Will be coming from the west coast, currently thinking Vancouver or San Francisco. Any tips on what airport to fly into/immigration/ground transportation? I wont be in a hurry so "stop by ____ on the way" or "fly into ____ then take a ____ the rest of the way" suggestions would be appreciated also.
I would think that L.A. is going to be your cheapest starting point, but I could be wrong. Best to check the prices online. If you want to visit another city prior to Valencia I would recommend Cebu over Manila. You won't have to worry about immigration when you first fly in. You will get your first 30 day stamp at the airport at no cost when you come through immigration (make sure you have an onward ticket though). If you want to extend that to 6 months you will need to fly through Manila and go to the main immigration office (on a weekday). From Manila you can get a flight directly to Dumaguete. When you fly into Manila (and if you don't plan on getting the 6 month extension at the Main BI) do not go outside the terminal to catch a taxi to your connecting terminal going to Dumaguete (scammers all of them!). The airport has a shuttle bus that will take you to the terminal you need to get to...and it's free. Ask any guard/airport employee how to get to the shuttle, if they tell you to go outside the terminal by the taxis they don't know what they are talking about or they are part of the taxi scam, find another person to ask. If you want to stop and rest a night in Manila I would recommend getting a taxi (the yellow ones) to Makati. Make reservations at a hotel prior to you arriving though, you don't want to be walking around trying to find a hotel in Makati last minute. The Tunes Hotel should suit your needs and is clean and affordable. There is plenty to do on Burgos St. in Makati. I would only do one night in Makati (Manila) then get an onward ticket to Dumaguete. If you liked Makati you can schedule more days there on the return.
I am used to showing onward ticket confirmation email on my phone when checking in with the airline for an overseas departure. Does BI also want to see it? What kind of proof do they require (same email on phone OK or do they verify your ticket with the airline)? Didn't I see somewhere there is a BI office in Duma I can extend my visa at also?
Sometimes they want to see it, sometimes they just ask if you have one and sometimes they don't even mention it. Best to print out a copy of your itinerary and keep it tucked away in your carry-on bag. I have shown them my itinerary on my phone before and I have shown them a print out (they seem more pleased with the printout than the phone but they did accept both). Yes, you can extend your tourist visa in Dumaguete but only 2 months at a time. If you want the 6 month tourist visa you have to do it in Manila (unless that rule has changed recently). If you plan on staying for awhile it would be easier to get the 6 month than having to go to BoI every two months. Remember you are on vacation and it could slip your mind and then you are stuck with fees....and possibly a notarized apology letter explaining why you were late. (They have never required this from me for being late in Dumaguete but they do in other branches like Cebu, it is possible for them to add this requirement in Dumaguete at any time.
