Tips For Planning A Philippines Getaway

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Author: Reekay V.

Since 2012 I’ve been traveling through various islands of the Philippines as a full-time Expat and spent 1999 living in Vietnam.

Share with me my ongoing adventures of life in the Philippines. Hopefully you find my observations helpful in your own adventures.
— Reekay

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36 comments

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    In this video I discuss, “Tips For Planning A Philippines Getaway – Philippines”

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  2. These tips are basically the same tips that all experienced constantly traveling people also seem to give. But then if it’s so unanimous, then they should just be called “the basic RULES”, and not just Tips.
    Great vlog.

  3. Reekay has alot of good points, but most people have their own stlye how they like to travel. Traveling light is nice but If I’m going for 8 days I bring 8 days worth of clothes, that does not take much to bring so few clothes. In a standard carry-on I can bring 20 t-shirts, 6 pair of shorts, 20 pair of underwear, and 20 pair of socks along with my sandals , and bathroom accesaries needed. Not that I’d bring that much for 8 days, there would be plenty of room for anything I happened to buy during the get-a-way. It wouldn’t be any issue carting a carry-on around, which would only be during your travel then once arriving the carry-on is left in the hotel.

    As far as the last day, I don’t see any reason you can not do things on that day. Alot depends on your travel plans after leaving. Are you going back home ? Are you moving to another location ? You may want to leave early for travel plans to another location or to go home so as to arrive early home. All depends.

    As far as the last day, if you wake early like 7am, have some food in the room for quick light eats, you still have plenty of time to hit the beach, do some paddle boards or do a jet ski or other activities, I have never had an issue with asking for a late check-out time so you can gain a few hours there. Also I have never had an issue asking the hotel to watch my bag while I did things before leaving, just offer a nice tip and they’ll watch it with an eagle eye.

    The other thing is, I would never pack my last day, I start packing a couple days before a small amount, that goes quick, then the day before a little more, again does not take much time, then finish up the last day which won’t take all that much time. But if you wait till the last day and you don’t wake very early then you are rushing to pack and get in any activities, I agree if you do this then the last day is going to be tough for any activities

    All depends what your plans are for traveling that day. So I would not rule that day out for any activities.

    There’s no reason you can’t do things your first day there. It is nice to travel and relax when arriving taking it slow, but that seems more the Filipino way, maybe Reekay is getting sworn into Filipino ways or maybe he’s getting old. I suspect Filipino culture is rubbing off on him to some degree. I travel from the East Coast in the US, from the time I leave my house to walking into my hotel in the Philippines it’s 30 hours. When I arrive I unpack a few things, get bathroom accesaries out, shower up and head out, sometimes for many hours. And I’m not doing it by rushing around, but rather at my pace enoying it very much.

    And I’m older then Reekay and not by 2 or 3 years, and I needed a knee replacement 5 years ago but don’t want to go through the recovery period yet.

    I’m on vacation, I don’t have time to waste, I try my best to use the time wisely , I can rest up once back home . I don’t want to spend that time washing clothes in the sink either, but again everyone has their style on how they like to travel.

  4. Lol for my four day stay in Vegas for New Years I brought 2 full suitcases; literally 10 different outfits.

    2. i traveled with a woman to a resort for just 4-days. when it was time to leave she couldn’t fit all her clothes back into her suitcase, so i did it. as i rolled and counted all her stuff (2 large suitcases and a carry-on)… she had over 30 outfits she’d brought. for 4-days.

      i told her, “you’d need to change outfits 7-times a day to wear all this.”

      oh, and yah.. i broke up with her a few weeks later. ha! 🙂

  6. are you going to get a stimulus? i wish i could be in the philippines with $600. i can survive off that for weeks

    1. yes, expats qualify for any stimulus package, same as if living in the states.

  7. Hi reek at, so if I arrive on 30d tourist visa, then can extend 6 months a time up to 36 mth, don’t need to show onward ticket or just have throw away ticket ?

    1. ‘throw away ticket’ is just another nickname for the ‘onward flight ticket’.

      also, only certain offices will do a 6-month extension, most do 2-month extensions. (lapu laup office does 6-month)

  8. Yeah I agree with everything you said. You don’t really need very much at all. Whenever I come to the Phils, I just have one carry on wheel bag, that’s it. When I have laundry I just wash things in the sink.

    1. @Reekay’s LifeBeyondTheSea Yeah, that’s about as much as I take with me. Your phone does everything anyway, that’s all the electronics you need. Your clothes, you just wash those by hand as you go, the shoes you’re wearing are all you need, and the rest you just buy locally, shower gel etc. Traveling light is the best way.

    2. i met one expat who visited here in PH for 2-weeks with just a half-filled small backpack. some wicking shirts, toiletries. no laptop or camera gear.

  9. Hey my friend I Talked to you a while back how are you doing??? I was thinking of coming to the Philippines to look for a philipina wife… I am going to CEBU… Is there anyway we could meet??? What’s going on with the corona virus there???
    Ok …Bruce

    1. for now, PH still is not issuing tourist visas yet. we’ll see what happens in 2021.

  10. For men a bathing suit with zipper pockets seems like a necessity. I can keep credit cards and keys it it. If hard to find look under river shorts. They also make small watertight containers to keep cash in in River supply out door stores. If they do not fit in your pocket they have small carabiners to attach ot your swim suit. I remember seeing a bicycle at University of Hawaii locked to a bike rack over vacation time. The fame was still attached but the tires and anything else that could be removed was gone. I do use a loctote it is very hand for leaving things in a hotel room.

    1. yah, as long as you have keys and money.. the towel and flip-flops can be left on the sand. 🙂

    1. for cebu (the entire island).. it’s still fairly open. but not inter-island travel. difficult to get from say negro oriental to iloilo or cebu right now.

  13. hello reekay still think march ph open for expats? i have a bad fealing no..end of summer / sept.
    maybe

    1. @Reekay’s LifeBeyondTheSea Given the president’s natural tendencies for control Philippines may not open for tourism until he leaves office. I had planned on retiring there last June and we know how that worked out. I adjusted and planned for this coming February. Now that’s not likely either. I’m thinking I need to find another country like Vietnam or Malaysia, but they’re both closed as well. 🙁 Mexico? Bolivia? Columbia?

    2. @Reekay’s LifeBeyondTheSea yea ur right. ill go now seal beach
      n enjoy beauty of cali beaches thx reekay

    3. it’s so touch & go right now. but before march is not likely, imo. more like post-april.

  14. Yes indeed a vacation is to relax. Trying to cram every single thing into a few days is a real smile killer.

  15. So you have some money and keys in the little arm bag, the rest of your stuff (rest of money, passport, Credit cards etc) is back in the hotel/Airbnb locktoted to a pipe or something?

    1. yes. if a person does not have a loctote bag, but has locking luggage, you could also put your laptop, valuables there. it’s not theft-proof, but more of a discouragement to amateur kleptos.

  16. You are right about locking a motorcycle wheel and tire to a pool. I have seen a lot of expensive motorcycle tires lock to on less the rest of the bike. It is on the back of someone’s pickup. Over planning a vacation can kill the enjoyment you would enjoy staying an extra day but oh no I have to get somewhere else in time. Bummer

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