destinations Traveling As A Passion

[agxo3]

Haven't been anywhere new lately - and that's bad......

 

Mostly Taiwan the past couple of years. Did get to go to Manila on business last time out to Taiwan, but that was a fluke. Won't happen again, at least on business. Taipei is just another big cty except few local speak English so it can be difficult if you get lost. Most of the nightlife is now in the KTVs and no longer in the bars.

 

Lessee -

 

Germany - great beer. The vendor we were visiting in Munich was owned by an Austrian. He had just got back from Austria and gave me a couple bottles of Austrian red wine. Not good. :sick: But he took us out one night and his Czech girlfriend got a couple of her friends to come along. Mmmmm.......cute, and very friendly. Let's just say it was a memorable ending to an otherwise stressful trip.

Frankfurt is just so-so, Essen and Koln were much nicer - smaller, mor friendly, more scenic. Never got to Berlin - too bad!

 

Finland - cold. cold. cold. January. VERY cold. And dark. Finns like to drink and party. Hey - when it's cpld and dark most of the day, what do you do? Party!!! Lotte Mielke (her real name, I swear!) was suposed to take me to her local sauna for a session but work interrupted. Damn work!

 

Denmark - scenic but for other things pretty bland.

 

France - great wine. Great women. Better outside of Paris, but I do love Paris. Great food, great sights, and the classic Parisian rudeness doesn't bother me anymore. I love Epernay and Reims - and the great local champagne doesn't hurt! The Cote d'Or down to Beaune is wonderful. The Loire valley is lush and pretty and has great local wines that don't get exported much at all. Le Mans - what can I say......

 

England - London theater is unmatched, even by New York. Food has improved over the past decade, and not because Domino's pizza is now there!

 

Japan - 39 trips in 3 years back in the 90's. Did I get to know the place well? Yup. I was practically a local in Tokyo. Had my favorite local noodle shops and little cafes and restaurants where the owners knew me. Nightlife? In those days it was Roppongi and Shinjuku. Ebisu andShibuya were just getting going.

 

HongKong - best German food outside of Germany, and German beer on tap the German way. Good shopping. I had a suki at the jade market. I'd cruise the stalls then tell her what I wanted and at what stall I saw it at. She'd go over and bargain for me. Great deals! And she was VERY pretty to boot, but married and I got to meet her husdand, so no hanky-panky there. The walled towns are unusual, but even the old ladies sitting in the shade playing mahjong were very mercenary. HK$1 each for a picture of them playing mahjong!

 

Italy - Rome is nice. Good food, good (cheap) local wine. Histroci - I studied Latin in high school and found I could still translate what was on some of the stones inte Roman forum. Cool! Watch out for the gypsy kids - they'll take your purse or wallet if you give them the chance. Countryside is cool! Drivers are crazy, but for one who learned to drive in Manila, not too bad!

 

Holland - cheese..... And the funny stuff at the "coffee shops". Anne Frank's house and the narrowest house (only a doorway wide!), all visible from the canals. The girls in the windows. Everyone spoke English. Van Gogh and other old masters. Relaxed, slow paced.

[azrach187]

Okay, I was there as a U.S. Army serviceman. I lived there for a couple of years. Of course I was "guarding the frontiers of freedom" back then (before the wall came down). I didn't get much time off to see much except where I was based (Fulda) and some weekends at Frankfurt.

 

Frankfurt had great bars.

I actually managed to see Depeche Mode in concert there....

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Cool! I'm an ex-serviceman, too! I was stationed just a little north of Frankfurt in Friedberg (Hesse). Yes. I was with the US Army, too. I see you're a vet of Desert Storm, then you won't be a stranger to the words "King Khalid Military City, KKMC", Dharan and MGM Grand (or tent city)

 

I'm suprised you failed to mention Sachenhoussen in Frankfurt! So much memory there!

 

Anyways, I will soon post the places I've visited and upload the pictures at the Picture Section, let me warn you tho, my MOS was 11C30P and stayed quite long with 101st Airborne Div. (hence the 187, for the 187th Infantry, Rakkasan, in my nick) and was lucky enough to have gotten deployed all over the kingdom come.

 

Crap. Even Korea

 

But now, I'm studying Film (trying to be a director) in Minn. State Univ.

[cebucitylocal]

Went to Poipet, Cambodia last weekend by bus from Bangkok via the border province of Aranyaprathet. What a strange town. There are about a dozen casinos built inside huge buildings that occupy huge tracts of land. All are within a stone's throw from the other. However, the sights are depressing outside the casinos. Lots of beggars, scrawny children, amputees and other people living on the fringes of society. So much money being gambled inside the casinos, so little money for those who really need it. The good news is that there's a huge flea market on the Thai border. Lots of cheap stuff and 2nd hand imported clothes and shoes. Next time, we'll try going to Siem Reap to see Angkor Wat.

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Hi SBM

Hopefully you can add Genting Highlands soon,The place as the ONLY legal casino in Malaysia really gushes with money.There are 6,500 hotel rooms,three amusement parks,120 plus restaurants.On Singaporean and Malaysian holidays,there may be 25,000 -30,000 people visiting the place at one time.The sight is not as depressing.

[DaVincilog]

Went to Poipet, Cambodia last weekend by bus from Bangkok via the border province of Aranyaprathet. What a strange town. There are about a dozen casinos built inside huge buildings that occupy huge tracts of land. All are within a stone's throw from the other. However, the sights are depressing outside the casinos. Lots of beggars, scrawny children, amputees and other people living on the fringes of society. So much money being gambled inside the casinos, so little money for those who really need it. The good news is that there's a huge flea market on the Thai border. Lots of cheap stuff and 2nd hand imported clothes and shoes. Next time, we'll try going to Siem Reap to see Angkor Wat.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

you should have taken the trip to siem reap. it is way batter than poipet, it doesn't even compare. its another 4 to 5 hours either by bus or taxi but the road isn't as smooth as the one from bangkok to poipet. poipet is just where the thais go to gamble. at siem reap, be prepared to be transported to another world. people are so friendly, everything is so cheap! even cheaper than those found on the thai border. try the central market. and the food! cheap but great! our guide even took us to a genuine cambodian pub where it is not pang-turista. i couldn't believe it was possible but the food was cheaper and better than the touristy places. see all the temples, not just akor wat. they are such a marvel.

[kringkringshaw]

Well how are all you fellow travellers.

 

Me, I've always loved to travel. I like seeing other places and even picking up the language (if I stay there long enough).

 

Some places I've been to:

 

Philippines (I was born there, of course I 've been around):

 

Baguio (Last time I was there was AD Congress 1999, I think it was 1999)

Puerto Princesa (My Aunt & Uncle have Mango plantations there so I get invites)

Boracay (of course! but the last time I was there it was typhoon season...ha ha...cheap prices..low season)

Puerto Galera (my impression...overrun by sleazy white tourists..I've nothing agi9anst whites but the sleazy ones annoy me)

Nasugbu (White Sands resort is owned by some reaaaaallly distant relatives...so some very slight discount on prices)

 

Oh yeah, I'll be back in the Philippines for vacation end of March 2005 (right after Holy week).

Mexico:

 

Tijuana (border town really sleazy...filled with drunken college students and military personnel from San Diego, CA)

Ensenada (abouth an hour south of Tijuana...cheap seafood...especially lobster)

Juarez (see Tijuana except this is at the border of Texas at El Paso)

Mexicali (Another border town I actually drove there with my own car...w/o Mexican auto insurance...scary..but oddly they have lots of Chinese restaurant...my contact said a lot of the Chinese who built the railroads in the Southwest U.S. settled there)

Hermosillo (deeper into Mexico...didn't get to see much...I was working too much)

 

My take on Mexico....it's like the Philippines...the traffic is about the same...it smells the same at parts (like Nepa-Q-Mart)...there are kids running around selling things on the road (Chiclets..gum, instead of Hall or cough drops) Of ocurse they speaking Spanish and they think I'm Mexican also so they try to speak Spanish to me ("No Hablo Espanol!" is my response..."Yo no Soy Mexicano...Soy Pilipino")

Germany:

 

Okay, I was there as a U.S. Army serviceman. I lived there for a couple of years. Of course I was "guarding the frontiers of freedom" back then (before the wall came down). I didn't get much time off to see much except where I was based (Fulda) and some weekends at Frankfurt.

 

Frankfurt had great bars.

I actually managed to see Depeche Mode in concert there.

 

Red Light district was fascinating. Prostitution is legal and regulated to keep the girls and patrons "healthy" (AIDS testing and certifcation was required for the workers). The brothels were basically apartment building with small rooms. If the door is open then the girl is open for business. I noticed that the prettier girls were on the first floor. They got uglier as you go to the upper floors.

Saudi Arabia/Iraq

 

Yeah, yeah, I was there during the first Gulf War. Didn't get to see much again since the Saudis didn't want U.S. Army guys running around wild in ther cities.

 

Their desert, nothing but big empty sandbox.

 

Iraq, the only thing I can say is I can claim that I sh*t in Iraq...yeah, literally, dug holes and took a squat. We were there for about 4 days.

Japan:

 

I recently went there (Sep 2004) for the first time. It was just a week vacation but it was nice.

 

A tip for those travelling there soon: If you can buy a JR Rail Pass. It's worth it since you'll be travelling around by train a lot. It lets you in on all JR Trains, including the bullet trains and the Yamanote Line that cirlces Tokyo. The Pass can only be bought outside of Japan so you have to buy it before you go.

 

Akihabara, as everyone has said, for electronics. Shibuya and Shinjuku for the nightlife.

 

Took the bullet train to Kyoto (temples, shrines, and the Geishas in Gion)

 

Since it was a short trip, I'm planning to return this year around November.

Singapore:

 

I went there April last year for business. Just 3 days but I was impressed. Lots of food and bars and they speak English. Orchard street is a big shopping mall basically. The weather was hot, actually hotter than the Philippines.

 

Someday, I'll return for vacation instead of business!

Hong Kong:

 

Basically the same situation as Singapore...a business trip..short 3 days in the middle of the week.

 

Nice place. I haven't been back since they got handed over to China.

 

Cheap electronic parts and components if you knows where to go.

Panama:

 

I just returned from there last week.

 

Another business trip. I look like the Philippines too (like Mexico). Same weather. Hot girls...those Latinas and their curves...uh huh.

 

They have their version of the "local colorful transportation." It their local buses. We have out Jeepneys, the Thais have their Tuk-Tuks, the Panamanians have their buses. They got great local coffee. The strip club/brothel near the hotel was stocked up with some of the most beautiful women I've seen (expensive though...relatively speaking...but they know how to be a "girlfriend")

 

I got to practice some Spanish again.

Canada:

 

Hmmm....not much to say since it basically is the U.S. but I've been to Vancouver (a big China Town), Calgary, Toronto, Edmonton.

Lastly I live in the U.S. (Las Vegas now, Los Angeles before. I've lived here since the Mid-70s):

 

My work has taken me all over the U.S. lets see....

 

Seattle, Portland, Phoenix, Tucson, Houston, Dallas, Denver, Salt Lake City, Minneapolis, Washington D.C., etc........

 

What can I say about the U.S. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

 

About Mexico...I agree with you. Im here right now in Acapulco (bloody hot!!!), been to Xtapa and Manzanillo. I love Playa del Carmen its the best!!, Cancun is lovely too, Cozumel is a ripped off! I hate the taxi drivers there.

 

I was in Finland early this year. Then i was in alaska for the summer until September before going to Hawaii. I love Hawaii i was there for 2 weeks, i went around Maui, Lahaina is pretty, Hilo is not that bad. I went to Kailua Park and also in Kailua Sea Park where they did the movie of Drew Barrymore "50 first date".

 

Now... i book for a flight to LA next month, i will stay there for a few days with friends then off to San Francisco before going back to work again. I wanna go home for vacation this coming April ( Philippines) but i know its gonna be too hot coz its summer, so i decided to stay in US until i go back to work.

 

Life is Great when your always travelling.

[sally bogna mathay]

you should have taken the trip to siem reap.  it is way batter than poipet, it doesn't even compare.  its another 4 to 5 hours either by bus or taxi but the road isn't as smooth as the one from bangkok to poipet. poipet is just where the thais go to gamble.  at siem reap, be prepared to be transported to another world.  people are so friendly, everything is so cheap!  even cheaper than those found on the thai border. try the central market.  and the food!  cheap but great!  our guide even took us to a genuine cambodian pub where it is not pang-turista. i couldn't believe it was possible but the food was cheaper and better than the touristy places.  see all the temples, not just akor wat. they are such a marvel.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Did you take a taxi or bus? Or flew from Bkk to Siem Reap? How much was it? Actually, I am also thinking of going to the Thai border province of Trat to see what Cambodian beaches look like.

[DaVincilog]

Did you take a taxi or bus? Or flew from Bkk to Siem Reap? How much was it? Actually, I am also thinking of going to the Thai border province of Trat to see what Cambodian beaches look like.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

we did entertain the thought of flying from bangkok to siem ream. all of these thoughts quickly evaporated when we saw the price for tickets.......

i surfed the net on how to get there on a budget. i found lonely planet to be very helpful and it also has links to more sites which gave me enough confidence to venture into cambodia despite having no background except watching the killing fields and tomb raider....

 

from poi pet we took a taxi based on one of the websites i surfed which said the taxi was the quickest and most convenient way to get to siem reap. the road from poi pet to siem reap is mostly rough road and we had the taxi driver from hell. didn't speak a word of english. drove like a madman (it felt like we were on the dakar rally) what would normally take 5 hours we took in 3 1/2 hours. i would recommend this if you are travelling in a group of 3 or 4. i did this with just my wife and myself and realized later that this was probably the fastest but not the safest thing to do. 1000 baht for the trip

 

 

on the way back we took a bus which we booked at a local travel agency in siem reap. they were offering a direct trip to bangkok for 20 us dollars per head with a change of buses at the border. to avoid all the hassles of waiting for the transfers we just booked our trip from siem reap to poi pet for 10 us dollars per head and we ventured on our own from poi pet to aranyaprathet and took the bus to bangkok. it was a good decision this time since our companions who booked the direct to bangkok trip had to wait for more than hour until they got on a bus to bangkok. i recommend this since it is relatively safer and although it takes a little longer, your butt isn't that sore compared to taking the taxi plus you get to exchange stories with other travellers mostly european backpackers...

 

strange thing in siem reap was we didn't get to see any pinoys. seems everybody else was busy shopping in bangkok.

[sally bogna mathay]

we did entertain the thought of flying from bangkok to siem ream.  all of these thoughts quickly evaporated when we saw the price for tickets.......

i surfed the net on how to get there on a budget. i found lonely planet to be very helpful and it also has links to more sites which gave me enough confidence to venture into cambodia despite having no background except watching the killing fields and tomb raider....

 

from poi pet we took a taxi  based on one of the websites i surfed which said the taxi was the quickest and most convenient way to get to siem reap.  the road from poi pet to siem reap is mostly rough road and we had the taxi driver from hell. didn't speak a word of english. drove like a madman (it felt like we were on the dakar rally)  what would normally take 5 hours we took in 3 1/2 hours.  i would recommend this if you are travelling in a group of 3 or 4.  i did this with just my wife and myself and realized later that this was probably the fastest but not the safest thing to do.  1000 baht for the trip

on the way back we took a bus which we booked at a local travel agency in siem reap.  they were offering a direct trip to bangkok for 20 us dollars per head  with a change of buses at the border.  to avoid all the hassles of waiting for the transfers we just booked our trip from siem reap to poi pet  for 10 us dollars per head and we ventured on our own from poi pet to aranyaprathet and took the bus to bangkok.  it was a good decision this time since our companions who booked the direct to bangkok trip had to wait for more than hour until they got on a bus to bangkok.  i recommend this since it is relatively safer and although it takes a little longer, your butt isn't that sore compared to taking the taxi plus you get to exchange stories with other travellers mostly european backpackers...

 

strange thing in siem reap was we didn't get to see any pinoys.  seems everybody else was busy shopping in bangkok.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Thanks for the tip. Most of the Pinoys in Cambodia are in Phnom Penh. In fact, I've heard that there is one bar/resto there where most, if not all, of the employees are Pinoy. There are also many working in the casinos in Poi Pet as dealers and managers.

[DaVincilog]

Thanks for the tip. Most of the Pinoys in Cambodia are in Phnom Penh. In fact, I've heard that there is one bar/resto there where most, if not all, of the employees are Pinoy. There are also many working in the casinos in Poi Pet as dealers and managers.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

yeah, i wished we could have gone to Phnom Penh too. we were told by some aussies that aside from the killing fields, there really isn't much else to see there so we decided against it considering it would be another 6 hours i think from Siem Reap?

 

well, there are pinoy workers in siem reap as well. if you look in the classier hotels and restaurants, you will find most of the entertainers are pinoys. i meant we didn't see any pinoy tourists....when we got back to bangkok, you could see all of the pinoys geared up and raring to go....for shopping...don't you just hate it how some people go someplace just because of the shopping?

 

we just stayed at a backpacker-friendly guest house. that's anther good thing about siem reap, they have opened themselves up to tourism and you can find accommodation to fit any budget. i just wish the road from poi pet was improved.

[Riot6]

I'm suprised you failed to mention Sachenhoussen in Frankfurt!

 

Yup, that where the great bars are in Frankfurt. I didn't mention it 'cause I couldn't remember how to spell it!

 

 

But now, I'm studying Film (trying to be a director) in Minn. State Univ.

 

Cool, after the military, I also got my BA in Radio & TV Broadcasting (yeah,I also tried to be a director, producer, or editor)

 

Oh yeah, I was 19D (Cavalry Scout)

[Riot6]

About Mexico...I agree with you. Im here right now in Acapulco (bloody hot!!!),  been to Xtapa and Manzanillo. I love Playa del Carmen its the best!!, Cancun is lovely too, Cozumel is a ripped off! I hate the taxi drivers there.

 

You know, I've not gone to any Mexican "resort" spots. Cancun looks really nice with all the old temples and all that. But really, if I wanted tropical resort, I end up in the Philippines.

 

 

.....I love Hawaii i was there for 2 weeks, i went around Maui, Lahaina is pretty, Hilo is not  that bad.

 

I've been to Hawaii about 7 or 9 times...all in the airport! Yeah, I suck. I should really take time to see Hawaii but I know I'll hate the tourist areas like Waikiki. So if I go there I think I'll stick to to out of the way places.

 

 

.....I wanna go home for vacation this coming April ( Philippines) but i know its gonna be too hot coz its summer, so i decided to stay in US until i go back to work.

 

Life is Great when your always travelling.

 

Yeah, I finalized my vacation for the Philippines. I'll be there definitely March 27 through April 5. I'll be staying in hotels at Makati (Intercontinental $70 per night) and Pasay (Westin). The hotel in Pasay, courtesy of hotel points, so it's free!

 

Yup, life is great when travelling! I agree.

[d_brown_wayfarer]

guys any info of how one can travel from Vietnam and end up somewhere in Europe (France or Spain maybe) via train.

 

I heard from backpackers that that rail in Europe would not be a problem but that train system in asia (vietnam,china,india etc.) is a mess.

 

any1 have any info on this?

 

=)

[Fahfrd]

You know, I've not gone to any Mexican "resort" spots. Cancun looks really nice with all the old temples and all that. But really, if I wanted tropical resort, I end up in the Philippines.

 

Yup, life is great when travelling! I agree.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Hmm, I was in Mexico a few weeks back on business.

 

I was in the northern part, next to the Texas border. Ang lamig sobra and very dry.

 

I was longing for Manila early on.

 

Iba talaga sa Pinas.

[Fahfrd]

Any of you have details on what are the requirements in going to Brazil?

 

I've always wanted to holiday there ever since I watched Leila Barros play volleyball over here in Manila. And now that I have some free time coming on, I'd like to fulfill that dream of mine.

 

Probably sometime in June or July.

 

Does Brazil require a visa for tourists from the Philippines?

 

I'll probably need to contact the Brazilian Embassy as soon as I know the number.

[sally bogna mathay]

Any of you have details on what are the requirements in going to Brazil?

 

I've always wanted to holiday there ever since I watched Leila Barros play volleyball over here in Manila.  And now that I have some free time coming on, I'd like to fulfill that dream of mine.

 

Probably sometime in June or July.

 

Does Brazil require a visa for tourists from the Philippines?

 

I'll probably need to contact the Brazilian Embassy as soon as I know the number.

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I have a travel book here circa 1993 (visa requirements and other info). Brazil is one of the few countries that does not require a visa for Pinoys. But the rules may have changed.