bookmanx Posted January 21, 2012 Posted January 21, 2012 I know it's an open ended question but I'm leaving this coming saturday for a 2 week stay. Landing in Manila and have an open schedule. No place in particular and no time frame to prod me along.I'm not really a bar person but probably will visit a few. Dining out is a given. My hotel tastes aren't that expensive (although I will be visiting Boracay for a few nights and will probably splurge there).My questions are :how much cash should I take ?Are atm's there THAT unreliable ? (I am a Bank of America customer and have no idea how I will get money once there other than ATM's).As I said, it's open ended but any suggestions are apprecaited. I will be traveling light (backpack and one carry-on bag). I'd use just the backpack but laptop (old one just in case it should disappear) and int'l power supply take too much space to make it comfy w/ clothes and toiletries as well. I can't wait for the trip.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake Posted January 21, 2012 Posted January 21, 2012 I know it's an open ended question but I'm leaving this coming saturday for a 2 week stay. Landing in Manila and have an open schedule. No place in particular and no time frame to prod me along.I'm not really a bar person but probably will visit a few. Dining out is a given. My hotel tastes aren't that expensive (although I will be visiting Boracay for a few nights and will probably splurge there).My questions are :how much cash should I take ?Are atm's there THAT unreliable ? (I am a Bank of America customer and have no idea how I will get money once there other than ATM's).As I said, it's open ended but any suggestions are apprecaited. I will be traveling light (backpack and one carry-on bag). I'd use just the backpack but laptop (old one just in case it should disappear) and int'l power supply take too much space to make it comfy w/ clothes and toiletries as well.I can't wait for the trip....Hello Bookmanx,As you may know, having possession of over 10K US dollars need to be declared. A few hundred dollarsshould be OK when you exchange them into pesos upon arrival. Your larger funds should be kept in placein a bank account (your B of A) and just withdraw as necessary. Please inform your bank that you arevisiting the Philippines. That way nothing will be suspicious when they see a withdrawal transaction in aforeign country. Also ask your bank which local bank in PI offers minimum transfer or withdrawal fees.Please inform your friends and relatives of your whereabouts. If you have the time, you could also registerat the US Embassy in Manila of your travel itinerary. Keep in mind about your emergency exit plans.Have fun and tell us later about your adventure -- welcome aboard sir, Jake 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bows00 Posted January 21, 2012 Posted January 21, 2012 Wow this is an open ended question. But non the less, I am excited for you and I wish i was in your shoes. Last time I was there for two weeks spent a total of $4k US, but then again I am a bar kind of guy and had me lots of fun! And my motto is when I am on vacation, the place I stay at has to be at least as nice as my home here in the US, or it will not feel like a vacation for me. I was averaging about $200 US per day. And did I mention I had tons of fun? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum Support Old55 Posted January 21, 2012 Forum Support Posted January 21, 2012 (edited) Don't take much cash at all.Frankly there is no good reason for it and it is at risk of theft. If you must take cash take new crisp unfolded $100.00 bills.If you plan to spend time in a major city use your ATM card. Get enough cash (Peso) for two days budget. Try to keep one day extra cash on hand. Friday many ATM's will run out of cash or have very very long lines. Outside of the big citys ATM's can be difficult to find or there could be power outages preventing their use.Have a trusted family member your ATM and credit card numbers and phone number in case of theft or problems.Budget is up to you. Figure at least $100.00 a day. You could spend less or more, much more it depends on how you trip plays out and what your lodging costs are. For sure Boricay will be expensive if you stay in the country you may find it hard to spend $100.00 a day.I almost forgot use large bills at the start of each day or anytime you can as no one will have change. A very strange thing will happen to you when vendors cab drivers and others deal with you (The Rich Knao) they will suddenly have no change! :lol:Be respectful and have fun!! Please post your thoughts during you trip if you find time. Look out for those Filipinas they are deadly. :th_thholysheep: In a good way! :mocking: Edited January 21, 2012 by Old55 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bows00 Posted January 21, 2012 Posted January 21, 2012 And be very careful when you go to one those money exchange places to exchange large sums. One guy ripped me off around $20US. Realized it too late after I got back to my hotel. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum Support Old55 Posted January 21, 2012 Forum Support Posted January 21, 2012 Great point Bows00! Never exchange cash on the street or any other dodgy place. Count your money as soon as you get it at the window. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeB Posted January 21, 2012 Posted January 21, 2012 I know it's an open ended question but I'm leaving this coming saturday for a 2 week stay. Landing in Manila and have an open schedule. No place in particular and no time frame to prod me along.I'm not really a bar person but probably will visit a few. Dining out is a given. My hotel tastes aren't that expensive (although I will be visiting Boracay for a few nights and will probably splurge there).My questions are :how much cash should I take ?Are atm's there THAT unreliable ? (I am a Bank of America customer and have no idea how I will get money once there other than ATM's).As I said, it's open ended but any suggestions are apprecaited. I will be traveling light (backpack and one carry-on bag). I'd use just the backpack but laptop (old one just in case it should disappear) and int'l power supply take too much space to make it comfy w/ clothes and toiletries as well.I can't wait for the trip....Two weeks is really too short. It takes at least a few days just to recover from jet lag. Be sure to tell your bank your travel plans or they will likely lock your card if they see purchases or cash withdrawals from overseas. That happened to me recently. In the major cities like Manila and Cebu there are plenty of reliable ATMs, Boracay too. But in the provinces they are rarer and not as reliable. In the town I live there is only one and it's more often then not offline. So you need to plan if you are travelling away from major areas. I would have at least 1 more ATM card (from a different bank) as backup to be safe. Traveler's checks are very hard to cash here, ATMs are your best option. If it's a newer laptop it should be dual voltage so either 110 or 220 should work but check first. Be safe and have a great time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookmanx Posted January 22, 2012 Author Posted January 22, 2012 Already had BofA make sure my card will work while I am there w/o being blocked. I plan on only having a couple days expenses with me. just need to figure out what that will be !Thank you ALL for the great advice. As for stay length, I have two weeks planned but can extend easily. I don't have a set schedule or plan at all other than staying mobile and light and relaxing as much as physically possible. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art2ro Posted January 22, 2012 Posted January 22, 2012 (edited) Please inform your friends and relatives of your whereabouts. If you have the time, you could also register at the US Embassy in Manila of your travel itinerary. Keep in mind about your emergency exit plans. Here's the website to register your travel with the U.S. State Department:https://travelregist...te.gov/ibrs/ui/Also bring a used laptop and a Magic Jack, you won't regret it, because it can be helpful! A cellphone from the U.S. in the "roaming" mode can be very expensive while overseas! Edited January 22, 2012 by Art2ro 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum Support Old55 Posted January 22, 2012 Forum Support Posted January 22, 2012 Already had BofA make sure my card will work while I am there w/o being blocked. I plan on only having a couple days expenses with me. just need to figure out what that will be !Thank you ALL for the great advice. As for stay length, I have two weeks planned but can extend easily. I don't have a set schedule or plan at all other than staying mobile and light and relaxing as much as physically possible."I have two weeks planned but can extend easily. I don't have a set schedule or plan at all other than staying mobile and light and relaxing as much as physically possible." :th_thbestpost:Wow, perfect plan you nailed it! I know you will get along over there just fine. :cheersty: Enjoy your trip. Keep us posted on your adventures and thoughts. :36_6_3[1]: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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