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.
Cebu taxi drivers have just left one of the most positive impressions I have had with Philippine taxi drivers in a very long time.
As someone who spends a lot of time in Manila, I try to avoid using taxis by any means necessary.
I have even gone as far as trying to book accommodation within walking distance to the LRT and MRT, just to minimize the number of times I may have to rely on taxis to travel the city.
I remember long evenings spent on EDSA trying to find a driver who would offer a price below 1000 pesos for a 10-minute ride.
I remember an instance when a driver – with no explanation – pulled over on the side of the highway, got out and opened the trunk. He then went on to tinker in there for a minute or two. He then got back into the car, barely able to hold back the smile on his face and took off driving again with no explanation.
Within seconds I noticed the meter was moving extremely quickly, easily 3 – 4 times the regular rate.
By the end of the trip, a normally 100 peso ride was going to cost me almost 600 pesos. So I let him know I had taken down all his details and was ready to make a report, this was then followed by him almost crying and telling me to pay what I think the ride was worth.
Basically, if I decide to use a taxi I have to accept that I will be dealing with a scenario similar to these. There have been some days where I have travelled trouble free, not having to deal with drivers trying to funnel money out of me. But days like that are outnumbered by days dealing with hustlers.
At least up until I visited Cebu recently.
The Miracle Cebu Experience
The first thing I do on arrival to either Cebu or Manila is avoid the arrivals area. I will leave the plane to get my luggage and then immediately walk to the departure area to look for a taxi that has just dropped off passengers.
-I am so used to being overwhelmed with people offering 700 – 800 peso fares the moment I step out of the arrival area, now I just resorted to avoiding it completely.
The biggest hurdle I now face on arrival to Cebu is having to deal with an upset security guard, they usually aren’t too happy with people trying to find a taxi in the departure areas. I have been doing this every time I arrive in Manila and Cebu so I now have it down to an art.
Instead of being offered a ride to my hotel at a premium price, I now get a ride from the departure area in a regular metered taxi.
This is why Cebu City is now possibly my favourite city.
Next came my day to day travels throughout the city. This really caught me off guard, I was taking taxi after taxi, not once did they ask for a fixed price.
I would simply get into the taxi, they would then turn on the meter and begin the journey.
I don’t know if this was just luck or if there have been tighter laws have been put in place for taxi drivers in Cebu. Either way, it turned the usually daunting task of having to find a taxi driver who would treat you like a normal person into a simple operation which I had to no longer think twice about.
When getting taxis from malls I have noticed signs which stated that the fixed price rides were not allowed, this I think was the source of my pleasant stay in Cebu.
Every taxi ride I got was either from the front of my hotel or from a taxi queue at a mall. This means I was given the details of the driver and it seemed the driver had to follow certain rules if they were going to take passengers from those locations otherwise they would be reported and face disciplinary action.
Whatever has happened to keep the drivers in line with the first world standard of taxi service – it should be held in place.
Although they might not be making as much money through their scams, I feel it would draw a lot more people back towards using their services. I previously found myself resorting to just using Jeepneys or the more convenient Uber, so my recent experience has helped to build my faith again in the Philippines taxi industry.
,My stay in The Philippines has now reached a tipping point. I feel I’ve been here long enough to no longer consider myself simply a tourist or visitor. Although I still have people regularly assume that I have just arrived in The Philippines. They will inform me that a new president has just been elected or tell me to plan my travels carefully as delays are common due to traffic.
With spending significant time in the country comes quite a lot of experience with living out of hotels. I took this route as opposed to renting an apartment or condo due to convenience. Earlier I had tried renting condos as the initial price was a lot cheaper than staying in hotels for long periods of time. Though I quickly realized that a hotel is what suits my needs; I am happy to pay extra for the convenience that comes with services such as the housekeeping and room service.
One thing the hotel lifestyle has made me accustomed to is waking up to the buffet breakfasts. When I was younger not a lot got me more excited than my parent telling me we would be dining at a buffet restaurant. The thought of an unlimited spread of all the food you love available to you in a supply only limited by the size of your stomach was overwhelming for such a young mind.
As I have grown older I have usually chosen to have the hotel buffet more due to the financial advantage. To get the buffet a small charge is added to the room; this is a lot less than the cost to get breakfast outside of the hotel. I usually wait until just before the buffet closes to have breakfast; having a late breakfast means that I don’t feel hungry for the majority of the day. Basically, I’m just cheap, also I hate having to eat all the time. So having one big meal later in the morning is ideal for me.
I am starting to realize that there is a trade-off between eating the buffet and dining at a traditional restaurant. What stands out to me is that it feels so informal. I walk in, I am greeted by a waitress who then escorts me to a table. Then I simply take a plate and begin helping myself to what is available. Most of the time I am too lazy to change out of what I wore to bed that evening; it usually seems like the rest of the people in the restaurant made that same decision.
The quantity also becomes an issue; a lot of the better buffets offer seemingly every type of breakfast food available. For me breakfast food is one of my guilty pleasures. I love having coffee and orange juice with a plate of crepes and some fruit. Maybe I can grab a bowl of cereal and some toast once I finish? The possibilities are all there which makes self-control important when you are in the presence of a good breakfast buffet.
One thing I do love about having the option to choose what to eat is that it allows me to grab exactly what suits my diet. Although a lot of the vegetables are not usually the best quality I still love having that option available to me. I have so many dietary restrictions, so seeing buffets which cater to a wide variety of dietary styles makes me extremely happy.
The breakfast buffet for me has become a fairly important prerequisite as to whether I book a hotel room or not. The buffet is an important part of my morning as I can spend the time waking up, getting myself into a relaxed positive frame of mind and take in the energy I need to get the most out of my day within The Philippines.
Balut is one aspect of a vibrant array of food eaten in the Philippines. Across the countries seven thousand islands, you will find local communities, all with their own unique delicacies. You will regularly find people enjoying sea urchin, worms, and chicken organs. This style of food can be purchased from street food vendors, and markets found across the country.
Within this street food scene, is where you will find Balut. It is often spoken about as a delicacy, though in modern day Philippines, it belongs more in the street food category. Delicacy implies luxury food items like truffles or caviar. Though it once could have been in that category, you will now find Balut being sold in places like the streets of Manila. The locals love the egg to be nice and hot, and love to wash it down with a cold beer.
So, let’s continue to see what this famous Filipino dish actually is.
So, what exactly is Balut?
Balut is a chicken or duck egg which is boiled or steamed. You then crack open the top of the shell, then pour some salt and vinegar to the top, some people add other toppings like chilli sauce to the egg.
Now, what makes Balut interesting is the egg is fertilised. The embryo is left to grow in the egg for around sixteen to twenty-one days. The egg is then cooked and served to customers with not only the yolk present inside, but also the embryo.
I know it doesn’t sound alluring, eating a half developed embryo isn’t everyone’s idea of a delicious snack. A lot of foreign tourists are put off by the sight of the egg. But many people do try it when they visit the country.
Most “first timers” will opt for an egg that is around the 16-week mark, as the embryo is less developed, the appearance is a little less intimidating. Although it looks off-putting, the taste of the hot egg with the salt and vinegar is actually quite nice.
Besides the large amounts of salt added to the egg, the dish isn’t completely bad for you. It contains all the usual health benefits from egg, as well as being rich in vitamin C, protein, calcium, and beta-carotene.
Where did Balut originate?
Balut began to emerge in the Philippines starting in the 16th century. The Chinese population in the country were primarily responsible for the adoption of the food in the Philippines. Before refrigerators were created, the Chinese use the fertilised duck eggs as a means of extending the shelf life of the eggs.
The global influence that comes with high levels of migration from south-east Asian nations can also not be ignored. The initial spread of Balut came from Chinese migration to nations such as the Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand. Now with high levels of migration into western nations, you can now easily find Balut almost anywhere. It’s as easy as paying a visit to your local Asian supermarket.
Balut holds a particular cultural importance in Philippine history, now reaching the position of being the countries “national street food”. This demand for these fertilised eggs has helped strengthen the farming industry in the country. Ducks have become one of the most profitable livestock in the farming industry.
A lot of sociocultural factors dominate Balut market. These factors are different from the nutritional values. as it is a good source of protein and calcium. But that is not the primary reason why it is loved by Filipinos.
The home to this vibrant industry at one point was found in the nation’s capital of Manila. More particularly Pateros, a municipality within Manila.
Pateros held an estimated 400,000ducks, meaning this was the primary source of income for the residents in the area. During the 50s and 60s, this region was teaming with life due to the duck industry. The local makers had developed their own methods of creating Balut, and salted egg. This started from the careful selection of the egg through to the incubation and cooking process.
Unfortunately, this did not last. With the increasing pollution of Metro Manila came the downfall of the local duck industry. Through the 70s the industry began to move out to more environmentally friendly regions like Laguna.
Balut is prepared in a cautious and controlled manner. The technique used will determine whether or not you get the best flavours. All the techniques used have been traditionally learned by the local makers.
The fertilised eggs are first taken and incubated under the heat of the sun, or they may be buried in layers of sand. Then they are placed in bamboo baskets to sustain the warmth to help preserve the egg. After a period of nine days, the eggs are finally revealed to a light source to see the embryo inside.
The various stages of maturation of the egg and different controlled temperatures play a significant role to accentuate all the characteristics a good egg would have. The egg changes colour during the maturation period also.
Now, you may be wondering when is the egg ready to eat?
Well, the time of incubation of the egg before they are boiled depends on the locals, which vary from 14 to 18 days. After cooking, the eggshell is cracked open, this is were you will familiarise yourself with the primary parts of the dish.
First you’ll notice a mix of the embryo and the egg yolk peering through the crack in the shell,if you then tip the egg, you’ll find the broth inside that everyone loves to drink. Then at the end you’ll find the hard rubbery part known as the rock. The whole process of making and consuming Balut is in itself an experience.
So when visiting the Philippines, it will be hard to avoid trying Balut. You can find it everywhere these days. Most of it you will find is the mass-produced style, these are made at large commercial farms where the ducks receive a generic feed.
Some of the exotic restaurants which cater to tourists have their own version of the Balut where it is had with a lot of spices and salts. This Balut is often sourced from more boutique farms, where they pay special attention to the kind of food they give their ducks to ensure they achieve the highest quality egg.
So, as you can see, the simple act of enjoying Balut is a means to immerse yourself in the local culture of the Filipinos and have a first-hand experience of their traditions.
The preparation techniques of Balut have evolved in modern day life, and I’m sure will continue to develop into the future. This makes Balut one of Philippine’s widely sought after dish; now you can try one too.
My first encounter with the doctor fish came about by complete accident. It started with me and my significant other, laying in our room one morning – way later than we should have been.
I was browsing the internet looking for somewhere interesting to go while my girlfriend took care of her social media accounts. Our days were becoming too routine. I had become tired of doing the same things every day. It was about time we spiced up our day – even if it was only for a few hours.
While scrolling through Google I spotted the name of a place sounded interesting. It was called Rainforest Park Cebu; the website made me feel as if we were going to some nature reserve yet it sat in the heart of suburban Cebu. We went, only because of the lack of any better options.
The Park was exactly where the map had shown. In the heart of Cebu, sitting right next to 7/11 sat Rainforest Park Cebu.
The park has a collection of several interesting activities which I will admit are a lot more fun than I thought; especially the rope course they’ve set up. The main attraction I want to talk about is the doctor fish (Garra rufa). The small fish you probably have seen which seem to enjoy biting dead skin off of peoples’ feet.
We paid for the doctor fish upon entry so after finishing up our activities we made our way to the fish spa. At this point, most of the assistants seemed oblivious to our presence.
Basically, we walked into the area housing the fish, a small boy wandered into the room behind us. He turned on a small tap, then directed us to wash our feet.
From that point on we saw nobody until we left the area. Based on the looks on their faces when we left, it seemed the employees were not even aware we were in the spa.
The experience though was actually a lot more pleasant than what I expected. At first, there’s a period in which I had to get over having these fish feasting on my feet.
Once I began to relax and got used to the feeling, it began to turn from the sensation of small fish biting your feet to a sensation similar to bubbles rising around your feet.
Overall it was a nice way to finish our day at the Rainforest Park. It wasn’t anything miraculous like posters displayed in the room were implying; it just felt like a nice way to relax.
Experience Cebus leaders in doctor fish therapy
Eventually, word got out about our doctor fish experience. We received a suggestion to visit JMall in Mandaue as there’s a good quality shop also housing doctor fish, called Goodwill Dr Fish Spa. We took a while to find the shop; it was at JMall but it was housed in the basement next to the car park.
We immediately noticed the difference in the two services:
The fish at JMall are easily triple the size of the fish kept at the Rainforest Park.
There were also a lot more fish housed at Goodwill Dr. Fish Spa, this was probably the most noticeable difference; our feet were completely covered with fish, were at the previous fish spa there had been nowhere near that many.
The price was lower at Goodwill Dr. Fish Spa, although it’s a small price saving, I’m always happy not having to unnecessarily spend money
After the second fish spa, I again felt little effect besides feeling slightly more relaxed than what I was beforehand. There were a lot of claims made on some posters at the stores about health benefit stemming from using doctor fish, but it really seemed like they were stretching the truth. After using them I really think they are useful purely for people looking for a more interesting method of receiving a pedicure, or people who just want to relax for a while in a serene environment.
Am I going to be okay? Hygiene concerns surrounding Dr Fish treatment
It is important to note that investigations have lead to fish spas being banned in the USA. Unlike traditional instruments which are cleaned after performing a pedicure, the fish maybe used to treat several clients each day.
Concerns of fish coming into contact with multiple clients coupled with concerns regarding the fish secretion in the water have lead to suspicions of fungal and bacterial infections being transmitted to clients using the service. Especially clients who may have cuts or abrasions on their feet.
These issues were addressed by some salons, who attempted to keep the process as sanitary as possible. Many allocate personal foot baths to each client, they then limit how often they use each fish in a pedicure.
Many salons have begun using UV filtered tanks to store fish, also putting more effective filtration systems in the water tanks. This is to make sure any harmful bacteria which may enter the water is removed as soon as possible.
Despite the health concerns being minor, some salons go as far as inspecting the feet of clients. They want to ensure the feet are free from any open wounds before the clients fish spa.
No matter how far salons go, there will always remain a sanitation related risk, albeit minor. Therefore, it is up to the customer to decide whether they are happy to take part in the doctor fish experience or not after weighing up the risk.
So, what is a doctor fish?
The doctor fish or Garra Rufa originate in the Middle East. They are found in the rivers and hot springs of Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Turkey, and Syria.
That’s right, hot springs:
The fish are often found in waters averaging 28°C but they are also found in thermal springs which sits at temperatures around 37°C.
The fish are a kind of toothless carp which would eat algae, plankton, and other microscopic organisms found in the rivers. It also seems the fish enjoy the taste of our dead skin cells which they remove by scrapping their mouth along the skin of the foot.
