Current Philippines Weather observed at . .

   Republic of the Philippines

Republika ng Pilipinas

Cuisine

    In my opinion, the most wonderful aspect of living in the Philippines is the food. The first time I came here in 2005 had me very nervous about what to expect along the lines of native cuisine. I personally want all of my food cooked and I have no interest in eating fish heads, animal organs and such. Well, I was pleasantly surprised to find that, although the above mentioned items are indeed a part of the native diet, these items are almost never seen on any restaurant menus. Instead I found a very wonderful selection of grilled and bar-b-cued items such as chicken and pork and a huge selection of fresh seafood items. About the only thing that is not up to par with western standards here is the beef although in isolated restaurants, you can find very good beef imported from Australia.

    Food quality and cleanliness standards were also something that I initially had some reservations about when coming here for the first time. There is no FDA in the Philippines and about 95% of all meats, vegetables and fruits sold here is done at the public market at open air booths where there is no refrigeration. Well, I have lived here permanently since Oct 2007, I buy my food exclusively at the local public market and, although I do take offense to the odors sometimes in these places, I have yet to be stricken with botulism or e-coli poisoning and the pork, chicken and seafood I buy here is definitely of equal if not better quality than what I used to buy in the grocery stores in USA. The Filipinos are a very clean culture and they take exceptional pains to keep their bodies and their food clean and free of contaminants. The vegetables and fruit here are definitely of much higher quality, most being organically grown, ripened in the field and delivered fresh daily to the public markets.

   Filipino's also have a strong affinity for Italian foods, especially spaghetti and Pizza and the most popular fast food item here is fried chicken. McDonalds and Pizza Hut are alive and doing well here in the Philippines and their food is almost identical to what you will find in USA with the inclusion of rice as a side dish. Other western food franchises found here in isolated spots, mainly the larger cities, are Shakey's Pizza & KFC. The Filipino's have their own home grown fast food chains, the most proliferate and popular of which would be JolliBee whose primary menu items are hotdogs, fried chicken (spicy if you like) and spaghetti. You will come to appreciate JolliBee, if not for their truly spicy chicken, for their numerous road signs telling you how far to the next town where there is a JolliBee restaurant. The franchise actually received a special commendation from the President for providing a very accurate public service to travelers by posting the distances to the next towns on every major highway in the country.

    The cost of your food is included into the package price of all tours and we put no limits on what or how much you can eat. The food here, like most everything else, is much less expensive than anywhere else and we definitely don't want you traveling on an empty stomach. If you choose, however, to slip off from the resort on a little private excursion or for a midnight snack, your food is at your own expense, minimal as it may be. All-in-all, I think you will be well satisfied with your food selection and quality during the tour.

Lodging

    The term "Resort" is very loosely applied here and basically includes any place that has rooms with a/c and showers with hot water. Many "resorts" here also have very limited availability of "luxury" rooms with a/c and hot water, most having as few as 2 or 4 rooms. Sometimes the a/c and hot water are not working at all or working on a level that is pretty much useless. Most all "resorts" here are needing of repairs or updating somewhere. If you are thinking about trying to manage a tour of the Philippines on your own, please remember to inspect any room before you pay the fee. If you are traveling with us, you have no worries. We have already scouted out most every resort along the way and we stay at only the best true resorts that have the most luxurious amenities, the most accommodating staff and enough luxury rooms to cover the size of our tour group.

    There are truly some nice resorts here that exhibit a very exotic and sometimes romantic ambiance. Part of what we pride ourselves in delivering to our tour guests is the quality of the lodging we have arranged. Listed in our itineraries of each tour are the exact resorts where we will be staying along with links to a page we have created for each resort that gives you an excellent overview of the amenities and a very comprehensive slide show so that you have a good visual reference for what you will experience. Once you are here, I promise your expectations will be fulfilled.

Alcoholic Beverages

    Alcoholism is alive and well in the Philippines and you will have no problem acquiring a beer or rum at a moments notice from just about any place that sells any food product. Don't expect to find any western brands of liquor for sale here, except at the resorts and even at the resorts you will not find your western brands of beer. Most of the resorts have wet bars that will make you a wide selection of mixed drinks. San Miguel brewery owns about 95% of the domestic beer market in the Philippines with their various brands. Red Horse and San Miguel seem to be the most popular with an alcohol content of 6%. You will be hard pressed to find it sold cold, except at the resorts, most of the time it is sold exclusively in 1 liter (quart) bottles and most Filipinos are used to drinking it warm or over ice. The native custom when drinking beer is to have one glass, pour yourself a "say when", chug it down and pass the glass.

    One note I will make about drinking and driving. I will allow no one at no time to operate one of our motorcycles while under the influence of alcohol, or anything else for that matter. It is more a concern for your safety and well being than anything else. Most everyone who comes here is very responsible with their use of alcohol and I definitely don't want to spoil anyone's idea of having a good time. Please understand, however, that the motorcycle keys will be in the possession of our security guard or the tour guide at all times we are at the resort and they will refuse to give you the keys to your bike if they have any indication that your ability to operate the motorcycle is impaired.

    Alcoholic beverages are at your own expense. Buy all you want and drink all you buy but just remember that riding in the hot sun on a motorcycle with a queasy stomach and pounding headache is not most peoples idea of relaxation.

Website Guided Tour