Just got to Dumaguete

Welcome back.

Ground Zero (coffee shop) on San Juan Ave would be a good start.. If that's your thing there are plenty of expats there in the morning. Not far from the Boardwalk, which is enjoyable to stroll in the morning or evening.

Do you enjoy nature and the outdoors? There are lots of hiking spots, such as waterfalls, the Twin Lakes, and a ton of diving resorts in Dauin.

@pnwcyclist

If that's your thing

@pnwcyclist

I’m on the board walk right now. i am a diver and that’s one of reasons why im here, that and looking for a house  to rent or buy. But I want a house in the beach. That why I’m heading to Bohol next

@pnwcyclist
I’m on the board walk right now. i am a diver and that’s one of reasons why im here, that and looking for a house to rent or buy. But I want a house in the beach. That why I’m heading to Bohol next
-@eptowing

Are you married eptowing? Good luck buying a house in your name, perhaps if married to a Filipino national then you can put it in her name, perhaps a lease from a third party? Point is foreign nationals will never own land here, long term lease but never yours. Been there. 20 years to go before lease renewal and I won't be around then.

Good luck and hope you find what you search for.

Cheers, Steve.

eptowing- from another post it seems you have a Filipina gf. There's a lot of info here how to acquire property in the Philippines through your gf. Bigpearl has a lot of experience on owning/leasing a property subject. Property prices are sky high especially on the beach. Best of luck to you and have fun over there.

@pnwcyclist
I’m on the board walk right now. i am a diver and that’s one of reasons why im here, that and looking for a house to rent or buy. But I want a house in the beach. That why I’m heading to Bohol next
-@eptowing

Fantastic. Are you here permanently now?

Bohol is a great island. Big enough to have lots of things to see and do. Mostly good roads. There's a place that rents Harleys in Tagbilaran, at least there used to be.

As a foreigner you can buy a condo here. I bought a condo in Boracay and from my balcony I can see the ocean, the golf course and the sunrise. The condo is in the estate of Megaworld and there are hotels, restaurants and shops.

A nice place for retirement.

Andy

@eptowing , u can also go to Tom Tom coffee on the boulevard in the morning, and I always saw foreigners hangout in a sportsbar also on the boulevard. For the rest I could not figure out why dumaquette is the nr 1 place to retire, it’s amazing boring, no decent beaches, no nice malls, just nothing to do there! I was there last week for a few days and I left. I met more people thinking the same way actually 🤷‍♂️

@Poulophils

Likewise. Oh and don't forget the power (brownouts to our American friends ) cuts.

As for Tom Tom's coffee shop. I went there twice in November but the cappucino machine was kaput - a week later still kaput. I was the only foreigner in there but at least the place had an ambience to it. GZ around the corner has a real problem with acoustics (and some would say too many foreigners ): Its like an echo chamber, just watch the vlogs

For the rest I could not figure out why dumaquette is the nr 1 place to retire, it’s amazing boring, no decent beaches, no nice malls, just nothing to do there! I was there last week for a few days and I left. I met more people thinking the same way actually 🤷‍♂️
-@Poulophils

Depends what you want. Dumaguete is actually a very livable city and great for retirement or raising a family - not huge, congested and polluted like Manila or Cebu - yet with many items and services available, and good schools, unlike the province. Our son is in one of them and loves it, has made solid friends, plays sports, etc.

It also has clean air, good restaurants, educated people and lots of nature close by for us outdoorsy folks. If one is just visiting and wants to drink, spend time in malls, or on the beach, sure there are better places to go, but for actually living a good life, sometimes boring is good.

Im traveling around the Philippines and I just got to Dumaguete last night. Where do a lot of the expats hang out and what is there to do here?
Thanks
-@eptowing

Based on your earlier comments I will advise: Dumaguete is not Angeles city.

@bigpearl We still hope you are around in 20 years.

@pnwcyclist I don't want to dump on Dumaguete, but I am curious to understand why so many expats choose here.  I have visited 3 times.  I love Dauin  and Zambogita area, but never found Duma to be that enticing.  I don't have kids in school anymore so maybe for expats with children it is a different story.  I would love to hear more from you on why you love Duma.

I do love the provinces and the smaller towns around Negros and Cebu islands.  And speaking of scuba... the diving can't be beat.  Apo island is my fave dive spot.  Can't wait to dive there again.

Cheers,

@AlbertaDonuts

I will echo your sentiments on Dauin & Zamboanguita (my Filipina neighbour here in Bath is from there). Idyllic locations and over the years I have spent many years returning to various dive resorts there, specifically Atlantis & Thalatta. On my last visit I chose to visit Siquijor and spent 2 nights in Dumaguete proper.

As with all places there are pros and cons. If you have progeny the high standard of schools & universities are without doubt a plus.

If I was to reside permanently in a location I would focus on the day to day quality of life, not the headline grabbing beach & boulevard clips you will see on the promotional videos & vlogs.

Walking around downtown Dumaguete is like many Filipino cities an unsavoury experience. Traffic pollution, noise & oppressive heat & humidity. Laying on a sunbed at the Atlantis is a world away from walking the filthy streets looking for a decent bar or café. The Boulevard is majestic at night but I found very little to inspire me foodwise with the exception of a couple of restaurants.

The place has been taken over by the expat crowd many of whom left their manners behind when they emigrated. Its like Benidorm with a few extra palm trees and girls thrown in. The place has only one Mall, Robinsons, and its fairly basic. I hired a bike in Siquijor but would not ride one in Dumaguete. The place does not lend itself to motor vehicles and there are no taxis. As stated earlier the brownouts are frequent. I don’t need TV or the internet all the time but you need power to cook and light to read an interesting book.

I’m afraid I cannot see a positive prognosis for the city. The sheer number of retiring expats will soon reach exponential proportions. In my view the city punches above its weight riding on it’s academic coat tail achievements.

@Lotus Eater Dumaguete will never, ever meet some people's benchmark of Walking Street in Angeles city. I don't care. I love it here.

@danfinn

I hope you are right.

@danfinn
I hope you are right.
-@Lotus Eater

You don't understand the Bisayan people. Don't worry.

If I was to reside permanently in a location I would focus on the day to day quality of life, not the headline grabbing beach & boulevard clips you will see on the promotional videos & vlogs.

-@Lotus Eater

+1 on Thalatta, haha - one of the first resorts I visited years ago. Back a few times since. Good memories

But Lotus, regarding your other comments - it is exactly the quality of life that is good there. We don't hang out on the Boulevard much, or in GZ, or spend time at the beach.

We live just above Duma, where it's a bit cooler - we're close to nature trails, just minutes from Thai and Indian food, and the farmers market. I pedal my road bike on beautiful quiet backroads climbing up toward Mt Tallinis, or out to other areas and meet my girl for coffee or lunch. Sure, we go into downtown to shop and have a nice meal at Casablanca or Kri or similar a couple of times a week. That's about it. Even in town the pollution, congestion and noise is nothing like Cebu City, where I lived for 5 years.

So yes, it really is a better quality of life for us. But I'm fine with your characterization, and discouraging others from coming, haha. And on that note, I kind of suspect a lot of the expats you see in town are visitors - that watch the vlogs - there for a month, then gone again. Kind of like the OP, haha. A regular rotation. The line at BI is never more than 10-15 min, even with only 1 or 2 clerks, which reinforces my suspicion about that.