Trip to Philippines 2011

25 June.2011

i am going to Philippines for the first time this year, i have usually been in Thailand and like it very much there. But i want to see something new and different so i was thinking that i will take a trip to Philippines this year.

And i am looking forward to see some of the things that is worth to see there like the beaches and the nature i guess that will be similar to what they have in Thailand but i like that.

The trip will be really long since i will be in transit 4 times all in all. And the trip will look like this.

1.From Alesund to Oslo (Norway) 45 min
2.From Oslo to Bangkok (Thailand) 11 Hours
3.From Bangkok to Manila (Philippines) 3,5 hours
4.From Manila to Tacloban (Philippines) 1,5 Hours
But i really looking forward to i get there so i can begin my holiday, i also hope that i can visit many diffrent places in the time i will spend there so i can see so much that i can the 20 days i am going to stay in Philippines.

29 June.2011

just reserved a room at the Radisson blu Gardermoen hotel to the 17 July 2011, so i don't need to stress to much and i don't need to get up in the middle of the night to begin my journey the 18 July 2011, on my way to Bangkok and then to Manila.
I also got my flight ticket from Alesund to Oslo to day so now it's just to wait for the date to come so i can begin my long travel to Philippines.

17 July 2011
Ålesund Airport Vigra

Is the first stage on my trip to Philippines, then I take a flight from Ålesund to Oslo. I will go on flight SK 1327 and departing Ålesund airport Vigra 18:30 and will land at Oslo airport Gardermoen 19:25. Type of Flight is a Boeing 737-500. Company is Scandinavian Airlines (SAS).

The flight was OK no delays and it was a smooth flight whit little turbulence and it was not to many people on the flight so there was plenty of empty seats and that is good so it's fast to get out of the plane so I can check in to the hotel. The weather in Oslo was not good whit rain and around 11 +C but that’s OK since I will stay most in the hotel and write on my blog and make my self ready for the big trip tomorrow. And I think it's good to get a good night sleep.

Oslo Airport Gardermoen

Oslo Airport Gardermoen

I will stay in Radisson Blu Gardermoen to the next day then I will begin my long journey to Bangkok.

18 July 2011

I check out of the hotel in good time before I will fly to Bangkok on Thai air flight TG 955 that departing from Oslo Airport Gardermoen 14:15. and landing on Suvarnabhumi international airport (Bangkok) 06:15 in the morning. Flight type Boeing 777-200/300.
Sitting in the airport and waiting for the boarding to Bangkok. Outside it's still raining very much and it's a really crappy weather. I see that in Bangkok it's 32 degrees and sun to bad I have no time to spend some time there since I just have a 1 hour delay in Bangkok before I prosed to Manila on Thai air flight TG 620 that take off from Bangkok 07.40 and landing in Manila 11:55 Flight type Airbus A 330/300
Think I will use some of the time to shop a little in the tax free shops and see if they have something I need for my travel. And buy some presents.
And find my flight to Manila so I don't miss that. Since I then miss my connecting flight to Tacloban. And most of the trip will then be delayed a bit.

Suvarnabhumi international airport (Bangkok)

Suvarnabhumi international airport (Bangkok)

Suvarnabhumi international airport (Bangkok)

Suvarnabhumi international airport (Bangkok)

A smal part of Bangkok

19 July 2011

The worst that cold happen happened I was stuck in Manila to the day after since we had a long delay in Bangkok they had some technical problems whit the plane, think it was something wrong whit the breaks on one side on the landing wheels. And after 3 hours they find out that they need to change the plane and we was then taken by bus to the other side of the airport so we can get on a other plane and then prosed to Manila but then it was to late and a combination whit that and that there was a big cue in immigration that delay my time even more. So I need to spend the overnight in a crappy hotel not to far from the airport. And have now a flight to Tacloban at 11:45 the day after.
I had a deal whit a taxi driver that will come and get me and drive me to the airport but he never show up so I get a other taxi so I was not getting there to late.
The flight from Bangkok to Manila was OK not much happened really. But the trip from Oslo To Bangkok was another mater since it was much turbulence and thunder on the way down there. We had a part where it was really bad whit turbulence and there was some that was puking. But beside some of the air pockets it was not to bad really.
The weather in Manila is not to bad here is really hot and dry for the moment.

20 July 2011

woke up very early to day the clock is 05.40 in the night and I will fly to Tacloban to day on a flight that go 11:45 from Manila. The weather here is very hot but still no rain and that's good.
I set in some pics of my hotel room here in Manila so you can see how it looks like. The name of the hotel is Crosswinds hotel, and it's in a very busy street whit much traffic 24/7 so it's very much noise here and the rooms are really hot since here is no AC and many bar girls and little children that begging for money. So I will not recommend this hotel to anyone for it's one of the worst hotels I have been living in. Here are plenty of hotels that is much better then this one since it's both expensive and crappy.
A taxi will come and get me around 9 in the morning to take me to the airport. So I can get on the plane this time. So I hope there is not to many people so we need to stand in due to long

Crosswinds hotel in Manila

Crosswinds hotel in Manila

Crosswinds hotel in Manila

I even do the blunder to check out of the hotel 2 o’clock in the night since my clock show it was 8 in the morning. I guess I have to blame the jet lag for that one, and that I forget to change the time.

Sitting and waiting at the airport now for the flight to Tacloban it's going to be very full it looks like. I had to pay for over weight on my bag it cost me around 700 peso since my bag was over 20 kg, but that's OK I don't mind really.
The flight was a little delayed the take off time was set to 11:45, but it's looks like it will be 12:50. I had to pay 200 peso in boarding fee to, so I see it's not just Europe that is expensive. But it's OK since it's not much we talking about here. So now I am just have to sit here and wait on my flight.

Have landed in Tacloban and it's a OK place, it looks like many other places in Asia very busy and much people all around.
The hotel is OK and I can recommend it. The name is D'Angelo.

D'Angelo hotel in Tacloban

D'Angelo hotel in Tacloban

Here are very hot and it's not good to be outside for to long. It's a little stressing for someone that is not used to this heat.
So far it's not much to take pictures off here in Tacloban since I am in the city and here are just streets and people. But it will be better after I get out of the city and begin to travel around a little.

21 July.2011

To day I will slow down and relax and go and do some shopping. Nothing special really I will see what the day will bring here. Just hope the weather will be good. 18:20 it starts to be lightning and thunder here and it's raining buckets just hope it stop soon for it's not much I can do in this weather.

22 July. 2011

Checking out of the hotel to day and take a trip to Southern Leyte. The trip here was OK, we drive on some roads that remind me of the one we have in Norway. We are living in a hotel named Kissbone Cove and it's a OK place and it's right whit the sea so it's quite nice here. The only thing I can set the finger on is that they don't have any food beside grilled chicken so that's not to good, and no hot water in the showers but beside that it's a OK place.

Kissbone Cove St. Bernard, Southern Leyte

Kissbone Cove St. Bernard, Southern Leyte

People looking for shells St. Bernard, Southern Leyte

23 July. 2011

Had a really slow day and don't do to much really just relax and walking around a little and looking around.

24 July. 2011

The day start really good whit a very good temp and good weather. But you can see that there was something coming since the sky was getting black and it was beginning to thunder and rain a little and this getting worse and in the afternoon it was raining buckets and blowing, the electric was gone for 24 hours and they say there was a typhoon that hit us. And I can believe that since I have never seen so much rain really.

A really rainy day at Kissbone Cove St. Bernard, Southern Leyte

A really rainy day at Kissbone Cove St. Bernard, Southern Leyte

A really rainy day at Kissbone Cove St. Bernard, Southern Leyte

25 July. 2011

We check out of Kissbone Cove and take a trip to a place named Sogod and we got a room at the Syshore beach resort. Not a bad place really but the walls in the rooms need some paint soon since it's falling off the walls.

26 July. 2011

We are still at Syshore beach resort and to day it have been some singing here form the early morning to the night I think it was some karaoke contest or something they had there.
We have been in town to do some shopping nothing much but some small stuff. Have been taking a trip around here and it's really not much to see and to take picture off.
Have been driving around in this moped taxi thing and I see they are a little to small for a man that is 192 cm tall but since it's just short trips so it's OK.

Syshore beach resort in Sogod

Syshore beach resort in Sogod

27 July 2011

To day was one of the first time I see the sun on the trip, but it was just for a short time before it was coming clouds again but the heat is more or less the same as it have been so that's OK so long it's not raining here.

28 July 2011

Checking out from Syshore resort and leave Sogod and going back to Kissbone for a while, was also and get the flight ticket back to Manila to day before I leave so I don't need to think about that.
Beside that we had a interesting bus trip back to Saint Bernard it was a trip I will never forget but it was interesting. It was raining really much this day to in the night and it was some wind but so long it's raining in the night it's OK.

Syshore beach resort in Sogod

Syshore beach resort in Sogod

Syshore beach resort in Sogod

29 July 2011

Had a slow day was and looking at a weather fall here and it was cool a little to made to tourists and other visitors but beside that it was great. I was just relaxing and had a quiet day here.
In the evening it start to rain again but that's no problem.

Hindag-an falls and forest park St. Bernard, Southern Leyte

Hindag-an falls and forest park St. Bernard, Southern Leyte

Hindag-an falls and forest park St. Bernard, Southern Leyte

30 July 2011

Had a OK day whit not to much to do really was taking it very slow and relax most of the day. We had a power break again so it was a little boring since we cant look at TV and we cant do anything really.

31 July 2011

Had a OK Sunday did not so much just relax.

01 August 2011
02 August 2011

Was just a little trip out and did some shopping and eat some food beside that it was some really warm and slow days.

03 August 2011

Was on a place called 1000 islands, and for the first time I get some real meat and not just chicken, since they had T bone steak there so I finally got some really good food. Beside that it was not much to see there. No 1000 islands to see there anywhere.

04 August 2011

Was a trip to Sogod to take out some money since there is the only ATM that accept visa in the aria. We had a really interesting bus trip there on a old beaten up bus that was barely holding together, half way there the gear shift broke so we was standing a little while and waiting as they try to fix it. And we finaly got going again and reach Sogod.
In the evening it was starting to rain buckets again. Beside that was it a OK trip.

05 August 2011

Checking out of Kissbone resort and going back to Tacloban for the flight back to Manila. Had a OK day in Tacloban. Had a trip to Mac Donald to get something to eat and beside that I had a quiet evening in the hotel.

06 August 2011

Was early at the airport so I have to wait for a little while. But that's OK, not many passengers here yet so it's not to much traffic. It's a sunny day to day so I think it will be a great evening to.
The plane was 1 hour delayed so I was not in Manila before 6 in the afternoon, the taxi ride was cheaper to this time not more then 300 peso and that is really good. The room at the Rogers Place hotel is really nice and here are very quiet so that’s a really big plus.
The flight was going very good got a window seat but it was right over the wing so I had no opportunity to take any pictures on the trip. It was to many clouds to so it was not much to take pictures of really on that trip.

07 August 2011

Sitting in the hotel the clock is now 10:15 in the morning and I am just finish packing my bags and are ready to check out of the hotel.
it's time to go home and I am on my way to the airport in Manila to begin the first part on my flight from Manila to Bangkok. We will see how the day go's and if the plane is in rout or not.
Sitting in the airport and have a really long wait here since my flight go 8 in the evening and the time now is 12:44 in the afternoon. Here is not much to do either beside sit and look at the people that go around here and wait for the time to check in.
I finally got in and had plenty of time to look in the different shops there and to be honest there was nothing I wanted at all just the same as in all other airports.

08 August 2011

The flight to Norway was going OK there was no delay and there was very little turbulence on the 11 hour flight. And we landed in Oslo 07:10 in the morning so I had some time to wait there to before I can get on my flight to Ålesund.

Conclusion of the trip
Here are some things that I miss really much like ATM machines that take Visa, since it's not all that do that, and that I can take out more then 5000 Peso in one time. And there are almost no shops or hotels that accept any cards at all. And if they had something else then chicken and pork then I had I been a happy man, since I like a really good beef from time to time. The same go for hot water in the shower that is something that I really miss there.

So when I will visit Philippines again. I guess only time will tell but it will not be any time soon. And I see they have a long way to go when it come to get tourists to come here. For here are some things that are missing completely.
Beside that it's nothing much to say, it's a great country and very nice people so that it's a good place to spend your holiday. So long you don't expect to much comfort and can do whit a little less then you are use to from home.
And one thing you just need to try if you are in the Philippines are the bike taxi I find them very easy to use on short trips, and they are really cheep.

One other thing that really bug me are all the fluting from the cars and bikes, they have no purpose whit this noise it's just irritating. And another thing I think they need to try to do something whit is all the people that is begging for money it's in all towns in Philippines it's all types of people from old people to children and this is very annoying since they don't let you be even if you tell them no you don't have any thing for them. And give them something is not a good idea since they are never alone and you can end up whit give away much money.

But beside that it have been a really good trip and I will recommend you to take a trip to Philippines since it's a really nice place and much nice nature and the people there are really nice and smiling. It's also very easy to travel around there either by bus, van, or you can rent a car. The airports are also easy to walk around in. the only thing you need to remember is that you need to pay a airport fee before you leave this vary between 30 to 200 peso for domestic flights and 500 peso if you have a international flight. Beside that it's much waiting like in all airports.
And most airlines in Philippines have a Max 15 kg weight limit on the bags over that you need to pay for over weight so it can be wise to travel light on domestic flights.
But all in all I think you will have a really good time there and will find the people there to be really nice. And easy going so try not to take it to hard and just relax.

If I going to give Philippines a rating from 1 to 5. there 1 is the lowest and 5 the highest I think if I see the trip all in all I will give them a strong 4 +++ since beside the things I have written longer up here that I find a little annoying is there not much to set my finger on really.

That was the summer holiday in 2011 and I will be back whit other trips later.