Safety in southern Phils?

Question

I am travelling to Davao and then on to my fiancee's parents about 2 hours north of Davao. This is not the safest place in the world due to the Muslim extremists around here - in fact, officially speaking, the UK Home Office recommend against travel to the region.

We plan to pre-book a private taxi to drive us there and back.

Any tips or suggestions to have a safe trip? Many thanks.

Thanks, guete. The information I had actually came from her family - it's not just media-led. The UK advisory is for "Davao, the surrounding areas..." plus the areas you mention.

I did go there earlier this year but straight to a tourist resort (which had previously been bombed). This time it's not a tourist area, which is why I'm a little more concerned.

I'm just looking for scams to avoid, situations to avoid, that kind of thing. Not the regular tourist scams, but those specific to the dangers in this area.

Answer 1

I would ask your fiancee and her parents about the actual situation there. The news is seldom a good way to gauge the safety of a given place, especially in the Philippines. I visited ****** Oriental after a U.S. State Department travel warning was issued for ALL of the Philippines. It's the job of our governments to be extra cautious in this regard, even if they don't have the most accurate perspective of reality.

I know Davao has a history of occasional bombing incidents (which have seemed to target the general public, not tourists), though most of the problems seem to be on Basilan, Jolo and the Sulu archipelago in general (places tourists don't go anyway). My guess it that you won't have any issues whatsoever, and that your anxiety is largely a product of a lack of knowledge of the real situation and too much news. At least, this was the case for me. Talk to your fiancee's parents if you can and seek out online forums where your fellow countrymen have documented their experiences in this region. Find as much information as you can without resorting to news-based sources.

If you will be accompanied by your fiancee then trust her to keep your safety in mind and take extra precautions (even without your knowledge). When I was in Dumaguete my lady friend received news of a prison break and told me to lock the door to my hotel room. I didn't learn of the prison break until weeks later when I was back home in Tennessee, and did not suspect anything at the time. Sometimes, what you don't know won't hurt you :)

Enjoy your trip!

Answer 2

Go to the visayas or Luzon. It's plain just not safe there for foreigners. Heed the embassy warnings.