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Anyone been to Philippines. China. etc
Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2019 7:26 pm
by shnoukieBRO
What did u think of Philippines? Sounds like a great place but accommodation seems more expensive and so so compared to say Thailand.
And China...I read the Chinese are OK in China, so any amazing stuff on China is welcomed.
Thanks in advance.
Re: Anyone been to Philippines. China. etc
Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2019 8:55 pm
by RickyBobby
I have visited China twice and really enjoyed it both times. I've been to Guangzhou and Beijing. Second Trip to Shanghai with a side trip to west lake at Hangzhou. (If I remember the name properly) People are friendly and accommodating, but very few people speak English, so not for novice travelers.
I have never been to Phils, but from what I have encountered online, I don't like them. Also they do have a distinctly different 'look' from Thai, VN and Cambodian women. I think they are pretty sophisticated with their scamming, and I have been warned about dangers for white western men to travel there. I still may go sometime, however the flights always seem way more expensive so I go elsewhere.
Re: Anyone been to Philippines. China. etc
Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2019 9:22 pm
by Clutch Cargo
OP...more info required.
You want to go there to live or go to visit as a tourist? How long? Are you going single or as a couple? What are you looking for/interests in either capacity?
Would help for readers to answer you specifically..
Re: Anyone been to Philippines. China. etc
Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2019 10:55 pm
by shnoukieBRO
Hi
I'm a single bloke just travelling about doing sights and general exploring. Happy to see any expats scene too.
Philippines looks fun and China is obviously very interesting. Have always wanted to check out Yunnan area and Sichuan for spicy food for example.
Re: Anyone been to Philippines. China. etc
Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2019 12:06 am
by Anthony's Weiner
The Philippines is an eye opener. I have been to 50+ countries and consider myself to be an open minded and fairly relaxed kind of guy.
Philippines has shitty food. If you want "quality " food they have a lot of American fast food (yuk). Poverty is overwhelming. 2/3 of the country ( 60,000,000) live on less than $2 a day. Manila is the most densely populated city in the world. Look on Wikipedia and you will find that about 2/3 of the worlds highest density populated cities are in Phil. Sawed off shot guns are used everywhere by security guards, including 7/11's, shopping malls and fast food outlets. Lodging prices are way out of whack for what you get. The fact that a lot of people speak English means you can be told their hard luck story. I spent 6 weeks in Manila and Palawan and rarely felt safe. On the bright side liquor and a companion are very cheap. I like Pinoys as they are generally happy, friendly people despite their circumstances.
I have no desire to go again, Vietnam is head and shoulders better
The Chinese are ok in China. They act like Chinese do in Thailand or Cambodia. Pushy, rude and ill mannered are not the face they put on when they travel, it is their real face. Few speak English and solo or non organised travel is difficult. Food is good quality, lodging is generally a good value. I found people to be friendly or at least interested in seeing a foreigner but the language barrier is a bitch. If you have never been you will be amazed at the infrastructure of the country and the scale of everything. Companionship is not readily available but a barbershop open late at night offers more than a haircut and there are many. Quality is average and prices are cheap. Foreigners are rarely welcome in other "entertainment" venues and only with a Chinese accompanying you.
I have been a half dozen times and look forward to returning.
Re: Anyone been to Philippines. China. etc
Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2019 2:00 am
by shnoukieBRO
Both sound interesting.
Re: Anyone been to Philippines. China. etc
Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2019 6:18 am
by epidemiks
shnoukieBRO wrote:Hi
I'm a single bloke just travelling about doing sights and general exploring. Happy to see any expats scene too.
Philippines looks fun and China is obviously very interesting. Have always wanted to check out Yunnan area and Sichuan for spicy food for example.
The route across the mountains from chengdu to litang to daocheng to deqen/shangrila and then south to dali is incredible. Avoid in the winter.
Re: Anyone been to Philippines. China. etc
Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2019 9:24 am
by phuketrichard
Yunnan,(kumming is a great city, the stone forest and as above Litang) and Tibet are really interesting places to visit, combine with a visit via Laos and than exit into Nepal
PI: never have I been to a country that the people are so needy, everyone wants out
Boracay was nice in the 80's but now.....
Re: Anyone been to Philippines. China. etc
Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2019 9:35 am
by pczz
Anthony's Weiner wrote: ↑Thu Feb 07, 2019 12:06 am
The Philippines is an eye opener. I have been to 50+ countries and consider myself to be an open minded and fairly relaxed kind of guy.
Philippines has shitty food. If you want "quality " food they have a lot of American fast food (yuk). Poverty is overwhelming. 2/3 of the country ( 60,000,000) live on less than $2 a day. Manila is the most densely populated city in the world. Look on Wikipedia and you will find that about 2/3 of the worlds highest density populated cities are in Phil. Sawed off shot guns are used everywhere by security guards, including 7/11's, shopping malls and fast food outlets. Lodging prices are way out of whack for what you get. The fact that a lot of people speak English means you can be told their hard luck story. I spent 6 weeks in Manila and Palawan and rarely felt safe. On the bright side liquor and a companion are very cheap. I like Pinoys as they are generally happy, friendly people despite their circumstances.
I have no desire to go again, Vietnam is head and shoulders better
The Chinese are ok in China. They act like Chinese do in Thailand or Cambodia. Pushy, rude and ill mannered are not the face they put on when they travel, it is their real face. Few speak English and solo or non organised travel is difficult. Food is good quality, lodging is generally a good value. I found people to be friendly or at least interested in seeing a foreigner but the language barrier is a bitch. If you have never been you will be amazed at the infrastructure of the country and the scale of everything. Companionship is not readily available but a barbershop open late at night offers more than a haircut and there are many. Quality is average and prices are cheap. Foreigners are rarely welcome in other "entertainment" venues and only with a Chinese accompanying you.
I have been a half dozen times and look forward to returning.
Agree 100% about Philippines but vietnam was a shithole. Most miserable people I ever met, everything shut early, totally crap food. But I was only in Saigon and Phu Quoc. I hear the coast is much better
Re: Anyone been to Philippines. China. etc
Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2019 11:17 am
by RickyBobby
Anthony's Weiner wrote: ↑Thu Feb 07, 2019 12:06 am
The Philippines is an eye opener. I have been to 50+ countries and consider myself to be an open minded and fairly relaxed kind of guy.
Philippines has shitty food. If you want "quality " food they have a lot of American fast food (yuk). Poverty is overwhelming. 2/3 of the country ( 60,000,000) live on less than $2 a day. Manila is the most densely populated city in the world. Look on Wikipedia and you will find that about 2/3 of the worlds highest density populated cities are in Phil. Sawed off shot guns are used everywhere by security guards, including 7/11's, shopping malls and fast food outlets. Lodging prices are way out of whack for what you get. The fact that a lot of people speak English means you can be told their hard luck story. I spent 6 weeks in Manila and Palawan and rarely felt safe. On the bright side liquor and a companion are very cheap. I like Pinoys as they are generally happy, friendly people despite their circumstances.
I have no desire to go again, Vietnam is head and shoulders better
The Chinese are ok in China. They act like Chinese do in Thailand or Cambodia. Pushy, rude and ill mannered are not the face they put on when they travel, it is their real face. Few speak English and solo or non organised travel is difficult. Food is good quality, lodging is generally a good value. I found people to be friendly or at least interested in seeing a foreigner but the language barrier is a bitch. If you have never been you will be amazed at the infrastructure of the country and the scale of everything. Companionship is not readily available but a barbershop open late at night offers more than a haircut and there are many. Quality is average and prices are cheap. Foreigners are rarely welcome in other "entertainment" venues and only with a Chinese accompanying you.
I have been a half dozen times and look forward to returning.
The nicest hotels in the world I have visited have been in China. The infrastructure is truly staggering, you are correct. I find I am a bit of a curiosity; a novelty, and people want to engage me, and its kind of funny how randoms ask if they can take their photo with me.
The display of wealth and opulence is also not hard to notice. Luxury cars abound on the roads. Its still so very different, and as such very intriguing to me. I have considered teaching there for a year, but you need a Bachelors degree to get the Z visa to be in a legal teaching contract.
The people are 'rude' by western standards, but its culture, and when you interact with many of them, they are also very pleasant and gracious.
In shanghai, I was out late and hungry and stopped into a shop and had no clue how to order. I met two young women, college students, who were so happy to assist me with my ordering, and then also were pleased for me to join them and have conversation. It was nice.
There was a young woman working at my hotel who connected up with me on we-chat and helped me immensely. When I didn't know where I was, she said take a photo, and she could tell me, and then advise where to go. She would type instructions on where to take me in Chinese, so I could show the taxi driver. If I didn't have her, I would have really struggled.
On the Phils, I don't find their ladies attractive, I find a lot of them to be fat, (a lot of them seem to have growths on their faces lol too) because of western fast food perhaps, and also they are a christian nation; and while I come from that heritage, it seems overdone, and that's why I like Cambodia because its not so in your face.
I think perhaps a visit to India might be more interesting. Who's been there?