Looking for Modern(?) City With Nice Beaches Nearby Without A lot of Traffic

[Tommy T.]

On 6/19/2021 at 1:47 AM, sinsinbad said:

Some cities I was wondering about are Davao, Cagayan De Oro, Iloilo City, and San Fernando.  If you have first hand knowledge of any of these, I would appreciate hearing it.

Davao is a large, spread-out city with no urban planning. Roads criss-cross, change names and are often two narrow to safely accommodate the excess of Fortuners, Hi-Luxs, Everests and so on. Traffic gridlocks on a regular basis whenever there is construction (almost always), accident or flooding. And it is getting worse each year as more and more people buy cars... Google Maps is not always up to date here so you might look up an office or restaurant and find an empty lot or gas station at your intended destination.

Air quality is an issue due to smoke, dust, car exhaust.

The city, itself has no decent beaches. The closest ones are on adjacent Samal Island. There are nice beaches there and numerous "resorts," that are often crowded during pre-pandemic times. I don't like to go to these resorts because people like to pack into them with their loud music, large families and drink to excess while frolicking in the somewhat murky ocean water. But the island is a lovely place with little traffic. The biggest hassle is getting there by ferry only. On weekends and holidays there used to be waits of up to a few hours each direction for the 20 minute ride. I lived there for a couple of years but haven't been there for over a year.

We live in the outskirts of the city proper and the quality of life is much better with less traffic, fewer people and adequate services and supplies, for the most part.

By the way, real estate prices keep going up and up and condos are very expensive and usually tiny.

[Shady]

2 hours ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

It must have changed a lot.

It has changed a lot over the past year, but the traffic problem was always around the bridge side of the island, not the resort side highway.

[graham59]

On 6/19/2021 at 3:11 PM, Heeb said:

Maybe La Union?

I live not too far from there...but even my nearest city...Dagupan, isn't bad at all.  Decent beaches too. 

 

Baguio not too far away also, if you want to look for cooler air in the the hot season. 

Below (my pic) Tondaligan Beach, Dagupan:

Edited June 20, 2021 by graham59

[sinsinbad]

Thanks for all of the suggestions/comments, and to graham59 for the nice pic.

Plans change, but I don't plan on buying right now, just renting.  Perhaps a condo or a townhouse.

I expect with more modern cities, especially if there are any nice beaches nearby, will be more expensive.  Thankfully with social security and my military retirement, I have a steady monthly income which will be enough for most places.

Whenever travel resumes, I plan to visit some of the most recommended to spend a few days or week checking out the area.

[Mike J]

On 6/20/2021 at 4:09 AM, Shady said:

Mactan fits. Not much traffic unless you're going into Cebu City on either bridge, but they're about to finish building a third bridge, the longest in the country. The resorts there have the best pools, restaurants and beaches around. And their prices reflect this.

 

 

Used to be not much choice when shopping, a lack of malls, large stores, etc.  Has that improved?

[Shady]

1 hour ago, Mike J said:

Used to be not much choice when shopping, a lack of malls, large stores, etc.  Has that improved?

It has, there's now 4 big Gaisano malls and one Super Metro spread around the island. The downside is they have the same crap as every other mall, not much imported goods like Ayala or Seaside.

If OP's renting a condo, Mactan Newtown is the developed zone on the island, many condos, a new food court, a new supermarket, even a private school.

 

[sinsinbad]

Mactan seems nice, but like Boracay, there isn't many places to ride a motorcycle, and if you go off the island, it looks like you are going to be in heavy traffic.

Is this correct?  Are there places around there to ride out of heavy traffic?

Thanks

 

[robert k]

You are looking for a tall order. I don't think you will find everything you want or people would flock there and ruin it in short order. Dumaguete would have been extremely nice to me if I had arrived there in 2009 instead of 2014. Can you describe what you are looking for in a "Modern" city? Depending on your definition of modern city, a couple of cities on Mindoro might suit you, although the beaches I really prefer are some distance from a large city in Pinamalayan.

[sinsinbad]

For me a "modern" city would be one with fairly fast and reliable internet, good places to eat, good places to shop, fairly clean with few brownouts, but without heavy traffic.

Nice beach is one with clear water, sandy beach, and fairly healthy to swim in.

Sure, there may not be the "perfect" city, but I will find the closest match.

I am retired military.  Meaning that I have lived many places in the US and overseas.  I can live anywhere, but at my age, prefer to live somewhere that I think is nice and enjoyable.

[robert k]

58 minutes ago, sinsinbad said:

For me a "modern" city would be one with fairly fast and reliable internet, good places to eat, good places to shop, fairly clean with few brownouts, but without heavy traffic.

Nice beach is one with clear water, sandy beach, and fairly healthy to swim in.

Sure, there may not be the "perfect" city, but I will find the closest match.

I am retired military.  Meaning that I have lived many places in the US and overseas.  I can live anywhere, but at my age, prefer to live somewhere that I think is nice and enjoyable.

Okay, now I have some grasp of what you mean. I wouldn't overlook/take for granted reliable Water in your list. Cebu City has had some problems in years past, drought but compounded by mismanagement, is my understanding.

The thing is, we are both late to the party by a few decades. Truly nice or convenient places are filled or exorbitantly costly.  Sometimes you can get good internet in larger cities (not always) and there are some good places to eat though I find it's more hit and miss (Acacia Steakhouse, Cebu, but Vikings was okay, just didn't have prime rib at that time, they were out) in the Philippines. Finding a good beach, relatively clean and not totally congested near a city with internet, shopping and some pretty good dining? I haven't seen it. I don't go to the beach that often, so I compromise by travelling a little farther to a beach when I want to go and fine dining is done at home for the most part. 

I had crap internet in Danao years ago but I was walking distance from a "resort" with a fairly nice beach and entrance fee was P10. The malls there at the time couldn't be said to be satisfactory shopping, I think. It may have improved in the 6 years since.  Cebu was only an hour or so away, back then. I would be interested to hear where you wind up and what you think of your place, wherever it is. Providing any of us ever travel again.