Bluemaroon Philippines

Destination - Albay

2011-08-24T11:43:00.000-07:00

The Albay province is a paradise located in the Bicol Region of the Philippines, 460km (287mi) south of Manila. Albay is home to the spectacular Mayon Volcano, the region’s crown jewel and one of the great wonders of the world.

Only one hour away is the natural habitat of the fascinating Whale Sharks in Donsol, an amazing interactive eco-experience for the whole family.

Albay is filled with many natural wonders: waterfalls, caves, natural springs, beaches and marine life. The local cuisines are delectable, and for those who like to shop, there are plenty of the finest abaca handicrafts, cutleries and ceramics. The people are friendly and very hospitable.

In Albay, you will experience a genuinely exotic adventure.

Know More about Albay

Dining - Desserts in the Philippines

2009-05-29T13:36:00.000-07:00

Dining - Desserts in the Philippines

Fruits

Tropical fruits abound in the Philippines. Most of the countryside produce finds its way to the metro areas and can be easily bought in supermarkets, such as:

* Green, ripe, and dried mangoes - Philippine mangoes are among the best in the world.
* 'Durian' - smells like hell but supposedly tastes of heaven, most common in Davao but can usually also be bought in some supermarkets in Manila.

Desserts/ Sweets:

* 'Sampaloc candy'- salted and sweetened tamarind fruit

* 'Mais con Hielo'- a dessert of fresh sweet corn served in a glass mixed with crushed ice and milk.

* 'Halo-Halo' - another refreshing dessert which is a mix of sweetened beans and fruits, such as sweetened bananas, red and white beans, sago, crushed ice and milk and topped off with leche flan and ube jam and/or ice cream

* 'Leche Flan' - custard flan made from eggs, milk and sugar

Drinking and Nightlife in the Philippines

2009-05-26T23:07:00.000-07:00

Drinking and Nightlife in the Philippines

Metro Manila is home to many bars, watering holes, and karaoke sites. Popular places include Makati (particularly the Glorietta and Greenbelt areas), Ortigas Metrowalk, and Eastwood in Libis. Other big cities such as Cebu City and Davao also have areas where the nightlife is centered. Establishments serve the usual hard and soft drinks typical of bars elsewhere. Note that Filipinos rarely consume alcohol by itself. They would normally have what is called as "pulutan" or bar chow alongside their drinks which is like the equivalent of tapas. At the least, this would consist of mixed nuts but selections of grilled meats and seafood are not uncommon food alongside the customary drinks. When having a party, Filipinos enjoy drinking round-robin style using a common glass. One is supposed to drink bottoms-up before passing the glass to the next person. This custom is known as "tagayan" and one person usually volunteers to pour the drink.

Beer is perhaps the most common form of alcohol consumed in bars. San Miguel Beer is the dominant local brand with several variants such as Light, Dry, Strong Ice and their flagship variant Pale Pilsen. Budweiser, Heineken and Corona can also be found in upscale bars. Rhum and "ginebra" which is the local form of gin are commonly available forms of hard liquor. Indigenous forms of liquor are lambanog and tuba which are both derived from coconut sap. Tuba is fermented from the coconut sap and though tuba itself can be drunk, it is also distilled to take the form of lambanog. Lambanog is now being marketed widely both locally and internationally in its base form as well as in several flavored variants such as mango, bubble gum and blueberry.

Alcohol is extremely cheap in the Philippines (and probably cheapest in the whole of Asia). For a bottle of San Miguel bought at a 7-11 or Mini-Stop, a bottle would costs about PhP20-PhP30 (About USD 0.50). For top-end bars and clubs, a bottle would costs about PhP100.00-PhP200 (about USD 2.50-5.00). A bottle of 750ml Absolut Vodka at the supermarket would fetch a price of around PhP750.00 and a popular local rhum (especially amongst knowledgeable expats) Tanduay would get you just below PhP70.00 at a 24 hour convenience store in Makati (The Financial District).

Of course non-alcoholic drinks are also widely available in bars and other establishments. Don't miss:
* 'Calamansi Juice' - lemon juice made from small, local lemons called calamansi * 'Fresh Buko Juice'- juice extracted from young coconuts * 'Sago't Gulaman - a sweet drink of molasses, tapioca pearls and seaweed gelatin * 'Green mango shake- a fruit shake made of green or unripened mangoes, sugar, milk and ice(one of the best native drinks in the Philippines) * Taho - a sweet, warm soya snack usually served in the morning, with tapioca balls, soft tofu and caramelized syrup

Accommodation in the Philippines

2009-05-26T20:21:00.000-07:00

Accommodation in the Philippines

Housing options for tourists include hotels, condotels, apartelles, motels, inns/bed-and-breakfasts, and pension houses.

Hotels are usually for the higher-end traveller, although hotel rates--even for four-star establishments-- are not very high compared to other international destinations. Condotels are furnished condominium units rented out for long or short term stays, apartelles are set up for both short and long term stays, and a pension house is usually more basic and economical. These all vary in terms of cleanliness, availability of air conditioning, and hot water showers. Motels, inns, and lodges also serve lodging purposes but have a reputation as meeting places for illicit sex, a unit being usually a small room with a connected carport, hidden behind a high wall which provides for secret comings and goings. You can distinguish these by their hourly rates, while more reputable institutions usually have daily rates.

Staying Healthy in the Philippines

2009-05-26T20:11:00.000-07:00

Staying Healthy in the Philippines

Drink the readily available bottled water. Buko (young coconut) juice is also safe if they have not added local ice to it. Be wary also of Buko juice vendors, some usually just add sugar to water. Buy and eat fruit that has not already been cut up. Cooked food from a karenderia (outdoor canteen) is okay if there is a fire under the pots and the food has been kept hot.

If you must drink tap water (it is usually served/contained in a small to medium plastic bag), water in Manila, Cebu City, Subic, and Angeles may be ok, but it is recommended that you boil tap water for at least 5 minutes just to be safe. Elsewhere drink bottled water. There is always the risk of contracting amoebiasis when drinking tap water in the countryside. Also, this applies to ice that is usually put in beverages.

Bottled water is best purchased from within stores and sheltered eateries. Bottled waters sold outside (by the roads) are more than likely used bottles filled with tap water, sealed then cooled.

CDC [14] advises that risk of malaria exists in areas below 600 meters, except for the provinces of Aklan, Bilaran, Bohol, Camiguin, Capiz, Catanduanes, Cebu, Guimaras, Iloilo, Leyte, Masbate, northern Samar, Sequijor, and metropolitan Manila. Chloroquine is no longer a recommended malaria preventative for anywhere in the Philippines. In general malaria is not common in the Philippines compared to Africa and the rest of mainland Southeast Asia, and around half of the c. 40,000 annual cases are in a couple of discrete locations.

Also please note the tubercolosis is very common in the countryside, it is advisable not to stay in certain villages in areas you are not familiar with for a very long time. It is also higly advisable that if one coughs or looks weak in strength it is highly advisable to avoid contact with that person.

Bring anti-diarrheal drugs with you, as unsanitary conditions present a high risk for traveler's diarrhea.

Although the Philippines is a low HIV prevalence country, it still pays to take precaution. Other sexually transmitted diseases are more common than HIV.

Respect in the Philippines

2009-05-26T20:08:00.000-07:00

Respect in the Philippines

A little courtesy goes a long way. Filipinos are a very friendly and hospitable people, sometimes even to a fault. Take the time to smile and say "thank you", and you'll receive much better responses. You will receive an even better response if you throw in a little Tagalog, such as "salamat", which means "thank you". When talking to the people older than you in Filipino, it is greatly appreciated to include "po" in your sentences such as "salamat po". In the countryside and in some urban homes, footwear is removed when entering a home, though they may make an exception for foreigners. The key is to look around before entering any home. If you see footwear just outside the door, more than likely the family's practice is to remove footwear before entering. If you wear socks, you don't have to remove them.

Street Children

In many of the larger cities extreme poverty is prevalent. It is advised not to give money to beggars or the street children who run around at all hours. If you really want to give something, food is the better alternative.

Communication in the Philippines

2009-05-26T19:39:00.000-07:00

Communication in the Philippines

The country code for the Philippines is 63. The area code for Metro Manila is 2.

The three major telecommunications companies are Globe Telecom, PLDT (wireless subsidiary Smart Communications for mobile phones) and Sun Cellular; each of them operates it's own network (GSM 900/1800). If you are visiting the Philippines, it is wise to check your mobile carrier to see if they offer international roaming for your plan and if so, which of the three carriers do they partner with; also, you will need at least a dualband GSM mobile phone.

Pre-paid SIM cards of these networks are easy to acquire and cost as low as P30 (approximately 70 US cents) and provide a cheap alternative to (usually) expensive roaming charges on home networks. If your unit is locked to your home service provider, cellphone repair shops in various malls have ways of unlocking. If you don't have a phone to begin with, a complete pre-paid kit with phone and SIM could be had for as low as 2 to 3 thousand pesos (US$40 to 60). Note that the phones that come with these kits would usually be locked to the local network provider. You would also need to have it unlocked before leaving if you plan on using it back home.

GSM mobile phones are in wide use all over the country, however, iDEN network is also somewhat present (service is provided by Next Mobile, a subsidiary of Nextel). 3G technology is also available through Globe and Smart. In most urban locations and many resorts, cell phone service will be available. The usual cost of an international long-distance call to the United States, Europe and other major countries is 40 US cents per minute (approximately 20 pesos), or 30 US cents for Sun Cellular, but at the expense of the worse network coverage. All three operators, however, often have promotions with discounted call rates to selected countries, so it's wise to check it via operators' websites, or (easier) just by telling the dealer to what countries are you going to call, before choosing a SIM. National calls range from 6.50 to 7.50 pesos (approximately 13 to 16 US cents) per minute. Text messages may cost as low as 50 centavos (a little over 1 US cent) and the Philippines is usually tagged as the "texting capital of the world". On many plans, you also get some (significant) number of free SMS each time you reload your SIM. This does not apply to international SMS, and the usual cost for them is 15 peso for Globe / Smart and 10 peso for Sun Cellular (again, sometimes there are promotions for selected countries with rates as low as 1 peso).

Reloading pre-paid SIMs is a breeze. Electronic Load (E-Load) stations are everywhere from small corner stores to the large malls where you just give your mobile phone number and the amount you wish to load (Globe, Smart and Sun each have their load denominations to choose from for E-loading). If you have a friend using the same mobile operator as you, you can load as little as a few pesos by letting him/her pass on some of his/her load to you and if you need hundreds of pesos worth of load, you can purchase pre-paid cards which are available in denominations of 300 and 500 pesos (approximately US$7 and 12 respectively).

Due to the wide use of mobile phones, pay phones are increasingly becoming obsolete. Some malls and public places still do have them and they usually come in either the coin or card operated variety. Globe and PLDT are the usual operators. Phone cards are usually sold by shops which sell cellphone pre-paid loads and cards. Note that phone cards of one company can not be used with the other company's card operated phones.

Internet access areas of broadband speeds are plentiful in city malls, much less so outside the cities, but are growing at a rapid pace. Some of these shops offer an alternative to the traditional overseas phone calls by use of their VOIP networks. Internet surfing rates depend primarily on where you surf and the medium used (e.g. WiFi or wired). Internet services offered by hotels and shopping malls are expensive and can go up to P200/hour (approximately US$5) but neighbourhood cafes can be as cheap as P15/hour (approximately US$0.35). WiFi service in the Philippines is provided by Airborneaccess.net and WiZ is likely to cost P100 (approximately US$2) for up to an hour. Coffee shops like Starbucks and Seattle's Best as well as malls usually carry WiFi service. Certain areas may carry free WiFi. GPRS/3G from Globe or Smart is also a viable alternative, especially in remote locations, with the usual rate about P10/30 minutes. Consider keeping up with the latest trends with expat yahoo and web groups such as Philippines Living.

Apart from the Philippine postal service, FedEx, UPS, and DHL courier services are also available. Local couriers such as LBC and Aboitiz are also available.

Welcome

2009-05-06T03:23:00.001-07:00

Welcome