'09 Makati - Manila photos - Visit Philippine
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efore printing any travel log, I have to say landing at Clark airport 'wasn't such a good idea!' The time spent back&for bet Clark & Manila was juz too much. On top of that guarantee your transport fees will 'rip u off' even before arriving Manila city. Normal taxi rate is P3000 (Clark to Makati-Manila). There is a local young taxi driver Gilbert
(tel: +63 929 5999 429 with toyota innova)perhaps can help you get thru the trip in less of hassle. Interestingly, Clark is still the main military airport stopover twice a year
for US-Philippine practise. Distance is bad for both business & leisure travel(Huh! Immagine your flight in Clark airport scheduled at 11:45AM and you got to start leaving
manila at 7:30AM). Alternatively, Cebu Pacific(Yub another Low cost carrier! Yeah!) which is really land within Manila Airport city(Airport to Makati/Greenbelt takes 15mins at
P330 only. Joel(tel: +63 922 2629 863) whom driving a newer Toyota Innova which circulates within Manila city will appear to be handy.
I have done my 8 days rogue traveling in Manila & Cebu with limited piso exchanged -about P13k (thanks to the high taxi fares from Clark which depleted amost P7k already). Thank
god that I carry a good plastic card(credit).
Where to stay in Manila? I choose Makati - the financial district in Manila which carry of a metropolitan feel, to settle comfortable prior to do any adventure in Manila. I have a few nights in Makati. It's thought to be cleaner and safer. LPL hotel (tel +63 2 8183 628) locates juz right next to Greenbelt 5 has seemed to a ideal place for a new visitor like me. P3300 nightly(w/o bf) and probably you can bargain for lower if longer stay. Walking accross the road was a internet cafe(P45/hr) and a convinient store. Then Greenbelt 3 sky-links 'The Landmark'(deparmental stores) and again links to 'Glorieta'(another departmental stores) and link to 'SM'(yub it is a never ending deparmental store webbed in this district)... If this does not exhaust you, 20min taxi away will be Mall of Asia(facing Manila bay). it is as big as it can get! That's how I perfectly blend into manila shopping crowd. And to my surprise, people seems to talk Philipino (national language "takalok") to me!
What so interest in Manila? That would be the 500 yrs of Spanish Colonial legacy remnants. Intramunos("City Within Walls" in Spanish) and the Catheral will walk you back to those heritage. Chinatown was juz right nex to Intramunos. Accrosing the Pasig river and WALA, you were in chinatown incidentally. Do not fool by the hourse carriege ("Calesa") that it was far away by fact juz 10mins of a ride! I didn't has much of a memory in China town except for some familiar cantonese dim-sum and dishes. Speaking mandarin wasn't so common anyway. Also goldsmiths and herbal shops were literally everywhere! Outside Makati is more of a mess-like. People, jeepneys, cars, tricycle-bikes, street hanging cables, are buzzing all day long. Nex stop for me was Cebu. Less of a traffic and urban like township. Pilings are intense and its on the way in developing into metro. Surrounding by sea and temperature is mild. Ayala mall is where to shop around. Marriot would be my choice as it is ez accessing to the Mall. Waterfront @ lahug is good but surroundings is not much to hang around. Local dishes eg. lechon (bbq pig), roasted chicken/fishes/calamari are among the popularity. In Mactan island(where you firsly landed in Cebu airport), it is mushroom with classy hotel and clubs. When night falls, it is when the city comes to live! Local clubs and bars are worth to venture arround! Beers & liquors are tagged lower in prices. Funs is in the air!
Expenses: Slightly higher than Bangkok. Averagely P200 per decent meal;
Taxi: does not usually run on meter especially during rush hours; "I Yau. ToYok-ToYok"(Don't simply turn-turn for extra miles!)
Intnl airport tax: P600
domestic airport tax: P200
Revisit Index:
*click for large view.
Where to stay in Manila? I choose Makati - the financial district in Manila which carry of a metropolitan feel, to settle comfortable prior to do any adventure in Manila. I have a few nights in Makati. It's thought to be cleaner and safer. LPL hotel (tel +63 2 8183 628) locates juz right next to Greenbelt 5 has seemed to a ideal place for a new visitor like me. P3300 nightly(w/o bf) and probably you can bargain for lower if longer stay. Walking accross the road was a internet cafe(P45/hr) and a convinient store. Then Greenbelt 3 sky-links 'The Landmark'(deparmental stores) and again links to 'Glorieta'(another departmental stores) and link to 'SM'(yub it is a never ending deparmental store webbed in this district)... If this does not exhaust you, 20min taxi away will be Mall of Asia(facing Manila bay). it is as big as it can get! That's how I perfectly blend into manila shopping crowd. And to my surprise, people seems to talk Philipino (national language "takalok") to me!
What so interest in Manila? That would be the 500 yrs of Spanish Colonial legacy remnants. Intramunos("City Within Walls" in Spanish) and the Catheral will walk you back to those heritage. Chinatown was juz right nex to Intramunos. Accrosing the Pasig river and WALA, you were in chinatown incidentally. Do not fool by the hourse carriege ("Calesa") that it was far away by fact juz 10mins of a ride! I didn't has much of a memory in China town except for some familiar cantonese dim-sum and dishes. Speaking mandarin wasn't so common anyway. Also goldsmiths and herbal shops were literally everywhere! Outside Makati is more of a mess-like. People, jeepneys, cars, tricycle-bikes, street hanging cables, are buzzing all day long. Nex stop for me was Cebu. Less of a traffic and urban like township. Pilings are intense and its on the way in developing into metro. Surrounding by sea and temperature is mild. Ayala mall is where to shop around. Marriot would be my choice as it is ez accessing to the Mall. Waterfront @ lahug is good but surroundings is not much to hang around. Local dishes eg. lechon (bbq pig), roasted chicken/fishes/calamari are among the popularity. In Mactan island(where you firsly landed in Cebu airport), it is mushroom with classy hotel and clubs. When night falls, it is when the city comes to live! Local clubs and bars are worth to venture arround! Beers & liquors are tagged lower in prices. Funs is in the air!
Expenses: Slightly higher than Bangkok. Averagely P200 per decent meal;
Taxi: does not usually run on meter especially during rush hours; "I Yau. ToYok-ToYok"(Don't simply turn-turn for extra miles!)
Intnl airport tax: P600
domestic airport tax: P200
Revisit Index:
*click for large view.
