably tasty! Try it! We took away 8 pcs. home: for themselves and as a gift - they could not resist). There is an observation platform on the island, from where (but not only from there) a beautiful view of the surroundings opens - the sea and nearby islands. In fairness, if we compare the Philippines with the Maldives, it is worth saying that the nature in the Philippines is more diverse and interesting than in the Maldives, where you see only the endless Indian Ocean and in some places neighboring islands, as flat and monotonous as yours. Everything is different here, especially in the Palawan region.
In the sea - boulders, on which waves break cinematically; ), mountains in the background, in some mysterious blue haze and in the same romantic spirit, you can continue further. In general - there is something to admire. I was pleasantly surprised that the island has a free billiards (old, true, but - nevertheless), we have not seen this anywhere else. There is also a good spa-salon (prices are 2-3 times less than in Moscow). Those who go in for diving will not be bored either - there is the Dugong Dive Center. In the restaurant in the evenings there are entertainment programs: local artists sing and dance. It is possible to order a romantic dinner on the seashore, they will put a table on the sand for you, around a candle - everything is very nice! We, of course, could not deny ourselves this; )!
Summing up, I want to say once again that we really enjoyed our vacation as a whole!
Of course, if you dig deeper, there were some unpleasant moments and inconveniences, but they could not affect our absolutely positive impression of the country. If you are lazy (which, in principle, there is nothing wrong), and you want the so-called "refined paradise", as in that joke with a beard ("I want two seagulls, decorously strolling along the edge of the sea every morning"), then you better go to Maldives. But if you are bored and want new experiences, go for it - you will get them from the Philippines in full. We decided to definitely return, at least for the sake of the island of Bohol, which is inhabited by the smallest and biggest-eyed funny monkeys - tarsiers, and which surprises tourists with the valley of the "chocolate hills", many legends have been composed about their nature and origin, but no one knows for sure, Where did this miracle come from? Or for the sake of the world's longest underwater river on about. Palawan. We just have to see it all.
You can't know the Philippines at once!