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Travel Philippines, All about Philippines - Manila etc

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stimix
post Jul 4 2008, 03:19 PM

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Aha..expecting that oledi..probably after the $$ counting... biggrin.gif

Since u are having 8 days probably u can consider:

1) Stay a nite at Angeles City (Near Clark airbase) & book a tracking trip to Pinatubo Volcano...
2) 2nd day to Manila (Nite-lah..just sleep)
3) 3rd day - To Taal Volcano at Tagatay probably continue to Batangas (South west of Manila) >Mindoro Island (Puerto Galeria)
4) 4th-5th day - Puerto Galeria (Mindoro Island) > back to Manila
5) 5th day - Shopping at Asia Mall & others...
6) 6th day - Rizal Park>Intramonous>Chinatown>Chinese cemetary> Quiapo nite market
7) 7th day - Free & easy /shopping
janetllc
post Jul 4 2008, 04:14 PM

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QUOTE(stimix @ Jul 4 2008, 03:19 PM)
Aha..expecting that oledi..probably after the $$ counting... biggrin.gif

Since u are having 8 days probably u can consider:

1) Stay a nite at Angeles City (Near Clark airbase) & book a tracking trip to Pinatubo Volcano...
2) 2nd day to Manila (Nite-lah..just sleep)
3) 3rd day - To Taal Volcano at Tagatay probably continue to Batangas (South west of Manila) >Mindoro Island (Puerto Galeria)
4) 4th-5th day - Puerto Galeria (Mindoro Island) > back to Manila
5) 5th day - Shopping at Asia Mall & others...
6) 6th day - Rizal Park>Intramonous>Chinatown>Chinese cemetary> Quiapo nite market
7) 7th day - Free & easy /shopping
*
cool2.gif thanks Stimix, headache, i already booked the hotel thru internet on the 1st day, how??? I really wish to do treking trip to Pinatubo, rclxub.gif
stimix
post Jul 4 2008, 04:59 PM

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Oh...Nevermind..stay in Manila & travel out of Manila & back on daily should be no prob...Hotels in outskirt such as Angeles/Tagatay/Batangas nothing cheaper than Manila. biggrin.gif ..
janetllc
post Jul 8 2008, 12:27 PM

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Hey Stimix,
R u carry your passport whenever u go ? Can i leave at the safe box in hotel icon_question.gif
stimix
post Jul 8 2008, 06:34 PM

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On all my O/sea trip..yes..Imagine been stopped by policeman there & no passport shocking.gif I kena checked few time oldei especially driving in Bali & Thailand... For sure they ask u for passport

QUOTE(janetllc @ Jul 8 2008, 12:27 PM)
Hey Stimix,
  R u carry your passport whenever u go ? Can i leave at the safe box in hotel icon_question.gif
*
baghavan
post Jul 13 2008, 12:50 AM

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Hey people.

I am also visiting Manila, landing in Clark on Thursday (17th July) morning. Any good backpacking hostels recommended? I have roughly 4 - 5 days covered with: Taal, Rice Terrace, Manila City, Itramus. Any help with what to do first or which comes in what sequence. I'll be leaving on 26th July afternoon.

Thanks!
stimix
post Jul 13 2008, 09:18 PM

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Hmnnn. I think the rice terraces is located in the Nothern region...it will be a whole day trip & bck another day..i.e the whole journey will cost u a good 3D2N which might not b viable......my itineray b4 this good or not hmm.gif
QUOTE(baghavan @ Jul 13 2008, 12:50 AM)
Hey people.

I am also visiting Manila, landing in Clark on Thursday (17th July) morning. Any good backpacking hostels recommended? I have roughly 4 - 5 days covered with: Taal, Rice Terrace, Manila City, Itramus. Any help with what to do first or which comes in what sequence. I'll be leaving on 26th July afternoon.

Thanks!
*
sani_2020
post Sep 14 2008, 01:50 PM

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hi all,
do you know the best way to get to Taal and Pinatubo?
do we have to rent a car? how is the rate like?
thanks.
stimix
post Sep 14 2008, 02:18 PM

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Car rental is on high side sumore the fuel cost is not cheap in Manila (In Mar, 1ltr=RM4.)

Their Public transport nevertheless is easy..just ask the man on the street..they are very helpful esp is u are foreigner biggrin.gif I did Taal trip using their public trpt system - combi stage bus>Jeepney>express bus..For Pinatubo, it's located North of Clark air bas...so to go there, probably u might want to stay a night or two at Angeles city for Pinatubo b4 going to Manila ^ thereafter to the South to Taal. hmm.gif

QUOTE(sani_2020 @ Sep 14 2008, 01:50 PM)
hi all,
do you know the best way to get to Taal and Pinatubo?
do we have to rent a car? how is the rate like?
thanks.
*
.:zaxiao:.
post Dec 18 2008, 01:59 AM

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I'm going there with my brother and quite a few friends. Next Wednesday.

We're going a place near Manila, I think Manila Bay or something.
Of course we'll be visiting the town and all.

But for those of you who are living in Phillippines or have traveled there before, do tell me what to expect.
The good thumbup.gif and the bad. icon_question.gif

And also some recommendations on food....[both exotic, and decent ones are okay with me.] icon_idea.gif

A few Tagalog words and phrases would be very helpful too, such as "Merry Christmas", or "Thank You" hands.gif

Am I in any where near any rebels or terrorist sites?
I just need a lot of help and guidance, cause it's really foreign to me.

Any taboos, or anything I should/shouldn't do?

Help is deeply appreciated. =/
notworthy.gif notworthy.gif

This post has been edited by .:zaxiao:.: Dec 18 2008, 02:03 AM
riph
post Dec 18 2008, 02:08 AM

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"Putanak" is a phrase for greetings ... same as eg "salamat" smile.gif
FamousLastWords
post Dec 18 2008, 02:20 AM

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salamat means thank you, walang anuman means you're welcome..that's all i know tongue.gif
dark_chocolate
post Dec 18 2008, 06:04 AM

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Most people over there can speak english, so no worries. You can easily get by. Last resort, just say

"hindi ko alam" which means I don't know/understand tongue.gif

Manila is overpopulated but fairly safe. Just stay away from slums and practise common sense in overcrowded places. Then again, Manila is just another city and most tourists go for the beaches in the country rather than hanging out there. (Nearest decent beach from Manila is 3 hours drive away).

Manila bay is one of the main areas of Manila, but traveling to other parts of the city can be daunting due to horrific traffic conditions on normal days.

The Good:
- English is widely spoken
- Taxis are everywhere and cheap (but real challenge is to get them to understand you as most of them are illiterate and don't let them overcharge you ;always use meter)
- Fine dining is cheaper compared to KL
- Cheap clothing and accessories (at certain places)

The Bad:
- Food generally sucks unless you are into fast food. Filipino cuisine is not my cup of tea. General standard of food is very poor unless you pay a premium at the expensive places.
- Polluted, dirty (in the outskirts of the business district)
- Traffic jam
- Poor poor public transport
- When it's hot, it's really hot and when it's wet, it's very wet.

The exotic food you may want to try would be the 'balut'. It's like a bird fetus in an egg where they marinate it a little and you have to slurp it raw complete with soft bones and undeveloped feathers...sounds tasty? brows.gif

Terrorists and rebels seldom attack popular spots in Manila. There may be occasional rallies against government, just stay away from these activities.

I guess the list goes on. Let me know if you need more details so that I can make more recommendations based on how long you'll be there, budget and activities that you are interested in.

Hope this helps.
stimix
post Dec 18 2008, 09:49 AM

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.@zaxiao,

Topic merged wth existing Manila thread...I noted Dark chocolate has given a good insight of what to expect there rclxms.gif
U can also read more of past posting & how myself started planning, asking noob questions blush.gif & got myself experiencing Manila...For nearby attraction if u are not shopperholic type, suggest you dun miss Lake Taal at Tagaytay...very cute volcano cone view thumbup.gif

Also another sideline of Manila is seeing the Malays (Yes the locals are part of the larger Malayo-Polenesian race but christian) communicating to each others & how similar their languarges to Bahasa.....occasionally you will be thinking u are in Malaysia/Indonesia when u heard words like:

Bayar-po (Pay, mister...esp inside a jeepney), Tepi (Asking you to move to the side), kanan, saraap (Sedap), inuman (Minuman), Kota (City) & more....Also do read about the history of Manila from how Spanish captured the Malay Kingdom of Raja Suleman in Manila & how Raja Suleiman related to the current Brunei Sultanate & how Christian taken over islam as the main religion subsequent to Raja Suleiman time...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Maynila
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_th...ines_(pre-1521)


Also abit of shocking history....I read after my opening trip to Manila that Phillipines Govt after WW2, did proposed to change their spanish "Philippines" to their own country name & they proposed "Malaysia" to mimic the larger race in Philippines. shocking.gif Too bad I can't find the link anymore... doh.gif & how the name was dropped last minute!
________________________________
Add-on:
Still cannot google about the original proposal on name change but from googling I found that Phillipinoes are currently discussing to change the country name again to reflect their original cultural similarity to M'sian/Indonesian ("Maharlika" "Bayanihan" or even "Kayu Manggi" :

http://www.philippinenews.com/article.php?id=3188
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qi...05085033AAaWHqc


This post has been edited by stimix: Dec 18 2008, 10:47 AM
Cas
post Dec 18 2008, 01:12 PM

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Hey guys i've blogged about Manila - places to see and eat (Thanks to stimix for some tips too, hehe) so if anyone is keen to read it let me know. I reckon it would come in handy! That said, I miss Manila!
.:zaxiao:.
post Dec 18 2008, 01:54 PM

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Wow thanks Mod & Dark Chocolate. notworthy.gif
Didn't know have this thread already blush.gif
@ Cas, your blog protected one sad.gif cannot see sad.gif

QUOTE(dark_chocolate @ Dec 18 2008, 06:04 AM)
» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «


I guess the list goes on. Let me know if you need more details so that I can make more recommendations based on how long you'll be there, budget and activities that you are interested in.

Hope this helps.
*
WOWOWOWOWO, thanks loads....
I'll be there from Christmas Eve till New Year's Eve's-Eve.
About 7 days [a week] lah~

Also visitng the prisoners who are converted to Christians over there in my stay there.
Hmmm... At first I thought it was a scary place, but now that you guys enlightened me as I read the thread,
I'm actually looking forward laugh.gif


Added on December 18, 2008, 1:59 pmWhat I also need to know, is the average standard price for everything there.
For things like:
-Street food
-And local stuff for an example.
My stay in Singapore was alot easier because the number they use is quite similar to Malaysia. Like 3 SGD for a cup of coffee.

In Phillippines probably like 700 peso for one? I don't really care about the rate, just the numbers they use there...Thanks biggrin.gif

This post has been edited by .:zaxiao:.: Dec 18 2008, 01:59 PM
stimix
post Dec 18 2008, 02:46 PM

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Peso dropped a lot since my visit..so evrything is cheap already....Street food is difficult to find..if yes it's not hygienic or those quick stall for take away only. Those local food can also be found in Chinatown & Quiapo area but pricing almost similar to fast food...

In Manila, Fast food is the king. so many choices & the pricing is much more cheaper than Malaysia..Fo r eg pancake house...In M'sia, 1 lunch for 2 atleast RM40-RM50 but over there 1/2 price. Also the fusion pizza restaurant such as Tapa King, Greenwich & etc...Other so-so & not so nice fast food include Jollebee, Chow King, Gordilucks....U can get the fast food ~RM4-RM6 at current xchange rate. u eat outside also around the same
Cas
post Dec 18 2008, 07:33 PM

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I agree that Fillipino food sucks. LOL too much sugar ! If you can, try out the foodie outlets in Greenbelt and Glorietta.

Oh and I have to agree that Manila is generally safe. My husband dropped his phone in the thrishaw but only realized much later that he had lost his hp. Guess what the guy did? He actually gave it to the nearest police station and with the help of the locals, that's how we found it back. Amazing isn't it? Coz that wouldn't even happen here!
dark_chocolate
post Dec 18 2008, 09:46 PM

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Generally I don't recommend street food unless you have trained stomach tongue.gif
Then again, most jollyjeeps (roadside stalls that sell mixed rice) are closed during the holiday season.

Here's a rough estimate of price range to expect (per meal):

Street food (for e.g. Jollyjeeps, kiosks, stalls)
30 - 100 pesos

Fast Food (McDonalds, Burger King, Jollybee, Greenwich, Pancake House etc)
80 - 300 pesos

Typical Restaurants
200 - 500 pesos

High End Restaurants
500 - 2000 pesos

For restaurants it also depends which area you are eating. For eg eating at Chinatown area would obviously be cheaper than say in Makati.
Manila Bay/Malate area is also cheaper than Makati. Do try dining at Serendra/Bonifacio High Street at Taguig if your budget allows you. Even if you're not eating, it's a good place to take a nice walk, window shopping and people watching. A few clubbing places are there too if you're into it.

Just a side note, it's pretty hard to get some greens (veggies) in your meal apart from ordering salad so eat fruits daily or take some supplements. Food is generally oily, fried or grilled, too salty or too sweet. That's my opinion of course and there are some exceptions, but this is just to give you heads up.

Transport
Jeepneys:
7 pesos or 15 peso (for air conditioned ones but fewer). If you're going far chances are you need to switch a few jeeps. Destinations are written at the side of the jeeps.

Taxi:
Meter starts at 40 pesos, not quite sure of exact rate but a 10km ride should NOT cost you more than 150 pesos.
Taxis are abundant, so be choosy. Pick good condition ones (get a Vios or similar), always use meter if not just get out and stop another, and never share a cab with strangers.

LRT:
Coverage is relatively poor but if you're going anywhere along EDSA (highway), it could be more convenient. Forgot the rates but not too expensive if i recalled correctly.

Have a nice time over there smile.gif

.:zaxiao:.
post Dec 21 2008, 09:37 PM

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thanks, will be heading there this Wednesday, I read the 2nd page and read that you need to change RM to USD first, do I need to do that?

Because I'm afraid I might actually lose some money over transactions, twice somemore.

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