"I run a small charity through my office, where we supply toys and shoes to people in need. I was visiting a dear friend and valued helper of the project from the Philippines. As a surprise to her, I was also taking her and her family on a holiday. We were equally inexperienced to holidaying in the Philippines - she doesn't get to travel outside Manila very much.
She did much of the organizing/bartering for me, and she hired Vic to be our guide and driver. In Canada we drive ourselves everywhere, so I was not optimistic about having some stranger drive me around, but in the end decided to try it. The tour started as a typical tour would, but quickly morphed into something else. He was rather surprised to find us carrying about 7 large garbage bags full of sandals, towels and toys for the poor, but he adapted the plans quickly. The extra baggage fit in the vehicle just fine - although with 6 of us packed in there, it was a tad snug!
Our first instructions were to help us deliver everything to the poorer areas of the Philippines. He really enjoyed this - before long he was beaming at every unplanned change to the trip. It became quite obvious that Vic could adapt to any change of plans, and even make suggestions about the places we might like to go. As he studied our personalities, he seemed to figure out exactly what sort of things we would enjoy.
Everywhere we went, he had little stories about the places, and explained the culture and details about anything I asked. He was also careful to make sure we were safe - there were one or two areas he wouldn't take us, and he warned us when it was a bad time to take pictures out the car window. The car was in perfect shape, spotlessly clean and Vic was a perfect gentleman, well dressed and well mannered.
The things that I enjoyed most about Vic were his adaptability and patience. It was never a problem for him to stop and take our picture, even if it was every 5 minutes. Despite some of my "What is that? Why do they do that?" questions seeming silly, he had excellent answers to all of them. Honestly, I had
never seen a baby pineapple before! How could I have known what it was? He seemed to really enjoy sharing knowledge about his country.
One important thing to me was how quickly he could find a bathroom. That's an issue on many tours - but not on his! It was impressive - and a bit eerie - how if we were hungry, he could tell us exactly how many minutes until the next restuarant where we could dine. He seemed to know the lay of the Philippines like the back of his hand. He knew where special landmarks were. As we were driving by to go somewhere, he would offer us 10 minute side trips to see something he thought we'd like.
He really manuevered his vehicle well. Somehow he was able to park it in places that looked like they were reserved for bicycles. If we sent him off somewhere, he always returned to pick us up later, on time, despite the crazy traffic in Manila. And if we saw something interesting while he was driving, he could pull to a stop in seconds, and somehow do it gently. I think if I had been driving, I would've been quite stressed out. Not having to worry made the holiday just a bit more special.
He was helpful with more than just driving. He assisted us with finding the markets for food, did some bartering for us, and made sure we saw what we were really interested in, or hadn't seen before. He also advised us on how to stay safe - by noting cultural differences that could be perceived as insults, and guiding us to good locations in towns. When driving, he advised us where and when it was safe to snap pictures out the window, and when we were likely to lose our cameras. :-)
I can honestly say, if you want a personal trip designed for you, Vic would be your man. Traveling with him is a very pleasant and personal experience. He will make your trip most enjoyable."
-Henny Vogelzang, Canada
