Money for trip

[mrsartis 10]

Just to answer your question, you may take with you an amount that you think that can last you how many days you say? like a week? hmm like a $1000.00.. if and only if

you are travelling around, your fiance got a big family.. you should be going out, winning her, you should win the family first. (its like courting in the old days)

take care now.. have fun!

[Ano 0]

Wow, I have traveled to Manila 3 times for a week each time and never spent more than $500. We went to all the malls, fine restaurants, Greenbelt, Baywalk, bars, shopped, traveled to her province, took taxis, etc. (But my wife is a good haggler, and will walk away from a bad deal) Seriously, you can live quite comfortably for $50 a day, if I had $1500 a month in the RP I would have a maid, a driver, a yaya and a kick-#### condo!

Exchange $50-100 at the airport, it is off to your left when you get to the main terminal, if you buy something you will get your change in peso too. Pre-pay your hotel, have them send a car for you; get your valuables in the room-safe.

Bring large bills, exchange at the banks, I used that Philippine bank at the Mall of Asia, (I like the way the bar the door after you enter) be sure your bills are not torn, marked, or damaged in anyway, otherwise they will not take them and you will get a lower rate if you find a street changer to take them. Also, travelers checks, they will really screw you on the exchange there, only take these for emergencies and cash them back when you return home.

ATMs never used them, credit cards, only if the hotel absolutely made me, and I wanted the receipt before I left, I will wait for them to check the room and whatever else. I really don’t trust the electronic transactions in the RP, too many excellent hackers, LOL. But then again, I am getting to the point where I don’t trust the system here either….

I don’t see how you could spend over $100 a day unless you are buying crazy ######, traveling to out of Manila, gambling, tabling girls, or flaunting your wealth. Sure, bring Pasalubong, but I won’t recommend spending tremendous amounts on her family unless you plan on keeping the cash flowing.

Ahhh, maybe I am just cheap, have fun.

PS, take her to the Bayview restaurant right north of the Embassy for a sunset dinner, and the bay right outside the Mall of Asia is another place to spend the early evenings. I would recommend the Baywalk from the Embassy to the Yacht Club, but I heard they shut that down, is this true?

Edited April 15, 2009 by Ano

[Richard90027 1]

We arrived here in Manila last week and exchanged right in the airport upon arrival, rate is very good at 47.25 to 1, you can also go to one of many money changers were the rates this week are about 47.50 to one. We will be coming back to LAX friday, I hate to leave here.

[edp333 9]

You get a much better exchange rate with an ATM -- even if there is a transaction fee.

I also remember getting a fair exchange rate at the ATM. I think my transaction fee was $5 per withdrawal. I didn't care too much about paying the transaction fee on my ATM card because it was so convenient to use the ATM for all of my cash needs. I would normally withdraw 10,000. pesos (about $200.) at a time, so the transaction fee was not that significant.

I simply charged the big bills on my Visa (hotels, big meals, etc.). No fees involved there.

With using my Cirrus atm card there was only a one dollar transaction fee. Most of the ATM's around Paranaque took Cirrus. Some had a 5,000 PHP limit and some had 10,000.