Cebu Is A Top Resort Destination In The Pacific

[dalidali]

Many tourist come in from Korea, Japan, China

 

I am writing this now from a terrace in a Boracay beach front resort.(cheap one)

 

I can verify that Koreans and Japanese outnumber the white boys 10 to 1.

From casual observations, they are mostly staying in the high end resorts, lined up for sailboat rides, parasailng rides and gobble up the trinkets at back street trinket shops......

 

And if another pearl huckster jams a string of plastic pearls in my face........uggggg.

Never in my life have I seen such swarms of hucksters plying a tourist path.

They come out from behind the trees, under tables and off their haunches to thrust their wares in front of you.

A simple no thank you seldom works.

 

A sidenote: interesting tidbit of info from the resort owner here in Boracay.....all the fresh water for Boracay comes from Pinay Island though an undersea pipeline.

All the electricity gets here the same way....undersea cables. There are no generating plants here.

All the sewage gets processed by a state of the art facility and then is sent out to sea in a outfall pipeline.....way out he says.

Edited September 11, 2013 by dalidali

[dalidali]

Please have them stop all that good publicity. I would like to spend time enjoying Cebu resort facilities at lower prices. Then I can brag how cheap everything is in the Philippines. 

Bring money....lots of it.

The Plantation Bay resort in Mactan wanted 2000p per person to just do a day pass.

[MikeB]

Here's another point of view - from a returning balikbayan. 

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/opinion/2013/09/10/tell-it-sunstar-more-pun-philippines-302397

 

[Tukaram (Tim)]

 

I am writing this now from a terrace in a Boracay beach front resort.(cheap one)......

 

 

So how is the weather?  Still able to do everything you want?  I will be in Boracay Friday!

 

I would love to do a Cebu trip one day... soon'ish.... after a Subic dive trip.... 

[dalidali]

 

 

I am writing this now from a terrace in a Boracay beach front resort.(cheap one)......

 

 

So how is the weather?  Still able to do everything you want?  I will be in Boracay Friday!

 

I would love to do a Cebu trip one day... soon'ish.... after a Subic dive trip.... 

 

Hey Ram.....it rained hard Tuesday afternoon and evening and it just finished a downpour this evening (wednesday) that drove us inside, from an outside dining experience.

 

The "habagat" winds start midmorning and I like it.....refreshing. Seems the adventure crowd loves the parasailing and windsurfing also.

 

The novia shopped till she damn near dropped today....1000p+ of trinkets and T-shirts.

Try the "less expensive" shopping options called "E Mall" instead of "D Mall". Slightly better prices and enough junk to satisfy anyone.

T-shirts were 2 for 170p at every stall and there was zero negotiations and I am pretty good at that.

Fixed priced was the reply. 85 p each..or 2 bucks each...what's not to like?

 

All is good....you will enjoy it despite the minor pitfalls and hoards of white skinned Koreans and Japanese folks.

It seemed they hung around boat station 1 and 2 more....the high rent district. I am in the low and slow boat station 3 area.

I thought I was a white boy.......wow some of those Koreans are as white as pure driven snow.

Hope they have plenty of 50spf sunblock!!

Edited September 11, 2013 by dalidali

[i am bob]

 

Many tourist come in from Korea, Japan, China

 

I am writing this now from a terrace in a Boracay beach front resort.(cheap one)

 

I can verify that Koreans and Japanese outnumber the white boys 10 to 1.

From casual observations, they are mostly staying in the high end resorts, lined up for sailboat rides, parasailng rides and gobble up the trinkets at back street trinket shops......

 

And if another pearl huckster jams a string of plastic pearls in my face........uggggg.

Never in my life have I seen such swarms of hucksters plying a tourist path.

They come out from behind the trees, under tables and off their haunches to thrust their wares in front of you.

A simple no thank you seldom works.

 

A sidenote: interesting tidbit of info from the resort owner here in Boracay.....all the fresh water for Boracay comes from Pinay Island though an undersea pipeline.

All the electricity gets here the same way....undersea cables. There are no generating plants here.

All the sewage gets processed by a state of the art facility and then is sent out to sea in a outfall pipeline.....way out he says.

 

 

 

My Gawd, son, you're not in  Boracay!  You're in Niagara Falls!!!

 

Wanna see how it compares?  How about if you wanna buy some cheap plastic pearls?  At one of the main tourist areas I know of, you can get a small (child's size) necklace of fake pearls for $140.00 - plus tax.  One of the Denny's in the tourist area had special pricing - a coffee and 2 pieces of plain toast was over $40.  Just last week I had an Ice Cream Cone for $12.  How about some of that world famous Niagara Mist in a Can?  Only $10!  Now if you want to see the falls, you just climb over the backs of these 50 million Japanese Tourists...  Or you can have a wonderful hotel with a view of the falls for only $450 tonight.  So what if the room is 10 k from the falls and the view is of a billboard for MarineLand?  So what is my point?  It could be a lot worse in Cebu.  Besides, we all know the good stuff just ain't in town but where the locals go!

 

Tourism?  It's the same everywhere...  HOW MUCH CAN YOU BE RIPPED OFF FOR?

 

:mocking:

[JJReyes]

The magnificent resorts have prices higher than in US or even Europe for the what they offer, 250$/night as a minimum for a twin occupancy room at Shangri-La Mactan and so on prices, is not a cheap destination!!!

 

If you check luxury resort price changes during the past two years, $250 a night is considered a bargain. Our son and daughter-in-law are staying at the Ritz Carlton Maui for a wedding at $450 per room night plus 11.5% accommodation tax. (Vets wedding party and Vets make a good living.)

 

Visiting friends wanted my wife and I to take them to see the new Hawaiian Disney Resort. I had to dissuade them because the parking fee is $30. You get a voucher for use at a restaurant. The cheapest item is burgers & fries at the poolside snack bar at $25.00 a plate or $100.00 for four persons plus tip, plus tax. Recommended tip, as stated in your receipt is 18%, 20% or 25%. The amounts for the tip are already printed on your receipt. You check off if you are an 18% cheapskate or a more generous 25% mini-tycoon.

 

One must remember that the world is not just western. Many tourist come in from Korea, Japan, China etc so that is the biggest tourist market.

 

The luxury resort market is targeted to a different audience. Unfortunately, we are not part of the audience.  

[dalidali]

Tourism? It's the same everywhere... HOW MUCH CAN YOU BE RIPPED OFF FOR?

 

But but Bob ole boy........did you see the T-shirts @ 2 bucks each????

And.....emblazoned "I love Boracay".....how could you EVER go wrong?

 

 

 

You're in Niagara Falls!!!

 

Bob......I could have swore it said "welcome to Boracay" .....it did....right on the pump boat it did. :bash:

Hot scoop tidbit Bob.....you're only ripped off if you pay the price.

 

 

 

 

The luxury resort market is targeted to a different audience. Unfortunately, we are not part of the audience.

 

We?....who is WE kemosabe?......I want you to know I am at top rung of the luxury ladder.......so what if $50 clams is my top rung? :hystery:

Edited September 11, 2013 by dalidali

[JJReyes]

All the sewage gets processed by a state of the art facility and then is sent out to sea in a outfall pipeline.....way out he says.

 

Sorry to disappoint you the "state of the art facility" sewage treatment is b.s. A group of graduate students in environmental studies from a Hawaii university were in Boracay recently. The sewage contamination, based on testing beach water samples, were above normal. The data from their field studies will be included in their research paper. The agreement is the data won't be uploaded on the Internet.

 

Wading is safe. Make sure you don't have open wounds and sores. Avoid getting water in your nose, ears, mouth and eyes. Drinking water was determined to be sufficiently chlorinated and safe. 

 

Have a wonderful time. 

Edited September 12, 2013 by JJReyes

[jpbago]

   In getting back to topic on Cebu, last month, we went to, what I thought, was the nearest non-Mactan resort, Tubod Flowing Waters in Manganilla, 1.5 hours south. The entrance fee was 120p per person plus a table for 500p. We stayed only 2 hours as it was a dump. We had to stay that long to wait for our ride to come back.The pictures were 50 years old with no renos since. The van cost 2,600p return. A wasted day.

   Twice now, on leaving, we were put on buses from the "modern international" airport to board our plane. Both Cebu and PAL were put on buses just like they used to do after the war.