Well we have made the move from Mactan to Valencia and we are so pleased to have made this change, I have yet to find out where things are situated here but enjoying the adventure. We shopped in Hypermarket yesterday and I was surprised that some of the items we get on a regular basis are more expensive here, one example is; Hereford C/beef P155 in Mactan and 269 here perhaps a mistake? also 1ltr Tanduay Rum P97 but P110 here, Tricycles are more expensive here also I believe, in Mactan they cannot get away with overcharging as you can compare their fares to Taxi fares over the same journey, Hypermart to Valencia P150 seems expensive to me? Anyway having said all of the above I'd rather be here than in Mactan, one really good thing I have observed here and had never thought about before, it was heavy rain on the Tuesday night when we arrived here but next morning there was no sign that it rained the night before, in Mactan we would have been wading through puddles for days after, so living on a hill in the Philippines is a definite advantage as long as you are not in an area that is susceptible to landslides. Hope to meet some of you soon, Dave
Wait until you buy the Bear Brand Powdered Milk! I am SURE it is twice the price I use to pay back in Australia! Via Tricycle; we normally pay around 350php to go from Maluay, Zamboanguita to Robinson's or around 400php to go to the BPI Bank. On the return trip we normally pay 400php from Hypermart to Maluay, but usually tip the driver an extra 100php if he carries our boxes of Groceries the 150M to the house from the Highway. Watch those Tourist Tricycle Driver's; they charge extra because they are approved to carry Tourists, but try telling them you live here and that you are not a Tourist and they won't budge from their supposed set price!
We did pay, having no car at that time, 30 PHP one way from Valencia (Petron Gasstation) to Hypermarket. Loaded with groceries from Hypermarket backwards 60 or 70 PHP. You have to negotiate.
WOW you must be a hard negotiator! If ever I am kidnapped I know who to call to negotiate on my behalf! hehe
I would expect you could hire a private tricycle in Valencia, have him drive you to Hypermart, wait 45 minutes while you shop, and then drive you back for 150 peso. But it would depend on the time of day. Pick a time when they are not busy like 1 in the afternoon and go shopping.
Hi Norman, I think you will find things have changed here with the prices even in the short time since you have lived in Valencia, I tried to stand outside the Hypermart and get a passing trike offering them P80, but to a man they all insisted on P100 and just moved on and that was three of them, they really to stick to their guns here, I do understand the waiting trikes inside the mall car park wanting more as they have to line up for a time, if only they had metered Taxis here that would shake them up and they would be forced to reconsider their pricing.
Uber and Grab are what shakes up the prices. It's usually *much* cheaper than the regular metered taxis anywhere in the world, Cebu City and greater Manila included. But might take a few years for Dumaguete... Having that said, get your own transport, depending on tricycles when living outside Dumaguete city proper is a major pita imho.
I used grab in manila earlier this week several times and they were about the same on price as the metered taxi prices but far more comfortable.
Not a bad idea but for the fact I have very poor eyesight, coupled with lack of good road sense with many of the locals, plus driving on the wrong side of the road, maybe it is better that I do not drive here at all? My wife drives a motorcycle and does it well, perhaps in time we may get a car for her.
