Medic Mike Posted August 5, 2014 Posted August 5, 2014 Hi everyone, first post so here goes... I / we have been looking at a move overseas for as long as I can remember, but never had the nerve or cash to go ahead, now we have and are seriously looking at puerto galera, why? Because I have a cousin there for last 10 years and it's a start. My question is, will we be welcome as an all white family from the sunny island of the uk, will my wife be welcomed and will my child be able to attend school there, he's 7 and male? I will be working as a scuba instructor, we will have an income from the uk of £1500 per month on top of my earnings as an instructor, plus the rental of our house in the uk which will generate an extra £250 per month, will we have a nice life? All comments and thoughts will be read and appreciated. Best Vambeechi I don't want to put you off the area, but you should know that malaria is still very much a going concern in the area. I have been there several times, and was actually considering making it my retirement island, as an avid diver/instructor it seemed like the perfect place. However, the malaria draumas down there has put me off the island. If you are set on puerto galera as a home, make sure you invest in plenty of tropical bug spray/cream. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vambeechi Posted August 5, 2014 Author Posted August 5, 2014 i thanks for your reply.... Well where to start, he has an iPad, kindle, Nintendo ds, playstation, ifone......... Spoilt isn't the word.... But we want to stop all that, we want an easy life, to be honest if we do make the move then I will probably be deleting my face book account too :-) That would be madness! You will very soon find two things; first most Filipinos are very heavy users of social media; second that you will be needing a means of communicating easily with the outside world. Wow, I was joking, that's what I'd like to do but in reality I know I couldn't do that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vambeechi Posted August 5, 2014 Author Posted August 5, 2014 I can't wait for the stories. Can you post back again after you've been there a while? By the way, sabang is where the nightlife and girly bars are. It's 20 minutes by road or sea to white beach, which is where I have been. Boats from mainland Luzon go to sabang first, and provide a transfer (road or boat) to white beach. You will be fine with your money, even if you had to stop working for some reason. Just don't expect things to always work, budget for failures along the way... And if you live low cost, you might find the contingencies are also lower in cost. The beach is great. Bit boring for weeks and constant influx of touists, especially on weekends. British summer is typhoon season. In fact, northern Philippines has pretty high levels of rain and cloud. Sea air will help life though. Local filipinos will see you as a money sign perhaps. Get to know locals and remember being nice is more important than tipping. Complaining in a serious way is often a bad idea. You can complain, just always do it with a smile, and make sure the staff don't get their pride hurt, or they will seek revenge if possible. Hi, thank you for this advise, and everyone else too, obviously we won't be going around thinking we are millionaires, that's not our style, we will be living off of what we need we won't be extravagant at all apart from maybe a monthly trip to manila!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake Posted August 5, 2014 Posted August 5, 2014 (edited) Hi everyone, first post so here goes... I / we have been looking at a move overseas for as long as I can remember, but never had the nerve or cash to go ahead, now we have and are seriously looking at puerto galera, why? Because I have a cousin there for last 10 years and it's a start. My question is, will we be welcome as an all white family from the sunny island of the uk, will my wife be welcomed and will my child be able to attend school there, he's 7 and male? I will be working as a scuba instructor, we will have an income from the uk of £1500 per month on top of my earnings as an instructor, plus the rental of our house in the uk which will generate an extra £250 per month, will we have a nice life? All comments and thoughts will be read and appreciated. Best Vambeechi Hello Vambeechi, Boy, this is going to be an adventure of your lifetime. From the freezing blizzards of Northern Atlantic to a white sand private cove embracing the aqua blue water, can you imagine the mind of an 7 year old boy following your footsteps as a master diver and instructor. Your son will also gain the appreciation of mother nature, especially the exotic colors of the underwater world. And look what you have to inspire your son -- the tropical paradise of Puerto Galera. I would like to mention however, of all the necessary planning for undertaking this great leap of faith. I sincerely hope that your lovely wife and son can tolerate the tropical heat and the intense sun. You know that water magnifies the sun and hopefully your family are not that sensitive to constant exposure. Additionally, please update your inoculations and possibly malaria shots. You already have the home court advantage of making a solid connection already living and working there. Please continue to communicate with him -- your cousin has the latest and greatest information. Below are couple examples of previous discussion of PG. I would love to go back -- my wife and I had a wonderful mini-honeymoon with our 4th baby conceived there.....he, he. Post written by Dali-dali about transportation from Manila to PG: http://www.philippines-expats.com/topic/17105-naia-to-batangas-to-catch-the-ferry/#entry105181 Topic started about White Beach, PG: http://www.philippines-expats.com/topic/16654-puerto-galera-white-beach/#entry101562 Respectfully -- Jake Edited August 5, 2014 by Jake spil chek 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vambeechi Posted August 6, 2014 Author Posted August 6, 2014 Hi everyone, first post so here goes... I / we have been looking at a move overseas for as long as I can remember, but never had the nerve or cash to go ahead, now we have and are seriously looking at puerto galera, why? Because I have a cousin there for last 10 years and it's a start. My question is, will we be welcome as an all white family from the sunny island of the uk, will my wife be welcomed and will my child be able to attend school there, he's 7 and male? I will be working as a scuba instructor, we will have an income from the uk of £1500 per month on top of my earnings as an instructor, plus the rental of our house in the uk which will generate an extra £250 per month, will we have a nice life? All comments and thoughts will be read and appreciated. Best Vambeechi Hello Vambeechi, Boy, this is going to be an adventure of your lifetime. From the freezing blizzards of Northern Atlantic to a white sand private cove embracing the aqua blue water, can you imagine the mind of an 7 year old boy following your footsteps as a master diver and instructor. Your son will also gain the appreciation of mother nature, especially the exotic colors of the underwater world. And look what you have to inspire your son -- the tropical paradise of Puerto Galera. Talipanan Beach, PG.JPG I would like to mention however, of all the necessary planning for undertaking this great leap of faith. I sincerely hope that your lovely wife and son can tolerate the tropical heat and the intense sun. You know that water magnifies the sun and hopefully your family are not that sensitive to constant exposure. Additionally, please update your inoculations and possibly malaria shots. You already have the home court advantage of making a solid connection already living and working there. Please continue to communicate with him -- your cousin has the latest and greatest information. Below are couple examples of previous discussion of PG. I would love to go back -- my wife and I had a wonderful mini-honeymoon with our 4th baby conceived there.....he, he. Post written by Dali-dali about transportation from Manila to PG: http://www.philippines-expats.com/topic/17105-naia-to-batangas-to-catch-the-ferry/#entry105181 Topic started about White Beach, PG: http://www.philippines-expats.com/topic/16654-puerto-galera-white-beach/#entry101562 Respectfully -- Jake Hi, wow thank you for this, it sounds like the words of a true poet, we can not wait to get there and live out all you have just described... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fred Posted August 6, 2014 Posted August 6, 2014 (edited) Not far is White Beach, which at least has a beach, which PG does not. I first went to Sabang beach in 1980. The beach back then was white and beautiful with only one expat bar run by a local..Little laguna was a short walk away and absolutely incredible. Last time I went I was pretty shocked to see how Sabang had changed with very little sand which had been replaced by broken coral. I completely understand how you dont want your kids to become teenagers in the UK and Im so glad that mine did not.. The adjustment for them was a bit of a nightmare for the first couple of years to be honest but they now love it here in Bohol and have turned out to be fantastic kids! Just started university in fact. If PG doesn't suit you,then I highly recommend Panglao for a second location.. Loads of dive sites,private English speaking schools,malls etc.. Let me know if you decide to take a look..I`d be happy to show you around. Here`s a video to give you an idea of the location.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rQ6lCcYM6M#t=199 Edited August 6, 2014 by fred 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevewool Posted August 7, 2014 Posted August 7, 2014 Show me around this coming January Fred :thumbsup: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now