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So i have been planning to fly over to the Philippines this summer , in July.There is a special person over there i would like to finally meet after knowing each other for some time now.
The thing is that it is going to be my first ever flight with a plane and a very far distant one at that and you can all be sure that i am nervous about it.
I could use some advice right now from people who have experience with it and know how to prepare well. I still have months before my departure but i like to be 100% prepared for it without any doubts.
I am staying over there for 3-4 weeks. I am wondering what kind of documents do you exactly need to bring with you since the last thing i want is to get stuck somewhere and if a visa is required.
Bare with me guys , i have little to no experience with traveling with a plane.For some , this might seem laughable but for me its something of a big step in life.
The people of TeamLiquid haven't let me down before and i know they won't do that now , thanks in advance.
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How old are you? Do your parents know you're flying out across the Atlantic to meet someone you have never met in person?
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They typically won't let you onto a plane without proper documents.
What's your nationality? Your passport is typically only good until six months prior to its expiration date.
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If you're a EU citizen, you don't need a visa according to wikitravel, but the maximum duration of your stay is 21 days. That's probably the standard tourist visa for this country, if you stay longer you'll need a visa, you have to check out their embassy to see if you can get one that lasts longer if you need it.
Are you sure you know what you're doing? The "first ever flight" is the least of your problems, flying is easy. You need a valid passport, your ticket and maybe a visa, that's it. But you seem extremely unprepared given that you're sure you're doing this. Have you already booked a flight? Because the smart thing to do would be checking out visa restrictions first and planning your trip second. Oh, and last but not least, please tell me that special person isn't someone you "fell in love with" online who lives 10,000km away and you're now going to finally meet and be happy with for the rest of your life. Because that happens about as often as a Nigerian Prince actually giving you free money.
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On March 03 2013 23:21 blackone wrote:If you're a EU citizen, you don't need a visa according to wikitravel, but the maximum duration of your stay is 21 days. That's probably the standard tourist visa for this country, if you stay longer you'll need a visa, you have to check out their embassy to see if you can get one that lasts longer if you need it. Are you sure you know what you're doing? The "first ever flight" is the least of your problems, flying is easy. You need a valid passport, your ticket and maybe a visa, that's it. But you seem extremely unprepared given that you're sure you're doing this. Have you already booked a flight? Because the smart thing to do would be checking out visa restrictions first and planning your trip second. Oh, and last but not least, please tell me that special person isn't someone you "fell in love with" online who lives 10,000km away and you're now going to finally meet and be happy with for the rest of your life. Because that happens about as often as a Nigerian Prince actually giving you free money.
Yeah dude at least get her naked on webcam before flying to meet her
Actually even if you do get her naked on webcam, you should probably bring a friend. Because what if she works for a kidnapping ring or something?
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On March 03 2013 23:10 Jinsho wrote:
How old are you? Do your parents know you're flying out across the Atlantic to meet someone you have never met in person?
I am 22 years old and no , i haven't told my parents yet.
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On March 03 2013 23:13 Cambium wrote:
They typically won't let you onto a plane without proper documents.
What's your nationality? Your passport is typically only good until six months prior to its expiration date.
Slovenian
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On March 03 2013 23:21 blackone wrote:If you're a EU citizen, you don't need a visa according to wikitravel, but the maximum duration of your stay is 21 days. That's probably the standard tourist visa for this country, if you stay longer you'll need a visa, you have to check out their embassy to see if you can get one that lasts longer if you need it. Are you sure you know what you're doing? The "first ever flight" is the least of your problems, flying is easy. You need a valid passport, your ticket and maybe a visa, that's it. But you seem extremely unprepared given that you're sure you're doing this. Have you already booked a flight? Because the smart thing to do would be checking out visa restrictions first and planning your trip second. Oh, and last but not least, please tell me that special person isn't someone you "fell in love with" online who lives 10,000km away and you're now going to finally meet and be happy with for the rest of your life. Because that happens about as often as a Nigerian Prince actually giving you free money.
Thanks for your post , i much appreciate it. I have not booked a flight yet and to tell you the truth i still have doubts. One side of me tells me that life is to short and i should take the chance and do it and the other one says that its a stupid and foolish idea and that i should know better.
And i sadly have to say that it is that case of a person i have never met before and i am aware of the scams out there and all kinds of crazy things people do just to get some money out of someone.I am being really careful and been looking for sings which could indicate that it is fake and a scam , so far either the scammer is really good or its the real deal, Maybe some pointers on what to look out for? I don't know really , i could use a fairly good discussion about this.
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I don't know, I just think you should be very, very careful. If you travel to a foreign country that you've never visited before, where the people speak a language you don't understand, to meet a person you've never seen before, you're potentially putting yourself into serious danger. I obviously don't know anything about this girl, but no matter how sure you think you are, you don't really know if she is who she seems to be. I think it's very rare that an undertaking like this goes well. At the very least you shouldn't go alone.
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On March 03 2013 23:44 Knap4life wrote:Show nested quote +On March 03 2013 23:13 Cambium wrote:
They typically won't let you onto a plane without proper documents.
What's your nationality? Your passport is typically only good until six months prior to its expiration date. Slovenian
You probably don't need a tourist visa if you stay less than 21 days, but I'd double check with someone. Call a travel centre or something.
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On March 03 2013 23:51 Knap4life wrote:Show nested quote +On March 03 2013 23:21 blackone wrote:If you're a EU citizen, you don't need a visa according to wikitravel, but the maximum duration of your stay is 21 days. That's probably the standard tourist visa for this country, if you stay longer you'll need a visa, you have to check out their embassy to see if you can get one that lasts longer if you need it. Are you sure you know what you're doing? The "first ever flight" is the least of your problems, flying is easy. You need a valid passport, your ticket and maybe a visa, that's it. But you seem extremely unprepared given that you're sure you're doing this. Have you already booked a flight? Because the smart thing to do would be checking out visa restrictions first and planning your trip second. Oh, and last but not least, please tell me that special person isn't someone you "fell in love with" online who lives 10,000km away and you're now going to finally meet and be happy with for the rest of your life. Because that happens about as often as a Nigerian Prince actually giving you free money. Thanks for your post , i much appreciate it. I have not booked a flight yet and to tell you the truth i still have doubts. One side of me tells me that life is to short and i should take the chance and do it and the other one says that its a stupid and foolish idea and that i should know better. And i sadly have to say that it is that case of a person i have never met before and i am aware of the scams out there and all kinds of crazy things people do just to get some money out of someone.I am being really careful and been looking for sings which could indicate that it is fake and a scam , so far either the scammer is really good or its the real deal, Maybe some pointers on what to look out for? I don't know really , i could use a fairly good discussion about this.
do you mind sharing more about this?
from what you've said, it's just some girl you met over the internet? Have you thought about flying her to see you?
e: you probably won't have your kidneys stolen, but I'd still be damn careful
Which city in the Philippines?
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nothing wrong with flying over there to meet someone.
My aunt met her husband when he was on a trip (he's from US and my aunt is from HK), and they kept writing to each other (my mum did actually, my aunt English was pretty bad) and eventually they got married and moved to US together.
Just make sure you have back up plans and some people you can contact with to let them know your situation, keep them updated where you are about.
What you will need is:
Passport (with visa if needed)
Money (credit card is extremely important, get one)
Other form of valid IDs and documents. (driving licence, identity card etc)
Phone (and get a sim card to call overseas right away)
(of cause a full parent support should be obtained, especially if you are going to use their money. But since you are 21, I trust you can take care of yourself on a 21 days trip fairly well)
Philippines can be a bit dangerous, I have heard stories of thief.
Just make sure you hide money somewhere other than your wallet. Don't bring anything too valuable, keep a low profile looking.
They speak English (not everyone though) so even if you got into some kinda problem with her, you can at least get a nice trip around the country and able to communicate with the people.
Check the temperature/weather for matching clothing, pack a small suitcase (travelling light is better). Don't stay out too late alone.
Live in hotels.
My father likes to travel alone in mainland china and it can be extremely dangerous. He always tell me to make friend with the local taxi driver and offer him to take you around until the end of the trip, that way if you got into any trouble, he would help you out a little.
Can't offer you any opinion on whether it's a scam or not. But imo, it's less likely for the money but more likely for the EU citizenship (but usually if they aim to get the citizenship, they would target an older person because they tend to be easier prey, no parents issues etc)
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On March 03 2013 23:51 Knap4life wrote:Show nested quote +On March 03 2013 23:21 blackone wrote:If you're a EU citizen, you don't need a visa according to wikitravel, but the maximum duration of your stay is 21 days. That's probably the standard tourist visa for this country, if you stay longer you'll need a visa, you have to check out their embassy to see if you can get one that lasts longer if you need it. Are you sure you know what you're doing? The "first ever flight" is the least of your problems, flying is easy. You need a valid passport, your ticket and maybe a visa, that's it. But you seem extremely unprepared given that you're sure you're doing this. Have you already booked a flight? Because the smart thing to do would be checking out visa restrictions first and planning your trip second. Oh, and last but not least, please tell me that special person isn't someone you "fell in love with" online who lives 10,000km away and you're now going to finally meet and be happy with for the rest of your life. Because that happens about as often as a Nigerian Prince actually giving you free money. Thanks for your post , i much appreciate it. I have not booked a flight yet and to tell you the truth i still have doubts. One side of me tells me that life is to short and i should take the chance and do it and the other one says that its a stupid and foolish idea and that i should know better. And i sadly have to say that it is that case of a person i have never met before and i am aware of the scams out there and all kinds of crazy things people do just to get some money out of someone.I am being really careful and been looking for sings which could indicate that it is fake and a scam , so far either the scammer is really good or its the real deal, Maybe some pointers on what to look out for? I don't know really , i could use a fairly good discussion about this.
They are doing their homework properly, so you might not see a scam, even when you're looking for clues. You probably want it to be legit, so it might cloud your judgement. EU Citizenship is THE number one reason why they try to fish for dudes from Europe over there. It's not even funny. They have a huge network, it's not like this single one young girl tries to make something happen, they're doing it with a system.
I know nothing about you, nothing about this "special person", but if it's a chick, then fuck it, don't to it, move on. Use your mind, be reasonable. Why the fuck would she want you, when you live on the opposite side of the globe, in a country where the poorest fuck earns more money than any normal person where she is.
It's understandable if you listen to people telling you to go for it, give it a try etc. but it's not worth it. You'll be fucked afterwards. Sorry.
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in Germany we have an office of foreign affairs, they give travel advisory for pretty much any country.
For the Phillipines, they warn about:
Flooding and mudslides in the rain season
typhoons (hurricanes)
terrorist attacks (last bomb in Manila went off 13 months ago)
kidnapping of tourists for ransom
crime in general
use of 'ko-drops' on tourist to rob them
police officers blackmailing tourists
a general warning about drug use/possession: 5g or more is a life-sentence
the vehicles of the public transport system are unsafe, don't drive at night
scams when paying with credit cards, no atm available, no way to cash traveler cheques
HIV
Cholera
Malaria
Dengue-Fever
tourist visa is 21 days, can be extended by paying a certain amount up to 59 days
edit: never ever would I go east under the given circumstances, it smells fishy.
edit2: given the fact that you have never traveled you seem to be the perfect victim for that kind of scam.
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It sounds like your biggest fear is the plane ride, which I understand though it's not a problem for me but really you need to be preparing for being in a foreign country by yourself. It can be very dangerous to travel alone especially if you don't do the proper preparations and don't have the right mindset where you don't trust anyone, not to mention the entire purpose of the trip is to meet a girl whom could potentially get you robbed and killed.
With that said...start researching on how to travel alone, take a short plane ride somewhere else first if you have the money, or consider trying to fly her to you because although I think many people would be fine in a situation like this it doesn't really sound like your ready.
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Without having more details about how you know this person etcetc no one can tell you for sure whether you might be getting "scammed" or whatever, but Philippines isn't that much of a third-world country these days to expect that everyone there is just trying to get money or a EU citizenship or whatever from you there.
Do proper research, try to make sure you have things to do there even if the person you're meeting ends up being busy or whatever, and enjoy yourself. Your friend aside, seeing a different culture half the globe across from you is an incredible experience if you go into it with an open mind, and I'm sure you can have a great time if you prepare well.
I know some people got burned pretty hard meeting people in person after online introductions, but my own experiences with this kind of thing had always been overwhelmingly positive. A few years ago I've done pretty much the same, meeting a person I've met online a few months prior in their country; we're extremely close friends now and the memories from that trip are something I'll always cherish.
Some tips for travel in general and a thing like this in particular: Never let go of your luggage while in the airport / going to your hotel etc. If you're going to the bathroom, take it with you; if you're buying something in a dutyfree, always keep your things with you.
Don't let people (taxi drivers will probably try very hard to do this) "help" you without knowing exactly what you're getting and how much does it cost. If you can't understand someone very well, just say that and be on your way. Again, this is especially common for taxi drivers around airports and hotels. "U need go there? I take u! Cheap! Really, it cheap! Come on!"
If you need assistance with something, try talking to people who are actually working in a place near you rather than random bypassers. Security guards, public transport conductors, retail store assistants etc are all good picks to speak to. Lots of 'random' people are very helpful as well, but if you're not very confident about being abroad, it might not be the safest idea to ask whatever from strangers like that.
Keep no more than 50-100 euro in cash on yourself, use debit/credit card where possible and take extra care with your pin. Make sure to have your money on two different cards, and leave one of your cards (as well as your passport, return tickets, and anything else important) stored safely in your hotel. Do NOT just carry your documents and all of your money in your wallet or backpack, and do NOT just leave it in your room - pay for it if you have to, but keep it in a deposit box or a locker. Most hotels will have that kind of a service.
When you're meeting your friend for the first 1-2 times, do it in a cafe or something during the day, somewhere in the central part of a city. Don't just follow their directions to some random place, obviously.
At the end of the day, as long as you don't do anything stupid you'll be just fine and have a great time. Combine 70% of paranoia with 30% curiosity, and your trip will go great. XD
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and this can not hurt. Depending a bit on when it was last updated, the contents can be outdated, but they generally tell you how much you should expect to pay for things: http://shop.lonelyplanet.com/philippines/philippines-travel-guide-11/?lpaffil=lpdest-shoppod
What I usually do, if I really, really have to get a taxi from the airport: Go to the information desk at the airport I am in, and ask
a) how much to expect to your destination. If they don't know your hotel/destination, know a good landmark it is close to.
b) ask for which taxi companies are reliable, stick to those.
c) never take any shit from taxi drivers. They will overcharge you by 500% without blinking an eye.
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You're talking a guy in his early 20s, who is immature enough to have never flown on a plane & to ask the internet for help. There is no way he is capable of not taking shit from taxi drivers. He probablt has "I am a gullible victim" written all over him.
His parents don't even know he's going. What a joke. Guy, you realise that if you get in trouble in the Philippines, say maybe you get mugged, beaten & left in a ditch somewhere, because you look like an incredibly easy mark, or even if you just get your wallet stolen, you won't even be able to count on your parents help because they won't know where you are & you'll have no means of contacting them?
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Here's how you prepare.
Take martial arts classes.
Get ripped.
Get your friend on webcam. If you can't, make sure you know your Krav Maga and anti-execution drills. (hand-to-hand vs. gun in your face survival techniques)
Tell your parents.
Edit: Prepare for the worst, hope for the best. If the worst finds you, at least you'll survive. If the best finds you, you won't regret getting the exercise!
Edit 2: How are you currently communicating with this person? Snail mail, email, IM, phone, text, skype, or webcam? What language do you use to communicate? English?
For the "looking for scammer clues" here's my advice:
let some people here listen in on the conversations you're having.
Ask yourself this question: would you regret not going? You already know you MIGHT regret going. But would you regret it down the road if you just cut off this thread and looked for someone a little closer to home?
Stay safe dude.
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Also you can never be 100% prepared without any doubts, try to stop thinking that way. It can be scary going alone and really you should be a little scared. Paranoia is your friend until you know what's going on.
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EPT
