Manila Hotel Reviews
I would recommend to go Greenbelt for meal, Lndmark and Glorietta for shopping and Sanry''s for money exchange.
Restaurant: Harbour View on the Pier!!!! Outstanding food - a different experience (and we went three times!!!!) Fed 9 people for the equivalent of $100.00 USD!!!!! And everyone was stuffed like a Christmas goose with everything from Female Crab (and I never knew that there was any ''significant'' difference (more meat on the female) to Steaks to Veggie favorites. It is not a fancy place and it is somewhat slow for service... But the price, the food and the experience - it can not be beat in Manila for family dining!!! Unless you are under 5 feet, stay away from the Jeepneys and the trikes...Metered taxis (or if you stay at the Copa, the associated taxi/limos) are the way to go. It is actually much nicer and not all that more expensive to take the taxi/limo from the Copa to your destination and HAVE THE DRIVER WAIT for you for other destinations or the return to the hotel. 9/10 times, picking up a cab at the location and trying to get back to the hotel can be hair-raising and expensive not to mention time consuming while the driver tries to find the hotel. ( You will see some interesting things though!!!) CAUTION: The best drug store in Manila is the chain Mercury... BUT - they require a prescription for EVERYTHING including what is an over-the-counter item anywhere else in the world. And - they sell by the tablet - not by the bottle or box. You can find some smaller drug stores that will sell w/o but they do not always have what your are looking for. BEST: BRING ENOUGH OF YOUR PRESCRIPTION and non-prescription items with you for your stay. It is best not to have to rely on the local outlets for your needs.
Moving around Manila by car was not a bad experience this time. The roads got better, less traffic jams, rental car was good idea, especially if you are traveling with family. But this is of course if you do not mind driving and you have driven in Philippines before.
Metro Manila is quite and interesting place with and interesting mixture friendly people. People who are shopping oriented can find most of anything they need. People like myself who like to sample various ethnic foods, will find this city rewarding. I enjoyed my trips to Baguio,Cabanatuan and Tagaytay learning some of the cultural aspects. On my next visit, I promise myself a trip to Boracay.
In Makati at Glorietta--try the Cabalen restaurant--filipino buffet for only 260 pesos--good food. In Boracay, there''s Jona''s shake. And while in Boracay, stay at Escondido, though not a beachfront hotel, is one of the best kept secrets in the island...Find out for yourself why.
We visited Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte. We stayed at the Vigan Plaza Hotel in Ilocos Sur. Very beautiful Hotel and great location. Highly recommend. We also visited Baguio. Be wary of people offering homes for rent. We were offered a 3 bedroom house for 5,000 pesos. We later found out it was an agent and the actual cost of the house was only 2,700 pesos! I would recommend staying at a hotel. Never will we do that again!
Bay Walk in Ermita was nice on a warm summer night. This was a "locals" destination so we got a good feel for the local nightlife instead of the touristy area.
Jeepney is most economical means of transportation. Negotiate taxi rates in advance,else you may be taken for a ride. I actually ate cooked food at corner stands without a problem. I liked it, even after I found out I was eating pig intestine.
We were fortunate enough to go to the rice fields at Banaue as well as Pagsanjan Falls which I would also recommend and last year took in Baguio City and Boracay. Only the best and strongest minded drivers should attempt to rent a car and drive in Manila but Makati is fair once you understand the filipino way of driving.
Lake Taal was an incredible place to visit. It is located in Cavite towards Laguna so accessiblity from Manila was easy. The scenery was breath taking. The climate was cool and pleasant because of the higher elevation. This volcano within a lake is a must see. The restaurants that overlook this panoramic view are all excellent as the serve traditional to modern cuisine. This was the culminating point of our trip. Every picture we took developed into a picture perfect postcard.
I took a half day tour through the hotel (cost about USD30) which took me to the American War Cemetery, through the wealthy suburbs of Makati and up to old Manila... what a contrast, and though the old Spanish settlement and Intramurous... it is worthwhile doing... other than that I got around using the hotel taxis or on foot... Makati is quite safe and the people in the area very friendly.
Should be very careful and conscious for Taxi Expenses since most drivers skip the meter but charge you a high rate; Be careful for most of the Money Changer on the street because most of them play many different tricks to cheat you, thus, remember to change your money in the Banks only; the last point should be beared in mind of check-in at the Airport as earlier as you can owing to the very poor efficience for the Airlines, Security and Immigration Officials overthere.
The philippines are great, but hot and humid. Bring plenty of T-shirts and light trousers or shorts and sandals or semiclosed shoes. I traveled from Manila to Puerto Galera. Obviously looking as a foreigner, I was initially annoyed by vendors and beggars, but I learned quickly that after a firm ''no'' they would leave you alone. Keep some small change at hand (20 or 50 pesos bills per suitcase) for porters if you have a lot of luggage and if they ask for more money, just be firm if what you have given is reasonable. Cabs in Manila are cheap, but negotiate the rate on beforehand if possible.
Check out Robinson''s Mall or take a 10-15 min taxi ride to Ayala mall in Makati for more upscale shopping.
Only spent a few days in Manila and gave up on the idea of renting a car. I always thought New Yorkers were crazy drivers but dont compare to the ones in Manila. Cabs are not too expensive as long as you don''t use the hotel cab. Also spent seven days in Boracay.... truly beautiful.
As far as location goes, this place is a little out of the way. It is in Makati, but not close enough to the points of interest for a walk. We found ourselves taking taxis everywhere from here since there are no jeepneys to be found here. This is good and bad since it tends to be much quieter without the jeepneys. Also, when you are out in the Pasay City area, many of the taxi drivers are not familiar with this location. You will need to help them find the place. I recommend that you memorize the street it is located on and find some landmarks that will get you there.
be very careful of the local street horse carriages...be very certain to agree on price before getting in...they will change currencies, say they gave price by the minute, or say by the person..etc. be very careful. Be sure to vist the American War Memorial...very beautiful and moving. Visit the Churches...amazing history and relics! The old spanish fortress is very close...within walking distance! The Strip by the Ocean is perfect for night walk...with drinks and live music... a must do for anyone visiting!
Manila has the best live music in Asia. For great group vocals, try Strumms on Jupiter Street, which is a 5-10 minute taxi ride from the hotel. Cover charge is small and can be applied to food and drink. Tremendous live entertainment for a very reasonable amount. Wish Tokyo had something similar.
This was my 1st trip to Manila. Since my reason to visit Manila was shopping, we went to Greenhills shopping area. Eventhough the place is a bit far from Makati but it really worth it. I found that to shop at that place you need to have very good skills in bargaining. The price can be almost half of it though the seller are controlling their average price. I found that the sellers are very friendly and they do respect the customer even you are not buying from their shop. From my observing, I noticed that filipino people respect tourist. They speak they language with one kind of slang with rhythm. (like singing). We also visited Glorietta shopping centre. We are really impressed by the service provided at the restroom. They do have some sort of reception before the restroom to collect money before you can enter it. She was wearing very professional uniform just like 5 stars hotel reception & the cleaner always standby to ensure the cleanliness of the restroom.
Since the hotel doesn''t have interesting food choices (international rest. on the top floor), try Bistro Remedios on Adriatico - a pleasant, 5 minutes walk from hotel. Bistro serves Filipino food at its best, with wonderful musicians making the meal even more pleasurable.