Where to go in the Philippines April 2024.

[Centrals]

We all have different experiences in life.
Manila traffic can be really horrific. But I never had any issue of not able to locate one.
I always give my self several hrs to get to the airport.

By the way, the same thing happened the other day when I visited the old town, there was no way to find a taxi, grab or anything to go back to Makati... I learned my lesson and since I visited the city, this time, I am flying directly to Cebu or if I have to transfer there, I will find a hotel next to the airport.

"Old Town" ? Are you referring to Intramuros?
Well within walking distance from Mabini and you will never ever have any problem of finding a taxi from there.

Only T3 has hotel near by.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Yeah, it's generally not a problem getting a taxi to the airport. Be careful as they will often try to scam you by saying their meter is "not working", and then charge you 2-10x more than it should cost if you are obviously foreign.

As a reference it costs ~200-300 php to get from Makati to the airport (or vice versa). Sometimes I will pay 500php just so I don't have to argue if I'm tired after a long trip and just want to get home from the airport Grab can take a long time to find a ride leaving the airport. I always use Grab when going TO the airport though since they can't try to overcharge you like the taxi drivers do.

The Cebu airport is much nicer than NAIA, if you have the option to fly into there, do it. T3 is nicer than T1 and T2 for sure, but still worse than every other major international airport I have been to, including others in SEA.

 

[btscott]

We had a good trip to Bolhol. Dove in Anda at Magic Oceans. Good macro and reef. Plus whale sharks if you want. Heading back to Philippines in Sept to Anilao.

 

[LighthouseDivingResort]

Hello there! I am absolutely new here and I'm just looking around. I own land in the Philippines and my friend who is a dive master and instructor is on the island of Mindanao right now where our land is located. Our plan is to build a dive resort there. We would love for you to come out for free in April and give us some tips on how to build a good one. We are also looking to do some ocean clean ups and marine wildlife conservation projects. Anyway, I stumbled upon your question and was wondering if you would be interested in coming to my island. You would have to pay for your own transportation costs to get to our land in northern Mindanao (the province of Lanao del Norte) but I would totally house you for free. You would also just contribute to your food expenses. If you're interested, please let me know! (Oh and we have some of the most beautiful untouched underwater scenery because it's not yet a known tourist destination and my family has kept this our little secret for centuries.)

 

[divingdayz]

Hello there! I am absolutely new here and I'm just looking around. I own land in the Philippines and my friend who is a dive master and instructor is on the island of Mindanao right now where our land is located. Our plan is to build a dive resort there. We would love for you to come out for free in April and give us some tips on how to build a good one. We are also looking to do some ocean clean ups and marine wildlife conservation projects. Anyway, I stumbled upon your question and was wondering if you would be interested in coming to my island. You would have to pay for your own transportation costs to get to our land in northern Mindanao (the province of Lanao del Norte) but I would totally house you for free. You would also just contribute to your food expenses. If you're interested, please let me know! (Oh and we have some of the most beautiful untouched underwater scenery because it's not yet a known tourist destination and my family has kept this our little secret for centuries.)I,

HI, I would be interested in coming to your place to explore. I am based in Bohol, so it's not so far. I will send you a DM.

 

[btscott]

Hard to add Mindanao to the list of places to visit with a State Department Level 3 assigned. Nice offer. Interested in hearing report from anyone that goes.

 

[Centrals]

Hard to add Mindanao to the list of places to visit with a State Department Level 3 assigned. Nice offer. Interested in hearing report from anyone that goes.

I have been diving there couple of times eg. Davao, General Santos(x2) and Surigao. A few army check points around Gen San and that were about it.

@LighthouseDivingResort
Which part of Lanao del Norte is your dream resort going to be located? How far is your place from Marawi?
Marawi hit the head line few years ago for a wrong reason!!!

 

[LighthouseDivingResort]

We are quite far from Marawi. Our land is located in Dalipuga, Iligan City, Lanao del Norte. It's very safe and the dive sites are beautiful and pristine.