[presidentcarter]

In my current occupation I have given up time for more cash flow and am presented with planning trips under strict time constraints. Here's the deal: I've never been to Asia and I have an opportunity to go to Manila with a friend who is working on getting a job there. I am limited on days that I can take off and it would be week at most. Say I get a flight for ~$1500, with 5-6 full days (not counting flight days)...is it worth the journey/expense? I think I could do well there and come away with at least one notch in that time frame.

I'm also planning a trip to Brazil for Jan-Feb and will look at doing 1.5-2 full weeks off. This impacts the Manila trip because if I don't go there then I MAY have more leeway in getting the most time off for Brazil.

The sad thing is, I've been working three years and this is the first time I'll be taking off more than a few days at once. I know with Europe a week would be fine, but flights are shorter/cheaper.I just don't want to blow resources and short-change myself.

[WanderingSoul]

It depends on how long your flight will be and how bad the jetlag is. Honestly, I would look into the Dominican Republic if that is close to you. Or, if you are on the west coast, maybe somewhere in Central America.

Flying to SEA is a long ways to only spend 5 or 6 days there. I would HATE to fly back to Thailand and only get to spend 5 or 6 days. I don't think it would be worth it.

[Cr33pin]

Its long enuff to get your flag...RioNomad is right about the flight tho. I wouldnt wanna make that shit twice in less then a week

[chochemonger1]

(09-04-2012 09:08 PM)Cr33pin Wrote:  

Its long enuff to get your flag...RioNomad is right about the flight tho. I wouldnt wanna make that shit twice in less then a week

SE Asia is good if you go at least a month. One flag with a couple of days of jet lag is not worth it. Go to the DR instead for short time periods.

[username]

When going overseas I don't think it is worth it if you are going to spend less than 8 or 9 days. You should always aim for at least 2 weeks. Remember that flying for hours and hours plus the time zone change will have a havoc on you.

[presidentcarter]

Kind of what I expected to hear, but having never gone further than W Europe I wanted to be sure. Plus if my buddy gets a gig there it will give me a good place to start if I go for a longer period later on as he will have contacts and whatnot by then.

I would like mini-trip to tide me over until Brazil though...I'll look more into DR - have not given that any thought to be honest. Colombia is also an option as flights are 5 hours and cheap from my city.

[WanderingSoul]

From what I have read here, I think DR will give you more bang for your buck than Colombia with such a short time frame. DR has been referred to as the Philippines of Latin America. Read AliB's thread that is going on right now.

[JJ Roberts]

It's a country of 7,000 different islands.

How can 5-6 days be enough?

[Smitty]

(09-04-2012 07:06 PM)presidentcarter Wrote:  

In my current occupation I have given up time for more cash flow and am presented with planning trips under strict time constraints. Here's the deal: I've never been to Asia and I have an opportunity to go to Manila with a friend who is working on getting a job there. I am limited on days that I can take off and it would be week at most. Say I get a flight for ~$1500, with 5-6 full days (not counting flight days)...is it worth the journey/expense? I think I could do well there and come away with at least one notch in that time frame.

I'm also planning a trip to Brazil for Jan-Feb and will look at doing 1.5-2 full weeks off. This impacts the Manila trip because if I don't go there then I MAY have more leeway in getting the most time off for Brazil.

The sad thing is, I've been working three years and this is the first time I'll be taking off more than a few days at once. I know with Europe a week would be fine, but flights are shorter/cheaper.I just don't want to blow resources and short-change myself.

5-6 days is not even close to enough time if you're coming from the U.S.

Jet lag alone can throw you off your game for three days.

Depending on where you are in the U.S., with less than a week you're much better off taking notes from the forum and heading to the DR or somewhere in south america. If you really want to push it hard, then pick a spot in Europe, but again, it depends on where you're flying from.

[WanderingSoul]

(09-05-2012 06:26 AM)JJ Roberts Wrote:  

It's a country of 7,000 different islands.

How can 5-6 days be enough?

5-6 days is enough to fly to Cebu and have a blast if you are close to the country. He isn't talking about exploring the entire country, just having a quick getaway. 5-6 days isn't enough for any country, or even any city, to really check it out. It is enough to have a good time though.

[whosyourdaddy]

5-6 days would be hard if it's your first time. You'd probably spend the first 3-4 days just getting your bearings on the Philippines and hitting the first tourist sites. If you had already been to the Philippines and know where to go, then you might be able to do some damage in 5-6 days. That said, Manila is huge and it takes awhile just to figure where everything is, get to find where the good places to go out are, so= not worth it for 5-6 days.

That is also assuming no jet lag/time change issues. It took me about 4-5 days when i flew to Kuala Lumpur straight from the US to fully adjust without getting really tired in the middle of the day. The only real way to get around it is to stay up all night the night before the flight and sleep your 8 hours during the flight, or pop some sleeping pills and again sleep during the "Philippine" sleeping hours. And when i got back it also took 4-5 days to readjust.

[20Nation]

I'm about to spend 4 and a half months in south east asia. Does anybody know if all the hotels let you bring girls back, or how you can find out online?

[IainMuirs]

Depends on the hotels. SE Asia is a HUGE region of different countries so there is obviously no set rule for all hotels. If the hotel you're planning on staying in has a website you can email them but most will never reply, especially the cheaper places. You'll probably have to figure it out whilst there. Some are OK with it, some are totally against it.

[20Nation]

(09-05-2012 09:45 PM)IainMuirs Wrote:  

Depends on the hotels. SE Asia is a HUGE region of different countries so there is obviously no set rule for all hotels. If the hotel you're planning on staying in has a website you can email them but most will never reply, especially the cheaper places. You'll probably have to figure it out whilst there. Some are OK with it, some are totally against it.

ah ok thanks

[Hencredible Casanova]

You guys are right now that I think about it. A long weekend is too short for northern Europe. I'll save that for when I have more time to work remotely which should be in December. Actually, I plan to go yo Denver instead in October. I know there's not much love for US women on this forum but I've only lived on thr coasts and can only wonder what the rest of the country is really like. Anyone have intel on Denver? I already booked my flight. Also, I need to know where I should stay for good nightlife logistics. Also, is Boulder worth exploring? If so, I need details there as well.

In November, I plan to check out either Austin or Phoenix. Could use some help on these cities.

I will drop data sheets no doubt after I'm done. About time I explore some more of the States. Have been putting this off for years.

[Vacancier Permanent]

Yeah jet lag shouldn't be underestimated. I arrived in Hong Kong on Tuesday afternoon after a 15 hour flight and it's still creating havoc in me. First day, fell asleep at 7pm which was 7am my time, 2nd night, feel asleep in the middle of a cruise on the Victoria Harbour during the Symphony of Lights, that wasn't planned nor funny and tonight, fell asleep at 7pm, had a date lined up for 8 and woke up at 11pm. Needless to say, jet lag will have a strong effect on your body and it will take up to 3-5 days to adjust to you. So for 5 days, without having ever been to the Phils, I wouldn't recommend it. Plus Manila is probably the biggest shit hole in the world and you would feel like shit after having flown for 12-15 hours to be there. If you had 1 month, then sure, but 5-6 days, not worth it. Instead go to the DR, Colombia or somewhere nearby.

[Drazen]

2 days in Manila, 3 days in Boracay. not too bad IMO, but I travel quickly. I say you do it because if you just don't take the leap now you may never do it from the sound of your schedule and not being able to take time off in 3 years. i see alot of this, people get too busy to even take quick trips.

[presidentcarter]

I've decided against it. I'm going to wait until I have more time and my buddy has set up shop there before I go.

Looking into shorter trips ie DR or Colombia that work with my schedule and that I can feasibly do over an extended weekend.

[brianmark]

Dude, only do one trip not two. Playing girls takes time!

[gringoed]

5-6 days? Time for a new occupation.