Bali, Phuket or Palawan????

[sillyputty]

Bali,Indonesia? Phuket,Thailand? Palawan,Philippines?

I'm gonna get married soon and am planning our honeymoon...
Budget constraints? say $1000-1500... everything in.
I would appreciate any suggestions or comments regarding
the places I mentioned... good or bad... places to see..
shops... what to do(we don't plan to be locked up in our room for 1 week!!!).... personal experiences would be great!

other places to go to?

[handsome]

Palawan would be a great alternative since its a little bit cheaper compared with the other two options. Bali, Indonesia will cost you about $600 for plane fare alone per head since there is no direct flight from the phils.. I have a 7 nights accomodation in Bali but i'm thinking twice of going there. I should have booked it already but it seems too expensive.. You can try El NIDO and AMANPULO in PALAWAN as well as DOS PALMAS in HONDA BAY but be sure not to take the 10 cottages above the water where the hostages are taken by ABU SAYAF last month. EL NIDO and AMANPULO can be found in the northern tip of PALAWAN. Try also BUSUANGA and the UNDERGROUND RIVER(Puerto Princesa). Your stay in PALAWAN will surely be very memorable for your honeymoon..
You can also try CAMIGUIN near CAGAYAN de ORO or DAKAK BEACH RESORT in DAPITAN CITY. The place is really ideal for your intimate honeymoon days!!!

[dudung]

I just came back from a trip to Bali (June 6-10, 2001). In my opinion, that place is way OVER-RATED. Ang beach doon eh hindi naman maganda - kulay black ang sand, malalaki ang waves tapos mabato ang buhangin (mas magaganda pa iyong beaches sa Palawan). Tapos "tourist trap" talaga ang dating niya. Kumbaga, if there is a brandname for beaches (which caters to all markets from the backpackers to the luxurious travellers) eh Bali ang tawag doon. That place thrives on tourists. Halos saan ka magpunta eh may nagaalok sa iyo ng taxi, or ng goods, or Balinese massage (pati na babae...hehehe!!! Magagalit asawa mo ;)). Price of accommodations there vary. Pero if you'll go there this month, mura pa kasi di pa peak season. Next month eh mas mataas na ang price. Mag-ingat din sa mga ripoffs dahil sobrang dami doon.

Kung beach lang ang habol mo, I think you should go to Palawan kasi maganda naman talaga ng di hamak doon tsaka tahimik. Kumbaga, away from the maddening crowd. Parang Adam and Eve ang adventure ninyo. Since dadaan rin lang kayo ng Puerto Princesa, you can have varied sights to see there (e.g. Crocodile Farm, Honda Bay, Iwahig Penal colony, tabon cave or Calauit Game Preserve or El Nido...kung gusto ninyo ng malayo pa! Pwede kayo mag-snorkelling or aral ng diving. Okay yon for a couple!)

Pero kung gusto niyo cultural adventure, sa Phuket kayo magpunta. Beaches there are better than Bali. May mga beaches lang nga doon na maraming jellyfish pero kaya ninyo naman magingat. Mura din shopping tsaka at least, makalabas naman kayo ng Pinas. I think if you're going to Phuket, magtanong-tanong ka ng package tours para wala ka nang iisipin pa. Since it is your honeymoon, gusto mo wala kang masyadong worries di ba? I think mas makakamura ka especially if you want to stay in a good hotel.

Basta recommendation ko eh either Palawan or Phuket. :D

[sillyputty]

Thanks for your tips guys..

hey handsome... when do you plan to go to bali?

dudung... thanks for your advice... 4 days in bali huh... hope it was worth it....

I heard that in palawan... you can ask to be left alone in an secluded/uninhabited island for a half-day or so for some 'quality' time... hmm.... sounds good? ;-)

[dudung]

sillyputty,

That's true sa Palawan. Doon sa may Honda bay, maraming islands and islets doon (e.g. Snake Island, Bat Island, Lu-Li (Lulubog-Lilitaw) Island, Star Fish Island, Isla de Canon, Elephant Island etc. etc). Punta ka lang doon sa may daungan papunta doon sa may Honda bay - Barangay Sta. Monica (and choose among the islands and islets) where you wanna swim. To get directions, kausapin mo lang iyong bangkero tapos pagusapan ninyo iyong price. Alam nila kung saan magandang islands (and islets). Iyong ibang islands, private sha. That means magbabayad ka pero mura lang. siguro Php 50 or Php 100. Highly recommended ko eh Star Fish Island (kasi ang ganda ng buhangin doon tsaka it's small and intimate tsaka maraming star fish - best swimming area), or sa Lu-Li Island (kung saan eh lumulubog or lilitaw siya during low tide and high tide). Pero kung gusto mo wala masyadong tao, doon sa Snake Island (walang ahas doon). It's so called because of the island's shape. Two kilometers long yun. Pwede pa kayong mag-skinny dipping doon....hehehe!!!