Good morning! I have emailed my family that lives there. Where are you looking to go exactly? There are many stunning places to visit and some that are less beautiful. If you can tell me where you are going that might help. Sometimes if you are flying to Manila, you might have a problem. Where are you flying into? Cebu? You will most likely have to take a commuter plane if you are going to an island or a boat. Be careful if you are on anything but a Katamaran. These are very nice. Let me know specifically so I can find out for sure what the government is like. I am waiting for an answer right now and will get back with you.

Ok…while waiting for the answers I did a little research this morning and found a link that I think will be helpful.

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_999.html (Just copy and paste into a browser).

Please remember this. When traveling to any country you should take precaution. Your profile says you are in Malaysia so I am sure you are aware of this. My uncle is an American and has lived there for over 10 years. This article does express concerns about the bombs and abductions; however, I think it really depends on where you go. Would I go, absolutely. I love the country, people are nice, and the shopping is great. I was further south near Panglao and Tagbilaran. These are highly tourist areas and lots to do especially if you scuba dive.

Great advice! Check out the this site for offically (and therefore conservative) advice from the gov. http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_999.html

I just realized that is the same link! You should also read the travel advisories and warnings for areas of the world you are more familiar with so you can gauge just how conservative they are. That should help you make your decision! Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions or if you need a place to stay!

When I went to the Philippines I stayed in Bacoor, which is metro Manila. The only thing I would suggest is to avoid the Quiapo district of Manila. My family took us there to go shopping since everything is so cheap. We didn’t even walk past the parking lot before we got back to the car. The man in charge of the lot walked up to my brother and was speaking to him in a dialect that no one could understand. He seemed very upset though and kept patting his arm. Quiapo is home to a sizable Muslim population in Manila. Since we are American we did not want to take the chance of passing an extremist.

I have also heard many stories of people kidnapping Americans for money. I don’t know if any of these are true but I never felt threatened or uneasy. If you are going to be staying in Manila it would be best if you were with someone who knows Tagalog or know their way around the city so you don’t stick out as a tourist.

WHOA! I just realized that this post was last year!!!! Anyways, if anyone else is going to be traveling there then I hope this helps!

My conclusion: MORE PEOPLE NEED TO VISIT THE PHILIPPINES!!!