Marie´s Blog

After I came back to Philippines from China, my friends from Europe and from America wants to see me in my country and somehow take them to places which has great beach to get tanned. When they arrived here in Philippines, they were so excited. Too many were surprised. Their reactions was little bit upset too. These are the impressions they had when they landed Philippines particularly Luzon area.

TRAFFIC
Metro Manila transportation is always in heavy traffic. Even if you take a taxi, it still cannot help to get away from traffic. It is all traffic everywhere to whether small or big streets. As what the taxi driver said, the best tourist spot in Metro Manila is its HEAVY TRAFFIC. My foreign friends got tired from a 16hour flight and going to a hotel is is annoying when all they want is to rest in the bed after a long trip plus a heavy traffic waiting.

OPPORTUNIST FILIPINO TAXI DRIVERS
According to my French friends, they checked the hotel from the airport it was only 2km away and the taxi driver charged them 2000PHP or 50USD which is overpricing. If in China the taxi drivers gave you fake money, in Philippines, taxi drivers asked you more money than the real fare and this applies to all airports or ferry port around Philippines.

DIRTY STREETS
While inside the taxi, these friends of mine noticed there were lots of garbage in the streets. They were surprised with the male urinal.

TOO MANY FEES
They were surprised among all the airports they have visited, only Philippines got terminal fee. 750PHP for International flight and 200PHP for domestic flights plus when you go to a tourist area like Boracay or Puerto Galera, they charge you environmental fee aside from the terminal fees.

Impressions outside Manila

NICE BEACHES
At least among the impressions they gave me, I felt good when I heard they said Philippines is like a paradise when outside Metro Manila. Boracay beach, Subic Bay, Puerto Galera, Coron Palawan, Panglao Island in Bohol, Surfing area in Siargao Island and Cebu got really nice beach to get vacations. The waters are clean and the white powdered sand is like almost heaven.

CHEAP SEAFOOD
The lobsters, shrimps, fish and prawns were really cheap ones for them compared to Europe or America. The oysters like in China was also inexpensive. As a sum total: FOOD IS REALLY CHEAP.

I know Philippines is not so developed and poor economically compared to other cities in Asia and some part are really embarrassing for our tourists. But I think all I can be proud of is at least Filipinos are happy type of people even though we are poor and somehow we are very friendly to tourists.