Anyone need a travel guide?

[BrainSex]

HI, I was telling a friend about some of the adventures in Philippines and he asked me to take him along next time. Then I started wondering, is there a business to arrange tours for people to visit? Use my accumulated knowledge to introduce people to stay in the right hotel, arrange airport transfers without them getting ripped off. I guess the focus of these tours would be more fun than sightseeing.

Thoughts and opinions?

Brainsex

[BrainSex]

SOmething like....

Day 1: Morning: Depart MEL,SYD, BNE, DRW to Manila
day 1 :Evening: Arrive from various Australia cities into MNL. Join mini van to AC. Van loaded with girls, beer and snacks. Stop off at generic pharmacy to pickup Viagra
Day 1: Hit the Angeles City bars with the chosen girls

day 2: Late start, first girls leave, hit the bars

day 3: Hit the bars, then High Society Freelancer territory

day 4: Hit the bars

day 5 : Transit to Manila, Burgous Street...hit the bars

day 6 : Optional free day, invite back any girl from previous days

day 7: Flight to Cebu, hit bars and clubs

day 8 : Cebu beaches

day 9 : Cebu beaches and clubs

day 10: Province dates

day 11: Province girls

day 12: Return to Manila and/or AC

day 13 Angeles bars

day 14 : Bus to airport, farewell to girls


Budget

Airfares $1,200 (Economy)
Hotels 14@$100-$150
Girls 14@$60
Food $0
Drinks $30/day

14 day mongering heaven vacation, all inclusive $4,560

[mak695]

seems a bit expensive to me, especially for Philippines. Thats $1400-$2100 just on hotels, you staying in 4/5 star hotels?

Could probably spend half what your recommending in Thailand and still live like a king.

I know that you probably still wanna earn a bit from doing this, and this may sound harsh but even if someone was to book it all themselves and just get a translator over there it would still be a lot cheaper than what your recommending

[asiafever]

Easier if you are based there. Paying for your flights and accomm makes it prohibitively expensive. Those who could afford $4k on flights accomm etc probably don't mind paying high class escorts.

[OzSnoopy]

Hello

There is also the drop in PHP to AUS dollar to consider.
Maybe it might be better if you did an exact quote like you have just done.

Then add on 200 dollars as a example and if possible a discount from larger number of people in booking rooms extra you keep.

Not trying to difficult but may be break it up and be upfront about fee.

Never been to Thai land so not sure of cost, but I have been to PHP

3/4 star rooms around 2500 php or 70 dollars.
Cebu air 250 or PHP national has business class for 1200 in Feb.

So time year is factor for flights, exchange rate etc.

Just some thought thats all

[BrainSex]

Thanks for the feedback. I'm just a monger with some ideas.


Absolutely money can be saved all the way along. But if travelling in a group, the hotel has to be big enough to have enough availability plus an in-room safe to protect valuables from dodgy WL.

I think if this is to work, there would be a published list of flights and hotels that the participating mongers would book directly themselves. There would not be a central booking service. Just a co-incidence that we all meet and stay in the same hotels.

Yes, and I absolutely agree that people can do this themselves...which doesn't explain why travel agents are still in business.

I'm not a travel agent btw. I do however have a business in Phils which gives me a legitimate tax deductible reason to visit regularly.

Let's get serious about funding this. The advantages of Phils are good english skills, fantastic girls, good times and still a little frontier attitude.

Depart Australia on a Saturday, return the following Sunday.

[harmony]

If you talk to Sextus, there is a tendency for people to say yes to an idea, but not to commit when things get more definite

I havent done enough travel, would like to travel with some friends, and I have never been to that lovely country, so if the date was right, I could go for 7 days

Having organised my share of functions over time, the best way forward is to present all the specifics, including date and hotel pricings, and expect a bit of changing of dates and last minute join-ins as people juggle their schedules

The holiday group may have to start small, and then word of mouth when the group comes back leads to the 'snowball effect' for subsequent trips

Word of mouth from after the first trip, is the way to go

Just my 2 cents

[harmony]

I would prefer to travel with people who have some experience in the area, rather than "doing it alone"
I have travelled to several Asian countries for work purposes, and unless you know the areas, you do things far less efficiently and cost effectively

[asiafever]

As a group idea where the costs of "employing" you are divided between larger numbers, yes absolutely it works far better, and if you are to be there anyway on work it makes greater sense. Having trusted people on the ground somewhere is a big plus, it all comes down to cost vs benefit. As a side earner that essentially costs $0 to get going why not go for it?

[BrainSex]

As a side earner that essentially costs $0 to get going why not go for it?

My biggest concern is that of legal issue. What if....it's somehow seen as a criminal act to organise a sex tour? What if one of the participants is a dickhead and finds themselves in trouble, am I hooked into it. are we all hooked into it and find ourselves in a Manila cell? We've all done a few referrals on the forum only to find that the guy treats the woman like shit.

Let's mull through the issues on that?

[asiafever]

Well my understanding on those 2 points are:
1. If it is not illegal to use the services then it shouldn't be illegal to organise a group to go and use the services. Much like a foody tour hopping from restaurant to restaurant. If it is illegal then yeah technically organising a tour to partake in illegal activities could land in hot water.
2. Each individual is responsible for their own actions, but Philippines being as it is yes the cops could nab you all hoping for a payoff to let the rest of you go. Don't know what the legal system is like there but I guess it is a risk. I know exactly the kind of guys you're referring to.

In Australia the legal ramifications you need to consider are that once you've organised $40000 worth of tours you need to be a licensed travel agent (that used to be the case). Then there's insurance and the rest but I don't see why this couldn't be run less as an official business venture and more of a mate helping out friends. I'm tipping you're not looking at running a tour a month or anything like that, so keeping it on the low key and therefore avoiding ato scrutiny, paying gst (if they pay you upfront here you could breach the gst exempt threshold very quickly) etc.
Someone with a better brain than I would very quickly be able to work out the ways to set it up to avoid all those issues legally.

[harmony]

When I go overseas with friends, unless I specifically want to sit next to someone in the plane (eg girlfriend), then we all organise our plane tickets and rooms individually
Obviously we communicate about which hotels are cheapest

That is the way to go. Friends travelling individually but meeting up at the destination
Makes it easier too in the sense that no one individual is left with any unpaid expenses or legal actions

As I said before, there is a difference between the numbers saying they are interested, and the actual numbers who end up paying and going to the destination
Sometimes its like trying to herd a group of cats, and I wouldnt delegate any one person to do that task
You turn up or you dont, but dont expect one person to chase your tail around to get you to pay.
Life aint like that even amongst close friends

[asiafever]

That is 100% correct. Best way to go I reckon.

[BrainSex]

So, how about some planning dates..

Arrive into Manila on Sat 25 April, Depart Sunday 2 May

SYD -MNL fares with Cebu Pacific cabin bag only is $485
BNE-MNL with Qantas $805

Sydney fares can be found even cheaper by juggling the dates!