Many of our readers here are living in the Philippines on various permanent visas, so they never HAVE to leave the Philippines for periodic “visa runs”. Some, (like me), prefer living on the Balik Bayan Privilege Stamp (BB Visa) and making annual trips out of the country.
I’m not advocating one plan over another, there are advantages to both methods, but for those of you who, like me, want some fresh air, to stretch your legs so to speak, and to actually see something different from time to time, here are some thoughts on nearby “target” countries and my personal likes and dislikes.
YMMV
12 Closest International Airport On the Map
Mileage and Flight Times
Hong Kong: 711 mi 1h 25m
Macau: 717 mi 1h 26m
Taipei: 727 mi 1h 27m
Brunei: 777 mi 1h 33m
Naha: 911 mi 1m 49m
Saigon: 1002 mi 2h 00m
Palau: 1041 mi 2h 05m
Bangkok: 1361 mi 2h 43m
Singapore: 1474 mi 2h 57m
Kuala Lumpur 1546 mi 3h 06m
Guam: 1597 mi 3h 12m
Bali: 1648 mi 3h 18M
Hong Kong:
Hong Kong is a SAR (Special Administrative Region) of China. As most everyone knows it is a former colony of Great Britain. Signs, transportation systems and the general ‘way things work” are quite British in nature. English is widely spoken 9akthougyh often with a very heavy accent. Hotels then to be expensive, but the better class hotels have a very high standard of service. Food is the big attraction in Hong Kong, along with shopping. If you go there and don’t see the Flower market (well worth getting up for) and the Ladies market, the Men’s Market and the Night Market, shame on you … you will have missed something really unique. Be sure to take the Star ferry back and forth across the bay a time or two, ride on the upper deck of a few of the dole-decker trams (trolley cars)(both exceedingly cheap) and go to the top of Victoria Peak by funicular. Also the airport alone is nearly worth the trip. I like Hong Kong, I’ll be going back there some trip in the future, you can be sure of that. No visa needed for US citizens or Philippine citizens.
Macau:
This is a favorite destination for my wife and I, and it’s likely to stay near the top of our list. We’ve been there several times already, and each experience was better than the one before. The air fares, especially from Clark, are about the cheapest. Hotels are no longer cheap because Macau has become a major casino hub, but the upside to that is, many hotels work to a much higher standard than anything you typically see in the Philippines. And the food? Great. Chinese, Portuguese (Macau used to be a colony of Portugal) Ease of communicating? Pretty good, especially if you stick to major tourist areas, because most everyone you run into on hotel and restaurant staffs are Filipinos, with excellent English, working there as OFW’s. I’ll be back there again sooner or later. US citizens require no visa for Macau and neither do Filipino citizens. Convenient.
Taipei:
Third closest destination. I haven’t yet visited (except to transit through the airport, which is … well not quite NAIA, but it’s close). I do know there are a lot of shopping opportunities and a lot of traditional Chinese tourist attractions .. and like the destinations earlier in the list, both US passport holders can enter without a visa. Philippines citizens have some complicated rules unless they also hold US or certain other country’s long term stay permission. Research here: Visa-Exempt Entry
Brunei:
I never even thought of this destination before I started writing this article. But Brunei is close by and has quite a history. Although Malay is the official language, like many former British colonies and protectorates, English is in wide use. For those “put off” by so-called “backward Third-World” countries, Brunei ranks second only to Singapore on the list of developed nations in SEA. Us and Pinoy citizens may both enter with no visa.
Naha, Okinawa:
Capital city of Okinawa, Naha is very familiar to many Americans due to the large US military presence there. It’s a tropical island resort destination for tourists, and should be a very interesting place for a visit. Mita and I will probably go there some year soon.
One thing for our US military retiree readers to keep in mind is, non-SOFA (Status Of Forces Agreement) visors,m even if they have a valid US military ID card, are not going to be able to use the commissary stores on US bases, and may also be subject to other restrictions. Check before you go. US passport holders can enter with no problem, Pinoys will need a visa.
Saigon:
Not many readers will fail to connect with this city … although today the proper name is “Ho Chi Min City”, capital of the republic of Vietnam. This is another destination quite close to the Philippines which my wife and I have not yet traveled too …but it is certainly on the list. We have a close cousin 9single woman who is a former Filipino, now US citizen, who lives here in the Metro Manila area fill-time now. For whatever reason, she doesn’t wish to reacquire her Philippine citizenship and so she goes out of the Philippines once a year for a short vacation and gets her BB stamp upon return. Just like many expats, but she doesn’t need a Filipino spouse to travel with her.
This cousin went to Vietnam for her very first “Visa Run” after returning to the Philippines and has gone back every year, she loves it there and one of the main reasons is that the cost of living and value received in areas like restaurants, hotels and local travel she feels are even better than her “Rate Of Return” living in the Philippines.
Air fares are cheap and like many of the destinations I mention here, both US citizens and Filipinos can come and go with no visa hassles.
Koror, Palau:
This one I suspect many readers haven’t considered. It’s not a name that rolls off the lips like Vietnam. But if you see pictures of Palau you immediately think of nothing short of a tropical island paradise … tiny green islands scattered across striking blue and green waters .. and yet not so remote, about a two hour non-stop from Manila. Again this is a country I have not visited yet, but it’s certainly convenient and on our list of target destinations. Currency is the good old US Dollar and both American citizens and Philippine citizens can vest with no visa requirements.
Bangkok:
Capital of Thailand, the land of smiles. I have lived in Thailand two years. What can I say .. nothing much except that if I wasn’t kind of “married” to the Philippines I would be as likely to live in Thailand than in any other Asian country. It’s a great place, a fun place, and, if you stay the heck ou5t of Bangkok, especially the entertainment districts, it can be a very cheap place as well. Both American and Filipino citizens can enter with no visa hassles.
Singapore:
A lot of people seem to think Singapore is much closer to the Philippines than it is. It’s getting right up there at three hours away, but because it’s a very popular destination, air fares are often as cheap as some other closer locations. Singapore is easily the most dewlapped city in all of Asia. A former British colony, English is widely spoken and there is practically no “first World” amenity you won’t be able to find in Singapore. Of course prices are going to reflect that situation. But for shopping, casinos and other westernized attractions, Singapore can’t be beat. Like most of my other “closest dozen” visa run destinations here, both US and Filipino citizens can enter with no visa needed.
Kuala Lumpur
As Malaysia’s largest city, “K-L” as it’s often called has a lot to offer. I haven’t yet been there, but I have it on my list. Prices should average less than Singapore, although I doubt it will make anyone’s list of cheapest cities. Americans and Filipinos can both enter without visas.
Guam:
Guam is unique on this list as the only “:US soil” within easy “Visa Run” distance from the Philippines. At a hair over three hours it is getting to the very end of the “close” list and you will not find many ultra cheap fares. But it has an undeniable appeal to retired military Americans (like me). A large, well equipped US Navy base and a very nice, friendly USAF base. My wife and I went to Guam on our last visa trip, and while we were there we got her DEERS iD card renewed (15 minute job and no PITA hassles like the US Embassy gives), and we filled up all our luggage allowance, almost to the pound with goodies from the commissary (yes, retirees and their dependents can shop at the commissaries on Guam). Guam advertises itself as “Guam USA”, and of course it is. Laws, rules of business and other US things you are used to back in the USA all work the same. The currency, of course, is the US dollar. Disadvantage to some is the fact that Filipino citizens must have a US visitor visa. One opposite advantage is, those of you with spouses holding US Green card get credited with a return to the USA upon re-entry. Thus a couple needing a new BB stamp for the US spouse can also satisfy the requirement that the foreign spouse return the USA requirement annually. My wife and I really enjoyed our trip to Guam.
Bali, Indonesia:
Perhaps I saved the best until last, Just a few miles farter than Guam is Bali, also known as Denpasar International Airport. I have not yet travelled to Bali, but I certainly intend to some year soon. I’m not going to delve much into a place I haven’t yet seen, but Bali has an unpatrolled reputation is a fantastic resort area. Decent hotel packages and air fares seem to be readily available, especially some two or three night package deals that would be just the thing to take you spouse on for a romantic second honeymoon. As with most of my other picks above, both US and Filipino citizens can enter with no visa hassles.
So, there you are, a dozen nearby locations to chose from. You still feel that an annual trip for a new Balik Bayan stamp cost too much or takes too long? Live a little, that’s my motto 😉
Great list Dave. Thanks so much, just one question. Which one on the list has the least brown outs???
Hi Gary,
Wow I don’t know, Gary, never been anywhere long enough to tell. I’d bet on Singapore if I had to bet, myself. Guam miight be risky right now as the power is suplied by the government … US … and we all know how well _that_ is going at the moment. *sigh*
Actually I have experienced more and more badwill towards those of us who go in out in. Let me explain. I useually stay minimum one month when I’m in the Phlippines sometimes longer. In the good old days the regular tourist visa was 21 days. So everytime I went out of the country once or twice in order to extend rather then get a long term visa. Mostly because I used it as an Opportunity to spend a day or two in Singapore, Hong Kong or Bangkok and see something differently.
However this year I’ve been extensively questioned by immigration officers about my travel pattern, both on arrival from Europe and on out and in again extension trip, and I have overheard some really brutal questionings of others doing the same thing – Which leaves me with an impression that immigration dont look as favourable to the get out to get in again model as they used to !
Hi Michael Holm
Thanks for you valuable comment. Normally I never see anyone regarding Immigration any more often than once a year when I go out and come back (BB Stamp holders don’t have to go to the annual registration at local BI offices), so I haven’t seen any such change in attitude. Doesn’t sound pleasant, though. I’ll let you know what happens next September when I go out again …
Why isn’t John miele questioned? He goes in and out all the time of the Philippines, given what he has written in these blogs for long time
Dave:
I’ve been to all on your list, except Palau, and my favorite is probably Saigon, would I be needing a visa run. Inexpensive, lots to see and do, and great food. (Though I never miss the chance to go to Hong Kong, either… Love it, as does Rebecca)
Brunei is kind of one of those places that you see it, day one, and then… That’s it. There is also no alcohol there (Locals head just across the border into Miri, in Sarawak (Which is much more “resort” oriented, with beaches). I can recommend staying at the very expensive Brunei Country Club (For golfers, the resort is world-class… All of the golf big shots play there. The country club, though expensive, has golf packages that make it less so, if that’s your thing).
Taipei can get expensive, but some of the best Chinese food in the world is there (better, even, in my opinion, than Hong Kong, and far better than the mainland). Taipei is also probably the cheapest place on the planet to buy electronics and especially computers. The reason why is that something like 90% of the world’s LCD screens and chips are made there… For high-end computers, the savings could almost pay for your flight. My ticket there this week, one way, was under USD100)
I would also add that Cambodia is also very close, inexpensive, fascinating, and relatively cheap flights on Cebu Pacific.
Hi John,
Hey thanks for adding to the knowledge base here, as always. Indeed after I wrote this I said to myself, “Why didn’t you mention Cambodia”? But the article was already too long (oh gosh, wait until you see the nenxt one in the “hopper”, *sigh*) and I don’t like lists of 13 LoL.
I have a couple online entrepreneurial friends who are really bullish on Cambodia right now, the overall cost of living/ROI there is surprisingly high I am told, so it surely should be on the list. Also a sometimes reader here and a fellow I have corresponded to often, a retired US teacher has now gone to work ibn Cambodia (at an International School). He wanted to work here in the Philippines, his family is here, but the job offer in Cambodia was too good to pass up.
But remember those who just casually read this, I am not looking at any oft hese countries as a place to live as an alternative to the Philipp9ines … just as a place to go for a day or weekend in order to get whatever visa you might need to renew “reloaded”without spending 20 or 24 hours in the air and several thousand bucks on airline flights back across the Pacific. I’m living in the Philippines, or if for some reason I could not, back to the USA for me … if it is open, that is *sigh*
We live in Siem Reap, Cambodia and Cebu Pacific has direct flights a few time a week. Getting a visa here is easy. You can also get a business visa upon arrival for six months or one year with multiple entries. Siem Reap is a big tourist attraction because of Angkot Wat. It’s low cost of living here. The Tonle Sap is another tourist attraction as it’s the largest freshwater lake in South East Asia.
Many thing are inexpensive here but not electricity. All the electricity comes from Thailand.
Hi Kevin, thanks for the update. I didn’t know if you were still reading.
Hey Dave, I still drop in once in a while. Nice article.
hi bob , its easy for you and your wife to leave , but not so easy for filipino women to leave , i 1st meet my filipino gf in Singapore where she was working as a waitress in a restaurant , when her contract ended she went back to the Philippines. and after a few months i asked her to come back to Singapore , i booked her ticket and a return ticket, and typed out a invite letter , gave her copies of my passport and Singapore work pass , and the contract for my condo to prove that i live here, when she got through to immigration, they refused to let her on the plane stating that my invitation had to be hand written , and that she had to have prove that i was sending her money !!! (she had just worked 6 months in Singapore and had saved up quite a lot of money so she never had to ask me for any. )
Hi Daniel – Firstly, I did not write the article, Dave Starr did. But, any Filipino or Filipina can go to any ASEAN country (there are 10 Member States of the Association) visa free, no hassles at all.
dave , they might be able to get in these counties hassle free , but leaving the philipines is not hassle free , once they get to passport control , they will get pulled to one side buy the offloaders and if they are female the chances of getting on the plane are very slim, after the troubles the 1st time , i went to manila to collect my gf , with all the documents that they asked for the previous time, even then she was questioned , then i was questioned , then i had to sign so documents stating that she would be in my care while she was here in singapore and would not engage in any work and that she would be back on the stated date (she was let through this time but while we was there another 5 girls all got rejected )
@ Daniel Box,
thanks for commenting, Daniel. Sorry to hear of your issues, but my wife and I have never had any trouble leaving Manila in the past. My wife also used to fly regularly to Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand for her job back before she met me, and flew only on a Philippine passport.
Thanks for your report, I can only report what happens to me an dmy wife, and the issue involves in going to live/long term stay as a foreigner in Singapore may be totally different thna what I am tlaking about, going there as a US/Filipino tourist with a RT ticket back to the Philippines. As we say online, YMMV.
Hi Daniel – I understand… but also would just like to point out that my site is written for expats living in the Philippines. Expats, people of foreign citizenship (mostly Americans, Europeans, Australians, etc) really don’t have much hassle in traveling to most any country, and that is who our target audience is. Hope you understand.
Bob,
Does it also include Australians, Americans, Western Citizens of Asian extract as well or only for white people ? Just curious. Its not offensive, but I want to know which Expat group are you writing this about
Secondly, does your target also cover non-Western Expats?
The target audience is in the title of the site: “The Web Magazine for Expats in the Philippines”. That is clear – it is for all expats in the Philippines. Their race, nationality, religion etc is of no concern, if they are an expat in the Philippines, they are who we are writing for. Also, those who want to be expats in the Philippines. That does not mean that those who are not the target audience are not welcome, only that they are not the reader who is being targeted.
I can not imagine being so close to so many amazing places. Singapore and Hong Kong are only three hours away!
@Victor Emanuel Nobrega
That’s one of the reasons I put in the map, Victor. A picture (or map) can be worth a thousand words. Since Americans anyway, if they receive any geography in school at all typically get it from the high school football coach in the off season, we Yanks often don’t have a good ‘feel” for the way things are in relation to the rest of the world.
When I was stationed in Japan in the US Navy I used to fly to the Philippines for the weekend regularly
Hi Don,
There are some Scape A flights occasionally from Japan into Clark lately, but that’s a horse (or an airplane 😉 of a different color.
what i am looking for ward to is going to Singapore for the weekend,then Kuala Lumpur the next weekend. As a Australian flights are so expensive that 100 one way to Singapore sounds amazing.
@ Victor Emanuel Nobrega
Yep that is one of the reasons I wrote the article. Many people equate the idea of making a local trip with the same sort of expense as flying back to the USA or Australia, or somewhere in Europe, etc> Here “discount fares” actually can be “discount”
Dave,
I have to agree with you on all above places except Macau. My wife Anne was given a hard time there from the time we arrived at the ferry terminal from Hong Kong. First of all Immigration there accused her of being Indonesian even though she has a valid Philippine Passport.They called the Philippine Consulate there to verify it. They accused her of being involved in a crime that happened 6 years earlier when she was there. She was given a hard time by the Judicial Police and Immigration. They are both very corrupt and unprofessional. Even after the charges were unfounded by the court they tried to hold her in the a immigration holding facility. They would not tell me where she was being taken. They tried to get money out of her by bribe and also stole money from her purse. I had no idea where she was so I just went to the airport. They had already made us miss our flight back to the Philippines. But she raised a lot of hell in immigration that they released her after 6 hours. I was so worried about her. She went to the airport after she as released. They gave her this piece of paper that told her when she had to leave Macua and to never come back there. Written in Chinese. She had no interpreter at all while she was being questioned. We also went to Bangkok, Singapore and Hong Kong. Had a great time at those places. Loved the rail systems in Singapore and Bangkok. Can go just about anywhere cheap. I love the food the most in Singapore, such a variety and mostly cheap at the hawker stands. So clean and safe there too. Hotels are very expensive there. We stayed right in Bangkok in nice hotel near 3 malls. Very nice, near night market. Got great deal on suite in hotel. Train will take you right from airport to Bangkok. Hong Kong was good except the room we stayed in was about the size of a closet. We enjoyed riding the cheap tram and also visiting Victorias Peak and Jade St. But Macau kind of ruined our trip.
Hi PapaDuck,
Wow, that’s scary 8indeed. Thanks for reporting on it. Personally I have been to Macau a number of times … with my ex-wife (US) as a tourist, myself on my own several times, and twice now with my current (and last 😉 ) wife, with her traveling on her US passport. Never heard a peep out of Immigration. As we say, YMMV.
Where do you stay in Macau Dave – your article has got me interested to visit the place.
For you, John, this is my recommendation:
http://www.hotelroyal.com.mo/index.php
We enjoyed the rooms, food and service (it’s nearly 100% Filipino-staffed), it’s in easy walking distance of a number of tourist attractions, most importantly it’s nearly underneath the Guia Lighthouse … first western style light on the China coast. Well worth the walk up the hill from the hotel.
Thanks Dave, You knew the lighthouse bit would get me! What do they use for money/currency there, and what are the rates – the website doesn’t seem to show any rates unless you make a query
The lighthouse and the old Portugues fort on th ehill is well worth the clinb to visit. It’s ibn a big public park area, very popular with locals. Literall tight behind the hotel, just strat up the hill, can’t miss it.
The currency is the Macau pataca, (MOP) which is tied to and essentially the same value as the Hong Kong dollar. aboiut 7.4/CAD or 7.9/USD. Chnage money at airport, cobnvebeuebt and decent rate. Prices are always quoyted in MOP by you cna pay in MOP or HKD. Chnage always come back in MOP, which is hard to exchange anywehere, HKD, of curse, are exhabgable almsot anywhere, so convert in HKD and try to pay everything in MOP.
I think we paid $90 somehting USD at that hotel last time, but the rates are all over the place. Use a service like asiatravel.com to search best rates/package deals.
The big casinos like The Venetian Macau. have expensive rack rates but also have tons of specials and promos. The Venetian is worth a visit (free luxury coaches from the airport and other locations) just to see the “indoor Venice village and canal attractions. (complete with singing Filipino gondoliers). They have the huge shows like Cirque du Soleil and such, things you can only see here … but shop around first or bring a very fat wallet.
I live in Hong Kong, but I think a base in Manila is long overdue since I am in and out of the city so often. The Phils immigration authorities need to watch out for human trafficking of the country’s women…it’s a huge problem
Yes Jay, I wanted to bring that up myself but figured someone else certainly would. My wife (Filipino) read Papa Ducks account of his wife’s travel issues and immediately said, “They must have thought she was a call girl or connected to some call girl ring”.
Because of the relative ease of trvale between Asean countries for Filipinos (of both genders) there is both
a. a certain real illicit traffic and
b., a strong suspicion of illicit trefafig on the part of authorities.
It’s just the way things are … can’t be ignored.
love that! “Current and Last”
🙂
Till death do us part 😀
Hi Dave, a very good and informative article, however, I must correct you on just one little detail, the capital of the Republic of Vietnam is not Saigon or “Ho Chi Minh City” as you mentioned….it is Hanoi. Saigon was the capital of South Vietnam from 1955 to 1975, and of course during the war. Since the communist takeover, the name was changed to “Ho Chi Minh City” which at the time was a modern and westernised city, and probably is to this day even after 38 years of communist rule. But Hanoi which was the capital of North Vietnam during the war, remains the capital of all of Vietnam.
You better believe I mean it when I say she’s the last. I’m blessed with a very good marriage, PTL, but if ever things were to “go south” with this one, there will never be another. I’m not strong enough to go through divorce again, trust me on that …
Ha ha ha. Sorry about that. Not only did “Mr. Geography” here make the obvious error you pointed out (thank you) regrading the capital of Vietnam, but then due to my own fumble-fingeredness, I manged to post the wrong reply to your comment. Duh … It’s a good thing there is no high voltage, moving parts and particularly hand grenades involved in blogging, because I’d really be dangerous then …No driving or operating heavy machinery for me today … and I haven’t even had a beer (Yet)..
Hi Dave, not “Mr. Geography” exactly, and no criticisms, I was stationed there in the US Army April `67 to April`68 survived the Tet Offensive of Feb. `68 the most scariest time of my life, luckily for me I was shipped out a month after but that´s beside the point anyway..would like to go back to check things out……….. may bring back some mixed emotions.
So many options! I’m still kicking myself for not taking that $30 flight from Cebu to Palau I saw last year. I still haven’t got around to visiting.
I know! That’s one of the great benefits of living here that seem to get lost in the toils and tribulations of daily life. You can be a “world traveler” on a budget that wouldn’t even cover traveling across the US on a Greyhound Bus.
I too want to visit Palau very soon as well. I have found a bunch of very interesting things I want to visit, and it is so far off the beaten path that you won’t gte trampled by crowds of other tourists. And for those who feel queasy about using Aisan discount airlines, you fly Manila to Koror on good onld United airlines. Can”t beat that with a stick.
I’m also a WWII history buff, and there are many places in Palau where war relics just sit where they stopped, 60 plus years ago. Fascinating, I am told.
For those on a really tight budget, Singapore and Hong Kong are good as you can just stay in the airport for 24 hours til you fly out again. Singapore I believe has free bus service into the city for a few hour tour. I know a few people who do this as can’t afford the high hotel prices, but these airports are basically malls with gates.
Yeah I didn’t go into detail here (the article is dense with words already) but it’s perfectly possible with either Hong Kong or Singapore to book a flight there in the morning and a flight back to Manila (might have to use a different airline) on the same day. No need to stay overnight.
Hi Dave, Great article and my wife and I are thinking of doing the Balikbayan Visa trip thing as they (BOI in Phils) keep changing the rules for the 13A Visa.
One question – when coming back into the Phils do you still need the onward going ticket to take you out of the country that is required if landing as a tourist? Like, have you been asked for it?
when applying for the Balikbayan Visa?
Hi John,
No a Balik Bayan (and his/her family members traveling with) do NOT require an onward travel ticket. …
But have I been asked for an onward travel ticket?
Yep. About 50% of the trips I have made. The answer is, you explain the program to the ticket agent and show them your documentation All is then well.
See: A Few More Thoughts On Onward Travel and Throwaway Tickets and related articles.