When I was last in the Philippines 6 years ago I went via Korean Air since it was the easiest from Dallas TX. I didn't mind changing planes but didn't want to change air lines.
MetroDeal is a saving on a lot of things you might have to wait a week to book a reservation but can save some money like buffet 101 by MOA Seaside is like 900 almost 1000 pesos but MetroDeal.com can save a couple hundred pesos plus things like ocean park and a lot of good deals to save a few hundred pesos different things and places
Reekay, Thanks for all of the good advice filled videos! Much appreciated. I have never been to the Philippines but want to go soon. Feeling more comfortable about making the trip now. I will watch all of your videos before I go. Keep em coming.
Your videos are watched all over the world, I'm in Tanzania - Dar es Salaam, I'm planning to travel to Camigumi Philippines for marriage but i did't have any Idea about life in Philippines but through your videos it is just like I have been in Philippines, at least i have a perception on how to go about with life and situations from dealing with Philippinos, a lady, Immigration, travel and others , I really appreciate, be Blessed.
The videos have been extremely helpful, because I kept calling the Consulate on and on but i never got useful information, but with your videos Its like I have visited Philippines over and over. I'm very comfortable with traveling to Philippines now.
This last May I used Airbnb for a condo in IT Park, which had a full kitchen in it. A quick taxi ride would take me to Giasano Country Mall, which has a huge supermarket on the bottom floor. I cooked up meals daily, from adobo pork/chicken to good ole' spaghetti (US style). Just as Henry mentioned in this video, it was so inexpensive, it was very simple, and it actually was fun to do. This is some of the best advice for anyone making a trip, 2-6 weeks long. Really gives you the full experience of the people, as you interact with locals. Careful, everyone smiling will catch you off guard (if you are from anywhere in the US)! Great info Henry!
Good advice. At Incheon the flight-side hotels can be quite reasonable and can give you rooms in 3-hour slots particularly mid-week. Another thing I have found is that splitting your trip rather than booking a single trip with layover can save you some money. From Europe go as far as Dubai or Mumbai or other middle eastern destinations. Then use the local Philippines websites for air flights (airasia, cepupacificair) to Phil can avoid tax payments and are often cheaper from Europe at least. Effectively you save by using routes that Philippines migrant workers use. However, check your travel insurance as it may not cover you for delays as Reekay says. When you arrive consider just booking a hotel for the first few days and walk around to see what is available locally. A lot of reasonably good places never make it to websites. Even if you dont find anything you like most hotels will give you a discount if you ask to extend your stay (ask on a Monday is best as they are most likely to have rooms to sell).
I would rather fly into Clark Angeles, or Cebu than Manila. Cebu should be the #1 choice now with the new terminal open. Of course I ave no desire to go to Manila to much traffic for me. If I want traffic I will stay in So Cal LoL. Try looking at fares from EVA airlines the cost of a round trip air fare SFO to CEBU Premium Economy is about the same as most others economy flights. And they have very good reviews. Their layovers are in Taiwan. Although after seeing your videos of Inchon, your probably onto something good :) My last trip over I took military hops into SIngapore the layover in Changi was comfortable and flew into the old terminal at Cebu. My return trip was from Dumaguete to Manila (9hr layover arghhh and terminal change) and into SFO on PAL. Great Video good information always look forward to what you post. The Locktote bag was well worth the investment glad I had it. I hope to get back there next year.
I want to visit cebu for 2 or 3 weeks. Book airbnb right next to IT park seems like a good area for all I want to do. Visit some nice areas and nice women.
I have saved a lot of money going off season to Boracay. Hotel rooms are greatly reduced during this period. I've been there 3 times for a Month and it really didn't rain that much. But prices have greatly increased after the closure. I guess they are trying to make up for lost revenue.
Hello again, Reekay! I've had the best luck with Priceline, but friends report Kyak as a good outfit! Funny about Cebu, I found a flight for 50 bucks less than the exact same flight to Manilla! LOL! They paid you to fly from Manila to Cebu! For a three month stay, I'm thinking the wife and I should carry maybe 10 Benjamin Franklins each, and put em in our Philippine's bank account. At the same time, I'll write a check for the rest of our budget, and it should be available 4-5 weeks after deposit. Any other suggestions? Avoid Taipei layovers at all costs! If you need lodging there, it'll cost more for the ride to your accommodations, than the Hotel itself! Seafood in the PI's is like Mexico prices 20 years ago! I agree! Why travel half way around the world to eat at McDonalds?LOL!
Feel at, great advice. I found hotels in Davao for only $15 a night. Brand new clean hotels. Of course it was small but I just needed it to sleep & shower. Plus they clean my room & give me new towels. Just walking distance to Ayala mall. Plus I ate at a outdoor market that had street food. Very cheap. Thanks for all the great advice & tips Reekay!
I've had good luck by using a Kayak/Momondo/Etc type sites to get an idea of airline fares, then going to a specific airline's website to find the best fares. In my case, I'm biased toward Korean Air for their excellent flight service and costs. I used the option of "flexible dates" to lower my airfare from $1400 to $971, round trip from Chicago to Cebu, with a 4-hour layover at Inchon. I ended up extending my return flight by one week. Inside the Philippines, I needed a connecting flight to Mindanao, and I started with Google Flights, which pushed me to CebuGo. I booked flights for my wife and daughter to meet me in Cebu, and my round trip to Cebu when I leave for $168. That's less than $31 per flight. We're spending two days in Cebu, very close to Fuente Circle. A fully furnished condo cost $55 plus VAT for a total of $67 using booking.com. The best advice I can offer is be a little flexible, and research, research, research. Moving a date by one day can result in a substantial savings. Play with the dates. An hour online can save hundreds of dollars.
I've used all those you mentioned, and more, and find a travel agent can get the same or better prices, and peace of mind in case flight cancellations etc. and airbnb is awesome, used them lots.
You say u don't got to go to manila from usa on flight there is it possible to go from north Carolina to Clark's airport in pampampa a direct flight if possible
Great ideas. One thing I started doing in addition to the sites that compare airlines is to go the the site of an airline I like or the one that came up in the other search. . Often they will have a calendar of the month with different prices for each day. and the prices are more than double on some days. If you are flexible you can pick out the best price day. When we went to the sinoulog in January in Cebu a couple of years B&B was great. The hotels rate were astronomical. The Air B&B rates were the same as always as they do not adjust for special events.
Ditto on the airline tickets. I use Expedia to locate prices and airlines and then check the airline sties directly. Sometimes you get a better itinerary like less stops and shorter layovers.
Thanks again brother, learned alot from your videos over the past 3 months. Going in November for 4 weeks. Decided to go nonstop with PH 🇵🇭 airlines the first time. Next time I will consider one of the Chinese or Korean airlines. Just too many connecting flights before and after the big flight over.
when you go to thailand,being a foodie you will have a great time street stalls there are so yummie and cheap,most thais eat out them self as its cheaper than cooking at home cheers mate
Great tips, esp the Airbnb. However, instead of the $100 you mentioned, I just paid $300 plus taxes to change a return flight date on Delta/Korean Air. It was going to be $500 changed through Orbitz, who I booked the original flights through, but I declined that and went straight through Delta for the change and that saved me a few bucks.
Lol i juat got back from manila. I am not in anyway a adventurous eater. Thought the food was gonna be cheaper but as you said nope it was about the same so i ate at a few chain restaurants like chillies, shaky and jollibee. But jolibee was pretty decent. I ate jollibee around 6 times in a 2 week span lol and the only filipino dish i ate was tapa. And tapa at local restaurants were pretty good. I kept eating tapa 6 times as well. But i totally agree with you on food where the eyes are still there. I saw that and yah thats a no go. Cant wait to go back.
If I might add, when checking on tickets make sure too go incognito or clear your browser after each search. Henry have ya every used ANA? I'm going back next month Davao/ Gensan using ANA this time. If using PAL and landing in Manila and are traveling too other parts of the Philippines you dont need too worry about getting a cab, you just go straight too domestic. Where as if you are using other airlines you will need too get a cab.
Thanks for good advice. Can you tell us what the situation is about getting your prescriptions dispensed from USA or uk. How does insurance work with prescription drugs/ Thanks. John
it would depend partly on your medication, but as long as you can get a copy of your prescription via email, you could then present it at the pharmacy in the ph to be filled. if getting a prescription from your home country is a problem for some reason, you could get a new primary doctor in the ph, explain your condition and meds you've been taking and get a prescription from that doctor in the ph. you can also check online if Rose pharmacy carries your meds at www.rosepharmacy.com
Interesting and useful video! During my next trip in the Philippines I’m planning to eat more street food! Street foods are so tasty, exotic and cheap!
On cheap tickets beware of a Chinese airline that has an "in country" leg, departing China from a different airport than you entered the country through. I purchased online and it didn't flag that I needed a Chinese visa, bought in advance, costing $140 for the domestic leg. As far as food is concerned, If you spend the entire vacation behaving like you don't want to actually come in contact with the country you're visiting you might avoid a case of travelers tummy. Personally I'd rather risk a couple days living in the CR while I become acclimated to the local microbes.
So funny! I tend to always just walk around any new area for hours just to see what's there. That's the way I found the best burger place I've found in the entire country so far. I've also found myself in some uncomfortable areas. May I ask how you recognize a place or street is getting a little risky when you're on walkabout?
I am a subscriber Thank you for your Information .I am going to retire In the Philippines. How long should I stay to find out where I should live. Thank you in advance for your insight.
welcome to the channel. i recommend making no commitments your first year. travel light and use airbnb to spend a few weeks on various islands, get a feel for what you like most. city life, beach, hills.. then make a decision after you've seen some of the major islands like cebu, negros and bohol.
Hi Henry, this relates to the saving money issue and I had just posted this on your Facebook page. For a three week stay in the Philippines how much cash should one bring initially? I'll have my credit card and can get cash advances for free while I'm there, and can also transfer cash to my girlfriend's PayPal account for transfer to her bank account as an option for cash access, too. Any other suggestions for access to cash? Thank you!
since you can access your cash via atm... i generally never need more than 2500 pesos on me at any time. if you're here vacationing, and will be hitting up lots of spots to see.. then carry maybe 5,000 pesos cash. but i use my paypal debit card any time i can for hotels, groceries, restos since i get 1% cashback each month.
Good tips you provided. I used these sites often. My question to you is; I have a 7 hour layover in Manila next week. Where can I go to shower and can I book it ahead of time? Also I will be in Cebu city for 3 days. What can me and my wife do here,? Thanks in advance
Hello Reekay, I find your videos entertaining and informative. I would like to request you if possible if you do a video on how to properly manage US social security pension and provide guidance to future expats like me regarding direct deposit and/or transfers of funds from US bank account to a Philippine dollar account. Thanks!
Any suggestions on best airlines from US to MNL? I'm visiting for the 1st time in May '19 for 3wks and staying w/ family most trip. I REALLY want to splurge on a business class seat. Thoughts?
unless you really need to be in the manila area, landing in cebu is (to me) the better, simpler experience. either way you can check at www.kayak.com or www.cheapoair.com for price comparisons. some people also recommend using google-travel.
Reekay's LifeBeyondTheSea Thank you for responding so quickly. Yes, family is in Manila but we plan on island hoping not sure which island yet....Perhaps first stop can be to land in Cebu
Google Flights lets you use various dates all in one search. They have consistently found the lowest priced flights for me. By the way, what does a bottom line cheapo hotel down in the bus station zone cost, bottom dollar?
as long as you can access your money in the PH with an atm or transfer service such as xoom.com or remitly.com... you only need about $50 in PH pesos so you have cash for the taxi, maybe some lunch or incidentals your first day. then... go to the mall and exchange a larger sum since the malls have better exchange rates than the airports.
there is no additional utility bill that i have ever seen. you only pay the rental agreement price. often wifi is included on many units in addition to the electric, water and furnishings.
One thing I might add is to check Google flights because they list every flight where some sites don't mention flights that they don't make money on. So you might find a flight here that is on some lesser known airline or a special price flight. I have found flights here that were not listed on the other websites.
if you go to a bank, and you have an account with them, still expect they will need a day or two to wrangle up some american dollars. why it takes so long, i have no idea. you can try the money exchanges at the mall, that is a better way to go if you want to 'buy' some USD for your trip back home.
Another awesome video by you Rickey! Keeping us informed, educated and enlightened with the Philippines and beyond. Can you also include in your comment section the web address: Rentpad.Ph.com. Thxs again for the info. I would also include sites like momondo.com and SkipIagg.com I was wondering if anyone has used ASAPTickets.com or MangoTours.com..
AirBnb Rental Listings.. bit.ly/airbnb-reekay
Airline Tickets.. www.kayak.com / www.cheapoair.com
www.rentpad.com.ph
Loctote Bags.. bit.ly/reekayloctotebag
PH Bachelor's video series; www.philippinesbachelor.com
Private Consult w/Reekay.. bit.ly/reekayfacetimeconsult
Great tips! I use mango tours for flights.
When I was last in the Philippines 6 years ago I went via Korean Air since it was the easiest from Dallas TX. I didn't mind changing planes but didn't want to change air lines.
MetroDeal is a saving on a lot of things you might have to wait a week to book a reservation but can save some money like buffet 101 by MOA Seaside is like 900 almost 1000 pesos but MetroDeal.com can save a couple hundred pesos plus things like ocean park and a lot of good deals to save a few hundred pesos different things and places
Also was cheaper to book with Philippine airlines then the travel web sites tell them what you seen and they might get it for a little less as well
Reekay, Thanks for all of the good advice filled videos! Much appreciated. I have never been to the Philippines but want to go soon. Feeling more comfortable about making the trip now. I will watch all of your videos before I go. Keep em coming.
Reekay, thanks for the information. This information is good for anywhere one might want to travel.
Great tips! Bro
Your videos are watched all over the world, I'm in Tanzania - Dar es Salaam, I'm planning to travel to Camigumi Philippines for marriage but i did't have any Idea about life in Philippines but through your videos it is just like I have been in Philippines, at least i have a perception on how to go about with life and situations from dealing with Philippinos, a lady, Immigration, travel and others , I really appreciate, be Blessed.
wow! that is amazing. i am glad the videos have been helpful in your quest.
The videos have been extremely helpful, because I kept calling the Consulate on and on but i never got useful information, but with your videos Its like I have visited Philippines over and over. I'm very comfortable with traveling to Philippines now.
This last May I used Airbnb for a condo in IT Park, which had a full kitchen in it. A quick taxi ride would take me to Giasano Country Mall, which has a huge supermarket on the bottom floor. I cooked up meals daily, from adobo pork/chicken to good ole' spaghetti (US style). Just as Henry mentioned in this video, it was so inexpensive, it was very simple, and it actually was fun to do. This is some of the best advice for anyone making a trip, 2-6 weeks long. Really gives you the full experience of the people, as you interact with locals. Careful, everyone smiling will catch you off guard (if you are from anywhere in the US)! Great info Henry!
Good advice. At Incheon the flight-side hotels can be quite reasonable and can give you rooms in 3-hour slots particularly mid-week. Another thing I have found is that splitting your trip rather than booking a single trip with layover can save you some money. From Europe go as far as Dubai or Mumbai or other middle eastern destinations. Then use the local Philippines websites for air flights (airasia, cepupacificair) to Phil can avoid tax payments and are often cheaper from Europe at least. Effectively you save by using routes that Philippines migrant workers use. However, check your travel insurance as it may not cover you for delays as Reekay says. When you arrive consider just booking a hotel for the first few days and walk around to see what is available locally. A lot of reasonably good places never make it to websites. Even if you dont find anything you like most hotels will give you a discount if you ask to extend your stay (ask on a Monday is best as they are most likely to have rooms to sell).
I put my wife up right next to the airport in Hong Kong last year. cost a hundred via Priceline, but worth every penny!
I would rather fly into Clark Angeles, or Cebu than Manila. Cebu should be the #1 choice now with the new terminal open. Of course I ave no desire to go to Manila to much traffic for me. If I want traffic I will stay in So Cal LoL. Try looking at fares from EVA airlines the cost of a round trip air fare SFO to CEBU Premium Economy is about the same as most others economy flights. And they have very good reviews. Their layovers are in Taiwan. Although after seeing your videos of Inchon, your probably onto something good :)
My last trip over I took military hops into SIngapore the layover in Changi was comfortable and flew into the old terminal at Cebu. My return trip was from Dumaguete to Manila (9hr layover arghhh and terminal change) and into SFO on PAL. Great Video good information always look forward to what you post. The Locktote bag was well worth the investment glad I had it. I hope to get back there next year.
do you know of a military website that military guys can get together and go over?
Awesome video. Here in Davao I can buy 2 big mac value meals for around 7 dollars. In the states it would cost me at least double that.
Top video mate very well presented many thanks for sharing
I want to visit cebu for 2 or 3 weeks. Book airbnb right next to IT park seems like a good area for all I want to do. Visit some nice areas and nice women.
Totally agree on Incheon. Very cool airport
Great video Reekay. Very useful. Thanks!
I have saved a lot of money going off season to Boracay. Hotel rooms are greatly reduced during this period. I've been there 3 times for a Month and it really didn't rain that much. But prices have greatly increased after the closure. I guess they are trying to make up for lost revenue.
Hello again, Reekay! I've had the best luck with Priceline, but friends report Kyak as a good outfit! Funny about Cebu, I found a flight for 50 bucks less than the exact same flight to Manilla! LOL! They paid you to fly from Manila to Cebu! For a three month stay, I'm thinking the wife and I should carry maybe 10 Benjamin Franklins each, and put em in our Philippine's bank account. At the same time, I'll write a check for the rest of our budget, and it should be available 4-5 weeks after deposit. Any other suggestions?
Avoid Taipei layovers at all costs! If you need lodging there, it'll cost more for the ride to your accommodations, than the Hotel itself! Seafood in the PI's is like Mexico prices 20 years ago! I agree! Why travel half way around the world to eat at McDonalds?LOL!
Great video. Thank you very much.
Buy fruits & veggies at an open air market! Maybe also some jam, peanut butter and a loaf of bread!
thanks for travel tips , looking forward to watching more of your videos
Feel at, great advice. I found hotels in Davao for only $15 a night. Brand new clean hotels. Of course it was small but I just needed it to sleep & shower. Plus they clean my room & give me new towels. Just walking distance to Ayala mall. Plus I ate at a outdoor market that had street food. Very cheap. Thanks for all the great advice & tips Reekay!
Yep davao save money there hotel great rates new rooms.
I've had good luck by using a Kayak/Momondo/Etc type sites to get an idea of airline fares, then going to a specific airline's website to find the best fares. In my case, I'm biased toward Korean Air for their excellent flight service and costs. I used the option of "flexible dates" to lower my airfare from $1400 to $971, round trip from Chicago to Cebu, with a 4-hour layover at Inchon. I ended up extending my return flight by one week. Inside the Philippines, I needed a connecting flight to Mindanao, and I started with Google Flights, which pushed me to CebuGo. I booked flights for my wife and daughter to meet me in Cebu, and my round trip to Cebu when I leave for $168. That's less than $31 per flight. We're spending two days in Cebu, very close to Fuente Circle. A fully furnished condo cost $55 plus VAT for a total of $67 using booking.com. The best advice I can offer is be a little flexible, and research, research, research. Moving a date by one day can result in a substantial savings. Play with the dates. An hour online can save hundreds of dollars.
I've used all those you mentioned, and more, and find a travel agent can get the same or better prices, and peace of mind in case flight cancellations etc. and airbnb is awesome, used them lots.
Great video. I hope you will do a video about the changes in the Cebu airport. I heard it's been renovated?
You say u don't got to go to manila from usa on flight there is it possible to go from north Carolina to Clark's airport in pampampa a direct flight if possible
Great video, love this kind of insider info!
Also, some of these discount deals will not let you accrue miles too
Great ideas. One thing I started doing in addition to the sites that compare airlines is to go the the site of an airline I like or the one that came up in the other search. . Often they will have a calendar of the month with different prices for each day. and the prices are more than double on some days. If you are flexible you can pick out the best price day. When we went to the sinoulog in January in Cebu a couple of years B&B was great. The hotels rate were astronomical. The Air B&B rates were the same as always as they do not adjust for special events.
Ditto on the airline tickets. I use Expedia to locate prices and airlines and then check the airline sties directly. Sometimes you get a better itinerary like less stops and shorter layovers.
Thanks again brother, learned alot from your videos over the past 3 months. Going in November for 4 weeks. Decided to go nonstop with PH 🇵🇭 airlines the first time. Next time I will consider one of the Chinese or Korean airlines. Just too many connecting flights before and after the big flight over.
when you go to thailand,being a foodie you will have a great time street stalls there are so yummie and cheap,most thais eat out them self as its cheaper than cooking at home cheers mate
Thanx for the tips
Thanks for this vlog very useful to those who travel first time in the Philippines.I.share it to my bf he.likes.seafooods so much .Sub you!
Great tips, esp the Airbnb. However, instead of the $100 you mentioned, I just paid $300 plus taxes to change a return flight date on Delta/Korean Air. It was going to be $500 changed through Orbitz, who I booked the original flights through, but I declined that and went straight through Delta for the change and that saved me a few bucks.
Thanks for the links Henry useful I am off to vigan city in Luzon Christmas looking forward going to see Myra my new online girlfriend
Lol i juat got back from manila. I am not in anyway a adventurous eater. Thought the food was gonna be cheaper but as you said nope it was about the same so i ate at a few chain restaurants like chillies, shaky and jollibee. But jolibee was pretty decent. I ate jollibee around 6 times in a 2 week span lol and the only filipino dish i ate was tapa. And tapa at local restaurants were pretty good. I kept eating tapa 6 times as well. But i totally agree with you on food where the eyes are still there. I saw that and yah thats a no go. Cant wait to go back.
Very good help video. Great tips.
If in davao go to ALDEVINCO gd selection of money changer there at best rates in davao .C.M RECTO ST DC across from Marco polo hotel
As always top class advice
very helpful information on your videos
This is a big help thank you
Thank you for the information.
If I might add, when checking on tickets make sure too go incognito or clear your browser after each search. Henry have ya every used ANA? I'm going back next month Davao/ Gensan using ANA this time. If using PAL and landing in Manila and are traveling too other parts of the Philippines you dont need too worry about getting a cab, you just go straight too domestic. Where as if you are using other airlines you will need too get a cab.
i've not used ANA. an easy way to clear the cookies is with CCleaner, available at www.filehippo.com very easy program to use.
Thanks for good advice. Can you tell us what the situation is about getting your prescriptions dispensed from USA or uk. How does insurance work with prescription drugs/
Thanks. John
it would depend partly on your medication, but as long as you can get a copy of your prescription via email, you could then present it at the pharmacy in the ph to be filled.
if getting a prescription from your home country is a problem for some reason, you could get a new primary doctor in the ph, explain your condition and meds you've been taking and get a prescription from that doctor in the ph.
you can also check online if Rose pharmacy carries your meds at www.rosepharmacy.com
That was great! Thanks bro!
Interesting and useful video! During my next trip in the Philippines I’m planning to eat more street food! Street foods are so tasty, exotic and cheap!
Be very careful eating streetfood! Hygiene very questionable
On cheap tickets beware of a Chinese airline that has an "in country" leg, departing China from a different airport than you entered the country through. I purchased online and it didn't flag that I needed a Chinese visa, bought in advance, costing $140 for the domestic leg. As far as food is concerned, If you spend the entire vacation behaving like you don't want to actually come in contact with the country you're visiting you might avoid a case of travelers tummy. Personally I'd rather risk a couple days living in the CR while I become acclimated to the local microbes.
Plan to be in the Philippines last week of April this year
I prefer Korean Air as well.
Thankyou! Good information. I heard Japan Airlines has deals
A little off the subject....but what do you do for Health Insurance?
I have used Agoda for hotels...
Yeah, Agoda seems to be better for SEA than other sites.
Mostly Manila and possibly Angeles city
Excellent talk
The mall food court offers variety for cheap too
So funny! I tend to always just walk around any new area for hours just to see what's there. That's the way I found the best burger place I've found in the entire country so far. I've also found myself in some uncomfortable areas. May I ask how you recognize a place or street is getting a little risky when you're on walkabout?
Please check the warnings on the BBB before committing to these flight agencies!! Not all are honest!
Skyscanner is good one too.
I am a subscriber Thank you for your Information .I am going to retire In the Philippines. How long should I stay to find out where I should live. Thank you in advance for your insight.
welcome to the channel. i recommend making no commitments your first year. travel light and use airbnb to spend a few weeks on various islands, get a feel for what you like most. city life, beach, hills.. then make a decision after you've seen some of the major islands like cebu, negros and bohol.
@@Lifebeyondthesea Thank you Reekay I appreciate. your experience and observations.
Excellent video
Thank you!
Hi Henry, this relates to the saving money issue and I had just posted this on your Facebook page. For a three week stay in the Philippines how much cash should one bring initially? I'll have my credit card and can get cash advances for free while I'm there, and can also transfer cash to my girlfriend's PayPal account for transfer to her bank account as an option for cash access, too. Any other suggestions for access to cash? Thank you!
since you can access your cash via atm... i generally never need more than 2500 pesos on me at any time. if you're here vacationing, and will be hitting up lots of spots to see.. then carry maybe 5,000 pesos cash. but i use my paypal debit card any time i can for hotels, groceries, restos since i get 1% cashback each month.
@@Lifebeyondthesea OK, sounds great, thank you for the advice!
Good tips you provided.
I used these sites often.
My question to you is; I have a 7 hour layover in Manila next week.
Where can I go to shower and can I book it ahead of time?
Also I will be in Cebu city for 3 days.
What can me and my wife do here,?
Thanks in advance
Hello Reekay, I find your videos entertaining and informative. I would like to request you if possible if you do a video on how to properly manage US social security pension and provide guidance to future expats like me regarding direct deposit and/or transfers of funds from US bank account to a Philippine dollar account. Thanks!
Any suggestions on best airlines from US to MNL? I'm visiting for the 1st time in May '19 for 3wks and staying w/ family most trip. I REALLY want to splurge on a business class seat. Thoughts?
unless you really need to be in the manila area, landing in cebu is (to me) the better, simpler experience. either way you can check at www.kayak.com or www.cheapoair.com for price comparisons. some people also recommend using google-travel.
Reekay's LifeBeyondTheSea Thank you for responding so quickly. Yes, family is in Manila but we plan on island hoping not sure which island yet....Perhaps first stop can be to land in Cebu
Hi hello good morning
Google Flights lets you use various dates all in one search. They have consistently found the lowest priced flights for me. By the way, what does a bottom line cheapo hotel down in the bus station zone cost, bottom dollar?
what about money, do I exchange in the states before I leave?
as long as you can access your money in the PH with an atm or transfer service such as xoom.com or remitly.com... you only need about $50 in PH pesos so you have cash for the taxi, maybe some lunch or incidentals your first day. then... go to the mall and exchange a larger sum since the malls have better exchange rates than the airports.
If you're not a picky eater and can live like the locals do, you can save big time.
Just wondering are Air BNB rentals all inclusive, or do they hit you with a utility bill after your stay?
there is no additional utility bill that i have ever seen. you only pay the rental agreement price. often wifi is included on many units in addition to the electric, water and furnishings.
Thanks for clearing that up for me.
They can. Ive seen it in Thailand for monthly rentals it has to be spelled out in listing.
What credit cards work well in the Philippines?
i've used both mastercard and visa in the ph without issues.
One thing I might add is to check Google flights because they list every flight where some sites don't mention flights that they don't make money on. So you might find a flight here that is on some lesser known airline or a special price flight. I have found flights here that were not listed on the other websites.
What about getting US dollars in the Philippines?
if you go to a bank, and you have an account with them, still expect they will need a day or two to wrangle up some american dollars. why it takes so long, i have no idea. you can try the money exchanges at the mall, that is a better way to go if you want to 'buy' some USD for your trip back home.
Another awesome video by you Rickey! Keeping us informed, educated and enlightened with the Philippines and beyond. Can you also include in your comment section the web address: Rentpad.Ph.com. Thxs again for the info. I would also include sites like momondo.com and
SkipIagg.com I was wondering if anyone has used ASAPTickets.com or MangoTours.com..
Also watch out for flights in the middle of China in the dead of winter. Lol
no wifi in Chinese airports!
Nice vlog are you allowed to have female company at condo rentals asking from southern California
I have found some very cheap flights with layovers at Shanghai. Do you or any other viewers have an opinion on Shanghai?
Ewe I'd never trust those local places spoiled meat. Gross