Related Philippines Favorites Tips

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Favorite thing: This tip concerrns a thing I have seen often all over Asia and yet it still never cesases to amaze me although the reader may find it pretty mundane. It is the art of climbing coconut trees either to harvest or merely as a safety precaution. Did you know that more people are killed annually by falling coconuts than by shark attack? It's true, approximately 150 people per year die from being hit on the head by coconuts. If you have ever felt the weight of one and imagine it coming down from perhaps 30 feet, it does not seem so surprising really.

In the main photo we see Anna, an occasional barmaid in the place I stay, demonstrating the skill. We had been teasing her for ages about this and one day she was suitably attired so we dared her to go up the tree. When I say suitably attired, let's be honest, you wouldn't want to do this in a skirt, would you ladies? So how exactly does she do it? From a distance you would swear she was literally just shinning up the tree but a closer inspection reveals the trick.

Someone takes a bolo (machete) and makes a small notch in the trunk, perhaps two inches deep. You don't want to cut too deep as it affects the tree's growth. Standing one footed on that "step" they then cut another one on the other side slightly higher up and so on until they have a sort of ladder all the way to the top.

Honestly, to watch people flying up these things is an education. I tried a couple of steps and nearly cut the feet off myself, it is really painful. Coconut farmers must have feet like leather. In one of the images you can just see the tip of the bolo by Anna's left knee which means she is holding herself up there effectively by her left foot and a hand holding a machete and all this about 30 feet off the ground. With her "free" hand, she is clearing the dead leaves prior to hacking off a few buko (unripe coconuts) for us.

Once back on the ground and with several buko harvested, Anna proceeded to give us a demonstration of machete work that would have done credit to the most crazed axe-murderer in the world. About three swipes and she had the top off it and we were drinking fresh buko juice, which is absolutely gorgeous. For those of you reading in the West, this is not the thick white stuff that is marketed in tins as coconut milk, that is a different product. Buko milk looks like water and tastes beautiful, very refreshing. Chilled down in a glass as shown in one of the images, it really is a treat.

I did hear a story although like many of these things, I have no idea how true it is. It is said that during the Second World War, if American / Philippino medics ran out os saline solution to put in drips for wounded men, they just put buko juice straight into the IV. Not only does it have nutrients but it is apparently completely sterile when it comes out of the shell. I am not sure I wiuld want it done on me but it sounds feasible at least.

If you ever do see anybody heading up a coconut tree like this, d pause for a moment, it really is worth watching.

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Favorite thing: Much of the Philippines is devoutly Christian and it is difficult to try to convey to the reader just how strong the grip if the church is upon the people. Unlike Europe where the main Christian focus seems to be on Christmas in the Philippines, as in the Orthodox Christian world, it is very firmly on Easter.

I offer this tip for a couple of reasons. Firstly, to inform the reader that it is an interesting time to visit with many local fiestas, processions etc. but it also offers some logistical problems for the traveller which you should be aware of. In UK, for example, Good Friday is usually marked by reduced commercial opening hours and Easter Monday is a Bank (public) holiday. In the Philippines, Semana Santa (Holy Week) leads to just about everything being shut for an extended period. Any Government office will be closed from Maunday Thursday until the following Tuesday which is something to bear in mind if you need to extend your visa, for example. Obviously, everyone knows this so there is also increased business in the period leading up to the festival. Many shops, bars etc. will also close for at least a portion of this period.

Perhaps the best piece of advice I can give the traveller, however, is regarding ATM machines, hence the second image here. The first, incidentally, is of worshippers outside a church in Valencia, Negros Oriental, on Easter Sunday. ATM's will not be refilled over the whole Holy Week period and the banks are not open. Everyone knows this and there is a big run on ATM machines at the start of the festival, often with long queues. I realise this is a judgement call and it flies in the face of much very sensible travel advice but you may want to consider withdrawing extra cash to carry you over the holiday, especially if you are in a place or engaged in activities that will require cash payment.

As I said, the Philippines is a hugely interesting place to be at this time but just be aware of the possible difficulties.

Favorite thing: I must admit that when I am at home I don't tend to eat a whole lot of ice-cream. I suppose we rarely have the weather to justify it. I do find, however, that when I am in Southeast Asia I develop a great liking for the stuff. If you have such cravings, this is the man to see. At time of wrting, I have only been to a few places in the Philippines but my experience of the region tells me that this will be the case all over the country, the pedal powered vendor of all manner of frozen confections.

You certainly cannot miss their arrival as they play the same repetitive tinny eight bar refrain as they plod along the roads of the Philippines. It must be like Chinese water torture having to listen to that all day, every day of your working life. They all seem cheery enough though. Just flag one down anywhere and take your pick. There are some quite interestng varieties including one I quite like, a KitKat Cornetto. For non-Britons a Kitkat is a very popular chocolate covered wafer biscuit and a Cornetto is an equally popular ice-cram cone. Basically stick a Kitkat into a cone and there you go, it is delicious.

If you are in the Philippines, you really should seek out one of these guys and treat yourself, it is not expensive.

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Favorite thing: I know that the Philippines is a huge and very varied country boastng over 7,000 islands and the cuisine in such a vast place must vary so I should qualify this tip by saying that this has been my experience in the Visaya region.

I have to say that I lke hot food, I always have. I have had to beg for curries in the Isaan region in Thailand not to be made for the Western palate but traditionally so they are hot enough. I do appreciate the concern, really I do, but I like a bit of a kick with my food. The Philippino concept therefore of constructing your own dipping sauce suits me down to the ground.

Let me take you left to right through the main photo. Here we have sesame oil, chilli vinegar, hot sauce (and it is) and soy sauce. You will often be served a small dish of calamansi as well as seen in the third photo. Calamansi is like a small lime but has a very distinctive flavour, slightly sweeter than the lime I am used to in UK and very tasty in beer on the Mexican principle of putting lime in the neck of a beer bottle. What you should always get is a dish of the small chillies seen here that can be absolutely volcanic, so be warned.

What you do is make a sauce to your liking. Personally, I normally put the calamansi directly over barbecued meat, tocino, lechon, manok or whatever and make the sause seperate as the chilli vinegar gives enough sharpness. My personal recipe runs thus. Place a couple of small chillies in the dish. If you want a good heat kick, pierche them with a fork to allow the juice out. Then add equal quantities of soy and chilli vinegar. If the vinegar in the particular place you are in is not strong enough for your liking, add another couple of chillies or even use the hot sauce. This works perfectly with most things I have eaten here.

I've told you my recipe, try various combinations yourself and see what you like.

Favorite thing: I am generally not one for eatins desserts but I have found a new favourite in the Philippines. It is called Halo Halo and you can see an example of it in the attached image, although there seem to be as many different variations of it as there are Phillipinos, it appears to be a national favourite.

The basis of the recipe is a mixture of evaporated milk and shaved ice but after that, the sky is the limit. Various types of jellies, beans, fruit and sometimes ice cream are added. Here is the tip though. The first time I had it, I was picking up pieces of this and that on my spoon. The young Filipina gentyl took the spoon off me and proceeded to vigourously mix everything together. It was only when researching this tip that I found out why. Apparently Halo is the tagalog word for mix, so it literally means mix mix.

No visit to the Philippines would be somplete without at least one bowl of this delicious dessert.

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Favorite thing: The Azkals is the name of the Philippine national football team.
Football has traditionally never been a big sport in the Philippines who have been more in to sports like basketball and boxing, but in recent years the team has become better, very much because the Philippines has started to look for players in Europe with Philippine blood so many of the players these days are half philippine and half something else and that makes them a rather exotic brand.

Their name "the azkals" means the stray dogs and i am not sure if it´s because they are often of mixed heritage or because they are the underdogs of Philippine sport that they have this name, but i really like the name and the team and will support them whenever i can.

Favorite thing: I only wanted to spend time only for my self when I first planned going to Coron, Palawan. A friend of mine introduced me to DIYCORON Tours managed by Mr. Owen Ferrer. I noticed that his tours are more affordable and feasible than the others I saw in the internet. Little information required and then, they arranged the tour I really wanted for my self!
I never thought it would be that fun and so much unforgettable!
I recommend you try DIYCORON Tours for the best tour for your self, family and friends.

Fondest memory: Philippines have many friendly people.
That’s why you don’t have to worry going anywhere in the Philippines, as long as you do know how to smile.

Favorite thing: Many countries around the globe requires a ticket out of the country upon entry and that is usually not something that needs to be taken serious as they hardly ever check this.
The Philippines is a different matter though.
In my experience they check this every time when you border a plane to the Philippines and you will NOT be let in to the country unless you have a ticket out of the country and a print of it.
Alternatively you might be allowed to buy a ticket out of the country in the airport, but this will be an expensive option, so you better make sure you have a ticket out of the country when you enter.