Balikbayan Blues ...

[ukasianexplorer]

I moved to live in the RP just over a year ago and plan to stay here LONG term. I tried a year in Cyprus before that and bought a small apartment there which I have been renting out. However the tenant has proved unreliable and I have decided to go back there briefly and prepare the apartment for sale. There are a number of items I really would like to bring here to Davao, but the regular shipping costs are astronomical!

Does anybody know of a Balikbayan shipping company that might pass through Cyprus on their way to the RP? There are quite a few Filipinas working in Paphos where I was based, but I have been unable to find any trace of a shipping company which would provide that kind of inexpensive service.

I even wondered if it would be worthwhile shipping from Cyprus to the UK and hooking up with a Balikbayan shipping service there. I am sure there must be several such companies in the UK?

Cheers
Adrian

[RickyR]

What size items?

[bornatbirth]

why not contact the companies in the uk and ask them?

[ukasianexplorer]

What size items?

Hi Ricky, I could get everything into 2 Jumbo boxes (10 cu ft each). However shipping from Cyprus to anywhere is very costly, certainly many times more than the Balikbayan box fees from UK to the RP. I also feels like I am shipping in the wrong direction, although maybe the route from the UK goes via USA and across the Pacific, rather than down through Suez and the Indian ocean.

[ukasianexplorer]

why not contact the companies in the uk and ask them?

I have gathered a list together, mainly from this forum (thanks everyone). Am awaiting responses, but they are unlikely to know what the costs from Cyprus might be. The Cypriot sharks live in cloud cuckoo land when it comes to prices for ANYTHING!

[RickyR]

Most of the freight UK to the Philippines is routed to HK via the Suez Canal. There will be feeder services to the Suez Canal from Cyprus, but the real art is finding a good freight company who will know how the routes and how to ship cheaply.
I'd recommend contacting the companies listed here by e-mail, and getting some quotes, you'll get an idea of the routes and prices available.
http://www.azfreight.com/azworld/aw14405.cfm


Depending on what your bringing, it can also be cost effective to go down the excess baggage route when your bringing things back. When I brough the remainder of my things out to the Philippines this year, I flew business with KLM and received an extra bag because of elite status, which gave me 4 23kg suitcases, + I bought a car seat, a cot and buggy out (which they did consider charging me for since I didn't have a child flying with me, but they didn't).