Anyone know anything about the Philippines?

[DaGaffer]

I'm going there on business in a couple of weeks and I've managed to blag a couple of days free time for myself. Anyone know anything about Manila? Places to go, things to see etc.

 

[Tom]

Don't take on any students with the aim of teaching them English.

 

[Chilly]

I think lolinternet boy might be phillipino or his mum is or something..

 

[Whipped]

If it's anything like Vietnam you may want to see some ID first

As I'm not a traveller I have no constructive input to this thread. Sorry

 

[Clown]

lolinternet

Manila is crap. It's a dusty city, full of bustle and crap and beggars. There are a lot os slums in Manila and you can find people sleeping under the big billboards. The hotels are probably nice on the inside, but the city itself is a bit minging. As far as I can remember. I'll ask my mum if she knows stuff to do there.

If you can make it to a beach, that would probably be more fun. But don't go to a beach that got covered in volcanic ash. They suck.

 

[DaGaffer]

lolinternet

Manila is crap. It's a dusty city, full of bustle and crap and beggars. There are a lot os slums in Manila and you can find people sleeping under the big billboards. The hotels are probably nice on the inside, but the city itself is a bit minging. As far as I can remember. I'll ask my mum if she knows stuff to do there.

If you can make it to a beach, that would probably be more fun. But don't go to a beach that got covered in volcanic ash. They suck.

Ta. The business meeting is up at the 'Clark Special Economic Zone' (the old US base is like a big tax-free zone apparently, with hotels and golf courses and stuff). Maybe I'd be better off staying up there. On the other hand it's not the 'real' Philippines I guess.

 

[Clown]

It has beautiful countryside if you're into that. Mountains and trees and stuff. I maintain that cities there are parp.

 

[Utini]

I'll ask my mum if she knows stuff to do there.

Or just do clownehs mum there.

 

[Panda On Smack]

Cheeky monkey

 

[Tom]

I've been to Malaysia, which of course is nowhere near the Phillipines. I do however remember how humid it was, which I presume also happens in the Phillipines. We're talking 'sweat-monster in 30 seconds' humidity. You leave your hotel, walk out the door, and within 30 seconds your shirt is drenched in sweat.

 

[Clown]

You need to see a doctor. It really is kapow-like heat though. You step off the plane and it 'hits' you.

 

[TdC]

yeah, but you're used to it in a day or so. I can't remember the Phillipines, I was only 4 or so when I visited. if it's very humid *try* to be wary of air-conditioning: I always get tremendous colds the first week or so in humid countries. Singapore always kills me for example.

 

[TedTheDog]

I've been to Manilla and the clark airforce zone (aka Angeles City) and believe me, its the biggest most dangerous shithole you could ever imagine.
Manila is a giant and dangerous slum. Theres shiny parts and extremely shitty parts, and the shiny parts are very small (business district and bits of Makati city) and the shitty parts are vast. I drove them through them and it took 4 hours to get to cavite, which is just a few miles away. I saw people with guns, beggers everywhere and even a dog being killed and skinned in the street.
The bank next to my hotel had 8 armed guards outside. In the street. No idea how many inside, I was advised not to go there.

And its safe compared to Angeles city, which is a giant giant whore house. I went in a bar there where you could get 5 beers and a blow job for £1.
No, I didnt. It was disgusting, and the girls were kids, and should've been at home in bed.
And when I went out in Angeles I had an armed guard. Yes, really. 9mm semi auto pistol in the cliche macho underarm holster.
Angeles is simply a shanty town the grew up around the airforce base to "service" the USAF personnel, and now its the destination for sex tourists the world over. Rumour has it that just going there gets you onto a sex offenders list back in blighty.
No, thats not why i was there, I was staying with friends (one of which was the armed guard, "I dont fucking step outside without this thing").

Oh, and I nearly forgot. Had a cockroach in my hotel room in Angeles that was the size of a small bird. I shit you not. It fell off the wall it was on and scuttled across the floor and I could hear it from 10 feet away. I graciously let him have the room and went to the bar for a big drink.

Most of the people are lovely and mean well. The bastards are seriously dangerous armed phsychotic bastards with no fear of the law as its totally totally corrupt. And everything is dirt cheap, but it bloody wants to be, believe me.

Teds travel tip for the Philipines. Avoid or be armed and ready to shoot.

By the way, hi everyone!

 

[Embattle]

So that's a no then.....chicks with nobblers, you've been warned

 

[DaGaffer]

I've been to Manilla and the clark airforce zone (aka Angeles City) and believe me, its the biggest most dangerous shithole you could ever imagine.
Manila is a giant and dangerous slum. Theres shiny parts and extremely shitty parts, and the shiny parts are very small (business district and bits of Makati city) and the shitty parts are vast. I drove them through them and it took 4 hours to get to cavite, which is just a few miles away. I saw people with guns, beggers everywhere and even a dog being killed and skinned in the street.
The bank next to my hotel had 8 armed guards outside. In the street. No idea how many inside, I was advised not to go there.

And its safe compared to Angeles city, which is a giant giant whore house. I went in a bar there where you could get 5 beers and a blow job for £1.
No, I didnt. It was disgusting, and the girls were kids, and should've been at home in bed.
And when I went out in Angeles I had an armed guard. Yes, really. 9mm semi auto pistol in the cliche macho underarm holster.
Angeles is simply a shanty town the grew up around the airforce base to "service" the USAF personnel, and now its the destination for sex tourists the world over. Rumour has it that just going there gets you onto a sex offenders list back in blighty.
No, thats not why i was there, I was staying with friends (one of which was the armed guard, "I dont fucking step outside without this thing").

Oh, and I nearly forgot. Had a cockroach in my hotel room in Angeles that was the size of a small bird. I shit you not. It fell off the wall it was on and scuttled across the floor and I could hear it from 10 feet away. I graciously let him have the room and went to the bar for a big drink.

Most of the people are lovely and mean well. The bastards are seriously dangerous armed phsychotic bastards with no fear of the law as its totally totally corrupt. And everything is dirt cheap, but it bloody wants to be, believe me.

Teds travel tip for the Philipines. Avoid or be armed and ready to shoot.

By the way, hi everyone!

Thanks for that Ted (Hi, BTW). I was quite looking forward to this, now I'm carking it. I've just been reading up about Angeles City; fortunately I'm not staying there (sounds like the Wild west crossed with Pattaya, and not in a good way), I'm staying inside the Zone itself (and there's a big fuckoff fence apparently). Having said that, I've got a night in Manila and I don't mind a bit of third-world squalour now and then; makes you appreciate what you've got.

 

[TedTheDog]

Ah, now inside the fence makes all the difference! Soz, that bit didnt really sink in.
And if you feel brave check out "the Firehouse" in Manila.
Tacky girly bar the size of woolworths.
Honestly, its hilarious. Theres hundreds of girls in bikini's and all wear numbers and you can call for them by number.
However, for the shortsighted the manasans also walk round with laser pointers which they give to you to point out "your girl" on the stage (its a big place).
And no, once again, I didnt, but its a life experience you oughta treat yourself to, but go with a guide/friend.

 

[DaGaffer]

Well I just got back. Manila is indeed one of the biggest shitholes I've ever seen (and I've been to Birmingham. *ducks*). You can tell the Yanks ran the place for most of the 20th century because there's no public transport and everyone drives (badly), which means it takes at least two hours to get anywhere. Its a lovely combination of dirt, poverty, humidity and smog.

Outside the city was a little better, but as we stopped at a rest stop on my way to my meeting, a popped into a (ubiquitous) Starbucks to get a triple-shot espresso (I was pretty jetlagged at this point) and was greeted by security guards with riot guns at the door! In fucking Starbucks! Armed security guards are everywhere, but they're a bit of a joke; I had a meeting the next morning back in Manila in the same building where the UN is based, so there were guys with Mirrors on sticks checking underneath our car and they opened the boot, looked at my suitcase, (which could have contained a 100 kilos of C4 for all they knew) and waved us on! Truly a comedy country.

Fortunately my Philippines part of the trip was cut short (so I never did see the *ahem* nightlife) and I had to go back to Hong Kong and have a meeting there instead. Just in time to watch a bunch of Koreans get water-cannoned and pepper-sprayed, which is an amusing way to spend a Saturday afternoon. (Oh, and I bought a PSP for...115 quid )

 

[TdC]

(Oh, and I bought a PSP for...115 quid )

yup, you gotta love Hong Kong! I got my iPod there, the 6 gig one, for half the price the dutch 4 gig models were going for at the time

glad you're back safely!

 

[Jupitus]

glad you're back safely!

Aye - welcome back, DaGuffer