is davao safe

[nigelbham698]

hi my girlfriend wants me to travel with her in december. reading on here its pretty scary - thats contary to some of the other westerners in davao ive spoken too who say its very very safe - in fact the safest city in the philippines. can anyone help me or offer any advice.

[equaliser]

Hi Nigel

If a filipino had asked you if the London underground was safe last summer , what would your reply be?

I was in Davao last July and as long as you stay close to your girlfriend and her family , you will be safe as houses and truly enjoy the hospitality and your trip there.

Probably the most dangerous thing there is crossing the road. It seems that the most important part of any vehicle in Davao is the horn

Enjoy your trip

Brian

[Admin]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'> in fact the safest city in the philippines[/b][/quote]
style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/yikes.gif You gotta be kidding style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif Maybe the safest in Mindanao, but that's it, and I say that at a push.

First of all, and most important, your off the sheld holiday insurance will not cover you, so using that would be technically illegal. You need to take a print of the Home Office warning, and take it to an insurance broker. They will sort something out, it will cost you, but you will be leaglly covered. It will not cover you for acts of terrorism such as bombs, kidnapping, etc, again that costs extra,

As pointed out, do go anywhere on your own. Preferrably if you are just wandering around the streets, take her big brother or some other relative with you. If you are going directly to a mall, you are OK with just the missus.

Arrange to use the same transport (taxi or hired driver) wherever you go, some have been know to drive off with Westerners and deliver them to abu saif, or some other gang.

Try not to stand out, you will not see many other westerners in the area. I was there 2 weeks, and seen 3, and they were in the mall.

It's no where near the likes of Baghdad, but taking similar precautions is better than taking none.

You can freely move around in the North of the island.

[Eljohno]

I have lived in N.Ireland throughout the troubles and if you listened to the news then you would never have visited here but i never felt like my life was in danger.

If people stop visiting places like Davao then the terrorists win.

Of course what the others have said is good advice but no matter were you visit in the Philippines you have to be careful and always have company with you but thats the same in most countries.

[Admin]

You haven't been to Wales then.......only time we jumped here, is when a squirrel misses a tree style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Hellooo.gif

[nigelbham698]

thanks for your replies - ive extensively researched Davao really - and from what i can see yes its true you will not see too many westerners there - however ive read some really positive reports - there is a guy on lonely planet who is a well respected traveller and has posted extensive travel jnls on the phillipines - he says that in his opinion he feels hundereds if not thousands times safer in davao than say in manila - alot of it is to do with the mayor who is cleaning up on the criminal fratertenities - I think the whole abu sayeff thing is a bit unfair on davao really - yes i know the airport was attacked - but if you read the fco advice and some other stuff its hundereds of miles from davo to the west so i would compare that to say the west coast of sril lanka being completely off bound for tourists - tamil tiger country. Ive not been but im just trying to gain as many opinions as i can - ive also e mailed westerners who have stayed in davao and they say its really far safer than manilla - apparently kindnappings in manilla are fare higher than davao - and statistically thats proven too.

It also makes me wonder why the filipino governernment would hold the Aaisan Tourism Forum 2006 in this city if its unnsafe - surely that would be like committing suicide considering the press reports show hundereds of reps drom all over the world - that would be a really stupid thing to do I feel - promote filipino world tourism in its 'most dangerous city'


anyway just a few thoughts but if anyone can offer any other davice generally on visting the phillipines i would be really grateful.

if anyone is interested in web links for westerners living in davao, davao travel reports etc etc - I have loads.



Kind regards
Nigel

[Admin]

Norman Kember ignored the HO advice as well style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif

Always best to over cautious, especially in a foreign land.

I could walk through Moss Side, Manchester without being shot for the rest of my life, but I'm buggered if I'd take the risk! style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cwm24.gif

[philandjoy]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(admin @ Apr 3 2006, 07:16 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
Norman Kember ignored the HO advice as well style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif

Always best to over cautious, especially in a foreign land.

I could walk through Moss Side, Manchester without being shot for the rest of my life, but I'm buggered if I'd take the risk! style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cwm24.gif
[/b][/quote]

Hey, I work in Manchester Academy which is located in Moss Side. As a new comer in this country and being a Filipina that's tough for me to cope with. I guess there are always rough places in any big cities style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/mad.gif

[Admin]

As long as the smackheads in Moss Side are all killing each other, that is fine with me, it's when innocents get involved....... style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif