Philippines on ultra budget... surfing and motorbike rental

justwaitingforamate on 29/09/2014 - 08:40

Hey there guys!
As half of OZbagain will be going to Manilla in the next few months thought I would ask a few Qs that I couldn't find in the the other threads.
I tend to go an a few OS surf trips each year but have never been to the Philipines….. Am used to going solo and hiring own transport or public transport… I supposes as with most surfers dont tend to go near places with big resorts ect.

So any decent beach bungalows or home stays near decent off the beaten trail surf spots ?? Prerecs are a roof that doesn't leak too much… walls are optional…. mozzie net is a bonus…. and close access to waves..

Can you hire Motorbikes in Manilla that have board racks?

Do you have to outrun cops every few Km's like indo to avoid foreigner money grabs??

If so can you take bikes on ferries over there?

Nice if you can share decent of the beaten trail Surf spots but being a fellow travelling surfer there are places u dont tell anyone about…. but there are those awesome spots that are reasonably known if surfing circles that we will point people in the general direction of…..

Is it the type of spot where camping out is a decent option like remote parts of indo- SriLanka??

So what is the best way to get around??? would you hire a bike or just public transport? What area is best for searching for reasonably crowded waves up north east or head south?

Any general tips ie are you better taking cash as much better exchange over there for notes? Best way to and from manilla airport?? Common scams? Access to potable water in remote parts or take a filter??
I will be scouring other forums over the next few weeks too but thought I would ask here for like minded surfing penny counters :-)

Travel

Comments

  • pao2x on 29/09/2014 - 13:02

    You would have to take another flight from Manila. You can't hire a motorbike straight from Manila, might as well because that would be suicide.

    When you get to wherever you want to go to surf you can hire transport from there.

  • ZippyRoo on 29/09/2014 - 13:08
    +1

    Hi There,
    I'm going to Manila myself in three weeks, got my tickets from the Cebu Pacific deal. Can't help you too much about good surfing spots as I don't surf but I think Palawan has nice and big waves and you can also visit the Underground River which is, or used to be one of the natural wonders of the world. The accommodation there is really laid back, no high rise hotels, and I think they have beach huts at really reasonable prices, there are people who go and live there for months.

    I'm not too sure about hiring a motorbike or a car either, the traffic there is pretty crazy, but it might be OK to drive around in the country side though.

    In terms of money, do your exchange at Manila airport, the local exchange rates are much better than here. Do take good care of your cash and wallet at all times. Many major shops accept credit cards too so keep everything to a bare minimum and try not to draw attention to yourself.

    There are a lot of scams of people posing as tour guides. They post ads all over the net and once you engage them and pay them the money, they will never show up once you get there, so beware of those. You're better off joining a tour once you get there from a local tour office or from your hotel front desk. And also, don't go to Mindadao unless you have friends there.

    In terms of water, just buy big bottles of filtered water from the supermarkets, no need to carry your own filter.

    Sorry I blabbed on. Hope I was able to offer some help at least.

  • luxx on 29/09/2014 - 19:08

    No waves to be seen in Palawan, unless something has changed dramatically since I was there!

    Head to the islands on the Pacific side, I hear places like Siargao are pretty good (I'm no surfer, so that's the extent of my knowledge!) Here's a linky:

    http://surfingphilippines.com/surf-spots/siargao-review/

    Fly to your destination and hire a bike from there, much easier and far cheaper too!

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