holidays in the phils

[stevewool]

how long break is the best time for your holiday in the phils, to me at least a month if you can have that long, but is that too long for many, once you have broken down the visits to the family and then taking the family on days or even weeks out there is not much time for yourself, the holiday that you want, but am i being selfish here, many might want to be with the family all the time, whats your ideal holiday

[andy222]

For me the answer is in your question steve. It depends how long you can get time off from work. Im allowed 7 weeks a year and if I dont win the lotto I will be going for 3 weeks in may. If I do win the lotto I would live there permanently. After all why would I want to bring my wife here? I will see what happens in the coming year regarding the spouse visa.

[lastlid]

I agree. Time off from work is the key here. Unless you have a job like I used to have or like Subseastu probably has where you work a month and get a month off....under such circumstances I would go to the Philippines for the whole month off.

But a problem with allocating all ones annual leave to a Philippine holiday is that you dont leave remaining days that you might need outwith (like I found out last year)

[stevewool]

i have been able to go twice to the phils and both times nearly a month each one, but its down to saving my holidays from last year and making sure its ok to be gone for that long, its usualy planned over xmas when we are on shut down anyway,

[lastlid]

i have been able to go twice to the phils and both times nearly a month each one, but its down to saving my holidays from last year and making sure its ok to be gone for that long, its usualy planned over xmas when we are on shut down anyway,

Smart move. I nearly did that last year, go at xmas to get the extra days. I was going to go for a complete month over xmas. Also helps if your employer is flexible.

[andy222]

Or throw a sickie for a month.

[lastlid]

Or throw a sickie for a month.

Could be interesting when you work for the NHS......

[stevewool]

sickie for a month and come back with a great tan

[lastlid]

I ran out of available days last year. When Mrs Lastlid arrived in October I had none left. It was only down to the flexibility of my boss/employer that I got a few extra days between xmas and new year to go to London with Mrs Lastlid.

My previous employer painstakingly counted everyday like a bunch of misers.

[lastlid]

sickie for a month and come back with a great tann

That would be soooo funny.

[stevewool]

my boss is very good, but then again i am too, any work that comes in that is akward, i will jump at it, weekend work late nights and so on, but i always say dont pay me but i want a days extra holiday and it works too

[andy222]

sickie for a month and come back with a great tann

Its called rehabilitation steve.

[grahamw48]

Luckily for me most of the time I've been visiting the Phils I've been self-employed, plus when employed, had a very understanding employer who would always have me back even after several months absence.

The last time I went was the shortest trip ever (2 weeks) and the jetlag really knocked me back for a few days.

You get 21 days visa-free anyway, so may as well use it all.

The longer the better as far as I'm concerned.

[lastlid]

Its called rehabilitation steve.

Yes. I just got back from a months worth of fantastic rehabilitation, boss.....

You would need some brassneck to carry that off Andy and how would you keep a straight face.....

[stevewool]

2 weeks well i must admit i would hate that but if its only what you can do well get use to the jet lag

[lastlid]

Luckily for me most of the time I've been visiting the Phils I've been self-employed, plus when employed, had a very understanding employer who would always have me back even after several months absence.

The last time I went was the shortest trip ever (2 weeks) and the jetlag really knocked me back for a few days.

You get 21 days visa-free anyway, so may as well use it all.

The longer the better as far as I'm concerned.

Yes. At my old company it was possible to take extended leave of absence where you could go away for several months, but they simply wouldnt pay you.....you could go away for say 3 months and just return and carry on as normal, but no pay for 3 months. I remember one guy going off to the Himalayas for 6 months....came back after 6 months and continued working as before...

[stevewool]

i asked Em would she like to go to america for the next holiday instead of the phils, well yes she would, sort of the same price the holiday would cost and when would we ever go there again,

[andy222]

Yes. I just got back from a months worth of fantastic rehabilitation, boss.....

You would need some brassneck to carry that off Andy and how would you keep a straight face.....

I have seen it done in the past not by me though. Knowing my luck I would get fired.

[lastlid]

I have seen it done in the past not by me though. Knowing my luck I would get fired.

Yes, there is always someone who has the b4lls to try that sort of thing....

[grahamw48]

Yes. At my old company it was possible to take extended leave of absence where you could go away for several months, but they simply wouldnt pay you.....you could go away for say 3 months and just return and carry on as normal, but no pay for 3 months. I remember one guy going off to the Himalayas for 6 months....came back after 6 months and continued working as before...

Oh, I certainly didn't get paid.

[Steve.r]

I have bben very lucky with my Boss, he allows me to take time out over my 20 days leave, but without pay of course. I get ahead of the game in my job and always catch up when i return as fast as possible. I think that as long as I come back, he is happy. I guess one day I wont (fingers crossed).

I just love to be with my family when I go to Phils. I have our house, my wife and son and family there, I need nothing more than just to be with them for as long as I can.

[stevewool]

thats the thing steve, your home is there more then here, at this moment home is her in england for me, now if i had a place like yours and a family well it would be very very hard to be here and wanting to be there,

[andy222]

Luckily my boss isnt bad he understands my situation he is always asking about things obviously he doesnt know what is going on with the ukba. When I told him about the new minimum income he said WTF? . He said he will write a supporting letter if I need it.

[rusty]

I work as a contractor so if I don't work I dont get paid, but if I feel like it and have a good contract, I could take as much time off as I want.

When I first met my wife I travelled a few times a year to see her as it was only me who was travelling.

Over the past few years it was only my wife travelling back to sort out the visa for her son, while I stayed at home to work.

Now we are all here in the UK, there is 4 of us travelling and the cost the biggest factor, just booked for us all to go back in July, cost........£2,600 just for the flights

[stevewool]

you are lucky wih your boss, my place of work still thinks Em is from thailand

[grahamw48]

I used to get the 'mail order bride' digs and looks all the time...mainly from fat old British hags.

Funniest was shopping in Tesco with the kids though...each one a different shade. Lots of curious looks.

[lastlid]

I used to get the 'mail order bride' digs and looks all the time...mainly from fat old British hags.

I dont get that, owing to my youthful looks.... Joking aside....I dont seem to get that, maybe as there are a lot of Filipinas here....

[grahamw48]

I was only 40 myself then, and the ex 23.

Not so many Filipinas in the UK at that time though.

[Steve.r]

I used to get the 'mail order bride' digs and looks all the time...mainly from fat old British hags.

Funniest was shopping in Tesco with the kids though...each one a different shade. Lots of curious looks.

Jealousy of her good looks and lovely skin colour I would imagine Graham

I know off topic slightly, but when we were walking around the Mall in Phils with our new 'white' baby, we got all sorts of funny looks from people. They look at Vincent, then me, then Charie, then Vincent then me again. I really think that people thought Charie was just my nanny

[subseastu]

I'm lucky in my job as mentioned, though 4 weeks about is a bit of a rush to get to the UK, pack, fly out to the phils, holiday, come back and get ready for going back to work. 6 weeks about was good as we'd go for 30 - 31 days and I'd still be able to relax a bit at each end before going to work again.