Manila

[Albert9989]

I am coming to Manila for a 10 day getaway. But I am yet to fix on a place to stay. Can you guys help with that? My initial plan was to settle down in BGC. A few of my friends suggested Gramercy instead. Some suggested Poblacion. A girl whom I befriended on a dating site suggested pasay. I have the airbnb website open in front of me, but the huge list of options are bewildering.

I want to have a nice time. Women. Booze. Partying and I want to play it safe.

Please help.

One option is Burgos, many clubs around if you like, greenbelt not far away with girls hanging around on evening, many hotels around.

[RpTraveller]

I am coming to Manila for a 10 day getaway. But I am yet to fix on a place to stay. Can you guys help with that? My initial plan was to settle down in BGC. A few of my friends suggested Gramercy instead. Some suggested Poblacion. A girl whom I befriended on a dating site suggested pasay. I have the airbnb website open in front of me, but the huge list of options are bewildering.

I want to have a nice time. Women. Booze. Partying and I want to play it safe.

Please help.

[Bushes]

Dumb posts about smart phones. 50 pesos saved is 50 pesos earned (to some). Time is money. Some people's time is worth 50 pesos. Not mine.

PI has one of the most expensive data plans in Asia and some of the slowest and worst coverage. I am not sure if they banned Hawaii but low cost is one way to build a better network. Off hand, government usually have the best startup and service until private catches up and piggy back off the government infrastructures.

Switches used to be very expensive. Now, in the US, many new houses come pre-wired with places for power and switches right next to the line in to hard wire connect everything. Optional to have someone install everything for you for plug and play. Heck, you can build your panic room right there.

I myself would not venture there. That's what I got 3rd hand.

Some locals will not admit to going but did try in my younger days. Take one for the team and report back! LOL.

[Dg8787]

A few minutes ago me and my girlfriends were heading in. The Grab stopped at a traffic signal and to the right was two of those places I always see with Christmas lights around the door. I told her that I wanted to go to one of those places. She said I bet you do, assuming I already knew what it was. I said what is it. She did not want to tell me but I am persistant. She said it is called a beer house. You can go there and drink beer and pay women for sex. Why have I never seen those places discussed here? I see tons of them and have always just assumed they were regular local neighborhood bars.

I landed in Manila the other night. Grab driver drove thru Paranque and I noticed the beer bar lights. Seen them before but never gave them any thought. I asked the driver about them and he said they are known as Paranque bars. There are 2-3 blocks of them. You don't see any girls or barkers outside but the front doors are open. Really can't see anything as the bars are pretty dark inside. Driver said a few weeks ago he had passenger ask about them as he drove by. The guy decided to get a 2 star hotel there next to the bars. Passenger said it was foreigner friendly and took many girls from the bar for 4 K.

I myself would not venture there. That's what I got 3rd hand.

[Dg8787]

Roaming the Manila thread for my upcoming trip (contributed reports on my past PP / Cambodia trip) and I came across countless mobile phone and phone card posts. Super annoying and useless IMHO. Here is why: the cheapest gal someone rents will cost a many multiple of a phone card one can get at any airport. Bring a phone that is unlocked, case closed. It's really that simple. Being a cheap Charlie is one thing but hackling over 50 or 100 p for better deals is embarrassing. Takes a lot of fun away from reading the otherwise awesome field reports, especially those by the dinosaurs in our profession, whom I worship and highly respect for their wit and humor.

Dumb posts about smart phones. 50 pesos saved is 50 pesos earned (to some). Time is money. Some people's time is worth 50 pesos. Not mine.

[FrancoCan]

Roaming the Manila thread for my upcoming trip (contributed reports on my past PP / Cambodia trip) and I came across countless mobile phone and phone card posts. Super annoying and useless IMHO. Here is why: the cheapest gal someone rents will cost a many multiple of a phone card one can get at any airport. Bring a phone that is unlocked, case closed. It's really that simple. Being a cheap Charlie is one thing but hackling over 50 or 100 p for better deals is embarrassing. Takes a lot of fun away from reading the otherwise awesome field reports, especially those by the dinosaurs in our profession, whom I worship and highly respect for their wit and humor.

[PedroMorales]

I'll agree with Transporter, you should go to the mall for regular shopping. But you never know! X Man.

Which is what you did. They should have had a 3 for 2 offer or some such. The quality of merchandise varies a lot in Robisons and you confirm that. Maybe they should have been at the 99 PHP store. Got to watch the exchange conmen there. Always report them to security.

[X Man]

I'm pretty sure that anything north of Pedro Gil would be Ermita. That would mean all of Robinsons Mall. Malate is south of P. Gil.

I've used are. Mall as a meeting place many times with gals I met online. As for direct P4P at the mall, only twice. The first time was a gal who was giving eye contact just outside the Pedro Gil entrance. I was about to go talk to her since she was quite good looking. Suddenly, an older woman cornered my target and started talking about religion. Very frustrating. I waited and my patience was rewarded. We had our fun at Cherry Blossoms Hotel, which was the first and last time I stayed there. The gal wasn't very enthusiastic. She struck me as someone who had an urgent need for cash and just wanted to get it over with.

The second time was shortly after closing and a young, cute looking stunner was with two other gals and someone we might call Mama, or M.

X: Hello.

M: You want girl?

X: Sure, how much?

M: Up to you.

X: How about P1200? (I don't remember exactly, but I started low and was expecting a bit of nego).

M: Okay.

Unfortunately, Ms. Cute then objected angrily to M. So now we are in a very public place and they are making a scene. I just walked away. I guess my opening bid should have been a bit more generous.

I'll agree with Transporter, you should go to the mall for regular shopping. But you never know! X Man.

There use to be a huge herd of them (and yes I mean herd) before right where the smoking area is in front of Starbucks. They will gather at night. About a year or so ago security has been pushing them off property, and they have been migrating to the corner. You can still find them at night, even though the herd has gotten smaller and more spread out, but really, of all the years I have been playing in Malate, I have never seen anything from the herd that I would be interested in yet. This could be because I am not at the mall in the late evening but for sure early evening and day is a total bust. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder so don't let me discourage you from checking it out.

[Transporter]

Curious if there are freelancers in this mall?

There use to be a huge herd of them (and yes I mean herd) before right where the smoking area is in front of Starbucks. They will gather at night. About a year or so ago security has been pushing them off property, and they have been migrating to the corner. You can still find them at night, even though the herd has gotten smaller and more spread out, but really, of all the years I have been playing in Malate, I have never seen anything from the herd that I would be interested in yet. This could be because I am not at the mall in the late evening but for sure early evening and day is a total bust. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder so don't let me discourage you from checking it out.

[Transporter]

A few minutes ago me and my girlfriends were heading in. The Grab stopped at a traffic signal and to the right was two of those places I always see with Christmas lights around the door. I told her that I wanted to go to one of those places. She said I bet you do, assuming I already knew what it was. I said what is it. She did not want to tell me but I am persistant. She said it is called a beer house. You can go there and drink beer and pay women for sex. Why have I never seen those places discussed here? I see tons of them and have always just assumed they were regular local neighborhood bars.

Probably because most of the info is discussed on pm.

Not sure it is called a beer house, but beer houses do exist here in Malate also. Actually what you saw may have been what the locals call casa. Although it is not the casa like before, it still is a boarding house for girls (they sleep upstairs or in the back) that work the trade, and it is also a bar where you can buy drinks and ladies drinks. Same as the bars in ac you can poke your head in pick a girl, pay the mommie and off you go with the girl. Or you can go in buy a bunch of girls a drink and make your selection.

In the main area of Malate I know of 5 of these types of bars, there are probably more, just haven't needed to go looking since the selection of opportunity is so high in Malate. Don't count on the selection to be great all the time, but it is very convenient, and economical to pull a girl from those bars, just do your interview well.

[Manfield04]

There are lots of FLs in the mall. As you enter from Pedro Gill, you will find them on the right, near the escalators and on the way to the departmental stores. You will also notice some go up and down the escalators as if they have come for shopping but in fact they are trying to hook up with someone.

Curious if there are freelancers in this mall?

[Mr Enternational]

Yes, they stand near the escalators located just inside the entrance on Pedro Gil street (across from the Starbucks in the mall). Sometimes there is a mama with them.

If you walk out that door and to the right there are more under that breezeway next to the street than there are inside.

[WestCoast1]

Curious if there are freelancers in this mall?

Yes, they stand near the escalators located just inside the entrance on Pedro Gil street (across from the Starbucks in the mall). Sometimes there is a mama with them.

[Breadman]

Curious if there are freelancers in this mall?

[Sammon]

A few minutes ago me and my girlfriends were heading in. The Grab stopped at a traffic signal and to the right was two of those places I always see with Christmas lights around the door. I told her that I wanted to go to one of those places. She said I bet you do, assuming I already knew what it was. I said what is it. She did not want to tell me but I am persistant. She said it is called a beer house. You can go there and drink beer and pay women for sex. Why have I never seen those places discussed here? I see tons of them and have always just assumed they were regular local neighborhood bars.

There are many of these beer bars around ermita. In fact some of them on the same street as LA cafe, Del Pilar Street. I had the pleasure of going in there few years ago.

To be truthful they are not brothels. They have reasonably pretty girls to entice you to come in. Drinks are overpriced. Set up is like Karaoke but they do not have karaoke machines. Girls will sit with you, drink with you, talk with you, joke with you, touch you enticingly but no grabbing. There are tough looking bouncers. Idea is to make money by getting you drunk. I did not see many customers when I went in. I was enticed in by a very pretty girl. I had couple of beers (expensive) bought the girl a drink (expensive) talked, got her phone number with a promise of hook up after work. I did not call her.

Sure enough next evening I get a text from her asking me to come to the bar. At that time I was in LA cafe and I texted her saying she can come to my hotel (Bayview Park) after work and we can spend time together and I will give her money. She said she will let me know. At that point I said I am in the process of getting a girl and if she is not interested she should tell me. Many texts saying I need to come to her bar and once she gets to know me she will go with me. I said no.

In conclusion it is like bait to get you in, sell you overpriced drinks. At least in karaoke you might have a chance to take a girl you are a big spender. I have done that in China. Also a girl I met on the street duped me but that is another story.