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The Philippines offers a vibrant social life, beautiful nature, and welcoming people, making it an appealing destination for long-term travel and living, despite potential visa and cultural adjustment challenges.
The host is preparing for a trip to the Philippines, his second visit, with plans to explore new locations like Dumaguete and potentially El Nido, while balancing personal interests with audience preferences. He reflects on his previous trip five years ago, noting the increasing popularity of places like Siargao among foreigners. The current journey begins with transit, involving a short flight and a layover, with preparations including settling bills and packing, despite a minor issue with his luggage.
The discussion shifts to the experiences of foreigners living abroad, particularly in Southeast Asia versus Latin America. The host notes that Southeast Asian vloggers often gain more attention, possibly due to a more vocal expat community. He contrasts this with Latin America, where expats might be more inclined to keep a low profile. The conversation also touches on the cultural differences and the welcoming nature of Filipino people, which can be a significant draw for long-term visitors.
Visa considerations for extended stays in the Philippines are highlighted, with an emphasis on the need for valid reasons beyond simple tourism. The host mentions his own plans for a stay of at least a month, potentially up to six months, while navigating these requirements. He also discusses health insurance, opting for self-insurance due to a low-risk lifestyle but acknowledging its importance for others. The video concludes with the host preparing to board his flight, expressing excitement for his return to the Philippines and the experiences awaiting him.
Living in the Philippines for foreigners can be a rewarding experience due to the welcoming nature of Filipino people and a vibrant social life. However, it's essential to be aware of visa requirements for extended stays and potential cultural adjustments.
Extended stays in the Philippines for foreigners typically require more than just a tourist visa, and authorities may scrutinize the reasons for staying. It's crucial to research and comply with the specific visa regulations applicable to your situation.
While some low-risk travelers might consider self-insuring, comprehensive health insurance is highly recommended for foreigners living in the Philippines long-term. This provides essential coverage, especially if you plan on staying for an extended period or traveling with family.
The Philippines offers a highly social and welcoming environment for foreigners, often featuring a vibrant lifestyle. This contrasts with more solitary travel experiences and contributes to the country's appeal for expats seeking connection.
Foreigners are drawn to the Philippines for its natural beauty, the friendly and widespread use of English, and the welcoming nature of its people. The vibrant social life and appealing lifestyle are significant factors for those considering long-term stays.
0:02 And then I've got three hours to transfer. It's a weird glare right there. That's odd. Anyway, I've got three hours to transfer to MTI, so this will be trip number two to the Philippines. Last time it was about five years ago, and this will be new places. So last time it was Siargao, well, started off in Siargao, then, um, Kagain, and then Siargao. I finished in Siargao. This time, we'll start in Jetty.
0:43 I still can't make up my mind because I'm getting pulled in different directions. On one hand, I've got friends that I want to go see in Mali. But then the other side of it is checking out El Nido. Everybody's telling me about El Nido, and you can't go wrong. But I also know the audience, you guys want to see certain places. Certain places have really stuck out to you, and so I definitely have to think about how to compromise there.
1:13 I am feeling pretty tired. I didn't sleep great last night, and today I've just been in wind-down mode. I hit the ATM, paid my electric bill, settled up with the building manager. She's wonderful, definitely recommend staying with her if you need a place to stay in the Nag.
1:40 I am thrilled, even though I'm exhausted. I'm so excited. I have so many people to see on this trip, and it's just going to be a really special trip. I think I'll probably sleep the entire flight, which is only two and a half hours. This is strange because I'm used to having at least four hours, maybe six hours in some cases, to get to the Philippines.
2:03 So or to leave the Philippines, and so it's not a very long flight. Hopefully, I'll get a nap on the flight to do MTI, and then a big cup of coffee after I land. That's going to be interesting for sure.
2:24 I have mixed feelings about it because everybody's saying there's so many forms there. But last time, you know, I went to at least the first couple of places, not too many foreigners. I think Siargao is getting more on people's radar now as far as for foreigners, but back then, I don't know if I saw a single foreigner when I went to Siargao. Maybe in like McDonald's. I don't even think I saw a foreigner like at Gano or Liit Kai.
3:08 Yeah, and I did in Ciguin though. Ciguin was like the reverse. Oh wow, we got five people on here. I don't know if chat's activated. This is the first time I'm doing this with my phone. Feel free to chat, to post something up. We've got five people watching.
3:42 Oh, hey, good to see you, Christopher. Okay, excellent. So chat is working great. This is my first time doing this on my iPhone as opposed to my laptop here, and something funny I wanted to show you guys. My bag chose the perfect time to split.
3:54 So I don't know if you could see that, but I'm standing in line to check in, and there's a seven-kilo limit on your check-in. This is clearly way over, way over seven kilos.
4:15 Yeah, I think that might be a troll. So I can't, I don't have the block feature on my phone. If they continue, then I'll block them. But yeah, if you're going to send me some money to pay for shaving equipment, I'll shave my cheeks. But if you're not, you're just going to have to enjoy it.
4:45 Wow, that is not. Yeah, that is very strange. Um, yeah, hide user on this.
5:04 Okay, yeah. So I guess this chat, for whatever reason, is popping up to random people. I got a really strange comment there. Yeah, so Christopher, yeah, I'm in transit. I've got like an hour and a half until the flight leaves, so we'll probably start boarding here in an hour.
5:25 Just got to, sorry Christopher, I saw a really disturbing message somebody posted, but I got rid of that person.
5:42 Yeah, yeah. So I've been in transit all day. I, you know, cleaned up the apartment, tossed the trash out, settled up with the landlady, landlord. Spent the last of my currency, so I got down to, I'm pretty happy with this. I got down to 1500 Vietnamese Dong, which is like three cents.
6:06 And normally I can't get it that low, so that was pretty excellent to be able to even it out. You know, because I got like 10 or 12,000 baht left over from Thailand, so it's kind of burning a hole in my pocket. But yeah, still in transit.
6:21 Definitely a little bit different from, you know, Mainland Southeast Asia. You're flying in half, and you get there in one afternoon. I think with the Philippines, being like this series of islands, then you've got to anticipate the transit. You've got to anticipate like having a layover if you're not going direct to Manila or Siargao or Davao.
6:47 But I'm so excited. I can't wait. I'm just so excited. This is, you know, we talked about it a bit before, but it's just such a fun place, and people are so nice and so fun. And it's almost for me like a vacation within a vacation.
7:06 So I've been traveling for over a year now, and you know, some of it is like exploration, especially in Thailand. It's more oriented toward exploration. Here, it's just like pure fun, pure joy, being in touch with so many people already that are either living in the Philippines or, you know, also Filipino friends who, of course, Filipino friends live there.
7:29 But having different perspectives, right? Because I think that's the beauty of the country is you get so many different perspectives. Where in countries with a stronger language barrier, you feel like, I don't know, you feel like you're mostly talking to people that have consciously made, like, I don't know, it's just different.
7:54 I don't know, it's just different. But really excited for this one.
8:10 Rivet Head, I've been getting a ton of weird comments in chat and my video comments. Seems the bots have gone on. Thank you so much, Rivet Head. I really appreciate you calling that out because, yeah, I just, there was a really strange comment. It came out of left field, definitely not a subscriber of mine. I catch that kind of stuff anytime somebody posts something inappropriate, I just get that right out of there.
8:33 This channel is meant to be helpful for people and not have. Yeah, I hope it's a bot. I hope that's not an actual person that says that kind of thing.
8:52 Frugal Wander, oh, welcome Frugal Wander. Thanks so much. You know, Tony mentioned your channel to me, and I'm actually a subscriber to you, and I think your content's great. I'm looking forward to seeing more of it. Definitely hope we can cross paths at some point.
9:06 And yeah, Tony's great. He's just a wealth of information, and he's getting within a few years of his target financial number to be able to travel long-term. You know, I think he's more interested in Latin America, but it seems like there's, I don't know, it seems like there's a more vocal community in Southeast Asia for whatever reason. I'm not exactly sure why that is.
9:34 Because when I was in Latin America, I saw plenty of foreigners living down there. The first foreigner I actually met was a foreigner married to my friend who's Mexican, and at the time, I was like, how does this Canadian woman end up in Mexico? Like, I felt strange as an American in Mexico. This is how naive I was. But after I talked to her, she explained to me she loves the culture, the people, and it really opened my eyes up.
10:03 And so, yeah, for whatever reason, the Southeast Asia vloggers, foreigner vloggers, tend to get the most attention. But there's a lot of interesting stuff going on in Latin America, and I think potentially my next trip will be through Latin America. I'd really like to see Peru, Argentina, and Uruguay. So those are kind of in Chile. So those four would be potentially the next trip for me.
10:34 Am I from Canada? I am not from Canada, actually. I am from the United States, but it's, I really seem to connect with people from Canada for whatever reason. A lot of great people in Canada. And funny enough, you know, with the Philippines, actually, the Filipina that I dated last time, you know, I was in the Philippines, her sister actually mentioned to me, lives in Canada. So that's something that's interesting to me.
11:06 Because when I was in the US, I of course met Filipino American people, but didn't really realize there are also Filipino people in Canada. So that was really cool. It reminds me a little bit of the kind of the Hawaiian effect, right? Where you meet people from Hawaii, but in many different interesting places. Because we had Hawaiian people in Tennessee, and I would say Las Vegas is probably the most popular place for people from Hawaii to live in the mainland US.
11:42 Yeah. Christopher says, very true about less vocal expats in Latin America. I think that many just want to keep a low profile. Totally agree, Christopher. I think that maybe they just are not as interested in drawing attention to themselves. I found that they had less interest or less need to blog. Maybe they had less desire to blog.
12:08 I know that for the expats that I met in Latin America, one was a video editor, one she liked to sing and was into coaching. Not as many, maybe it was just me. A lot of the expats I saw in America, they were typically young people trying to live abroad, still doing some kind of online work. Whereas more of the foreigners I meet in Southeast Asia, they're more often they work, they've done their time, they've saved up their money, investments. They're not actively needing to work.
12:43 And that could be a time zone thing, right? I mean, if you're trying to work with Americans, it's going to be a lot more difficult trying to do so in Southeast Asia. Whereas if you're in Latin America, you've got plenty of time zone overlap. It's really not much lift at all compared to trying to work nights over here.
12:58 Frugal Wander says, I am Canadian but grew up in Florida. I have a ton of Filipino friends in Canada, many in Montreal and Toronto. Interesting. So I think with the sister of the woman I dated, she lived near Vancouver. She was outside of Vancouver proper, but yeah, certainly that's interesting that there are also folks in Montreal and Toronto.
13:37 Yeah, this is, I just can't believe it. Like, I'm finally getting to go back.
13:51 Frugal Wander asks, how long are you staying in the Philippines? So at least a month. I'm in multiple interviews right now. One job is in Austin, Texas, which should be cool. I've never lived in Austin.
14:01 I've never lived in Austin before, and it's not a software company, so it's a little bit confusing what a sales and marketing role is. I am also in the process for an interview for a job back in the San Francisco area. I'm going to keep moving forward with those; it's super competitive right now. I'm still not in a rush, so I would say at the shortest, a month is my plan, but as long as six months, I'd love to stay six months to be honest.
14:31 There's just so much to love about it, like the people are super nice, the weather is nice, and there are all kinds of outdoor activities. It's not like back home where you're stuck inside in the Philippines; you're living outside. You're going out to visit people and have this beautiful, vibrant social life, and it never gets old.
14:56 When I was there last time, it took me some time to get used to it and figure it out because, as a foreigner especially coming from the US, it's the polar opposite in some ways. People actually approach you and talk to you. I was very skeptical the first time I went; I was like, 'Why are these people being so nice? I don't trust it.' In time, I learned that's just the norm.
15:23 I'm better prepared this time because I've had a lot of time to research Filipino culture and talk to people from the Philippines online. I can also reflect on my first trip. I spent a year in Thailand, which is much more relaxed than the United States, but yeah, this should be really good because I have all the context to the first trip. I understand the place a lot better.
15:51 There's a lot I miss. It's different because, for a while, I was going to new places, but with new places, you really don't know what you're in for or what to expect. Now, it's like I've been missing it for five years. When I left five years ago, it was right around the pandemic time, and there was this interest of, 'Oh, I love this place and want to come back next year,' and 'Oh, these people are so nice,' and then everything shut down.
16:30 It really took a toll on connections there, but it definitely created distance because you didn't know when the Philippines was going to reopen, how long it would be, or how your friends were doing. At one point, my buddy Z, who lives in Cagayan de Oro, said, 'Alex, just book a flight here, you can just stay with us as long as you need.' That didn't pan out because I didn't want to go and potentially derail all my plans for a long time.
17:16 I also didn't know if I was going to be able to go back. If I went back to the Philippines, I didn't know if I would be there for several years. It was such a chaotic time around the world, and yeah, it was just a really tough time, but I'm glad that's over.
17:37 Ideally, three to six months. I've got to sort out the visa extensions. They're putting a bit more scrutiny on foreigners because some foreigners misbehave in the Philippines. It's really unfortunate, but they have to put more scrutiny on foreigners, asking them to have a better reason for staying, a reasonable explanation beyond just 'I'm here on vacation.' I'm not at the age where I can get a retirement visa, and I'm not technically in a relationship, so it's not like I'm going to be getting on a marriage visa next week or something like that. It's something I have to be really conscious about.
18:25 I'll sort it out, though. It's not something I'm worried about; I'm just in tomorrow. Who knows what will happen? There's just so much; it's just an exciting and fun place. So yeah, I'm not there yet, but I will be in probably five hours. I'll land in Manila.
18:58 Okay, so it's 9:37. My flight leaves in an hour, probably start boarding in 25 minutes or so. I'll probably stay on here about another 25 minutes. I wanted to do a stream last night and today, but last night I had an interview, and I just thought, 'You know, I don't know.' I had done two interviews yesterday: one in the morning that lasted about two hours, a YouTube interview, not a job interview, and then I had a job interview in the evening.
19:34 Gerard, I'm looking forward to it. Part of me wishes I'd gone instead of Thailand, but I don't know. I just felt it's just a different kind of connection to the Philippines.
19:54 I have not been to the Philippines yet. I have spent six months in Cambodia and have been loving it there. Cambodia is super underrated; I found the people to be super friendly and super warm. Especially in Phnom Penh, it's got this international feeling which I wasn't expecting. There are so many people from around the world.
20:12 When I was in Phnom Penh, I met people from China, Malaysia, and Eastern Europe. The architecture is really cool too. It's also got this kind of vibe; I just like the look of the city. The colors of the buildings, the way they're painted these pastel colors, is really neat.
20:48 Oh yeah, so Frugal, you'll love the Philippines. I love the Philippines, and you may really enjoy it if you make it over. There's a lot to like. I would say some of the best things are the people, the nature, and the English. Those are the three highlights that a lot of people really enjoy. There's a lot more to it than that, but those are the easy ones that really stand out.
21:15 For me, it was really easy to connect with the people. The nature is some of the most beautiful in the world. It's also... whenever this secret gets out, this place is going to be flooded. That's another reason to go for me personally, sooner rather than later. Within my lifetime, it's going to be a mega tourist destination more so than it already is.
21:52 It's a place I would feel comfortable taking friends that are not hardcore travelers like myself. I can't say that about everywhere I go; in fact, most places I go, I wouldn't want to take friends that are not hardcore travelers. But the Philippines is an exception. I can just show people pictures, and they're totally blown away.
22:15 Frugal Wander says it is my last night in Saigon. I'm headed back to Phnom Penh in the morning. Safe travels! Are you taking a flight or a bus?
22:30 I didn't make it down to Saigon this time. I just felt kind of homesick for the Philippines, even though I'm not from there. There's just this kind of attachment I get to certain places, this emotional attachment. It's not that I don't have it toward Vietnam; I've started to build that here. I do plan to come back to Vietnam at some point in the future.
23:00 With the job interviews going better, I don't know when I'll get an offer, and I'm like, 'Okay, I can't miss the Philippines on this trip.' If I get an offer, I don't want to have to go back and not get to see everybody that I missed and spend time with people and catch up.
23:23 It's one of those places where I just don't see how anybody can feel lonely. I think a lot of us expats and long-term travelers can struggle with that. It's one of those places that just... you feel the love. Maybe it's because people are super social, maybe it's because people are very curious, maybe it's because people are open.
23:43 It's weird to be halfway around the world and feel that I can say that because there's been a lot of lost in translation moments that did have me feeling a bit isolated. But yeah, not a thing there. I'm going to double-check my plane ticket because we're going to start boarding probably in the next 10 to 15 minutes.
24:11 Let's see. Are you in Dumaguete right now? Hope you love it there. So, I'm not yet. I'll get there tomorrow morning. My flight lands around 6:30 a.m. I'll take some mode of transportation to Tagbilaran. I'll grab a coffee, and then my host, technically her parents, live in Australia and they manage the property. They're in Bohol, so Bohol is in between Dumaguete City and Da N. Da N is famous for dive resorts.
24:52 They're going to be available around 10 a.m., so I'll have that 7 to 10 a.m. window. What I'll probably do in that window is go to Globe and get a SIM card. The shopping mall is not going to be open that early. I'll probably just get a SIM card and then just go sit in the coffee shop. I recorded some stuff that I want to edit.
25:17 If I don't edit on the plane, then I'll be doing some editing until they're ready to have me. Once I get word from her, 'Hey, my folks are ready for you to come down,' then I'll go down to Bohol. I'll probably sleep all day, and then I have some English lessons.
25:37 I do some tutoring every Sunday so I'll tutor some English lessons Sunday evening. Then Monday, I'll start lining up some YouTube interviews. I've got some interviews that I've wanted to do for like five years, and those are top priority for my first week.
25:59 I also just want to see the city, like getting to see the boardwalk. I wouldn't mind taking a ride up to see Aurora Falls. I just want to do all the things, and I don't have the energy because I haven't slept well.
26:16 I know after I get like a good day of sleep, probably half a day tomorrow, then I'll still have that pinch-myself feeling. Where I'm staying is like 100 meters from the water, so I could just walk that 100 meters and go jump in the ocean.
26:34 That's something that I'm craving. I'm really craving that to jump in the water and go swimming in the ocean, the crystal clear, beautiful water, seeing the fish. It's just like a dream.
26:50 Thank you so much, Maau. Yeah, I have a feeling that I'm going to love it there. It's you know, all the different islands are kind of different flavors of almost the same thing. The bigger difference is the population, of course. Manila is huge, Cebu is pretty big, Davao is pretty big, but they still all have some of the same things that I think we all like.
27:21 Look into appropriate health insurance. Yeah, Gerard, so one of the things that I make sure I have, I'm not going to disclose the number, but I self-insure. I just keep a big stack of money in the bank, and it's kind of cordoned off for any kind of health issues.
27:52 The first time I went to Thailand, I purchased expensive health insurance and didn't use it. Then I did my travel in Latin America, never had issues. That was six months. I did a four-month trip in Southeast Asia and never had issues.
28:11 It's something that's definitely important, but I also look at it like I don't ride motorbikes. That's one of my top things: I do not ride motorbikes. I don't have expertise in that, and it's not something I'm willing to do. That seems to be the biggest area where foreigners have issues – they're inexperienced, ride motorbikes, and get into an accident because they don't know what they're doing.
28:37 So, I look at it like I self-insure. Is it something that I'm going to yet? As I get older, certainly health issues can come up. If I were to commit to living long-term, that would definitely be something I would do.
28:51 But I look at like having my cash, which I collect interest from as well. I know roughly what a number of the common issues can cost, and it far exceeds that amount. But yeah, if I was to commit to living long-term, like if I was in a position to stay in the Philippines long-term, which is potentially a place I would want to live long-term, then yeah, I would definitely get it.
29:24 And the other side of that too is I wouldn't mind partnering with an insurance provider just so that I'm able to recommend one for travelers. Because, like I say, don't do what I do; sort out what's best for you. What's right for me may not be right for you. What's right for me today may not be right for me tomorrow.
29:46 I'm low-risk, low-key. I don't go to dangerous areas. I don't really partake in the nightlife scene. So, yeah, thank you for your caution, your concern. It's definitely something I recommend for the majority of people.
30:11 Aside from having the account for it, it's especially important if you have a family. I'm not in a position where I have a family, so nobody's reliant upon my income or my resources.
30:32 Fugal says bus is the only way for me. Yeah, I think bus is probably very comfortable, and you get to see some different stuff. I think Jake told us about how he traveled via bus from Ho Chi Minh City to Bangkok. I think he's down in the south of Thailand now.
31:02 Bruce Leroy, where are you going now? Yeah, so I'm actually about to board a flight to Manila, Philippines. I'll have a three-hour layover, two hour 45 minute layover, and then I'll be flying to Dumaguete. I'm really excited; it's my first time there.
31:21 I've transited through Manila before, but I've never stayed in Manila, just because I'm not as much of a big city guy. But Dumaguete's been on my radar for a long time. I could have gone last trip, but I just didn't; I wanted to get more full-on immersion in the Philippines.
31:37 I know Dumaguete is super popular among foreigners, and I was worried it would give me a different perception of the Philippines versus being in some more local spots. This time I'm going to go check it out. I've spent time in Thailand both in the foreigner-popular areas and the places with fewer foreigners, and I think it's good to have a taste of both.
32:00 I used to think, oh, it's better to not be around foreigners. Then I wanted to try out being in the more foreigner-popular areas, and now I'm thinking, just try out both, get the perspective of both, be able to speak on both.
32:15 Right, the audience. It's not just, you know, when you start to build an audience, I know my audience is very modest in size, but you start to build an audience, you start to wonder what they like, what they want to know about, what would provide value for them.
32:30 I have people ask me about a lot of different places in Thailand. Right, there's people like I have friends from the US who are looking at tourism guides, tourism videos, and they're wanting to go to Catanduanes, they're wanting to go to Camiguin, they're wanting to go to many different places.
33:26 Agreed, both Koreans and locals mix it up. Moving long-term to Chiang Mai come end of September. That sounds great. Yeah, what brings you to Chiang Mai? I really like Chiang Mai a lot.
33:53 Let me go ahead and just check and make sure I don't need to be boarding right now. It is boarding, okay, but the line's pretty long here. I may... oh, third time. Oh wow, you're half high. I had no idea.
34:20 Third time back. I'm happy. Family from Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. How cool. Oh man, that's so wonderful. You're getting to move there long-term. I haven't been to Chiang Rai. I wanted to go to Chiang Rai on my last trip, and I didn't make it there for different reasons.
34:50 I love Chiang Mai, but yeah, I think you're gonna have a wonderful time. And you said you're moving there long-term, so it's not just a visit. Please keep us posted, Bruce. In future streams, please let us know when you made it there and you're settled in.
35:06 If I, you know, next time I make it back, I'd love to meet up. It's just a really chill place.
35:19 Place. How long has it been since you last were in Northern Thailand, Bruce Leroy?
35:37 Gerard says, don't be late for the flight. Thank you for calling that out. I have definitely rushed up in the past and been late. I missed the flight once, surprisingly, public transit was late. And I'm not going to specify the country, but it was a country that's notoriously on time, so that was really strange.
35:54 But yeah, I'm in line here. And yeah, thank you so much, Gerard. I will definitely travel safely. It's... yeah, I'm still in shock that time just passes weird when you're tired.
36:17 But yeah, everybody, I hope you have a wonderful day. I'll try to do a stream when I'm after I'm a bit more rested. Yeah, I look forward to chatting soon. Take care, everyone.
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