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Tag - Philippines

Airbnb

This time I tried renting an apartment through Airbnb.

It is useful to point out that having had two years of limited travel, with most Airbnb hosts having had no customers, expectations were not high.

There wasn’t a huge choice either.

So, perhaps a lot of hosts were being cautious.

After all, they would have to pay for extra cleaning after each rental and possibly have a gap between bookings due to whatever covid policy/restrictions were imposed in that country.

However, I was pleasantly surprised. Nice clean apartment with plenty of room.

The price I think, was fair, I may have been able to get it cheaper, but at the time of booking, the Philippines had only been open for ten days.

TIP OF THE POST

With Airbnb a lot of places give discount if you stay longer, make sure you benefit. I initially booked for 13 days and they only give you a weekly discount rate, so I lost out and only benefited by one week. Pays to plan well. 🙂

I stayed in an apartment hosted by Chen. https://abnb.me/zbyEcR4n6pb

Situated in Nottingham Building at Camella North Point ( quite apt as the last two years I have been living in Nottingham, England.)

For me, the beauty of this place was that it had a pool. Open most days from 7 am until 9 pm, it gave me somewhere to escape from the midday sun and exercise.

Central to most things, local shopping malls are within a walk or taxi ride. I found a great laundry place opposite the entrance and plenty of convenience stores within walking distance.

Finding a friendly, reliable taxi driver is one thing I try to do in every place I stay. Look after them and engage with them, and it’s worth it.

They will show you places you might not find and the places you must be careful visiting.

Also, as I like to return to places, it’s nice to have a person you can call.

Trust me, taxi or tuk-tuk drivers know where the best places are to eat.

Did You Know?

Airbedandbreakfast was formed in 2008 by roommates who decided to put an air bed on their apartment floor and open a bed and breakfast. I guess to earn money. Shortened to Airbnb, it does not own any property but makes a commission on every transaction.

March 2022

At last, after nearly 2 years of being in the UK during the Covid-19 pandemic, I have finally been able to get back onto a plane and return to Asia.

It has been a long hard road and for some, it will never be the same again. Losing loved ones, friends and jobs has made the last two years unbearable and will leave indelible scars on families.

However, life must go on and although we may feel guilty about traveling again, I know for a while I did. We must try to lead a normal life. Before Covid I was traveling and working around Asia and whilst this time around it will be slightly different in the way I approach things, I aim to carry on.

First stop, Singapore to see old friends after a transit through Dubai which turned out to be extra long due to misunderstandings with covid restrictions on behalf of Emirates. Then onto the Philippines for much-needed sun and relaxation before finally returning to Cambodia, where I left for a 2-week holiday to England that lasted 2 years.

 

 

Cagayan de Oro, Mindanao, Philippines

So I landed here just after the Philippine army had just recaptured Marawi city. Which had been under the control of ISIS for many months.

I was told not to go, even though I was over 128km from there.

Natural scenery and beautiful food

I have to say it was probably the safest place I have been to in the whole of the Philippines. The people are lovely and really are friendly and welcoming.

I met a local girl there who guided me around the city, showing me so much of what I would have missed had I been alone.

She helped me understand the culture and explained so much about the history of the island.

I went to a nature reserve and visited a local church where she goes with her family. Along with the local museum, which is situated in a remarkable building.

I hope to go back this year and uncover more about a lovely peaceful island in the Philippines, which is far removed from Manila.