Any walkable places with good air quality and decent Internet speeds?

[Tommy T.]

23 hours ago, Tobsi said:

I recently arrived in Manila, hoping to spend the whole winter in the Philippines. It's my first time visiting the country. The air quality is obviously terrible in Manila, which is not a surprise since it's such a huge and dense city. But what's a good place to go that has some balance of walkability, good air quality and at least decent Internet speeds? I'm not much for partying. The ideal place for me just has good places to go for long walks and a reliable Internet connection.

Davao area hs virtually everything you might want or need. But it is a spread out city. I don't indulge, but I hear that there are a number of places to drink and be merry... Traffic is horrible, but taxis are frequent and reasonable... Just make sure you ask for total amount and not meter fare...

 

[Freebie]

Given the garbage that spews from jeepneys, trucks, and most other motorised forms of vehicles especially those that use cheap diesel, plus the drivers that sit in cars all day with engines idling, I think its hard to find anywhere with good air quality city wise. And thats where the decent internet speeds are. So its one or the other...

I live in Makati and have become fed up of diesel smells....so my solution, I start 2 hour morning walks at 6am , sometimes slightly earlier. I enjoy good internet speeds. Its an interesting conundrum, how to get both.

 

Having said that I lived in Beijng before moving here where pollution has probably shortened my life by a few years anyway.

[hk blues]

4 hours ago, RBM said:

The nearby city of IloIlo is very upmarket, clean and may well be worth a look.

I'm in Iloilo.  It's developed a lot since I came here 8 years or go, especially the malls and condo buildings and nightlife spots.  Internet is stable, power as reliable as anywhere and water same.  Based on the comments from other members, it also seems to be on the safer side and certainly government systems are pretty good.  Getting more expensive as it develops, but probably still cheaper than the more established expat areas.  On the subject of expats, it's a place where pretty much all expats are older and married - the nightlife reflects this. 

I'm not so enthusiastic about walking places though, unless you enjoy walking around a mall.  There is really only one spot I'd recommend for walking, the Esplanade, but would it get boring after the umpteenth time?  Lacking in parks and public areas IMO.

Certainly worth a look.  

 

 

[OnMyWay]

17 hours ago, Tobsi said:

Thank you. That looks very worth looking into.

You can jump on Victory Liner bus to Olongapo, from Cubao or Pasay. Make sure you get a bus that says "via Sctex".  It will exit Sctex expressway inside Subic Bay Freeport.  Ask to be dropped at Harbor Point Mall and you are in CBD.

[Colsie]

On 11/6/2022 at 9:45 AM, Tobsi said:

I recently arrived in Manila, hoping to spend the whole winter in the Philippines. It's my first time visiting the country. The air quality is obviously terrible in Manila, which is not a surprise since it's such a huge and dense city. But what's a good place to go that has some balance of walkability, good air quality and at least decent Internet speeds? I'm not much for partying. The ideal place for me just has good places to go for long walks and a reliable Internet connection.

Welcome to the forum Tobsi 

Where ever you decide to go, remember that this is typhoon season and travelling around the islands can be disrupted easily. 

Certain parts of the Philippines are more prone to devastating typhoons and should probably be avoided Oct/Nov/Dec. 

For example super typhoon Odette (Rai) made landfall on Siargao Island and ripped through the country last Dec 16th ... 

[Kingpin]

14 hours ago, Freebie said:

I start 2 hour morning walks at 6am , sometimes slightly earlier

Earlier by a few hours would be a relatively pollution-free outdoor experience, you couldn't do it for a year or so because of the lockdowns and curfew but it's a valid solution now.

[Tobsi]

Thank you for your advice, everyone. You have been very helpful. I will be checking out Iloilo first, and then we'll see from there.

[hk blues]

1 hour ago, Tobsi said:

Thank you for your advice, everyone. You have been very helpful. I will be checking out Iloilo first, and then we'll see from there.

If you're coming to Iloilo, I'd recommend staying around the newer area where the malls etc are found rather than in the city center itself - Mandurriao area is best IMO.  The center is fine but a little run-down compared to the newer developed areas.

[Kingpin]

5 hours ago, Tobsi said:

Thank you for your advice, everyone. You have been very helpful. I will be checking out Iloilo first, and then we'll see from there.

I mentioned it in another thread, the big development in the Philippines is in Manila and Cebu. Ten years ago in Cebu City, the internet was crappy, you had to go the mall or restaurant to get anything you want, you had to physically hail a taxi to get there, and you suffered in traffic.

Ten years later, the internet is fiber everywhere, you never have to deal with taxis or traffic in order to get to the mall to hunt for items, because you can order anything on Shopee or Lazada. You never have to deal with taxis or traffic to get food, both restaurant or groceries, because you can ordering anything delivered to you from Grab or Foodpanda.

I relied on these services in the US, and they are finally equaled in the Philippines, but only within the large cities around Manila or Cebu.

 

 

[hk blues]

1 hour ago, Kingpin said:

I mentioned it in another thread, the big development in the Philippines is in Manila and Cebu. Ten years ago in Cebu City, the internet was crappy, you had to go the mall or restaurant to get anything you want, you had to physically hail a taxi to get there, and you suffered in traffic.

Ten years later, the internet is fiber everywhere, you never have to deal with taxis or traffic in order to get to the mall to hunt for items, because you can order anything on Shopee or Lazada. You never have to deal with taxis or traffic to get food, both restaurant or groceries, because you can ordering anything delivered to you from Grab or Foodpanda.

I relied on these services in the US, and they are finally equaled in the Philippines, but only within the large cities around Manila or Cebu.

 

 

Not true.