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midian3x
Joined: 18 Sep 2006
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 Posted: Tue Dec 25, 2007 7:30 pm Post subject: Questions about Manila |
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1. money- Get my won transferred here- there- or just take US dollars?
2. Will the hotels take US electronics?- dvd etc
3.Any site you know of I can book a taxi in advance to my hotel? |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Tue Dec 25, 2007 8:57 pm Post subject: Re: Questions about Manila |
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| midian3x wrote: |
1. money- Get my won transferred here- there- or just take US dollars?
2. Will the hotels take US electronics?- dvd etc
3.Any site you know of I can book a taxi in advance to my hotel? |
1) Do NOT take WON to the Philippines. Get 5k or 10k pesos here (at the airport) and take $US for the rest.
2) Most upscale hotels have 110vac sockets or they will provide step-down transformers. Outside of that - line voltage is usually 240vac except around the old US bases where some places still use 110vac.
3) Get your taxi there or have your hotel pick you up. Unless you have a number for someone from a previous visit there is no way to book on-line that won't cost you 5x more than the meter rate.
Airport taxis are expensive but if you get one from the desk it will be reliable (rate estimates are on the board). Make sure you have SMALL bills (p100's at the biggest) when you try to pay for the cab. They WILL NOT have change for anything larger and YOU will pay while they look for change or just lose the change when they drive away.
The other alternative is walk upstairs and get a metered taxi from the departures zone. Keep your luggage in your lap (or beside you on the seat) or it may get held hostage.
Oh, and I hate the Manila airport (tourist he11) (NAIAA 1, 2 or 3 AND the domestic) - just so my bias is clear and I am not accused later of trying to be misleading.
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Cynical Optimist
Joined: 26 Feb 2006
Location: S.E. Korea
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| Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 7:26 am Post subject: Re: Questions about Manila |
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| ttompatz wrote: |
1) Do NOT take WON to the Philippines. Get 5k or 10k pesos here (at the airport) and take $US for the rest. |
A Filipina friend of mine said to bring Euros, not USD or Won -- does that sound right?
And to add to the taxi question, what are the taxi scams to watch out for? I'm going to arrive around midnight on Sunday and just need to go to some motel near where I'll take my Island Transvoyager flight to El Nido.
And to those who have been to El Nido, are there cash machines there? Should I rely on cash only or credit cards or what? I don't know how much cash is a good idea to bring (for 6 days in El Nido).
Thanks! |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2007 2:01 am Post subject: Re: Questions about Manila |
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| Cynical Optimist wrote: |
| ttompatz wrote: |
1) Do NOT take WON to the Philippines. Get 5k or 10k pesos here (at the airport) and take $US for the rest. |
A Filipina friend of mine said to bring Euros, not USD or Won -- does that sound right?
And to add to the taxi question, what are the taxi scams to watch out for? I'm going to arrive around midnight on Sunday and just need to go to some motel near where I'll take my Island Transvoyager flight to El Nido.
And to those who have been to El Nido, are there cash machines there? Should I rely on cash only or credit cards or what? I don't know how much cash is a good idea to bring (for 6 days in El Nido).
Thanks! |
Ok, I am down here now and dollars or Euros would be fine (whatever you are comfortable with). I was getting 41.25 pesos = $1
Bring cash ($600) for your 6 days. You can always take any money you don't spend home with you when you leave. It sucks to get caught short when you want to do something. Everyone hates a pooreigner.
Some of the hotels and resorts take plastic, some don't. International service on ATMs is hit and miss at the best of times and more miss than hit over the new year holiday. Machine limits are LOW (4000 pesos is common).
Add about $250 if you plan to add diving or a diving certification to your itinerary.
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icnelly
Joined: 25 Jan 2006
Location: Bucheon
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| Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2007 6:46 am Post subject: Re: Questions about Manila |
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| ttompatz wrote: |
| midian3x wrote: |
1. money- Get my won transferred here- there- or just take US dollars?
2. Will the hotels take US electronics?- dvd etc
3.Any site you know of I can book a taxi in advance to my hotel? |
1) Do NOT take WON to the Philippines. Get 5k or 10k pesos here (at the airport) and take $US for the rest.
2) Most upscale hotels have 110vac sockets or they will provide step-down transformers. Outside of that - line voltage is usually 240vac except around the old US bases where some places still use 110vac.
3) Get your taxi there or have your hotel pick you up. Unless you have a number for someone from a previous visit there is no way to book on-line that won't cost you 5x more than the meter rate. |
I was there in August, and I exchanged 20,000 won just for shits and giggles to see what it was. I can't remember exactly, but it was terrible: I think I got 75% of what I would have gotten from my bank. I did it all at my local KEB bank before I went. Not sure as to which rate is better: bank/airport.
Number 2 is correct too. |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 4:54 pm Post subject: |
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The money changers are exchanging (Dec 30, 2007)
Korean won is changing at 38 pesos to 1000 won.
The US$ is changing at 41.25 pesos to the dollar.
Euros are changing at 57.80 pesos to the EURO.
Bring 10,000 pesos with you (from the airport) and bring either Euros or dollars (which ever you are more comfortable with) as your reserve currency.
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