Philippines Hotel Reviews

If you''re staying at the Copacabana and need to get a taxi, you don''t have to use the hotel affiliated ones that security will get for you. These taxis have a set fee for various destinations that will probably cost close to twice what a metered cab will run. Instead, just walk seven steps to the end of the Copa''s access drive. Within a few minutes, a metered cab will come by. Make sure to tell the driver you want the meter used or you might be screwed!

A railway-station is nearly in front of the hotel, so you can reach farer dest. easier. Shopping in the Robinson''s Place is within footwalk of 15 min. If you like Asian food - forget about it! All you can get everywhere is fastfood, but this in thousands of variations!

Best mode of transport - Taxi - as usual expensive if booked in Hotel i.e. 550 Pesos for ride to airport - a metered taxi would be about 100 pesos if you go out the hotel flag it down - if you''re a tourist the taxi driver will not want to use the meter and will want to discuss price while driving and once you''re captive - stay cool and go along with it 150 pesos is realy not much and far less than the 550 pesos if booked in the hotel!!

The place is far from the city center which is really good to get away from hassle ang bustle of big city life. However the downside, if you love to go out and enjoy the nightlife then this is not the place for you but you can always hire a cab to take you there. All in all, Bohol is a beatiful place and I do recommend to take the countryside tour.

Best spots for scuba divers, enjoy several kinds of watersports. Boracay is recommendable to someone who loves the sea. You can enjoy seafood at a very good price any place and an Italian restaurant called "ARIA" serves perfect cuisine...this place is a MUST!

If you have the chance to go out to see the nightlife of Cebu, try to stop and eat at a restaurant called "Mr. A''s". It is located up a windy road at the top of a hill and offers a spectacular view of the city at night! It even has a disco dance floor for those of you who like to shake it. It is very popular so just ask for directions or take a taxi.

We hired a car and driver from the hotel for a 4 hour quick tour of downtown Manila to refresh our memory of sites seen years before all at very reasonable cost P350. The restaurants in nearby Greenbelt were top class with great selection.

The Subic Bay Freeport Zone is located within the confines of the former US naval base and all the entrances are controlled so there are relatively few street hawkers and no beggars hanging around waiting for tourists. Most everything is within walking distance inside the central business district but you''ll need to rent a car or hire a taxi if you plan to go visit the other sites in the SBFZ. The Seafront Restaurant offers a "fine dining" experience with excellent food and service, music and a view of the bay. Gerry''s Grill, an outdoor cafe located on the beach, also has great food.

Sonya''s Garden Bed & Breakfast - a must-visit for the lunch and garden tour. Martha Stewart would be envious of this superb presentation of gardens and culinary delights.

No need to get a taxi to go to karaoke and girly bars; they''re right outside within walking distance (you will be approached by beggars though if you are walking, also in taxi if you leave the window open). Makati is 20 mins away by taxi (80-90p) but there most prices are double those in Pasay, especially entertainment!!! Bands and singers in the Philippines are the absolute best in Asia if not the world.

Go to the Hobbit House, a Manila live music institution. It is staffed entirely by midgets.

Northwest Airlines offers the best link to Manila (through Tokyo) and you can get bargain rates on business class by bidding on a website called "www.skyauction.com". I pay between $1,500 and $2,000 for a round trip business class out of LAX to MNL. It represents a 50% savings or more on business class. They have the new "pod seats" with back massage and the works....Go Northwest!!

Within two minutes of the hotel you have the Greenbelt facilities that has cinemas, cafes, shops and a well stocked supermarket. I was on a 15 day business trip so all the close facilities really supported my stay.

Makati has changed beyond belief in 5 years! The restaurants, shops, cinemas etc are first class and you won''t be short of things to do there. The airport is only about 30 mins away, depending on the traffic, so is a good place for a stopover before hitting the islands. Airport transfers around 200 - 250 pesos to Makati. Don''t pay more! At the airport walk past all the touts charging 500 pesos and get a taxi out on the main road. Most drivers don''t use their meters so negotiate hard!

Puerto Princesa is a good starting point for a tour of Palawan. Easy and cheap to get around by trike. For tours, try Nagtabon Beach, Crocodile Farm and don''t miss the Underground River in Sabang. Recommend Badjao Seafront restaurant.

Travel around city very cheap. Recommend visit to the Village, opposite the oddly named Waterfront Hotel, for an enjoyable night dining and being entertained in the Courtyard night club featuring several bands. The guitarists are world class. Ayala Centre the most pleasant part of town, good mall and excellent eating at the Laguna Cafe situated between the Mall and the Marriott Hotel.

We stayed in General Santos City especially because we were visiting relatives over there. It is not so much a tourist place, although there are several nice beach resorts just outside the city that are very pleasant to visit. Another quite interesting place to visit is the harbour, with General Santos City being the tuna centre of the Philippines.

There is a mall called Greenbelt which can be reached by covered walkway from Asian Mansion II which has all kinds of shops and restaurants.If you want to roam further, taxis are very inexpensive and you can catch one right at the front door. Most of central Makati (hotels, shopping, etc.) is within walking distance.

My family enjoyed our trip to Tagaytay to see Taal volcanoe, had a remarkable time swimming and scuba diving in Boracay; as well as sampling the exciting nightlife in Manila.

I visited Fort Pilar, also the excellent seafood restaurants like Alavar in Tetuan and Country Fried Chicken House in Pasonanca among others. Contrary to what the news say, Zamboanga is a very peaceful city. I stayed up with friends up to 4:00 A.M. going from one night spot to another in the city and there was never a time when we felt afraid or threatened. The military checkpoints in the city even add to your sense of security as the soldiers were very courteous. My advice is, when you have a moderate budget for vacation, Zamboanga is the place as it is less expensive than Manila or elsewhere I tried. You also do not have to worry about traffic and pollution. Plus, there are no pickpocketers in the city. Also, the city is small to such a point that people seems to know one another.