Hilmel

Hi,

CAn anyone help with some ideas on how to plan a 3 week trip to the Philipines arriving there jan 6. We are 2 20year old girls travelling together so we want lots of beach time, but to also see some of the Philipines culture. We have looked at doing a Gecko or Intrepid trip, but when you read the fine print they seem to spend 5-6 hours a day in a bus getting from a to b. Has anyone else a good tour they could recommend, or shall we just go it alone?

Thanks

shanek

There are not many regulars here with knowledge of the Phillipines, particularly ones that would be able to put together recommendations for 2 20yo girls?

This is the most useful thread that I have seen here on the Phillipines...http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...hilippines.cfm ...apart from that, you may get better advice on trip advisor http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowFo...ilippines.html

qwovadis

www.boracaybeaches.info

Best safest place to go for beach.

Best for me usually to self-guide for beach

cheap flights hotels...

travel.state.gov for crime safety issues there are lots

insuremytrip.com always wise

careful MANY scammers over on Tripadvertizer

especially the "experts" so beware there.

Never wire money... Personally might have a look at

Bali or Phuket light years prettier and safer...

www.virtualtourist.com reputable site good local posters

BillT

Philippines is not an easy locale to do it on your own. It does not have the infrastructure to permit independent travel unless you are a seasoned traveler. Search this forum for my trip reports on the Philippines. Do not venture in the southern islands - not yet safe. Boracay- is fine.

qwovadis

kohtao.com another fun safe place

for young solo females in Asia

cheap beautiful great vibe great party diving...

qwovadis

Do not go solo to the south or u might meet this guy...

Philippines. Elorde said Monday that dozens of villagers and experts ensnared the 21-foot (6.4-meter) male crocodile ... in Philippines; Photos: Colossal 1-Ton Crocodile ...
news.yahoo.com/giant-crocodile-captured-alive..

Vipers and crocs of the 2 legged variety down there too...

Not safe for solo female IMO...

KevandJho

We have been too and can highly reccomend Palawan. It is extremeley beautiful and has fantastic beaches with amazing lagoons and utterly beautiful coral to snorkel in. Island hopping tours are fantastic and very cheap, as are accomodations if you search around a bit.

You can fly to El Nido from Manila or fly to Coron first then boat to El Nido. We did the latter and loved it.

If you go to El Nido, however, you would need to book now.

mia22

Hi I'm from the Philippines so I'll try to help you guys out. Generally it's safe around here EXCEPT for the Southern areas (i.e. Mindanao). Gorgeous place but generally considered unsafe because of Muslim extremists. The rest of the places are fine. I'm especially proud of our beaches and yes Boracay is beautiful but Palawan is much more beautiful. People here are friendly and we like tourists. The cheapest regional carrier is Cebu Pacific. They have sales ALL THE TIME so watch out for those. There's also Seair (south east asia air) and Zest Air, but Cebu Pacific is usually the most "used" carrier. As for buses, hmm, go for BIG bus carriers like Victory Liner. The other buses, well, it's a gamble. Here in Manila we regularly here of regional buses getting into accidents like falling off ravines and such. I'd much rather take a plane myself. Good luck girls! Enjoy my beautiful country!

Joyce_LA

The tourist infrastructure in the Philippines is not yet as developed as in Thailand or Indonesia, but travel on your own is certainly possible. We have been a number of times there and especially airfares are very cheap. Best beaches are in Boracay and Bohol. Bohol also has a lots of old Spanish churces plus a number of Museums. For more information check out this link: http://jeepneyguide.com/tripplanning

curli_topz

For me, the best beaches in the Philippines are in Boracay and Palawan.

Boracay is a known as a beach party place. White sand beach is unbeatable! Water is crystal clear, shallow and safe to swim. Lots of cheap activities to do. There are a lot of tourists here especially from Korea and China. I felt very safe in Boracay. Accomodations are cheap but airfare from Manila is tad expensive.

If you love nature and exotic places, Palawan is for you. Mia22 is right, Palawan is more beautiful than Boracay. It is more accessible from Manila and flights are cheaper (big planes). Although the beach sand is not as good as Boracay, the marine life is really thriving. This place is excellent for relaxation, snorkelling, island hopping and scuba diving.

There were some major security incidents which happened 10 years ago in Palawan. But the good news is that the major resort (Dos Palmas) is now equipped with radar and security barge to ward off possible security threats to the island.

I've got some super amazing pictures of Palawan in my blog - you can check it here...
http://asiatravelbug.blogspot.com/20...rival-and.html