Blogs from Coron, Palawan, Philippines, Asia - page 3

I arrived into Clark airport just after 8pm and with only carry-on luggage I was quickly able to get through customs and immigration (it helped that most people on the flight were Philippino and there was a separate cue for foreigners). I was then able to get some money and book a bus to Manila. The bus eventually departed just after 9 and arrived in Pasay about 1130. I had booked to stay at Green Mango Inn, taxi drivers refused to put the meter on all saying no metered taxis at night and after initially been told 500pesos I paid 300p and the taxi driver still got lost! In the end I arrived about 1230 and after been shown the dorm room the staff had to clean it, even-though it was a six bed dorm ... read more

Last Monday I travelled back to Puerto Princesa so that I could catch my flight to Busuanga. However, when I went to check in at the airport, on the Tuesday afternoon, and after much confusion surrounding which queue I should be in I was told that my flight had been cancelled. I was directed to the AirPhil booking office (when I say directed, I mean the general direction was pointed towards with the use of pursed lips - a method of communication used by many Filipino people) where I spent an hour explaining the problem and working out new flights. The staff there were really helpful so I must say thank you to them and they were able to arrange a flight to Manila and then to Busuanga for the Wednesday at no extra cost. There ... read more

It was 2002 when the four and a half month Southeast Asia tour took place; it being the first part of a yearlong round the world trip. I had had one fortnight long holiday to Thailand since then and I was missing Asia. Having revisited Africa, Latin America, and of course Europe numerous times, I thought I owed Asia the same dedication. My three month contract in Japan wasn’t sufficient to sate my Asian appetite. I loved Japan, but the experience of living and working there was nothing like the great memories I’ve got of backpacking through Southeast Asia with Rob and Dave when I was 22. So finding myself between contracts after Christmas I had only one destination in mind. Actually that’s not completely true, I had several, but all in Asia. India: Given all ... read more

Before going to the airport we got the taxi driver to take us to the cash point. All the guide books warned us that there are no cash points in Coron so we would need to take enough cash to see us through. The cash point had other ideas though. After requesting money a few times it kindly informed us that my account was now blocked and that I should contact my bank – this was going to be a costly withdrawal. On the way to the airport I called the bank. It was 4am at home so I was more than surprised to get through to a very cheerful lady who could lift the block straight away – now all we needed was for there to be a cash point at the airport. Luckily there ... read more

My German buddy Till arrives in Coron straight from Germany,he is as pale as I could remember him, great to see him after 5 months, we had great times travelling together in the Caucasus, and we'll see if we can give him some tan before he leaves the tropics. Lots of catching up to do, we had a few beers at the Sea Dive restaurant where we are staying and then took him to one of my favorite eateries in town, Trining's, earlier I bought some "pitik" a kind of lobster that I've not seen anywhere else in my travels and some squid so Till can have a great start to his Philippine travels, I dropped the seafood in the morning and they cooked it for me, It was fantabulous, needless to say we gorged the ... read more