Quote Originally Posted by imagine View Post
yes my first time and will be the furthest iv ever travelled,

furthest iv been up to now was amsterdam, ibiza and canaries so phil will be a real experience for me
It takes quite a bit more planning than Europe so here's a few more tips if you've forgotten anything.

Jabs from the doctor - I was out of date, so I had my jabs done before my first trip to be on the safe side.

Malaria tablets - They range in price and can have side effects. On my first trip I took avloclor/proquainil (not sure if I spelt it right but it's close enough). They cost about £15 but they made me feel weird. On my second trip I only took avloclor which are the weekly tablets, cost a few quid and felt OK. But that's up to you.

Diarrhoea tablets - I find the best are Morrisons own brand at 75p per packet. Does the job.

Travel adaptor - Different from Europe so you might need one suitable for the Phils if it's not a multi adaptor.

Travel insurance - I've used Atlas both times. Thanks Dedworth Cost is around £15 per month for a standard policy BUT make sure they cover Mindanao before taking it out - or any other policy you might decide to get.

Money/Credit or Debit cards - Last time out I took UK cash, Peso's and two Visa cards from different UK banks I'm with to be on the safe side. Make sure you inform your bank before you go if you plan to use your cards abroad.

Food - Look out for places like Chow King or Food Court in the malls. You can get a small meal and a drink for around a quid.

Hotels - If you're staying at the family's place all well and good financially but if you're not, look online before you go for suitable affordable accommodation and check out reviews on Trip Advisor and the like. Personally I wouldn't pay online unless it was through Agoda or a similar company due to insecure sites. Alternatively, get your mahal to either phone up or visit the hotel in person to book a room. We've never encountered having to pay a deposit before arriving and pay everything when we leave and the room is always available. If for some reason they don't honour the booking, jot a few other suitable hotels and their contact details down on a piece of paper or into your phone before leaving the U.K thus saving a bit of time searching for some place else.

Trikes - If there's no room in the sidecar, you'll be on the back of the bike seated sideways. Hold on tight, look towards the oncoming traffic and watch your legs especially on narrow roads.

Jeepneys - If someone passes you money on one of these don't mistake it for a sign of generosity. Pass it to the driver. If the driver passes you money, make sure it's your own change before pocketing it.

Crossing the road - Look everywhere, forward, left, right, down, behind and watch at night for the vehicles with no lights.

......and last but not least

Don't get imprisoned in the mall toilets like I did In some cubicles there is a release button on the sliding locks that you need to press and aren't obvious. I thought it was jammed so I had to call for as the climb out was too high with no footholds. Embarassing!