Travel to the Phillipines. Need some advice.

MAURICE

MAURICE

Joined
Jul 14, 2000
Messages
3,278
Hi all,
My mom called me this afternoon asking me what I knew about the Phillipines. I told her all I knew was about the knives, of course. :D
I did tell her I would see what I could find out from fellow forumites, though.
She will be traveling to Manilla with my aunt in mid September.
She is just wanting general information about customs and culture, the food, what to see, etc.
I did ask her to bring back a balisong or two if possible. Would that be a problem with Customs or is it ok? I did bring back a 4" Opinel from Rouen, France several years ago with no trouble.
Advice is appreciated, and thanks.
Maurice.
 
don't know the culture there now. Manilla has some great people, but it also has a very large percent of thugs, pickpockets and the like. Do beware of the corner "shoeshine" man as it was common in Olongopo and Subic when I was there in the late 1980's and early 1990's to hear about a soldier/sailor/marine get robbed by the shoeshine man on the street (they would put a knife to the achiles tendon of the victim and demand money). If they need shoes shined let the hotel take the shoes to be shined (very nice work will be done), enjoy the food it is great.

Travel with small amounts of money (I used a money belt) exchange no more than $100 dollars U.S at a time at a bank or one of the money changing stands. Tip your waiters well and other service personel (heck ask them if there is anything they need, or if they need something extra for their family) and they will take very very good care of you; if you take care of them they start to see you as family and you start getting the rate the local people pay for goods and services and not the rate they would charge the "rich" American.

Most of the knives I saw there (and there are plenty for sale in small stores along the streets) were made out of old vehicle leaf springs and other spring steel and saw blade steel, but once you put an edge on them they were work horses.

I got along there ok just by being cautious and by treating people the way I would like to be treated
 
First off it is 'Manila' with one L. The only reason I mention it is because there are a number of places called 'Manilla' which are nowhere near the Phillipines. Did you hear about the couple from England that booked a flight to a place in Australia and ended up in Eastern Canada in a small industrial town because thay chose the wrong spelling of an airport. It was their honeymoon too. :)

Anyway, this is the best site for info on destinations as it written by ordinary people that have been there or by people who live there.

http://www.virtualtourist.com/trave...Manila/Manila-1391614/TravelGuide-Manila.html

The balisong will be fine as long as it is in hold luggage and you don't live in Canada or England.
 
The Wikitravel website has a travel guide for the Philippines that looks pretty useful.

I think the U.S. Customs will also confiscate balisongs from the Philippines if they find them.
 
Mid September, you mentioned? Anticipate some rains, possible typhoons.

There's about 3 seasons in the Philippines: Very hot, Not so hot, and Very wet.:D

Manila is too metropolitan to see something worth a traveler's time. I could recommend going to the far-flung places like Batanes Islands, Pangasinan province, Iloilo, Baguio, Laguna, etc. I'd look at the weather forecasts first before planning any travel outside the primary destination.

If you want knives and such, like everybody knows, Batangas is the place to go.
Some balisongs are kinda crappy but some are true works of art- craftsmanship is exceptional. Tell your Mother to get you a bolo or "itak" as they would call it, with buffalo horn handles- carbon steel blade, unpolished horn handles are the best.

Food is generally safe- if it is served inside an airconditioned establishment, that tells you the food they serve can be trusted. Avoid tap water though, bottled water or soda would be better.

Cash is recommended at any place, just make sure it is secure.

Stupid tourists make for easy targets.

Tell me where she is going, and I could tell you more about the places.
 
Thanks for the advice, guys.
Bama lou, I will get you a better description of where she will be.
Thanks,
Maurice
 
Just thought I'd point out that it is illegal to import balisongs into the US.

For some strange reason, they are considered switchblades and therefore naughty.
 
How long is your mom staying? That can make a difference on what she can sight see.

As far as food is concerned, how adventurous is she? Is she a finicky when it comes to weird stuff on her plate?
 
Damn, no balisongs. That sucks. Oh well. Thanks for the headsup, kozak6.
She will be staying at the Edsa Shangri-La if that helps, area wise.
I think she would be open minded as far as trying new things, so long as its not too out there.
Thanks for the info, and keep it coming.
Maurice
 
Filipinos are generally friendly and helpful (sometimes too helpful) people. They're not the touchy-feely towards strangers type, though, so don't be offended if they hesitate to shake your hand or give you a hug. Filipinos also tend to be empathic and receptive to non-verbal communication cues. In other words, if you relate to everyone as if they were thugs or scam artists, they will reciprocate by treating you like an ignorant, arrogant Western tourist "mark." Behave like a gracious house guest and you'll be fine. Smile. Also be prepared to run on "island time." Manila is a globalized, urbanized metropolis, but the Philippines is still a tropical archipelago so some locals can't help but be a little laid back.

On the native food front, get used to having lots of rice on the table, and eating with a fork and spoon, not a fork and knife. If you want to experience Philippine culture, you might as well try eating with your hands with a banana leaf for a plate. Then there's the famous Balut, a Fear Factor staple.

Too bad about not being able to bring genuine balisongs back into the land of the free and the home of the brave. How about a "souvenir-ceremonial bolo" as suggested above? I guess the most new-world-order-friendly combat tool you can get from the Philippines is a pair of kamagong or rattan escrima sticks. That is, if you're into (or want to start learning) Filipino Martial Arts.

As for safety and security, the advice found in these and other international travel forums makes sense (common sense, in fact). The Mandaluyong-Ortigas Center area is mainly a commercial/ shopping area, not known for high crime and seedy establishments; rush hour traffic's a bitch though. And remember to dress appropriately when visiting the old churches. And bring lots of film/ digital storage media.
 
Lots of good info here guys, especially Danbo (ya bastid).
Sent her a link to this thread, so she will be checking up on it.
Silly me, went and forgot all about the Switchblade Act of '58...mostly because I ignore it, I guess.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top