kellyjackson2102

About kellyjackson2102

http://kellyjackson2102.wordpress.com

Just an average Essex girl sans fake hair/eyelashes/tan/boobs/bum/minge/nails/nose Twitter: Kelly_jackson88 funinyour30sblog@gmail.com

Posts by Kelly Jackson:

Anti-ageing foods

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Anti-ageing Foods

*This post contains affiliate links.

My blog name gives away my age, so any idea I might have had of keeping it a secret that I am over thirty is dashed the minute I tell someone new my URL. Not that mind. Personally, I don’t think I look terrible for my age (thank you, Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair). However, there isn’t anything wrong with trying to stay ahead of the game, which is why I am sharing my wisdom with you when it comes to anti-ageing foods.

Blueberries

If you want to get down to the science of it all, blueberries have a chemical called anthocyanin in them. This is an antioxidant that can help when it comes to skin damage, either from the sun, pollution or even stress. You can buy blueberries in the supermarket, and you can even get frozen ones if you are worried about being able to use them before they go bad.

Serving suggestion: pop a few blueberries on your Weetabix in the morning.

Tomatoes

When it comes to salad, I have to admit, I am not a great lover. However, a cheeky tomato from time to time is one of life’s great pleasures for me. Tinned tomatoes appear in many of my dinner recipes and I absolutely adore cherry tomatoes in a salad. What you might not know about the simple tomato, is that they have powerful anti-ageing properties. Not only do tomatoes contain antioxidants and vitamin c, but they also contain potassium, magnesium and vitamins a & b. Vitamin c in tomatoes stimulates collagen production. 

Serving suggestion: use them in Mediterranean salmon. 

Pomegranate

I don’t know why and I can never explain this: but pomegranates freak me out. There isn’t some deep-rooted reason, like someone throwing a pomegranate at me when I was a child or anything, I just don’t like them. Sucks to be me though because pomegranates have great anti-ageing properties. Once you reach the age of 50 your skeletal muscles start to lose strength. It’s been suggested in that a compound found in pomegranates can slow this process down. 

Serving suggestion: scoop out the seeds and throw them in a granola/yoghurt bowl.

Avocado

Avocados have fatty acids that combat inflammation, which in turn helps your skin look its best. They also have a few nutrients including the vitamins a, c, e and k, as well as our old friend potassium and all of the b vitamins. I’ve tended to shy away from them in the past because they go off so quickly, but recently found and purchased this avocado keeper.

Serving suggestion: Avocado on toast with chilli flakes, garlic and lime.

Red peppers

I LOVE red peppers. Anyone that tells you all of the different flavours of peppers taste the same is on crack. Red peppers are full of vitamin c, which we have already established aids the production of collagen. They also contain an antioxidant called carotenoids which are anti-inflammatory and can also help against the damage the sun causes to the skin. 

Serving suggestion: throw them in a salad to give it some crunch.

 

 

Mediterranean salmon recipe

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Mediterranean Salmon Recipe

*This post contains affiliate links

How to make Mediterranean Salmon

Those that know me will know I am very comfortable with all types of food. I can’t site here and pretend that this Mediterranean Salmon is something I cook for myself all of the time. I’d say I have it once a week, but I am just as comfortable eating a Pot Noodle as I am eating something healthy like this. So don’t let any of my tweets about dirty burgers or eating a whole pack of bon-bons make you believe I can’t throw out a recipe that is healthy now and again.

Equipment

The main piece of equipment you will need is some very thick and sturdy kitchen foil.

Ingredients 

(serves 4)

1 x salmon fillet per person

2 x garlic cloves

2 x tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes to taste)

2 x peppers (optional)

1 x onion

1 x lemon

4 x tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Pinch of dill

Salt & pepper to taste

Method

  1. Slice four or five slits that are not too deep diagonally along the salmon fillets and put them on top of the foil.
  2. Squeeze the lemon evenly along all of the fillets you are cooking, then do the same with the apple cider vinegar.
  3. Add the salt and pepper to taste, and put the dill along the slits.
  4. Chop the garlic and rub it on the top of the salmon fillets. Garlic granules can also work here.
  5. Slice the tomatoes, onion and peppers.
  6. Put the sliced tomatoes, onion and peppers on top of the salmon, ensuring you start with the onion as there is more of this.
  7. Wrap up the foil so each individual salmon fillet is a little package.
  8. Cook at 180 degrees for 45 minutes.
mockup logo

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How to Brand Your Food Blog

*This post is sponsored by Design Bundles.

Writing a food blog is the perfect outlet for anyone who has a strong passion for all things food, but might just fall short of a career being a gourmet chef. One of the reasons I love blogging about food is that you get to eat it and I also get to share quite a lot of my favourite recipes with all of my readers. But anyone reading this thinking that all you need to do if you run a food blog is to eat things and write about them would be incredibly incorrect. So much work goes on behind the scenes with a food blog. Recently I wrote a post touching on how you can use different fonts to make your food pictures stand out. In this post, I will be going through a few tips on how you can brand your food blog. If you take just that one step further from a food blog by turning it into a brand, you’ll get a lot more blogging opportunities, traffic and ultimately you’ll probably enjoy your blogging experience a lot more.

Think about your favourite food

It’s unlikely that one single food will ever provide you with enough content for an entire food blog, but you can still incorporate what your favourite food is and market yourself as a particular expert of this food. The ideal scenario would be that when someone is looking for a recommendation for a certain type of cuisine, they pick your blog because they associate you with that cuisine. One of my favourite foods is the very basic (but very tasty) fried chicken. I have a whole section on my blog called “tried chicken” which is specifically for this food. Creating a separate category for one food alerts your reader to the fact you eat it a lot and you might be the best person to go to for advice on it in a certain area.

Create a logo

Many people will tell you that a logo is the most important thing you’ll need to create a brand, and they would be more or less right. Although there are a number of things that are important when you are creating a brand, a logo is one of them. You can use websites like DesignBundles to make a mockup logo to see what it is like. You don’t necessarily need to overdo your logo by using it on every post. You can just use it on your blog theme or header and then put it in other places that feel appropriate down the line. Another benefit to creating a logo early is that if you look to sell printed merchandise to your fans down the line, you’ll already have something designed.

Think about your average reader

When you think about your average reader, the idea you might have of who they are and who is actually reading your blog could be completely different. Start by going through your blog stats and then look through your social media followers and ask yourself a few questions like “how old is my average follower?” and “which tow or city does my average follower live in?” and most importantly, what content they are consuming. The more you understand about your audience holistically, the more you can create content that is intended to resonate with them.

Schedule regular interaction

One of the best things about writing a food blog is how easy it is to write content that is useful to people. Things like restaurant reviews and recipes are frequently searched for using search engines, and even people that do not have a particular interest in food probably Google at least a few recipes per year. A good way to help with branding your food blog is to move that usefulness from your written content to your social media channels. Also, people love regularity, so make this a regular thing and it will quickly become associated with your food blogs “brand”. There are a number of ways you can do this. Perhaps you will release a recipe on a certain day each week, and then always do a live Q&A session a couple of days after so that you can see how your readers have go on with making the dish. Or, you could set aside a time to eat the food you are an “expert” on once a week and rotate through different places so that your followers always get new content.

UK Crisps

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Crisps Rated From Best to Worst

*this post contains affiliate links

Crisps are not just a snack for me. They are an entire way of life. I feel as passionately about certain crisps as men do about football. So that is why I have decided to give myself the authority to bring you the ultimate crisp list.

Pickled Onion Monster Munch

I did nearly bump these down because they are not very social crisps. I never feel comfortable eating these around people though. Ultimately, I decided no matter how unsocial or tongue-hurty they are, they are still worthy of the top spot. The Flamin Hot ones naturally share the top spot, and the Beef ones are not even really worth mentioning.

Tangy Toms

The only reason Tangy Toms haven’t clinched the top spot is that they are so rare. Tangy Toms are like that elusive fish your Dad just KNOWS is in the lake but can’t ever catch. Sometimes you can get them down the Aldi or the Poundshop, and other times they are not spotted for months on end. I’m not sure why they do it but it’s been a great marketing ploy because when they do appear, my Mum, buys five bags. I’m not sure who to blame their rarity on, but if I had to hazard a guess I’d say the Illuminati.

Doritos

Any crisp brand that has their own brand of salsa as well is always going to get a massive thumbs up from me. I mainly prefer the Chilli Heatwave flavour, then Cool Original then Tangy Cheese, despite being an overall cheese lover. I love Cool Original with the hottest salsa. And yes, would you have guessed it, I still have the cheek to wonder why I have tongue ulcers.

Hula Hoops (Any Flavour)

The thing I love about Hula Hoops is how sturdy and dependable they are. You can leave a Hula Hoop in your mouth for thirty-five minutes and it is not going ANYWHERE. The only issue bumping Hula Hoops down a bit is that they are so enjoyable but there are only about five in a pack. What a mug off. Although I have written “all flavours” anyone who likes ready salted should NOT be trusted.

Pickled Onion Space Raiders

Pickled onion features heavily on my list because it is an awesome crisp flavour. However, the flavour isn’t enough on a Space Raider. Again, the hot space raiders second only the pickled onion ones and anyone that likes BBQ/Beef is a weirdo. 

Salt and Vinegar Squares

Another crisp in the tongue-hurty category. But so worth it.

McCoys (Any Flavour)

McCoys are another crisp that is in the sturdy category. Good, dependable crisp, well-worth a purchase. Any flavour McCoy is acceptable, but guys what I am going to say about ready salted?

Pringles

I used to LOVE them, but to be honest they are neither here nor there. A very “nothing” crisp. Shit. 

Skips

Minging. Make my teeth itch.

Ready Salted Walkers

Most boring crisp in the whole world.

If you enjoyed this article, feel free to swing by my Ko-Fi page to buy me a coffee for £3.00.

Font Bundles

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Fonts for the Perfect Food Blog Post

*This post is a sponsored post for font bundles. It contains a sponsored link whereby the company paid me to use this link in the text. 

If you have ever used a recipe website like BBC Food, you’ll notice that although the recipes are good, the pictures and imagery are more than a little dull. This is one of the reasons more people are turning to food blogs to get their recipes. One of the ways you can cash in is by creating a popular recipe with some great imagery that draws in the reader. Posts of this kind are often more popular the more simple they are. There are so many great things you can do around food. It is an unlimited source of content. Many food bloggers now also rely on tools like social media to publicise their blogs. Instagram and Snapchat stories are a great way to do short, sharp recipes. Having a lot of time at home means you can experiment and cook more, so this is a great time in general to have a food blog.

If you write a food blog and you are looking for some inspiration for your layout, there are a few options you might consider.

Text over the finished food

Font Bundles

Sometimes there might be instances where you can only share one photo. As well as several blog layouts only allowing you to have one picture, this method also works well for Instagram and Twitter. Bold, simple fonts always work well on this type of recipe imagery. This is also a technique that works on Pinterest. Pinterest is a great place for cooking content as food tends to be naturally photogenic in general. The final product should be written on the food picture so that people can tell what it is. That might sound silly, but if you are photographing something from above that has cheese on top, there could be anything underneath. Pictures shot from above tend to be very popular with people who read food blogs. I like these pictures myself because they are very neat and tidy.

Step by step posts

Font Bundles

Step by step posts are a great medium for Instagram or Facebook stories or Snapchats. You can use  freebies fonts to do this, to make your step by steps stand out from other bloggers. Using specific fonts on a step by step post will make your cooking storey stand out from any other content. Clear and concise fonts work the best here, because there may well be people following along and trying to cook the dish as well. There is also the option for you to tie the steps posts together to make a Youtube step by step video. If you are not verbally explaining the instructions of how to cook the dish, you can use a free font to write at the bottom of each image what the step is and how to do it.

Youtube thumbnails

free fonts

I think we’ve all stood and filmed a cooking vlog or a “cook with me” post and imagined having our own cooking show. People tend to veer towards the visual when it comes to content, so fonts can be used to make your thumbnail stand out. Imagine how many cooking videos there are for things like shepherd’s pie and spaghetti bolognese? These fonts do not need to be necessarily as clear and concise as a step by step or a story post, so you can afford to be a little bit adventurous here. This is also a good opportunity to play around with some bold colours, as Youtube thumbnails tend to be a bit “in your face”.

The actual recipe

If your website allows, you might consider using a free font to write your recipe. As soon as a user clicks on your link, they will instantly judge your blog by how pretty it looks. This is also why the images are so important. If you have a good enough image at the top of your blog post, people will stay on your page and continue to read. Make sure the image isn’t too big though, or too covered in ads. This will turn many people off of a website instantly.

Where should I get my freebie fonts?

Free fonts are easy to find if you look in the right places. Font Bundles is a good place to start as they have loads of free fonts and you don’t need to provide a huge amount of personal details to register. You can also upload your fonts to design tools like Canva, which is incredibly helpful.

Gratin Dauphinoise

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Easy Gratin Daupinoise Recipe

*This post contains affiliate links

How do I Make Dauphinoise?

Potato or “gratin” dauphinois is one of my favourite meals. You can either have this dauphinoise as a side or as a full meal, depending on how much you eat. My personal preference is to split it out among ramekins an have them accompany a well-cooked steak. I am going to share with you the simple and quick recipe I use.

Equipment

You will need a good casserole dish like this casserole dish. You will also need a slotted spoon, this does not have to be expensive. You can have one that only cost you £2 like this slotted spoon.

Ingredients

500g cream single or double

3 x garlic cloves

500g of milk

Grated cheese (grate to taste)

Method

  1. Start by pre-heating the oven. Put it on 200 dregrees
  2. Cut the garlic cloves from the garlic. Take the three cloves and crush them slightly with your hand.
  3. Peel the potatoes finely and put them on to boil just to soften them. Boil them for just under five minutes.
  4. While you are boiling them, add the rest of the ingredients aside from the grated cheese into a sauce pan and bring to the boil. Use a spoon or a colander to remove the cloves of garlic, ad the flavour should have cooked into the sauce.
  5. Drain the potatoes.
  6. Layer the casserole dish with layers of potato and pour the cream and milk mixture in-between the potatoes.
  7. Put the cheese you have grated on the top. Any cheese will work, but Gruyere cheese is often used for this.
  8. Bake this in the oven for around one hour on

 

If this recipe was helpful to you, please consider buying me a coffee on Ko-Fi.

Gatwick Clubrooms

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Gatwick Clubrooms Lounge Review

*I visited the Clubrooms lounge as a paying customer, but there are affiliate links in this post. You can receive a discount on your airport lounge booking by using this affiliate link.

 

Because I’m scared of flying, I used to book airport lounges for unlimited alcohol. Basically, the idea was to get smashed before I got on the plane and sleep. The last time I visited the Philippines I don’t even remember stopping over in Doha (made it alive though). So I did wonder where the value would be of booking an airport lounge this time around, seeing as I don’t drink. Although I was in two minds, having a bit of space to myself away from the main terminal, the food, and the nicer toilets still sounded worth it to me. I decided to go for it and considering I have waited all year for this holiday and book the Clubrooms lounge, which is the most expensive but did look the fanciest. The only downside to booking lounge is that you have to dress smart/casual and I had to get myself a pretty fancy hand luggage bag. 

 

Before my trip I was doing the customary “look through all of your travel documents and get excited” and I noticed this lounge booking gave me access to the premium security lane. Once I had dumped my case I went to the premium security lane and my lounge booking did in fact, let me go through. Considering the security is always really busy at Gatwick this was worth the £38 in itself! So once I’d breezed through I went to the lounge area. Gatwick has all of its lounges conveniently located in one place which is really handy. The Clubrooms lounge is on the bottom so there are no airside windows, which is the only downside if you like that sort of thing. I personally don’t (again, scared of flying), so it didn’t bother me.

Because the Clubrooms lounge is that little bit more extravagant than the other lounges it is table service. When you enter and check in with the staff they will seat you at a table and give you a menu. Things like tea, coffee, and water are self-serve, along with some sweet treats. If you want an alcoholic or fizzy drink, which are unlimited, you can either order them from the waiting staff or go up to the bar. I got there just as the menu was changing over, which I was thrilled about as I had my eye right on the beef burger. Considering they put mayo on everything in this godforsaken country I didn’t even need to look at the menu to know there would be some element of it on this burger dish. I requested it without mayo and it really didn’t take long at all. I got my food in about 15 minutes which is fairly speedy in my opinion. It’s nice to have lunges with buffets but you don’t know how long the food has been sitting there and it is very rarely fresh.

 

Everyone who reads my blog regularly is probably sick of my banging on about it now, but I haven’t done a long-haul flight since I gave up alcohol. Instead of getting smashed I treated myself to a nice camomile tea from the self-serve bit. For all of you Karen’s out there the herbal tea selection is amazing, but fear not you can also get a standard cuppa if you are that way inclined and you are one of those people that goes to Spain and expects to find a full English and a cup of Tetley. There were also other added little perks like free newspapers and toilets there isn’t a 3 metre queue for.

I’d highly recommend treating yourself to the Clubrooms lounge before you go away. I mean, if you can’t treat yourself when you are on holiday, when can you?

You can get discount using my affiliate link here https://www.holidayextras.co.uk/?agent=WM076&utm_source=605603&utm_medium=itsmorefuninyour30s.com&utm_term=3496&utm_campaign=awin&awc=3496_1574680833_06f4b696fdee116e1a0b2a033c063a32

 

Takeaway

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Takeaway Food Rated From Best To Worst

*This article contains some affiliate links. 

First and foremost I just want to warn you: this list is going to be controversial. I don’t share takeaway tastes with the majority. I go a bit rogue here, but if you read on I will fully back up every choice and it’s ranking. 

Kebab

I know what you are all thinking. You are all thinking of that “end of the night” kebab when you stumble out of the club after 11 proseccos. That’s not quite the kebab I mean because I don’t even drink. I’m talking about a healthy chicken shish from my local posh kebab place. The reason it has been promoted to a “posh kebab” place is because you get cous cous AND rice (yes I am that easily pleased, fuck knows why I am single). By nature, I am not a healthy person, but this is my favourite because it isn’t greasy and fried.

Fried Chicken

Look at me contradicting myself and saying I like one thing because it isn’t greasy and fried and then the next thing on my list being fried. The trick is, if you get good fried chicken, it shouldn’t be greasy. I don’t go in for KFC, I prefer places like Wing Wing in Hammersmith. Fried chicken isn’t just a passion of mine, it’s a way of life. You’ll notice that I have an entire section on my blog dedicated to fried chicken called “Tried Chicken“. If you want a less greasy alternative you could always make your own with my fried chicken recipe. My secret weapon is a wok.

Indian

Seeing as I love spicy food so much, it’s not a surprise that my third favourite takeaway is Indian. I’ll usually opt for a Phal or a Vindaloo because I crave validation and want to look hard in front of (or on the phone to), the takeaway people. Once I went to an Indian near ours and they started bringing me glasses of water when they realised the Phal was for me.

Chinese

Chinese in a restaurant is fantastic, but Chinese from a takeaway not so much so. It breaks my heart when I see people bragging about how good their Chinese takeaway is because I’ve still not found one up to restaurant standard near me. I just find everything from a takeaway soggy to be honest with you. Especially dumplings. Absolute horror show from a takeaway. 

Pizza

I have a secret and I feel like admitting it will make me seem like a weirdo. I don’t like pizza. There, I said it. I don’t DISLIKE pizza, but it is just such an average takeaway for me. It doesn’t jump out enough for me to love it or hate it. It is neither here nor there. 

Burger King/McDonald’s

Burger King is another one that is hit or miss for me. Sometimes you get a good Burger King and sometimes it seems like they fried the onion rings for 37 years. Their burgers are just “ok”, and their chips are disgusting. McDonald’s is a lot better than burger king, but in general I can live without it. I know Fiat 500 Twitter lose their shit over chicken nuggets but they ain’t as good as a nice chicken shish.

Fish and Chips

All I’m saying is mushy peas. End of. 

If you read my food blog, feel free to subscribe to me on Youtube where I chat even more shit.

 

Blue Rock Beach Resort

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Blue Rock Beach Resort Review

*I visited Blue Rock Beach Resort as a paying customer

 

As I’ve mentioned on my social media, I have family in the Philippines so I visit fairly often. It doesn’t escape me how incredibly lucky I am to have somewhere to stay in this beautiful country, and I get to experience what day to day life is like there because I stay with family. One of the things we always do when I come to the Philippines is visit Blue Rock. I have definitely mentioned Blue Rock in Olongapo before but I haven’t ever written it’s own separate review, which is a shame, because it deserves one. It is really easy to book Blue Rock Beach Resort as well which is an added bonus.


Where is Blue Rock Beach Resort?

Blue Rock sits next to Baloy Beach in Olongapo. Olongapo is next to the famous Subic Bay, which used to be a US naval base. Now that the base is no longer active, the area of Subic and Olongapo have become popular tourist destinations. Blue Rock itself is right on the beach and there are even certain rooms where you can walk out of the front door and be on the beach. The beach itself affords lovely views of the mountains. If you book through Qatar Airways you can get a flight into Clark and then a bus to Olongapo.

 

What are the rooms like at Blue Rock Beach Resort?

 

I love the rooms at Blue Rock Beach Resort. They are, as one of mine and my pals favourite sayings goes, simple, yet effective. If you’v travelled about the Philippines a bit, you’ll probably be really grateful for the warm shower. I’ll be posting a video on my Youtube soon that shows you how close the rooms are to the actual beach, so make sure you subscribe  so that you don’t miss it. There are a few different levels of room available and I have stayed in two. The first time I visited, I stayed in the Blue Rock Junior Suite. This was a lovely experience, and the room opened out to a patio that was ON the beach. The view from the room was amazing, but one thing you will have to deal with is that the patio is completely undercover because Filipinos don’t like being tanned.

The Junior Suite was gorgeous. I’d recommend it for one night as a treat, or if you are travelling with a friend or as a couple. If you are on your own, it’s pretty big and you could probably use your PHP eating all the food or drinking all the wine.

Another room I have stayed in twice now at Blue Rock Beach Resort is the Blue Rock Beach Resort standard beach front room. This still has a pretty big bedroom and bathroom and is perfect for one or two people. If you are staying a while the reasonable price of this room will not let you down. Neither will the view, here is my picture from the window from 2016…

(The view form the window. Long old walk to the beach that)

 

What is there to eat and drink at Blue Rock Beach Resort?

 

One of the things I love the most about this place is the Blue Rock Beach Resort bar and restaurant, which is open 24 hours. My drinking days are over now since I gave up alcohol for my anxiety, but being able to get food any time is pretty great. The menu at Blue Rock Beach Resort is pretty extensive. You can get traditional Filipino food like Sizzling Sisig. The have a huge BBQ section and they BBQ every night. They have shepherd’s pie. They have pastas. They have a menu devised of pages and pages for food and drink, and the best thing is the majority of the items are also available on the room service menu. Another one of my favourite things about this hotel is coming up in the next section.

 

What is the room service menu/minibar like at Blue Rock Beach Resort?

 

First of all can I just say how weird it is that no matter what one of the far flung corners of this world you go to, you ALWAYS get a Toblerone in the hotel minibar. Another thing I love about this hotel is the fact the room service doesn’t cost any extra. In this country you get charged a ridiculous tray charge. None of this happens in Blue Rock, and you can get the majority of the menu delivered to your room with no extra charge. This fared me well when we took our trip in 2016 when I got sunburn, went bright red and was to embarrassed to go and meet my Aunty and Uncle in the restaurant. Funnily enough, there are no pictures of that haha.

 

Would I recommend Blue Rock?

 

Absolutely. Blue Rock is a great place to stay and I visit every time I go to the Philippines. You can book here: https://www.booking.com/hotel/ph/blue-rock-resort.en.html?aid=1730072&no_rooms=1&group_adults=1

Visiting the Philippines

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Everything you Need to Know About the Philippines

If it wasn’t for my Aunty being Filipino, I would ever have visited the place that has become my favourite place in the world. I’m always grateful that I have the opportunity to come here so much to see my family. But the Philippines is a wonderful place to visit so even if you do not have family here, visiting the Philippines is a must during your lifetime. There are so many things to do and see, two weeks almost isn’t enough. but if you are restricted with your annual leave you can definitely have a great trip within two weeks and see many of the beautiful sites the islands have to offer. I have done a couple of blogs on previous trips to the Philippines, but I feel so at home now it felt like a good idea to put all of my knowledge into a post for anyone thinking of taking a trip there soon. I’ve already written a separate blog on one of my favourite places, Blue Rock Beach Resort , and also filmed a Youtube video about the Philippines. However, I still wanted to put together an “ultimate guide” for anyone thinking of visiting.

Visiting the Philippines – is it safe?

I always visit the island of Luzon as this is where my family are. This is also the island that Manila is on and is, in general, pretty safe. Like anywhere, you need to watch out for pickpockets in the big cities. Funnily enough, I feel safer walking around Angeles City than I do in London. Mindanao is a risky area in certain parts and it’s worth checking the foreign office travel website before you go. At the time of writing this, their official advice regarding the region is “The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advise against all travel to western and central Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago because of terrorist activity and clashes between the military and insurgent groups. The FCO advise against all but essential travel to the remainder of Mindanao (excluding Camiguin, Dinagat and Siargao Islands) due to the threat of terrorism.” If you are visiting the Philippines the chances are you are going for the beaches/tourist areas. Places like Boracay and Palawan are perfectly safe.

Where I went, Angeles City is very built up and many of the locals speak English. You will be safe if you follow basic safety travel tips you would follow anywhere such as:

  • avoid taking large amounts of money out with you
  • do not draw attention to yourself with expensive or flashy jewellery
  • respect local culture
  • do not venture alone into dark or secluded areas

Visiting the Philippines – how to get there

I always book my flights using Qatar Airways because they fly to Clark, which is the nearest airport to where my family live. They do a free shuttle service between Manila and Clark so even if you are going to use Manila as a base you could still fly to Clark. There is a stop over in Doha, and the amount of time you are there can vary from one and a half hours to six hours. I recently wrote some tips for travelling long-haul in case you need them. The journey sounds long but it does actually go really quickly. One of the things you should consider is flying into Clark and using that as a base to get everywhere else. It is a lot less busy than Manila, and you can still get to all of the tourist destinations from Clark airport. There are some lovely hotels in the area, like Central Park Tower and also The Clarkton Hotel. You can also get to Olongapo pretty easily if you want to visit the beach (I’d recommend Blue Rock).

Visiting the Philippines – getting around

There are a few different ways to get around in the Philippines, depending on your budget. The great thing about catching a trike is that they are very reasonably priced. I actually worked out that it cost me £3.07 in GBP to get a trike to the Korean high street where my Aunty lives, get a coffee and a paper from 7/11, and get a trike back. That’s less than the actual coffee would cost me in London. I also worked out that I spend about £150 a month on coffee and Ribena on my way into the city so that gave me a good idea of how to crack on with my saving in the future.

You can also get a Blue Taxi which you can hail down on the road and call. Another excellent thing about the Philippines is that they don’t overcharge you. They are slightly more expensive than a trike, but still very affordable. For longer journeys there are busses and jeepneys. I have to say, the concept of a jeepney still confuses me a bit. My anxious little mind can’t cope with the whole “how much and when do you pay” situation. You can also take a Victory Liner bus. One of the more recent routes is Clark to Subic, so if you were going to make Clark your base instead of Manila you can easily access the local beach resort.

Visiting the Philippines – eating and drinking

Food is a big deal in the Philippines, so if you are a food lover like me you will be in your element. Visiting the Philippines for me means getting immersed in the culture, so I have tried loads of Filipino foods. One of my favourite dishes is Sizzling Sisig, which is fried pig’s head and chicken liver. Most of the places in Angeles City do a fair bit of English and Australian food though, so if you are not up to trying local delicacies, there will be plenty of places for you to eat.

Central Park Tower – Angeles City (££)

Central Park Tower has amazing views and a huge menu. The hotel restaurant is accessible to the public without a reservation. They cater to a huge number of tastes, including things like pizza and pasta in their menu. The prices are really reasonable, but are a touch expensive compared to the other places you could eat.

Jollibee (£)

As soon as I step off of the plane in the Philippines, I want to get a Jollibee (there is a Jollibee in London which is a bit out of the way in Earl’s Court so I don’t visit often). Jollibee is a fast food restaurant that is really popular. Their main meal is fried chicken and rice, and they also do things like spaghetti and hot dogs. I can’t even tell you how good it is. You could easily live on it if you are travelling on a budget, and the menu is quite big so you wouldn’t get bored.

Filipino food dictionary

Sizzling Sisig

As previously mentioned, sisig is chicken liver and pigs head, fried with herbs and spices. It comes out on a hot plate, so it is “sizzling” when it is served. Don’t let the thought of it put you off. It’s actually delicious.

Chicken Abodo

“Abodo” is just the Spanish word for “marinade”. So Chicken Abodo is basically chicken marinaded in soy sauce and vinegar. Although it is traditionally cooked in clay pots, it is usually prepared in a metal pot nowadays.

Balut

Balut really isn’t for the faint-hearted. The dish is a boiled egg, but with the duck embryo partially developed. It’s an incredibly famous national dish, and it’s a bit of an acquired taste. Saying that, if you are going to visit, you might as well try it.

Sinigang

This sour-meat stew is another dish that is really well-known in the Philippines. Pork is the most common meat used, but it isn’t that out-there to see this made with things like chicken or fish.

Visiting the Philippines – things to do

If you are thinking of visiting the Philippines you might be wondering what there actually is to do. One thing I can promise you is that no matter which area you visit, you will be spoiled for choice. Because the prices in the Philippines are so fair, you’ll be able to find something to do on any budget. I will cover a few options of things to do local to Clark/Angeles and also Manila, which is around an hours drive away (depending on traffic).

Olongapo (Blue Rock Beach Resort)

I’ve already written a separate review on Blue Rock Beach Resort, but I just wanted to include it in my guide. The Olongapo/Subic area is a short drive form both Clark and Manila. There are plenty of beach resorts to choose from, most of them ranging between £15 – £100 per night (the £100 ones would be the height of luxury). The sand is smooth and the sea is warm, and this is a perfect area to spend a few days as you will find all of the shops and nightlife you want as well as all of the usual water-sports and beach activities.

Local markets in the Philippines

If you are in the Philippines, then it is definitely worth visiting a local market. Angeles City has the Friday market. You can pick up anything from the Friday market including clothes, make-up, shoes, bags, food and much more. It’s definitely worth a trip if you are close to one.

Spend a day in Manila

If you are going to use somewhere like Angeles as your base, you wouldn’t have much reason to go into Manila. The locals tend to avoid it because of the traffic and how busy it is, but it you are on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the Philippines it’s worth seeing. Rizal Park is a huge public park, which is a bit like the Manila version of central park. It has great views of Manila bay and is steeped in interesting history dating back to the Spaniards rule. Intramuros is another part of Manila that is a direct result of the Spanish influence. The walled city looks completely different to the rest of Manila. You could also take a stroll along Manila bay promenade, which is strangely reminiscent of British seaside towns.

Things you should know before visiting the Philippines

  • The local currency is Philippine Peso (PHP), which usually hover around 66 PHP to £1.
  • due to the crack-down on drugs, you can’t buy things like strong painkillers OTC. If you absolutely need to take medication like that, make sure you have a prescription on you.
  • English is quite widely spoken, but it’s still nice to learn basics like “salamat” (thank you), in Tagalog.
  • Ferries and boats are weather-dependent so check before you travel.
  • Monsoon season is June to October.
  • It’s quite hard to buy tampons. So unless you want to use pads all trip, take your own.
  • Filtered water is free in most restaurants. Even the locals do not drink tap water.
  • Nearly all of the moisturiser is “whitening”. In countries like this, being dark-skinned is associated with being poor and working outside. There are loads of whitening treatments as the whiter you are, the more beautiful you are. Unfortunately that makes it pretty hard to get a normal moisturiser so you are better taking your own.

Top products you’ll need before visiting the Philippines

There is a risk of Dengue fever in some parts of the Philippines. Off! is a great mosquito-repellent, and one or two sprays lasts hours. You can buy it there, but if you have the room in your luggage it might be worth buying before you go, just to make sure.

As previously mentioned, tampons are quite hard to find in the Philippines. You’ll find pads galore but if tampons are your preference you might want to take some with you.

As mentioned, unless you want one with whitening treatment in, it is better to take your own moisturiser. Depending on where you are it can also be quite hard to find good skincare products, which are needed when you are getting that much sun.

Here is one I would suggest wherever you are travelling. I’m actually at the point of organisation where I put all of my documents like my lounge pass and airline ticket in order in the wallet.

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