Thinking back to a couple of months ago, I was laying in my hotel late one night, looking over google maps. I had to find another hotel to move to, as I was due to check out the following morning. Now, before I pick a hotel I have a figurative checklist I go through in my head to ensure the hotel suits my needs.
For example, the hotel has to be in a central location to different services I use each day. It also has to be in walking distance of good restaurants and public transport.
This hotel is situated right in the heart of Cebus business district. The Hotel ticked all the boxes and was also extremely cheap considering what it had to offer.
The first thing that caught my attention was that Parklane hotel was right next to Ayala Mall, one of the biggest malls in Cebu. As we use Ayala regularly, being able to walk there from the hotel was a massive benefit. Previously it took a 10-minute taxi ride to get there; now from Parklane Hotel, it was a 2-minute walk from the lobby.
The rooms themselves are at the level of quality you would expect from a cheap hotel. The rooms are clean, well maintained and had all the features you would expect such as cable television, air-conditioning, daily housekeeping, complimentary tea and coffee etc. Although it’s not a high-end hotel, they provide more than enough to make you feel at home.
At the time I was really focused on using a sauna at least a few times a week. When we were shown our room the porter mentioned to us that the hotel had a sauna in the gym. This got me excited as I had been trying to find a sauna in Cebu. Then I find out that the hotel I had booked contained a sauna.
I went to the sauna the following morning, as I wanted to take advantage of having it available to us. Now in That one area housing the sauna there is a range of facilities available to the guests. On one side you have a Restaurant offering relaxing dining out in the open air. The restaurant overlooks the pool, also available to all guests; then on the opposite side is a seating area where guests can relax.
Then there is the gym, this is open to the general public but is free for Parklane Hotel guests. Having a gym in a hotel isn’t uncommon but this was the first time I had seen it in Cebu. In the back of the gym was the sauna which is where I hung out most of the time. I was walking about 20,000 steps a day in Cebu so I wasn’t too keen on working out on top of that.
For the first day, we missed the breakfast buffet as we woke up too late. This turned out to be a mistake, the following morning we managed to make it down to breakfast on time. I then realized it was probably the best buffet breakfast I had seen a hotel offer.
The range of food there was on another level. They had every style of breakfast you could think of available there. A range of cereals, bakery products, salads, pancakes, meat dishes, fruits. I over ate there almost every morning, it definitely takes a lot of self-control when there’s such a wide variety of food available.
Basically, the Parklane Hotel has a lot to offer at a very reasonable price. It is now one of the few hotels which I check on if I find myself needing to stay in that area again.
If you find yourself venturing over to Cebu City, I would not hesitate to book a stay at Parklane Hotel.
As you navigate your way through the densely populated barangays of Manila, it is not uncommon to hear loud, delay laden vocals bellowing through the windows of local family homes. Filipinos also do not shy away from a challenge, you’ll often hear some vocally demanding OPM ballads, followed by a rendition of some 90’s R&B music such as Mariah Carey.
For many Filipinos, singing isn’t just a meagre hobby. The Philippines is known for producing some of the greatest singers in the world. This was highlighted when the world-renowned supergroup Journey – known for their vocally intensive music – recruited a Filipino singer to replace their previous frontman.
Karaoke is undoubtedly an integral part of the Philippines culture. Filipinos are brought up surrounded by singing. It becomes a normal pastime of everyday life. If visitors come to the house, they will all sing together, or if it’s a special occasion they will enjoy singing as part of the celebrations. No matter where you are around the globe you’ll find that in every home owned by a Filipino, you will find a karaoke system.
Many entertainment establishments in the Philippines joined the market with their own versions of karaoke machines. The karaoke industry is a lucrative market as the machines are used in gaming centres, bars, nightclubs, and karaoke establishments across the country. Because of the popularity of karaoke machines in the Philippines, many businesses made the move towards renting out their machines.
Karaoke booths are beginning to pop up all over malls in the Philippines
However, other than the usual karaoke machine seen and used by Filipinos, a new type of karaoke machine has been widely used across the country. Compared to the typical, bulky appearance of karaoke machines, these new machines are far more practical. These are the Magic Mic, which is a generic term used to define karaoke microphones. These Magic Mics have the karaoke system now built into the microphone itself.
One thing you may notice when singing karaoke in The Philippines is how often you will see images of famous locations used in the background of the screen. These companies have used the popularity of karaoke to boost the tourism industry in the country. They do this by showcasing famous locations around the country on their karaoke machines.
Sing like there’s nobody listening
I have found part of the popularity of karaoke comes from humiliating yourself in public. Belting out your rendition of Sinatra’s My Way is not recommended in the Philippines. The song is a means to either prove you have the chops to audition for American Idol or that you’re just dreaming.
While my experience was based on me and most of the others humiliating ourselves; I quickly noticed that anyone with the slightest bit of vocal skill can mildly entertain a crowd of enthusiastic drinkers.
Despite karaoke events being positives atmospheres; this atmosphere is sometimes ruined by fights, arguments, accidents and general negatively amongst families.
Though, karaoke is mostly an ingredient for an enjoyable night in The Philippines. If you are here for vacation, it is essential you schedule a visit to a KTV bar; immerse yourself in one of the modern-day cornerstones of Philippine culture.
As a side note, the term karaoke is often substituted with the term videoke. When you hear this don’t get confused – they both refer to the same thing.
As a little PSA for the uninitiated in Philippine history. The many references to the KKK you may see or hear are not what you think.
I still remember laughing as I passed the chain restaurant donning the name KKK. Obviously, I knew they weren’t advertising the American white supremacist group.
After asking a few people about it, I didn’t seem to get a complete answer on what the KKK was referencing. So, I decided to dive into the topic myself.
So who was behind the KKK revolutionary group?
It turns out the KKK is a historically important secret society and revolutionary group. Its beginnings date back to 1892 when anti-Spanish Filipinos decided to band together. The members had the common goal of gaining independence from Spanish rule.
Now the official name of the society was Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan. When translated into English, means Supreme and Most Honorable Society of the Children of the Nation. So it seems that shortening it to KKK or the Katipunan was a reasonable decision.
The founders of the group Andres Bonifacio, Teodoro Plata, Ladislao Diwa plus various others were mostly Freemasons. This meant that a lot of the organisational structure adopted by the KKK was borrowed from Philippine Freemasonry.
A lot of people associate the Filipino national hero Jose Rizal with the KKK. Although Rizal was not formally a member of the group; due to his being exiled to Mindanao at the time; he still remained a close affiliate with the KKK. The society had been created as a reaction to the La Liga Filipina organization being shut down, an organization in which Rizal was the founding member.
Members of the La Liga Filipina moved away from the organization when the realization came that the organizations’ peaceful stance would be suppressed by Spanish authorities. As these members moved to the KKK their aims were adjusted to the concept of an armed revolution against the Spanish.
The KKK had begun their work in preparing for the revolution over the course of many years. They had been working to stockpile weapons and build membership to their organization. These activities did not go unnoticed by the Spanish authorities, as they had begun to alert their superiors to possible anti-Spanish movements amongst the Filipinos.
Shortly after the Spanish became aware of the movement, they received information on the location of the organizations’ operations. Spanish officers arrived at the site of the Katipunan newspaper printing operations and made several arrests; this became the trigger for the Katipunan to stage their revolution.
This led to a series of battles across Manilla and into its neighbouring provinces. As a consequence, many rebels were killed or arrested and ultimately the Katipunan were subject to defeat. But this was only the beginning of the demise of Spanish dominance in The Philippines.
In the end, the movement worked to weaken the Spanish colonial power due to their frequent clashes. The Spanish were also weakened after needing to focus resources on fighting another war across the globe. After much resistance, the rebels were able to gather control over most of the countries’ territory.
In the end, the rebels were able to declare independence on June 12, 1898, in Cavite. After 333 years of colonial rule, The Philippines was finally able to declare independence from the Spanish.
As a side note, the Philippine hero Jose Rizal was killed as a result of these uprisings. At the time, Rizal was on his way to Spain. Word got out that a group he was instrumental in forming had begun to revolt against the Spanish. In the end, Rizal was executed by the Spanish after being convicted for treason.
One thing I have always said about The Philippines is that it’s an easy place to spend no money at all but it’s just as easy to spend a lot.
The Philippines still carries a reputation as being one of the best budget holiday destinations in the world. Due to it’s reputation I often find my self having this false sense of security thinking that I don’t need to think about my spending habits while I’m there.
Everything is so reasonably priced, what do I need to worry about?
This is until I check my bank statement, I’m quickly reminded that all those small purchases add up to something more substantial.
Once you account for dining out for meals, multiple taxi rides each day, maybe even sampling the local street food for a snack in between meals – It all adds up to a significant amount of money. Especially for those wishing to travel on a budget.
So in the article, I will talk you through some of the lessons I’ve learnt from my years spent travelling throughout the Philippines.
Manila is a sprawling urban environment which may be intimidating to commute through for the uninitiated tourist.
Budget transport in the Philippines
Jeepneys
For public transport, I usually try to avoid jeepneys as they are extremely uncomfortable due to me being almost a foot taller than your average Filipino. But if I want to make my money go further I don’t think twice about using a Jeepney.
When you could potentially be paying hundreds of pesos for a taxi ride around the city; paying a handful of pesos for a Jeepney ride seems like a fantastic deal for the budget traveller.
A word of warning – if you’re going to try jeepneys make sure you know where you are going, and ensure you’re taking the correct jeepney. Personally I feel if you are an inexperienced traveller in the Philippines I would stick to taxis or rideshare but if you want to save some cash jeepneys are always an option.
A habit I developed was always checking the local ride-share provider Grab before using any taxis. After being in a certain city for a while, you become familiar with what certain taxi rides should cost. You can then check Grab to see of the prices are more competitive, as Grabs prices do rise with demand, they can sometimes be more expensive than taxis.
Though, from personal experience, I have found their prices are significantly lower than what you would expect in a standard taxi ride. Also, Grab offers promos and referral bonuses, which can make your rides even cheaper.
Although now that Grab has a monopoly in the country, it is still good to have an alternative to using taxis. Having a variety of services to choose from is always a bonus for the consumer.
Another trade off with taking taxis is that you lose the security of using ride-share. With Grab you have a fixed price, and your journey is also recorded. When using a taxi, it is a good practice to note the details of the vehicle and ensure you decide on how you will be paying before the journey begins.
Domestic Airlines
Travelling domestically in the Philippines is generally quite affordable. There are flights between all the countries major cities throughout the day all at reasonable prices.
For those flying domestically you have the choice between the countries two main airlines – Philippines Airlines or Cebu Pacific. Cebu Pacific is seen as the more affordable airline but both airlines are usually quite affordable for economy travellers.
All in all air travel in the Philippines is quite straightforward. If you’re someone travelling on a budget I would suggest to look at Cebu Pacific. Although the airline does have a reputation for having significant delays which I have experienced first hand quite a few times.
Ferrys
For travellers serious about sticking to a budget, there is another alternative to travel the country. Ferrys are an extremely common means used by the locals to travel between the major islands.
There are ferries leaving daily from various major ports within the country which can take you to all the tourists hot spots, and at a fraction of the price of a plane ticket.
The major trade off with ferries is the time. Most flights within the country last ~1 hour whereas a ferry ride can take as long as 24 hours depending on where you are going. So for thoe visiting the country for a limited amount of time planes may be the better option.
This is a traditional Filipino food – Shrimp Sinigang. Filipino food is often quite simple but often very healthy and also tasty.
Budget for food in the Philippines
When it comes to buying food I can get a bit crazy, as I love to eat. I usually prioritize buying healthy food when dining out somewhere, which so far hasn’t really been a challenge. Traditional Filipino food is extremely healthy, and it is widely available at many different price points across the country.
The fact is the Philippines is full of so many cheap food options which won’t break your budget. The streets are filled with bakeries and BBQ stands where you can buy products for a few pesos. There are also lots of markets and srestaurants offering good quality food at a reasonable price.
Then you have the local favourite, the carinderia. This is a small eatery often ran out of somebodies home. Here you can find delicious, affordable filipino food, and BBQ. When visiting the Philippines dining at a Carinderia is an essential part of experiencing the local culture.
A warning about cheap FIlipino food
Although it may be tempting to always seek out the cheapest option you have to be aware that sometimes you’re getting exactly what you pay for. Occasionally food can be burnt or served in a very simple manner.
Some of the food may also be dangerous to eat, as some food is being sold out on the street you can not guarantee that the vendor has been meeting safe standards for handling their food.
Sometimes it may be safer to pay a little bit extra and go to the larger more wekll known restaurants where you can have a bit more faith that the food is safe to eat.
Budget accomodation in the Philippines
When it comes to accommodation I tend to gravitate towards mid-range hotels. I think a lot of people assume hotels in The Philippines cost a lot more than what they actually do. I tried renting a condo but when you factor in all the work to maintain it, plus buying all the products normally supplied by a hotel; it ends up costing about the same amount as staying in a hotel except it requires a lot more upkeep.
Really the Philippines has accomodation to suit every price point, it just depends on how comfortable you want to be. The Philippines is also completely covered by hotels, especially in the larger cities.
Due to the amount of hotels, it is quite easy for you to shop around for good deals. In some smaller cities you can turn up and negotiate a rate. Though, I recommend booking online in advance, especially in cities such as Manila, and Cebu. The Philippines is quite popular these days so to get accomodation in a good location you need to plan ahead.
So what should a budget traveller aim for?
If you really want to avoid breaking the bank your best option would be some of the new hostels popping up around Manila. Places such as Z Hostel offer clean, spacious accomodation, and all the modern ammenities you have come to expect such as hot water, wifi, 24 hours cafe, co-working space.
Z Hostel is very much suited to the more sociable, party going travellers. For a more relaxed stay I would look at Lub D in Makati. Lub D offers something for every kind of traveller, with modern, private rooms located in the heart of Makati.
The hostel has many different spacces to accomodate its guests. Theres a cafe where guests can relax with a coffee and something to eat. It also features a coworking space for the digital nomads, and a rooftop bar where you can socialise with locals and other guests while enjoying the amazing view over Makati.
Personally I love to book at the mid-tier hotels around Manila. A quick search on sites like Agoda.com will show you hundreds of quality, affordable hotels around the major cities of the Philippines.
I feel like the mid-tier hotels are still extremely affordable for your average traveller, but they still offer a comfortable experiencce for there guests in good quality rooms. I feel as if this suites travellers who still like their privacy and their own space.
I think as long as you avoid the older, extremely cheap places you cant go wrong. Older budget hotels and hostels tend to be unclean, you may find cockroaches and mosquitoes in your room etc. It really does pay to go for the better quality accomodation when visiting the Philippines.
Accessing your money in the Philippines
The Philippines is still very much a cashed based society. When you are in major cities such as Manila or Cebu you can get away with paying for things by card but once you leave these cities, you need cash.
Fortunately this isn’t very difficult as there are literally money changers, atms, and banks everywhere. You will not struggle to access your cash in the Philippines. My only advice would be to limit the amount of withdrawals you make as the fees can add up fast,
If you plan on visiting any isolated locations, you need to plan ahead. You will not have access to any banks so you will need to plan for how much cash you need and stick to a budget.
So the key message is – hunting around for better prices and negotiating is the key to living on a budget in The Philippines. There are so many bargains and cheap alternatives to your day to day expenses. It’s just a matter of putting in a bit of effort to find them.
So many questions were running through my mind at that moment. I was playing out different scenarios in my head, wondering how they would turn out. Was the driver going to get aggressive? would he back down if I become aggressive? Should I wait until we get to our destination, or should I bring it up with him now?
We had just arrived back in Puerto Princesa after spending some time in El Nido. We were at what seemed like a secluded bus stop on the outskirts of the city. The bus driver told us it’s best for us to get a tricycle to take us to the hotel from there. We were then approached by a driver who told us what seemed like a reasonable price, we were soon on our way to the hotel. The price hadn’t bothered me at the time because I was thinking we were reasonably far away from the city center.
Within minutes of our ride, I immediately had the thought “he is ripping us off”. I began to recognise the shopping areas and some of the restaurants we were passing. The driver had told us it was expensive because it was a 45-minute ride to the hotel. Once I knew where we were I could tell we were only 10 minutes away from the hotel at most.
Then I began to wonder what I should do, as I didn’t feel right paying what would be a 45-minute tricycle ride fare, after what wasn’t even a 10-minute tricycle ride. I ended up not saying anything until we got to the hotel, I waited for the porter to take all our luggage inside, I then gave the rider the normal price with a 20 peso tip as he had helped with our bags. I then immediately went inside the hotel before he could say anything.
Thinking back, it seems so ridiculous for me to put so much emphasis on a few pesos. What I spend on public transport in Australia eclipses anything I would pay to a tricycle rider in The Philippines. But the context of the situation caused me to lose perspective.
I usually happily tip drivers if they offer a good service. If they are friendly, take my bags and then talk a bit during the ride I will tip them well. But when you have somebody trying to take that extra money from you, even if its just a small amount it changes the whole dynamic.
That sort of behaviour just does not gel well with me. Basically, it comes down to me feeling like I am reinforcing the behaviour. If I get service like I described above I will pay them what I owe, nothing more nothing less. Whereas if I experience good honest customer service I feel like that’s the kind of behaviour which should be reinforced, so I make sure I compensate them nicely.
Comment your thoughts and feelings on this issue below. I would love to hear how others go about this issue, or just how you think it should be handled.
Before my first exposure to The Philippines, I spent several weeks leading up to my trip trying to plan out where I would be going, what sites I wanted to see, what’s the best way to get to these places… the list is almost endless. It’s hard to know what you should be expecting and in turn what you should be planning for when you are about to travel somewhere completely new to yourself.
Once you arrive you quickly realise that the extensive planning is a pointless pursuit in The Philippines. For example, on one visit I had a late afternoon flight from Cebu to Manila. After the flight, I had planned on going to my hotel for an hour or two then meeting up with some friends later on that evening. I arrived at the airport a couple of hours ahead of my flight, checked in and then begun to wait.
As the flight time approached, an announcement came thatour flight would not be leaving for another 2 hours due to bad weather. 3.5 hours later an announcement came over the address system saying that our plane had just left Manila. By the end of this, I arrived in Manila over 5 hours later than I had planned.
Another experience was not negative as such, but it just displays how unnecessary any sort of extensive planning really is. We were about to stay on a small island off of Cebu, at the time I had again been browsing the internet looking for tour groups operating on the island. I knew the Island was a popular holiday destination so I wanted to make sure I got a spot on a tour. Again this ended up being a complete waste of time, as the island was infested with tour group operators trying to get customers for their tours. When walking along the beach to our hotel we had a constant stream of tour guides asking us if we would join their tour group for the following morning.
I am now at the point where if I plan on travelling somewhere in The Philippines I will book my flights and 2 or 3 nights stay at my destination and then leave the rest of my planning for when I arrive. I always travel off-peak, during this time all the hotels are quite empty, so extending my stay has never been a problem. Booking late has also allowed me to stay in some extremely nice hotels at a very low price. I think a lot of the time it’s better to have somebody in the room at a low price than having nobody in the room at all.
Once you are at your destination you can then talk with the locals, the hotel staff, other tourists and find out more about what the best sites and activities are in the city. The tourism industry in The Philippines is quite big so most of the time there are always plenty of people around ready to accommodate tourists.
I have booked tours half an hour before they commence, I turn up for bus rides minutes before they leave and I generally book my flights the day before I take them.
My point is to not stress when travelling the country as there are so many options available to you. If you miss a flight, there will be another in a few hours. You may miss a bus ride, just get on the other bus leaving for the same destination an hour later. If plan A does not work out there’s always a plan B, C, D… you are in a country with some of the most hospitable people in the world, so you will be well looked after during your visit.
Is the Philippines safe? A question which has no doubt been on the mind of many foreigners planning on visiting The Philippines. They are drawn by the beauty and culture this country has to offer but may remain hesitant due to the very real risks present in some areas of the country.
There have been many highly publicized cases involving foreigners getting in trouble while travelling The Philippines. Unsurprisingly this can deter tourists from wanting to spend time in the country due to concerns for their own safety.
Further to this, a quick google search will also bring up plenty of news articles covering the frequent terrorist beheadings, vigilante murders, and the rampant corruption throughout the country.
Safety in the Philippines: My personal experience
I remember the very first time I travelled to The Philippines. I had no idea of what I should be expecting. The majority of the travel websites I visited would only show me the picturesque beach and jungles scenes which lure so many tourists to the country.
The thing is if you’re visiting as a tourist, that is all you really have to experience, there really isn’t much of a reason to go outside of these areas. Generally speaking, if you stick to those “touristy” areas, you’ll never have a problem.
Personally, I can’t say I have ever had an issue in The Philippines. The most trouble I have had was dealing with people trying to scam me out of ridiculous amounts of money.
So maybe the country is safe or maybe I am just lucky?
After all, a lot of my close friends have had negative experiences where people have pulled out knives of them, another has been robbed at gunpoint and others have been victims of snatchers.
The Philippines is full of friendly, welcoming people who will always greet you with a smile and a wave.
So how safe am I in the Philippines?
For me, it all comes back to is common sense.
Don’t put yourself in situations where you become vulnerable – walking the streets alone late at night, carrying valuable items out in the open such as jewellery or your mobile phone.
It requires a mindset of vigilance, keeping points in mind such as –
be aware of your surroundings when you’re out and about, and try not to draw too much attention to yourself.
Try to avoid crowded areas.
Do not acknowledge, or get too involved with beggars, although they are not bad people they can be opportunistic due to their circumstances.
Limit the amount of cash you carry on you during days out, always try to leave cash and valuables at your accommodation, ideally locked away.
So is The Philippines safe? Well, it is as safe as most other cities in the world, it is certainly not a hotbed for criminals. For me putting off a visit to The Philippines due to safety concerns is definitely not warranted. The country has so much to offer in beauty and its unique culture. Remaining safe is as simple as using your common sense and always remaining alert. As long as you stick to that you will have one of the most unique, memorable holidays of your life.
We were flying through the dimly lit afternoon sky heading towards the small exotic island of Palawan, nested between the Sulu and the South China Sea. At that point in time, I had an idea of how I imagined the island to be fixed in my mind. The stereotypical white sandy beaches with palm trees and fallen coconuts littering the shoreline. As for the city itself, I was completely clueless as to what I should be expecting.
As the captain announced that we would soon be landing, I began staring out of the window trying to see the island. I was staring, looking for the white sandy beaches with palm-filled shorelines but they never came. An island eventually came into view, a small land mass covered with vegetation with the occasional small houses poking through the tree line.
As we flew over the city, I couldn’t help but think about how rural this town seemed. After spending my time in The Philippines always travelling between the urban sprawls of Cebu and Manila, this city seemed so small in comparison. Then I began to realise how low the plane was flying at that point; I started noticing how easily I could easily see the people walking through the streets. I could watch everything that was happening in the streets of Puerto Princesa in detail, as we made our way to the airport.
Once we landed, we quickly walked from the plane got our bags, then set our focus to getting to the hotel. A young man greeted us outside the airport, then went on to offer to take us to where we would be staying, the Sunlight Hotel. I have come to realise anybody who is enthusiastically offering you a ride outside the airport is generally trying to get a bit of extra money from you.
I would love to think that I have stopped falling for these tactics, but unfortunately, this guy managed to fool me and get double the standard fare for that particular route.
After a short 5-10 minute tricycle ride we were there standing outside a multistory supermarket. Our hotel lobby occupied a small section of the supermarkets ground floor as the hotel itself held the top story of the supermarket building. As I entered the building, I let out a sigh of relief. I knew Palawan was an isolated place, so I had no idea what to expect from the mid-range hotels. But from the look of the Sunlight Hotel lobby, I could tell straight away that this would be comfortable there.
After spending the previous sleeping on the floor of a friends condo, it was nice to be in our own room again. The room was beautifully decorated and was so much bigger than an average hotel room. We were only there for a few days before going to El Nido, if I hadn’t planned other activities in Puerto Princesa I could have easily just stayed and relaxed inside our room.
The first morning I was awoken early in the morning by a whistling sound which quickly built to a loud roar, it was the last thing I had expected to hear at that time in the morning.
As soon as it had come the sound disappeared leaving the dull sound of heavy wind. I immediately remembered how low we had flown over the city when coming into the airport; I had in no way imagined that the noise from the plane would be as loud as it was. But this, for me was a minor inconvenience for our stay in the Sunlight Hotel.
After our spending several nights in Puerto Princesa it came time for us to move on to El Nido. I had loved our stay in Sunlight Hotel; I actually would have liked to stay there and enjoy it a bit longer. But our primary reason for visiting Palawan was to see the beautiful scenery of El Nido, so we had to move on.
All in all our stay at Sunlight Hotel was extremely positive. It exceeded my expectation when it came to the quality of the hotel. I liked the hotel so much that we returned there another time, but I think I will save that story for later…
It’s no secret now that I have been especially conscious of the kinds of foods that I am putting into my body, I have written about it in several of my older articles now. I’ve been having gut related issues for the past year now, to fix the problem I have cut out any foods which may cause any sort of discomfort to my gut. This means I have been avoiding any sugars, soy, dairy amongst other things to let my gut rest and allow it to heal.
Sticking to this diet would normally be quite easy if I had a permanent housing setup where I could easily cook for myself. But constantly being on the move brings up a lot of challenges with maintaining my diet. To overcome these hurdles, I resorted to doing some research on the internet to find stores and restaurants which could supply me with healthy foods and snacks which reside within my dietary restrictions.
The first store I came across was Healthy Options, which is one of the biggest health food store chains in The Philippines. After a quick visit to their store, I found that this is exactly what I was after. They offered a wide variety of teas and vegetable juices which I drink as an on the go snack during the day.
They also had coconut oil which is crucial for me, as I am not taking in any carbohydrates my body goes into a state of ketosis, which causes it to use fat as a source of energy. So the coconut oil becomes a primary source of energy for me while I am on this diet.
It was also surprisingly hard to find good quality nuts in a lot of the supermarkets within The Philippines. A lot of the nuts come soaked in artificial flavours which to me seems to erase any health benefits you might gain from eating them. But thankfully Healthy Options also stocked a good variety of nuts there too, all in their natural state, not soaked in bbq powder or some spicy chilli powder.
Thanks to Healthy Options I no longer have to worry about where I can get good quality health food. I now have a destination where I can regularly get good quality healthy snacks and supplements to help me get past my health issues.
Healthy Options is now part of my regular shopping routine as I am yet to find another store which caters to my needs as well as they do.
In no way would I classify myself as being a wealthy man, I have enough to live comfortably off of but I still have to be conscious of living within my means. This means that while I am travelling through The Philippines my accommodation is mostly restricted to the mid-tier hotels as I don’t fancy having to empty my bank account to pay for what might be an extended stay in a high-end hotel.
This allows me to stay somewhere reasonably nice. The rooms are clean, all the services you expect are available, and the common consumable products like tea, coffee and soap are supplied to you daily. Recently I stepped outside my usual string of “go to” hotels in Cebu and decided to try something a little more upmarket.
I was staying at my usual hotel in Cebu, a small hotel within walking distance of Fuente Circle. One evening I was browsing travel websites when I realised something was up with my booking. I had booked the next hotel I would move onto on the wrong date. Meaning that there was a period of a few days where I had nowhere to stay.
I instantly sprung into action and began browsing travel sites, looking for a place to stay for those few days.
Due to the late notice a lot of the popular places had no rooms available, then I noticed one of the high-end hotels in Cebu, Hotel Elizabeth was offering its rooms at a large discount. Without hesitation, I booked it, as you rarely get to experience a hotel of that calibre at such a low price.
Staying at Cebu Cities Hotel Elizabeth
The next day we arrived at the hotel, I immediately went into a mindset of comparing it to other hotels I frequently stay in.
The external presentation of the hotel trumped almost anything else I had seen in Cebu. On approach you know you will be staying somewhere nice, the hotel looks almost immaculate. I was impressed by the quality and attention shown by the presentation of the exterior of the building.
Once I was in the lobby, I unfortunately had the displeasure of having to line up at the check-in counter behind what seemed like an older entitled European man. This changed my mood quickly after having to listen to him shouting over to the porter to take his bags to the room. This made no sense to me as the porter was already in the middle of putting the man’s bags on a trolley to take to the room.
Seeing people treating service industry staff as if they are beneath them always puts me in a bad mood, but this quickly changed as the staff at Hotel Elizabeth were pleasant to deal with. Within minutes they had me checked in and had arranged someone to escort me with my bags to the room.
On arrival, I realised why this hotel is generally priced at about double the rate I would normally pay for a room. It felt more like a house than a hotel room, the bathroom alone was almost as big as the entire hotel room I usually stay in.
The room had everything you would need plus more. Several couches, a large desk to work from then another desk with a mirror and light for makeup, a large king sized bed, a mini bar with fridge and serving area etc.
It had everything you would need to feel at home while being away from home.
It felt amazing being in a hotel room of that size. Once you fill an average hotel room with the bed and desk there’s not much room left for anything else. After being in so many small hotel rooms I appreciated the feeling of not being confined to a little box. I loved the feeling of being in a large open space, it made the room feel a lot more fresh.
Overall my stay in the hotel was extremely positive. I will be watching travel websites like a hawk now, waiting for the prices at Hotel Elizabeth to drop into a range which I can afford. I have had a taste of the next level of hotel living, I’m am now keen to experience it again.
If you can afford the extra cash, I would not hesitate to book at Hotel Elizabeth. I think the comfort and convenience are worth the small financial sacrifice.
