Quote:
Originally posted by pink_floyd@Aug 3 2005, 02:53 PM
hey does anyone of you have experience travelling in the phillipines>?
i'm looking forwar to trip there in jan or feb ... i know they have some crazy things there with muslim extremists.. where is a good place off the beaten path for americans to go and not get beheaded?? thanks .* B)
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I realize this is a very, very late reply to this, but I've just joined.
Dude, your chances of getting beheaded in the Philippines are about as good as Los Angeles has of encountering a snowstorm. As in: it's a freak accident type of thing. Chill.
Muslim extrements (the Abu Sayyaf) are concentrated in the south, in Mindanao. Yes, in the past, they've popped along to the Palawan islands to snatch some tourists (and real, live Filipinos, too, not just white folks), but as I understand it they mostly get their Western victims from people tramping about in remote villages in the south. So, just DON'T do that.
I'd worry more about petty crime. Manila is seedy as any. Nice from the tenth floor up, sad and corrupt below. Get out of the primate city and try the countryside, or one of the resort islands. Boracay and Cebu are tops with Westerners and Chinese tourists. Go north of Manila for some aboriginal culture, go far east for some off-the-beaten path stuff (like Bicol, my parents' province).
Oh, and never wear any jewelry or accessories that look expensive. Even if you got that Folex for ten bucks outside of the movie theater. Just...don't.