First trip to the Philippines. A journey different from those I usually do on several aspects.

The first is that it is a family trip, since we are joining my son, my grandchildren and some members of my son’s in-laws in the Philippines.

So it’s not me who organizes the trip. My son made hotel reservations and internal flights.

It’s not a small detail because this American family has other financial means than me. First consequence, see you on the first day in Manila at Marriot.

This is obviously the first time in my life that I go to a Marriot hotel. I will devote a particular article to it.

We then spend 4 days in a very nice hotel on the island of El Nido, 4 days in Boracay, then return to Manila for three days with the family.

They then leave for Japan, but we stay in Manila for three more days

I will devote an article to each of these places and talk here only about what I thought in general about the Philippines.

I am used to reading quite little and watching quite a few videos on countries that I have not yet visited to keep the pleasure of discovery.

Quite little does not mean that I am not inquiring at all, so I had a fairly favorable a priori on the Philippines.

I must admit that what I saw from this country disappointed me.

The landscapes

Certainly, there are beautiful places in the Philippines, I had a glimpse of them especially in El Nido.

We took a one-day boat tour from El Nido, it was really beautiful.

On the other hand, I did not like Boracay, really a tourist overexploitation. We would have thought we were in Argelès sur mer in the middle of August.

I’m sure the other islands not visited this time are superb.

But there are also aspects of the country that I did not like at all, and I admit that I was not enchanted by the Filipinos themselves.

The Filipinos

Contrary to what can be observed in various Asian countries, especially in Thailand, Filipinos are only smiling and friendly when they have the opportunity to sell you something.

There are many beggars, especially in Manila, and many children who beg.

As I said above, I read few articles about a country before visiting it, to get there without a priori.

It turns out that one of the few articles I had read on a blog that I will be careful not to advertise is entitled "Why the Philippines is much better than Thailand. ”

What we can (among other nonsense) read in this article is this: "The Filipinos are sincerely kind. Unlike the Thais, who are professionals with their authentic smiles, but if you live there long enough, you will learn that everything is wrong, and that under their infinite layers of alleged hospitality lives a deep and dark contempt. ”

At no time in the 2 years that I live in Thailand, have I felt a sign of contempt. On the other hand, I could not count the times a Thai helped me without waiting for any financial consideration, and often refusing it when I proposed it. And always with a smile.

We also read on this blog: "Wherever I ventured into Thailand, it was not a tourist area in search of money, but simply normal inhabitants, littered with garbage on the side of the road and scattered everywhere. In general, Filipinos have much greater respect for nature, while Thais do not see more than a dollar. ”

I do NOT agree at all with that, and it is absolutely not the feeling I have in Thailand, and not at all the one I had in the Philippines.

Philippines, a clean country?

In the islands, tourist places, there seems to be a better awareness of ecological issues in the Philippines, especially sorting and plastic management, than in other Asian countries. It’s true. But this seems to be true ONLY in very touristy places. For example, in Manila, the beautiful modern neighborhoods of the capital are very clean, but this is far from the case in popular neighborhoods.

Thailand is dirty, it’s true. We are moving forward.

On the other hand, the particularity of Thailand, which does not help in this management of waste, especially plastic, is obviously street food and the importance of takeaway food. What we find much less in the Philippines where it is most often necessary to go to a restaurant to eat.

One of the few places in Manila where we really found street food. Alas it wasn’t good.

To say that the Filipinos have great respect for nature? Again, I have not noticed it outside of places where it is linked to a concern for profitability.

And the friendliness of the Filipinos, on the contrary, seemed to me much more linked to money than in Thailand (See in my article on El Nido the anecdote about the driver).

In short, I think the individual who wrote this blog suffered a love disappointment in Thailand that made him bitter. Never mind, let’s forget it and go back to the Philippines.

What I liked in the tourist places but it is partly true in the popular neighborhoods is the smoking ban in many places, with "smoking enclosures". It’s funny, can we observe them from the outside like in a zoo?

The food

This is part of the disappointments. I appreciate the food from all the countries I pass through and have no trouble adapting.

Pork Sisig

The other Philippines specialties are very well listed on this site: https://www.asiakingtravel.fr

Overall, I found this kitchen, which is very little spicy, quite bland.

Conclusion

I will not return to Manila which displeased me a lot. But in a selfish and very touristy way, it is possible that I make other incursions in the Philippines to discover islands with a direct route Bangkok -> Iloilo or Davao or Cebu…