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[Tiger Beer]

Just posting the beginning of a one-month travel on here, and seeing if there is any interest. If there is, I'll try to give a few updates from time to time while here.



This is actually my second trip down here. Very very few foreigners anywhere. The cities are predominately christian and the muslims are in the rural areas and Zamboanga.

I'm in General Santos right now. It got the name because some christian general claimed this port town from this once muslim island. I'm typing this post from Pioneer Street. As most of the people living here are said to be 'pioneers' as they came from Visayas (christian/catholic areas of the Philippines) and claimed this city. There are checkpoints coming into the city, etc.

Anyways, in a few days, I'll be up in Davao and check out Samal Island, then up to Cagayan de Oro, and Camiguin and possibly over to surfing Siagao. We'll see.

[diver]

Sounds like fun. Hope your travels are safe. I'll be there this June to visit family in Digos. Did you fly in from US? How was the flight? Take care.
Kevin

[Tiger Beer]

[saint57]

I'll be in Philippines in two weeks. I'm landing at Clark Airport and probably won't leave Angeles during my nine day stay. I've totally lost my motivation to get up and move around when I'm on holiday.

[Tiger Beer]

I'm in DAVAO now.

Screw Cebu! My new favorite city in the Philippines is DAVAO!

Now I completely understand why it was ranked as one of the top or the top cities to live in in Southeast Asia.

[Nabby Adams]

well why is it so good Tiger?

[Tiger Beer]

I'm still exploring it, but it has a very safe environment and lively during the day and feels very safe to walk around at night. A lot of young people who seem to have enough money to eat and drink and see live music and such as well. The locals here in Davao just respect other locals and foreigners alike.

As a contrast, I was just in General Santos, where every 5th person refers to me as 'hey joe', and kids knock on the windows of your taxi or restaurant when they see you. That doesn't happen in Davao.

Taxis never overcharge you either. If your fare is 82 pesos, and you give them a 100 pesos, they'll quickly give you back 18 pesos. If you were in Manila, they'd cover up the meter or never turn it on, and try to charge you quadruple and be mad when you talk them down into only overcharging you by double instead.

Anyways, none of that stuff happens in Davao. There seems to be a lot of places to go. Tomorrow I'm going to check out the nearby beaches, if they are even remotely accepable, then Davao might be a regular place of mine to go on Philippines vacations, as I've been wanting a city/beach combination.

Davao is also 1.2 million people, so you still get all the urban amenities without all the annoyances typical of Manila.

[jayjoseph44]

Great Posts.....I sent you a private message but I am not sure I sent it correctly.....It was about your experience in Brazil and Korea.....Please let me know if you did not get it.....Best of luck with your new job and location Peace

[Nabby Adams]

Sounds very interesting.

In fact it sounds great.

What are the costs say compared to Thailand? Are there many foreigners knocking about the place? How are the local girls?

[Tiger Beer]

[Tiger Beer]

I'm in 'Cagayan de Oro' now of northern Mindinao. This city has several large universities, including one called XAVIER University which is right downtown where the hotels and such is at. Cagyan is much smaller in feel than Davao, but pleasant feel overall.

I just took a taxi out to the mall, it cost US$1 for the 10 minute taxi ride. SM MALL it's called, and coming out here, the road overlooks the rest of the city, kinda interesting. A lot of foilage and green in this city.

[Sgt Killjoy]

[Teejay]

try white water rafting in CDO

go to eco village and check macahambus cave as well.

[Tiger Beer]