I was dissapointed that they wern't wearing skirts. Perhaps the subject for another thread but evidently traditional attire in Phils is either jeans or shorts (and t shirt) as opposed to skirts or dresses. My wife hasn't really given me any reason why except to say that's the tradition there.Originally Posted by grahamw48
My first visit I was soooo disappointed there were no grass skirts.
Get yourself on a Loboc River cruise in Bohol, the locals do a traditional song and dance show for the tourists and wear grass skirts.......although most of the women are toothless 70 year oldsMy first visit I was soooo disappointed there were no grass skirts.
Plenty of advantages with that..................although most of the women are toothless 70 year olds
Well if the stories behind many Fashion Health establishments in Japan are to be believed.
By gum, eh lad ?
Of course the grass-skirted bamboo-stepping ladies can even be seen here at the Barrio Fiestas.
Im not rubbishing the country, far from it. Its going to be our home in the future.
As for the drunken set....( kids with no mortgage no babies no responsible, not a care in the world) these people spend serious money. I got nieces and nephews spending upwards of 300 pounds each weekend in there home town, be it on booze and little else, its still valuable foreign currency that could spent elsewhere...like the philippines.
Alas it won't happen.. Its .too far!...these big spenders have limited time...they need to get back to work
Possibly a better comparison would be somewhere like the Dominican Republic, where of course the tourists are normally carefully nannied and cosseted in fenced-off beach resorts.
I think that would be the only way for the Phils to go, but they already do that with the Asian tourists.
18-20 hours on a plane really IS a long time if there's just going to be a nice beach at the other end.
Actually that's a good point.
I remember many couples who spent literally thousands of pounds twice a year going to 'all-inclusive' Sandals in Jamaica. They always went to the same resort.
I don't think they ever left the confines of the resort, except on an a/c equipped tour coach.
Not how I would want to spend my time or money really, but each to their own.
They could do something similar in Phils, I agree, but it would need to include a direct charter flight from quite a few European airports imo. Maybe still too long a flight for many.
Yes, and I think that is why (probably sensibly) their target market is rich Asians....and no shortage of those within a 4 hour flight.
Have to agree again....geographically, from a European stand point The Philippines is in the wrong place....like Graham rightly said ' target rich Asians' instead of the average Brit.Yes, and I think that is why (probably sensibly) their target market is rich Asians....and no shortage of those within a 4 hour flight.
I keep trying to give you reps but, im informed I need to spread them around.
I've given you one instead...if you'll pardon the expression.
You see, people only have to agree with me to get rep. hahaha.
Cheers Graham
I agree with ya Graham throw me a rep Chief!
Seriously a great topic and some good points raised.
Personally i find the Phils raw and of course a bit different plus of course the best women in the World!
It'll have to be tomorrow mate...apparently I've used up my quota today.
....of reps that is, not women.
I too like places with a bit of adventure about them.
HATE touristy places, and even more-so ones full of Brits.
Swedish nuddy beaches I'm willing to make an exception for.
I love visiting The Philippines and have done many times mainly for work reasons but I can well understand why the average tourist does not . An image I have of Manila is driving through a spaggetti junction type underpass late night in a traffic jam , dry hot and dusty with the roar of Jeepneys echoing off the greyish/black concrete and spewing exhaust smoke everywhere lit only by vehicle headlights and yet hundreds of people eeking a living on the narrow sidewalks , its about the only time I have felt intimidated by the blackness , noise and oppressive atmosphere , I think a typical tourist would have found the experience very offputting . Fortunately I also know the good side of Manila , I cannot remember ever having a stomach upset through eating in a restaraunt or takeaway and I have dined in some cheap gaffs mainly on seafood yet I have suffered plenty after eating in 5 star hotels in Hong Kong and Singapore over the years and this is probably the opposite to the experience most tourists expect . I had to go into Makati hospital once , no travel insurance and was expecting a large bill but got excellent and immediate treatment for not much more than the cost of a meal in a restaraunt , the fact everyone could speak better english than me helped take some of the anxiety out of the situation . I contrast this with a visit to hospital in Japan which really scared me mainly due to the difficulty I had communicating with the medical staff and that visit resulted in a very large bill . I agree let the tourists go to Thailand and Malaysia for now , eventually Philippines will catch up with these destinations but I cant see it happening soon .
Good post.
at least I made you laugh...
love makes life worth living
You still got a wonderful country Sweetnoteat least I made you laugh...
What would attract more tourists is for the Filipino's to bring back there foreign partners to live...then, like in Oz there families will visit .
You still got a wonderful country Sweetnote
love makes life worth living
That goes without saying...obviously
as for my personal point of view...am not bother if phils has been left behind by neighboring countries when it comes to tourism....may be a laid back life but i want to preserve the country just like that...place where most of the local if not only enjoy the beauty of the country rather than having investment on these beauty spots (became privately own) where locals cannot afford to get in but just few foreigner with fat pocket!
Good point.
I agree.
It would be nice to see the kind of foreign (manufacturing) investment that used to be put into the Phils economy a few years ago, rather than a few unsympathetic foreigners simply moving in and buying up the 'best bits'.
Again, the corruption aspect of Philippine society would need to be cleaned up a little to encourage that. Now of course there is corruption throughout business and commerce all over the world. The level has to be 'acceptable' though, and the country perceived to be 'stable'.
Unfortunately wage rates will always be the ultimate decider, and there is currently a lot of competition out there.
love makes life worth living
too far to happen as most of manufacturing firms have been moved to thailand or indonesia as the labour is cheaper than phils. another problem is the strong work union that has been a pain in the .... among companies.Good point.
I agree.
It would be nice to see the kind of foreign (manufacturing) investment that used to be put into the Phils economy a few years ago, .
My way of thinking is that the Phils government ought to try and develop tourism in a controlled way. Give it the infrastructure it requires but in a way that doesnt compromise the inherent beauty of the country. I am sure it can be done with careful thought. And the flip side is that new and added tourism then could take many Phils folk out of poverty. Surely a big bonus from developing the tourism industry. And perhaps more eco friendly, if done right, than developing the manufacturing sector?
And if foreign money is brought in to develop tourism then it is up to the government to ensure that there are conditions attached to ensure that the country benefits.
The Philipine Government has no desire for foreign investment, whether its tourism or the multi-nationals. You look at how many companies come into the Philippines and then quickly dissapear, once they've been well and truly screwed, fingers burnt and decide never to return. The people in power in the Philippines are the same people who own the airlines, the supermarkets, the wholesalers, the importers etc etc, The minute you start having foreign interest into the country, whether through tourism or business, then you move into the spotlight and the government will be exposed for its true colours. At the moment, the government have the country setup perfectly. They have lots of overseas workers bringing money into the country, lots of money going into their pockets from the malls, supermarkets, airlines etc.
Think about it, how many different brands of supermarket exist in the Philippines? The most recent company to fail was Makro, who entered the Philippines in a partnership, setup a good cash and carry chain then were screwed and sold out completely to SM.
Yes. Obviously the government of the day needs to have the interests of its people at heart.
The current political climate will hopefully not be permanent and change for the better can occur sooner rather than later.
Don't hold your breath.
Ricky's analysis is spot on, and not likely to change for a very long time.
Yes. I have to admit I am quite naive on Phils politics etc. My wife has explained to me how it works, to a degree. But I have to confess I feel I need a top up on that.
Next time you're in the library, see if they have a copy of the book 'Imelda'....about the life of Imelda Marcos.
A really interesting read, though some of her input has to be taken with a pinch of salt.
Is there a long chapter in there on her shoe collection?
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