General Info

[Tony Hoeprano]

I'd like to stay in the Philippines for 3 months(preferably Makati City) and would like to know the best choice of staying in condo/apartment.

1. Would it be best to search online?
2. would it be better for a local to book the condo, avoiding the so-called skin tax?

It seems many places want 1st two months and last 2 months deposit for a total of 4 months!

Also, are these places open for negotiation?

[Robbaf]

A few weeks ago someone posted about a driver with a car in the Philippines. I can't seem to find it now. I think he was in Cavite. Can you help? I will be there the first of March. Have not been in the Philippines since 1979.

The report on the driver in Cavite can be found here.
http://www.InternationalSexGuide.nl/forum/showthread.php?p=805981

Robb

[Bkkbob40]

A few weeks ago someone posted about a driver with a car in the Philippines. I can't seem to find it now. I think he was in Cavite. Can you help? I will be there the first of March. Have not been in the Philippines since 1979.

[Danahaste]

My fellow mongers,

While there are lots of suggestions in the forum to buyin' a SIM card and getting money from ATMs, I didnot see a posting on where this can be done. After arriving at the international terminal, where is the best place to buy a SIM card and get pesos for the taxi? I'll be staying at the Hyatt so any suggestions for that area would also be apprciated.

[Hairy Wonder]

not the local crap, but the American crap.

This is another line from SA that keeps me laughing! :D

[Southbound69]

Hey Guys,

I know this subject comes up on occasion but maybe this can help some guys. I was recently successful at booking with my credit card on Cebu Pacific. They had a great deal from Clark to Bangkok so knowing that it wouldn’t go through I thought "what the hell, I’ll try anyway". I wasn’t sure if I had tried this card before but thought I would try it again because it was the only card I could get to work with Air Asia. It is a Citibank Mastercard, issued in the US. It happens to be a debit card but I don’t think it matters. Well, the card went through and I got an instant confirmation number! Whoo Hooo! I tried it again two days later on another fare and it worked again. This is soooo much better than going to a Cebu Pacific ticket office, waiting for 45 minutes, having to pay cash and being stuck with a higher fare for a last minute flight not to mention the service fee. So this is the only card I ever got to work with Cebu Pacific or Air Asia. Maybe they changed their reservations system? With PAL I never had any problem using my Capital One Visa.

Southbound69

[Ekspat]

IMO the best food is to be found in Malaysia and Singapore,
since there everything is available in excellent quality.
Indian, Chinese and Malay food, in the northern areas Thai food.

Even as Westerner I don't go for Western food.
No way with such variety!

Cheers!

[FreebieFan]

Whilst all you guys are putting down Filipino foods, and some if it is crap, lets not forget the delights of sinigang, a sour soup featuring tamarind thats not found anywhere else in Asia. This is what I always have to remind me I'm in Phils. A great kinilaw, freshly made will also hit the spot in the way that ceviche does in Europe. For those in Davao and tuna fishing territory, BBQ tuna jaw really is a meal to remember. Theres a number of other ddelights but they get lost as we tend to see kare-kare and other items that are unappealing, left to stew.

But there are some good dishes as in all countries.

[Buko Max]

I'm from America and was wondering in other countries do they have American Restaurants and what do they serve as American dishes?

Nothing more American than Hooters! :cool:

[Just Jim]

HI Lenience

I have spent 12 of the last 20 weeks in the Phils and recommend 3 spots that I have been to and have heard of 2 others.

Boracay is nice, bring your own pussy.

Bohol is nice, Bring your own Pussy.

Dumagette is nice, bring your own Pussy.

Palawan is reportedly magnificient, bring your own pussy.

Surigao is reportedly magnificient, bring your own pussy

I hope to have been to both places by June this year.

Just Jim

[ShadowAxis]

There are also Chili's, Friday's, (insert generic American mid-tier food chain), Bubba Gumps, Hard Rock. List goes on an on. Here in Manila, the best "american" place I have been to is probably the Filling Station on Burgeos St. (smack in the middle of pussytown) Sadly, I don't eat there often because even by San Francisco standards the place is extremely expensive. Panama Jacks. In the same area is also pretty good. They serve Apple Pie which passes the test!

Generally, as mentioned in a previous post. The food sucks. The local foodstuffs tend to be a lower quality and often. The 100% all beef patty is usually more like a meatloaf. (the locals just can't resist the urge to break anything done right) The burgers at Chili's and Friday's tend to be "grey all the way through, " which leads me to suspect they are microwaved.

Best steak in Manila would be at the Handlebar on Polaris St. Walking distance from Burgeos St. On Fri, Sat and Sun they have a BBQ (steak, chicken, other things) with baked potato, corn, cole slaw, baked beans and other fixens. I think this is the best steak deal. The quality ranges from a 6 to a 10. And the price is about $12. 00 US for a big rib-eye. Not bad.

In reality the best American food is had at home. I have a nice BBQ on the terrace, and make my own burgers. It's breakfast now, and I hear the housekeeper making scrambled eggs. And I can smell the corned beef hash (not the local crap, but the American crap. Hormell, from a can) in the fry pan.

In a pinch, the Jollibee Chili Cheese Dog with fries and coke is edible. But bring your own mustard. Avoid anything "philippino style, " that means they dumped about a cup of sugar into it. It's a miracle any of the locals have teeth.

Kenny Rogers, Shakey's Pizza, McDonalds, etc. Just walk around any mall and you will see the so called "American Restaurants." In my experience though, the quality sucks except for McDonalds. McDonalds cheeseburger in Manila tastes exactly like one from Chi-Town. And you can get rice rather than fries. There are a bunch of others doing business there, mostly fast food franchises. Nothing comes to mind outside of the malls and fast food franchises.

[Lenience]

OK, so the consensus is that we do not go to the Philippines to eat great food. I have been there many times, but I am looking forward to being in Manila soon for a longer spell than usual, unaccompanied, and free on weekends. My question is - where can I go for weekends to enjoy a clean beach, reasonable hotels, good snorkeling, and a good selection of freelancers?

Seems like a simple question!

[Big Johnson2]

I'm only seeing 9 Threads for the Philippine section of the site. I had thought there were other threads for the site with other locations besides Angeles. I am correct or just imagining things?

Thanks

[Big Johnson2]

I have one night in Manila soon. Where is a good place to go for some action. What do the girls at EDSA cost? I've been to L. A. Cafe before but never been anywhere else. Nothing in Makati. I am from America so prefer that is not geared to Asians and used to "foreign" customers. What can I expect for BF price.

Thanks for the help.

[Robbaf]

There is a PAL office in Centennial 2, between the international and domestic departure entrances and you pull a ticket and wait for an hour or more to talk to a rep, but if it was me, I would wait until I landed in Cebu and work it out there.

Robb

I will be flying from SFO to Manila. Arriving 5:40 am Feb 21. Then Feb 23 I'm flying PAL to Cebu and I'm flying a girl from Tacloban to Cebu on Feb 24.

However, since I had to change the girl's flight I still owe some penalty money which I apparently have to pay in the Phils. I am wondering if it's easiest to pay this at a PAL ticket office upon my arrival in Manila early on the 21st. Or to wait until I take my domestic flight to Cebu. And the either pay then at the Manila airport or upon arrival at Cebu (for the girl's flight the next day).

Sorry. This is my first time in the Phils. So I don't know.

Thanks!