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big_blue_21
Joined: 02 Nov 2005
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 Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 12:26 am Post subject: Re: Living in Davao |
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| Tiger Beer wrote: |
I don't know even know any Asian cities (outside of Singapore and Japan) that would be anywhere near North American standards. |
You know which major city impressed me pretty well: Kuala Lumpur.
As for island-life, maybe tops might be the island of Batam which is only maybe 30-40 minutes (20 km) from Singapore. But hell, why would I need to go to Singapore when the main city of Nagoya (yup, just like the Japanese city) has its own McDonald's and 7-11 (which being a red-neck American is all I need). Some of the locals told me that a really nice house could be rented there for maybe $5,000 to 10,000 a year and there were some pretty idyllic parts on the east coast as well as in the interior of the island.
The "twin" island of Bintan is even more idyllic and maybe only about an hour (40 km) from Singapore. From what I understand, it's even cheaper: $30,000 will get you the nicest house in the provincial capital of Tanjung Pinang--no, I mean as the owner if you ever decide to trade in your filippina gal for an Indonesian one (but I know no man in his right mind would do that!).
I can only imaigne what the prices for the smaller towns are! All I know is a night along the beach in Trikora in a bungalow was $11 bucks (110,000 rupiah!), $18 if you wanted a cottage . . . |
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Tiger Beer
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 1:18 am Post subject: |
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If you know those areas in Indonesia, than you'd certainly like Davao, Cagayan de Oro, and Camiguin.
The Philippines and Indonesia are very similar, and both are fairly dirty, unorganized, not very clean places. They both really need the person to see it firsthand. But if you've been to Indonesia, than the Philippines will be more of the same, but personally I find better.
I went through Java - Jakarta, Bogor, Bandung, Yogjakarta and Malang back in 2001. I liked it. But I just like the Philippines a lot more. But I have to admit they are very similar in many ways - at least cleanliness or lack thereof, etc. |
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I-am-me
Joined: 21 Feb 2006
Location: Hermit Kingdom
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| Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 5:28 am Post subject: |
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| What happened to the updates on your travel and adventures? Let us know what you've seen and experienced. |
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Tiger Beer
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 4:22 am Post subject: |
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| I-am-me wrote: |
| What happened to the updates on your travel and adventures? Let us know what you've seen and experienced. |
I'm having trouble with which thread to put them on as I'm moving so fast, and the thread titles don't seem to apply to where I'm at anymore!
In Mindanao, I went through General Santos, Davao & Samal Island, Cagayan de Oro, and Camiguin Island.
I'm now in Visayas, and was briefly in Cebu before going up to Bantayan Island. I just left Bantayan Island today and I'm now in Bacolod just for tonight before moving on.
Bacolod's FILIPINO CASINO has a promotional rate at their hotel for 1100 pesos which is pretty incredible since it's a real nice hotel. I've been to Bacolod before and prefer Iloilo, so tomorrow we're planning to move over to Iloilo and check out Guimaras Island on some day trips.
Both Bacolod and Iloilo do have some good live music though. Last night on Bantayan Island I saw some amazing live music at TICKETY BOO RESORT near St. Bernard Beach in Santa Fe, Bantayan Island. Seeing live music on the islands really makes it so much better. I bumped up an old Bantayan Island thread to share where I stayed, and will probably bump it up again to add on this live music joint. Bantayan Island was a good place to spend a couple nights, and if I was searching relaxation, I'd have spent a lot more time there. |
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Yaya
Joined: 25 Feb 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 6:08 pm Post subject: |
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| Asian Spirit flights from Incheon to Davao is around 500,000 to 600,000 won, and I'm not sure if that is with or without tax. Flying into Cebu is a lot cheaper at around 340,000 won plus 120,000 won tax. |
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genezorm
Joined: 01 Jul 2007
Location: Mokpo
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| Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 9:56 pm Post subject: Re: Screw Cebu...the cooler city is DAVAO! |
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| Tiger Beer wrote: |
They also built a park called 'the People's Park' which is definetely one of the cooler urban city parks I've ever seen in quite awhile. Absolutely amazing at nighttime. All lit up, and you go through a couple guards to get into this city park, which basically eliminates all the riff-raff. |
sounds great...its a good thing they keep the riff-raff out of 'the People's Park' i hate it when i am walking near a park in any city and i see homeless people, beggars, panhandlers, or just poor people in general |
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I-am-me
Joined: 21 Feb 2006
Location: Hermit Kingdom
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| Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2008 5:54 am Post subject: |
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| Big party in Davao March 16. Good chance for tiger beer to check it out. |
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Tiger Beer
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2008 9:22 pm Post subject: |
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| Kenny Kimchee wrote: |
| Any decent scuba diving down there? |
Samal Island (next to Davao) has scuba diving. There is also a lot up around Camiguin Island (northern Mindanao). Seems like everywhere in the Philippines is an amazing place to scuba-dive, as I'm told by the many divers all over the place in this country anyways.
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| I-am-me wrote: |
| Big party in Davao March 16. Good chance for tiger beer to check it out. |
True. The popular Manny Pacquaio (I'm sure I butchered the spelling) is fighting that day. It's going to be in ALL of the movie theaters all over the country, but unfortuantely it's going to be at 8AM!
Strangely I was also here in the Philippines two years ago another time when Manny Pacauqio (spelling again?) fought.
I'm expecting all kinds of replays of the fight over and over for the next week!
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Oh, and I'm in ILOILO right now. |
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big_blue_21
Joined: 02 Nov 2005
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| Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 9:23 pm Post subject: |
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| Yaya wrote: |
| Asian Spirit flights from Incheon to Davao is around 500,000 to 600,000 won, and I'm not sure if that is with or without tax. Flying into Cebu is a lot cheaper at around 340,000 won plus 120,000 won tax. |
That's crazy! You can fly China Airlines Manila to LAX (Los Angeles) for that much! |
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big_blue_21
Joined: 02 Nov 2005
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| Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 9:31 pm Post subject: |
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| Tiger Beer wrote: |
| But if you've been to Indonesia, than the Philippines will be more of the same, but personally I find better. |
Glad to hear the Phils is better. I'm curious to check the other islands (besides Luzon) out.
| Tiger Beer wrote: |
| I went through Java - Jakarta, Bogor, Bandung, Yogjakarta and Malang back in 2001. |
How was Bandung? I was thinking of going there when I was in Jakarta but decided against . . . is it similar to Baguio? Has anyone been to Dalat by the way, in Vietnam? It's got to be the greatest moutain resort-town I've ever been too! Super clean! It wasn't Asia at all, but France or Switzerland!
Wish I would have gone to Bandung and another famous mountain resort-town (I've forgotten the name of) in West Sumatra so I could compare them. What is Bandung like, cause I heard it got burned down by the locals during WWII? Take it, it's recovered? Is it crowded now? That's what a local told me, cause of all the college kids . . . |
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Yaya
Joined: 25 Feb 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 12:59 am Post subject: |
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| donselma wrote: |
| Yaya wrote: |
| Asian Spirit flights from Incheon to Davao is around 500,000 to 600,000 won, and I'm not sure if that is with or without tax. Flying into Cebu is a lot cheaper at around 340,000 won plus 120,000 won tax. |
That's crazy! You can fly China Airlines Manila to LAX (Los Angeles) for that much! |
Well, it's the quickest way to get from Incheon to Davao. I'm thinking prices might be cheaper if one goes in a package pattern. |
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Tiger Beer
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 5:09 am Post subject: |
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| donselma wrote: |
| Tiger Beer wrote: |
| But if you've been to Indonesia, than the Philippines will be more of the same, but personally I find better. |
Glad to hear the Phils is better. I'm curious to check the other islands (besides Luzon) out.
| Tiger Beer wrote: |
| I went through Java - Jakarta, Bogor, Bandung, Yogjakarta and Malang back in 2001. |
How was Bandung? I was thinking of going there when I was in Jakarta but decided against . . . is it similar to Baguio? Has anyone been to Dalat by the way, in Vietnam? It's got to be the greatest moutain resort-town I've ever been too! Super clean! It wasn't Asia at all, but France or Switzerland!
Wish I would have gone to Bandung and another famous mountain resort-town (I've forgotten the name of) in West Sumatra so I could compare them. What is Bandung like, cause I heard it got burned down by the locals during WWII? Take it, it's recovered? Is it crowded now? That's what a local told me, cause of all the college kids . . . |
Everywhere else is significantly better than Luzon in my opinion. Visayas and Mindanao are MUCH better.
Bandung. I was there in 2001 which was a few years after they burned down many of the Chinese businesses, I believe that was 1997. Bandung actually sucked for one, they made no effort to clean up the mess even a few years later. It was a grimy depressing city. In addition, I was thinking it would have cool mountain air and be a relief from Jakarta, but it wasn't. It wasn't any different in the city anyways. There was an area just outside of the city that had a higher elevation which actually did seem a bit cooler at night. Overall, I didn't like Bandung at all. Before going there, I had researched it a lot, and thought because of the elevation, I'd really like it and want to stay there and possibly teach. Once there, I found Jakarta to be a lot more fun, exciting, interesting and everything else.
I've also been to Baguio, and I didn't like it either. I like 'mountain climates', so I seem to seek them out in any country that has them, but Baguio was also a major disappointment. I was there during a few days of a rain, so I couldn't see the surrounding area, but I definetely wasn't impressed whatsoever with the city of Baguio itself. I'd say Bandung was a more interesting than Baguio though. Now that I think of it, I was in Baguio while the university students were on vacation, so maybe it made it worse than it could have otherwise been.
I've also been to Dalat and it didn't do much for me, although it was okay. It's just pine trees and waterfalls and it was okay to me, but not that interesting. I guess it would be interesting compared to the usual southeast asia climate, but I spent a lot of time in pinetrees and waterfalls regions in the U.S., so it lost it's interest on me. I think I'd put Bandung a bit better than Dalat, and Dalat a bit better than Baguio. But more or less all the same generally to me.
The only mountain climate city in Asia that I've been that really was cool and nice and liveable was KUNMING in China. I liked that city quite a bit.
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Oh, and today I'm in the small city of KALIBO in the Visayas region of the Philippines. Gonna go to Boracay tomorrow.  |
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definitely maybe
Joined: 16 Feb 2008
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| Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2008 8:21 pm Post subject: |
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| you guys seem to have so much input on indonesia and the philipines, so i thought you might be able to give me hand with some honeymoon planning. the fiance and i are planning on doing a three week honeymoon in one of the two. any suggestions? |
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Yaya
Joined: 25 Feb 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2008 8:25 pm Post subject: |
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I think you cannot lose with either Bali or the Philippines, but airfare to the Phils is cheaper and the trip is shorter. Plus most Filipinos know some English.
But Bali was voted one of the world's top ten cheapest vacation destinations. If you are into the foreigner nightlife scene, perhaps Bali might be the better option. |
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Tiger Beer
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2008 9:33 pm Post subject: |
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I'd say Palawan, Boracay or Bali. I've been to Indonesia, but not Bali though.
Palawan has a lot of secluded gorgeous places which would probably be ideal for a honeymoon, however Boracay has one incredibly gorgeous beach with a lot of things going on which make it almost a must as well. |
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