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ttompatz

Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 11:42 pm Post subject: |
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| ajgeddes wrote: |
| Good news for me. I am now going for a full 2 weeks, so I will actually have 14 days on the ground now. That changes a lot of things. Anyways, I have been looking at going to Sipalay and going to Sugar Beach. Everything I hear about it is exactly what I like. Anybody been there? Tiger Beer? Ttompatz? |
7000+ beaches... I haven't made my way to that one yet.
Can't help you there for specifics.
It is on the island of Negros (Negros Occidental province - western 1/2 of the island) and it is the island in between the two main destinations of Cebu and Boracay. The 3 hour drive from Bacolod might be a bit of a chore. |
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ajgeddes

Joined: 28 Apr 2004 Location: Yongsan
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Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 11:44 pm Post subject: |
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| Yeah, that would be it, but apparently lots of buses go and you can also get picked up if you make plans with the resorts ahead of time. Just the way the area has been explained to me sounds great. |
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ttompatz

Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 1:01 am Post subject: |
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| ajgeddes wrote: |
| Yeah, that would be it, but apparently lots of buses go and you can also get picked up if you make plans with the resorts ahead of time. Just the way the area has been explained to me sounds great. |
It is nothing more special than any of the other places, just a bit more isolated and harder to get to (means fewer choices for your evening entertainment and meals).
Really, the buses there are NOT what you think of as buses.
Buses are windowless old things that take forever to get anywhere and you may well have a chicken sitting on your lap.
Usually foreigners travel the more expensive way (V-hire) which is an airconditioned 12 passenger van with 15 or 20 people squeezed into it.
Pack light because you may have to pay for an extra seat for your luggage in a v-hire (you get the foreigners rate).
Keep your dollars close (money belt and dollars because you won't be able to exchange won there) and make sure you have SMALL peso notes (100's and smaller) for local transportation and restaurants. |
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TECO

Joined: 20 Jan 2003
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Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 11:59 am Post subject: |
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| ttompatz wrote: |
Really, the buses there are NOT what you think of as buses.
Buses are windowless old things that take forever to get anywhere and you may well have a chicken sitting on your lap. |
Exactly. Me and the old lady took a bus down from El Nido to Puerto Princessa on Palawan. Not a good idea. Probably would never do that again. 8 hours in total for the trip. Large sections of bumpy, non-paved roads. I remember it being extremely dusty. |
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I-am-me

Joined: 21 Feb 2006 Location: Hermit Kingdom
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Posted: Mon Dec 18, 2006 6:33 am Post subject: |
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I have been to camiguin island and it was wonderful. Rented a small hut about 30 feet from the beach for about 12 US dollars. I am not a high maintenance person so I go for the cheap side of things. Lovely place it was. As soon as I get a vacation I will go back again. I have no doubt you will find some nice places in Cebu. Plenty of tourist spots there.  |
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Tiger Beer

Joined: 07 Feb 2003
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Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2006 11:24 am Post subject: |
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| I-am-me wrote: |
I have been to camiguin island and it was wonderful. Rented a small hut about 30 feet from the beach for about 12 US dollars. I am not a high maintenance person so I go for the cheap side of things. Lovely place it was. As soon as I get a vacation I will go back again. I have no doubt you will find some nice places in Cebu. Plenty of tourist spots there.  |
Just curious.. have you been to other islands like Malapascua or Boracay or Panglao? I'm curious how Camiguin would compare.
For me.. of those three.. I quite liked Boracay and Panglao.. but not so much Malapascua. Mostly because I found Malapascua not to be a water destination - most people enjoying the island and businesses and such.. but didn't find anyone willing to go swimming in the Malapascua waters. (Much more of a diving place). |
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ttompatz

Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2006 4:53 pm Post subject: |
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| Tiger Beer wrote: |
| I-am-me wrote: |
I have been to camiguin island and it was wonderful. Rented a small hut about 30 feet from the beach for about 12 US dollars. I am not a high maintenance person so I go for the cheap side of things. Lovely place it was. As soon as I get a vacation I will go back again. I have no doubt you will find some nice places in Cebu. Plenty of tourist spots there.  |
Just curious.. have you been to other islands like Malapascua or Boracay or Panglao? I'm curious how Camiguin would compare.
For me.. of those three.. I quite liked Boracay and Panglao.. but not so much Malapascua. Mostly because I found Malapascua not to be a water destination - most people enjoying the island and businesses and such.. but didn't find anyone willing to go swimming in the Malapascua waters. (Much more of a diving place). |
It is also not a swimming place. It is a volcano with washed pebble and rock beaches. You can find sand just offshore at sand island but you will need to get a boat to take you over and back.
Climbing and hiking are great. Diving is Ok too. It has the addition of the sunken town / graveyard for a shallow dive as well as the usual coral and other stuff that the Phils are known for.
There are also the hot springs, cold springs, waterfalls and associated pool. The town is pretty quiet. they roll up the sidewalks at dark and it gets hard to find a ride home after 6pm.
Nice place to relax and a lot quieter than either Boracay or Panglao. |
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awalk2remember

Joined: 29 Dec 2006 Location: Pusan
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Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2007 5:23 am Post subject: |
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Boracay = Heaven
It's true paradise with all the beautiful white sandy beaches, fresh coconuts, food from all countries in the world, and massages on the beach, sailing, scuba diving...
The best part next to the beaches are the people...
I would go back to Boracay in a heartbeat !!!! |
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Greekfreak

Joined: 25 May 2003
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Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2007 9:18 am Post subject: |
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My wife and I are planning a trip to Borcay as well. Ten days too much or too little?
We just want to chill, have above-average accomodation, but if it's Khao San road with a beach, or just another Kuta beach, then I think I'll give it a pass. Opinions on Borcay? |
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awalk2remember

Joined: 29 Dec 2006 Location: Pusan
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Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2007 4:48 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah,
10 days would be just fine...I went for about 10 days my first time to Boracay...But, maybe any longer might make you just a little bored.
But hey, bored in s. korea or bored on Borcay ???
There really isn't any comparison  |
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Tiger Beer

Joined: 07 Feb 2003
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Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2007 10:51 pm Post subject: |
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| Greekfreak wrote: |
My wife and I are planning a trip to Borcay as well. Ten days too much or too little?
We just want to chill, have above-average accomodation, but if it's Khao San road with a beach, or just another Kuta beach, then I think I'll give it a pass. Opinions on Borcay? |
Real different from Ko Sahn Road. No McDonalds, and none of those prevalent tie-die shops everywhere with people who actually buy and wear them around everywhere. Also lacking that egomaniac posturing so prevalent in Ko Sahn Road.
Boracay is a laidback place with clear gorgeous waters and soft powder for sand. It isn't much of a party place. There is one disco that I know of, and quite a few laidback little places to enjoy the company of another person. It is much more suited for couples than for single partiers. Many small business establishments throughout the island, but more fun just exploring with one other person.
In short, totally different from Ko Sahn Road. |
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Greekfreak

Joined: 25 May 2003
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Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 3:46 am Post subject: |
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| Tiger Beer wrote: |
| Greekfreak wrote: |
My wife and I are planning a trip to Borcay as well. Ten days too much or too little?
We just want to chill, have above-average accomodation, but if it's Khao San road with a beach, or just another Kuta beach, then I think I'll give it a pass. Opinions on Borcay? |
Real different from Ko Sahn Road. No McDonalds, and none of those prevalent tie-die shops everywhere with people who actually buy and wear them around everywhere. Also lacking that egomaniac posturing so prevalent in Ko Sahn Road.
Boracay is a laidback place with clear gorgeous waters and soft powder for sand. It isn't much of a party place. There is one disco that I know of, and quite a few laidback little places to enjoy the company of another person. It is much more suited for couples than for single partiers. Many small business establishments throughout the island, but more fun just exploring with one other person.
In short, totally different from Ko Sahn Road. |
Perfect post. Direct, succinct. More of the same from all would be a miracle. |
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TECO

Joined: 20 Jan 2003
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Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 2:18 pm Post subject: |
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Again, I agree with T.B.
Boracay is gorgeous. The sand and the beach are beautiful. The water is deep enough for swimming. The beach must be about 5 klm long.
What I also liked about Boracay was the variety of restaurants. Not all of them good but some of them were great! For instance, that Italian restaurant, Aria. Great pizza and pasta.
However, it's a very small island. There are a few roads that will take you to another area of the island. But after seeing "White" beach, none of the other little small, brown-sand beaches even come close to compare.
Consequently, we were bored after 3 or 4 days. There's not much to do but for a short 3 - 4 day romantic trip, it's okay.
I'd like to go back - but only for 3 days or so, and then move on to Palawan, or elsewhere.
10 days - NO WAY, too long!
Here's a nice picture of White beach.
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gochubandit

Joined: 29 Jul 2004 Location: under your bed... with a marker
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Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 11:15 pm Post subject: |
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would a month be too long to spend in the phillippines? manila and all? was thinkin about learning how to scuba and sail. maybe do some rock climbing, if at all available. dunno too much about the topo.
how much are round trip tix from seoul? approx? |
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Tiger Beer

Joined: 07 Feb 2003
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Posted: Mon Jan 08, 2007 2:39 am Post subject: |
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| gochubandit wrote: |
would a month be too long to spend in the phillippines? manila and all? was thinkin about learning how to scuba and sail. maybe do some rock climbing, if at all available. dunno too much about the topo.
how much are round trip tix from seoul? approx? |
Ranges between 330,000 to 440,000 roundtrip from Seoul.
A month in the Philippines.. it'll go quick. I'd agree with TECO that 10 days in one place is a bit tough anywhere (outside of a really large city worthy of that much time). But an entire country in a month is actually a short time.
So many places to go in the Philippines.. a week could be devoted to Palawan (El Nido, Puerto Princesa, etc.) alone easily.. a couple weeks easily devoted to the Visayas (Cebu, Boracay, Bohol, etc.).. one final week could be for Luzon highlights (Manila, Banuae Terraces, etc). |
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