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 Manila, Philippines travel tales
Our customers share their travelling experiences in Manila, Philippines.
Read about first hand stories on travel tips and guides, events, entertainment,shopping, food, business and transportation.
Also, you might want to read our
Baguio city guide,
Bohol city guide,
Boracay city guide,
Cebu city guide,
El Nido city guide,
Manila city guide,
and Puerto Galera city guide.
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| S Mcvay (1st call) |
25 December 2004 |
Stayed at Copacabana Apartment Hotel - Manila, Philippines.
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Manila is congested and polluted. Lovely side trip to Tagaytay upland scenic area. Just don't do it on a holiday, and preferrably not on a weekend due to traffic delays.
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| S Kwan |
22 December 2004 |
Stayed at Dusit Hotel Nikko - Manila, Philippines.
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The Filipino fried chicken is better than KFC's! I had the opportunity to try it cooked by locals as well as at Max's. We also were taken by friends to Baguio City which was a fascinating drive and we hired a tour guide to show us around. I loved the local weavers which gave me a greater appreciation of that craft, and in general fell in love with the country-side and the people who are gentle and maintain a happy countenance despite their own hardships. I also loved the jeepneys which are so colourful but most of all, I was very impressed with all the Jesus signs everywhere and the 10 commandments which led up to Baguio City! I give a big A+ to all Filipino drivers in Manila as they are very tolerant and patient as I saw no accidents or knocks anywhere during my stay - something I would see frequently here in Sydney with much less traffic and much faster and less tolerant drivers!
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| M Ybanez |
20 December 2004 |
Stayed at Dusit Hotel Nikko - Manila, Philippines.
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I recommend Intramuros, Roxas Boulevard, Rizal Park, Corregidor, Tagaytay, Pagsanjan and Villa Escudero. It's not costly to take a cab to Intramuros from the hotel, then pay for the guided tour in that historical place riding a "calesa" or "karwahe" (a cart driven by a horse). Same as the guided tour to Corregidor Island (where General MacArthur said "I Shall Return"), but instead of a "calesa", you'll be riding a ferry at the Roxas Boulevard Ferry Station (with an option to include buffet lunch in a restaurant with a great waterfront view, serenaded by talented singers strumming guitars). A "drop-off" cab to panoramic Roxas Boulevard and Rizal Park (where the Filipino hero's shrine is) is also a good idea for anyone who'd like to take a walk in these beautiful, relaxing places.
To go to Tagaytay (where the eye-catching Taal Lake and Taal Volcano are located), Pagsanjan in Laguna (where you can enjoy a boat ride in the middle of the rainforest to see the huge and very strong waterfalls) and Villa Escudero located at the border of Laguna and Quezon Province (where you can hear staff singing Filipino songs live while riding a cart driven by a "carabao" taking you to a dining place in front of a man-made waterfalls), hiring a car (or a van, if more than four passengers) with a driver would be the way to go.
By cab from Dusit Hotel Nikko, it takes only about 30 minutes to Intramuros and 20 minutes to both Roxas Boulevard and Rizal Park. By car or van from Dusit Hotel Nikko to Tagaytay, Pagsanjan and Villa Escudero, it could take about 2 hours with a heavy traffic. If you are out of the hotel, I recommend Max Restaurant (there is one in Tagaytay). Their foods are excellent, but not very dear. If you want to go for more Filipino foods, try Barrio Fiesta Restaurant. For cold snacks in a hot weather, I recommend Chowking. Try their not very dear Filipino specialty "halo-halo" - tastier than just an ice cream. Lastly, if you want the generic foods, you can find KFC, Pizza Hut and McDonalds in most of the food centres.
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| S Shepherd |
07 December 2004 |
Stayed at Prince Plaza II - Manila, Philippines.
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Recommended Restaurants Bubba Gumps 2nd floor Greenbelt Plaza. Chilli's Restaurant also Greenbelt Plaza by Legaspi Rd.
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| C Mariano |
06 December 2004 |
Stayed at Jupiter Arms Hotel - Manila, Philippines.
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Manila, Philippine Islands.
Shopping trip - mostly to Greenhills and the Glorietta Mall. Travel by taxi to Glorietta is less than $1 (U.S.). An 8 passenger van would run about $8 (U.S.). Recommend eating at the Pancake House & the Crab House. No one seems to follow any traffic laws (a four lane road turns into a 6 lane quite often), but surprisingly the drivers are very defensive. No real respect for pedestrians, so don't recommend walking. Wear a money wallet under your clothes as there are many pick pockets and don't show anyone that you have U.S. money as that makes you a good target for increased prices.
At Greenhills, which is an indoor flea market, the merchants expect you to bargain with them... lots of imitation brand name purses and shoes.
Also visited the MegaMall, but I think that the Glorietta has a much nicer, better quality selection. There is also a Shoe Mart and Landmark at the Glorietta, which are more affordable department stores.
All in all, a great shopping experience. Enjoy!
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| M Corpuz |
05 December 2004 |
Stayed at Discovery Suites - Manila, Philippines.
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Next to the Hotel, El Pueblo is really nice to visit. I individually enjoyed the live band at Friends.
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| G Meyer (2nd call) |
05 December 2004 |
Stayed at Atrium Hotel - Manila, Philippines.
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On this trip Manila was just a stopover for the real destination, Palawan. Yes there were kidnappings there a few years ago but it seemed perfectly safe and the air is much cleaner there than Manila, the underground river in Sabang is amazing!
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| E Alcantara |
01 December 2004 |
Stayed at Fraser Place Serviced Residences - Manila, Philippines.
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If you're game enough, hire a car and take a drive out to Tagaytay. There you will see the Taal Volcano lake and feel the cool mountain air. Getting out there is easy if you take the Skyway, which bypasses all the traffic in and out of Makati. Barely anyone uses it because of the tolls - 75pesos going out of town and 100pesos coming in. I recommend hiring the car at Filcar in Salcedo St.Makati. Great service and are far cheaper than global dealers like Budget/Avis/Hertz etc. Also, they provide drivers if you do not want to drive.
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| W Mah |
27 November 2004 |
Stayed at BSA SUITES - Manila, Philippines.
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Remember to always look LEFT first then RIGHT before crossing street. Filipinos are undisciplined and crazy drivers on and off the road. Always be alert even when walking on the footpath for oncoming motorbikes. In lots of areas outside Makati business and shopping districts, footpaths are often uneven with cracks and potholes so watch your footing. Eating out in Metro Manila is dirt cheap. Greenbelt area in Makati has some very nice restaurants and bars. Best to take airport to hotel transfer if arriving late or first time in Manila (expect to pay between Php400 to Php700, usually cheaper if arranged with hotel's representative when you arrive at airport, rather than pre-booking with hotel). For trip from hotel to airport take a taxi (usually you can negotiate with cabbie for flat rate of Php200). For short stays, consider the better hotels such as Dusit Nikko or City Garden depending on your budget. For longer stays consider the condotel apartments such as BSA Suites.
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| L Sloan |
26 November 2004 |
Stayed at Citadel Inn Makati - Manila, Philippines.
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Manila is a fine destination, but I believe the real Manila experience is found only in Makati. Be sure to eat at Quick Stomach. Fine food and excellent prices. No ambiance. It is like a diner with tall stools. I usually take the food back to the hotel or have it delivered.
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