Manila

[Transporter]

Sometimes LAC can feel the most grotty dispiriting s*hole on the planet and other times like you say (even on the same day) it feels like it should be granted World Heritage status by UNESCO. They have food? I usually graze at the shawarma place just down the road.

Take a stroll upstairs at night.

The candy is a little better upstairs (but it comes with a bit more attitude).

But it is easier to enjoy your meal and drink upstairs.

[Tungsten2]

Sometimes LAC can feel the most grotty dispiriting s*hole on the planet and other times like you say (even on the same day) it feels like it should be granted World Heritage status by UNESCO. They have food? I usually graze at the shawarma place just down the road.

[Free2]

Great to pay a visit to LA Cafe around 6 pm yesterday. The cattle herd was abundant, lots of older herefords, but a nice number of younger, slim and very doable calves.

You got to love this place! I love the feeling that I am in the presence of debauchery. A mongers paradise. The waitresses are fun, especially the one behind the counter. 2 girls 'joined' me and I was whatever, go ahead and sit beside me. I get my food and when I am full and done, I offer the leftovers to them. They readily agree. After a while they ask for a drink. I say; "I bought you food, you can buy your own drink! Well, the waitress behind the counter heard me and laughed her ass off! The girls were embarrassed, but in true pinay fashion they don't get the point and keep asking. Ok, 1 coke. I wasn't planning to take either of them home, they were trying for me to take both for 3 k total. I ended up taking Samantha, 25, super skinny, (43 kg, stood on the scale in the hotel room). We walked back to the hotel, bought some SM Light (horsepiss) and she got a little tipsy on that which made her quite compliable. This one also decided on a cell phone as a gift instead of cash (said 1500), but she said she needed to go back to the bar for another client because a phone is nice but it doesn't buy you milk for your 2 year old son! I paid 2500 php for the phone on the street. Hey, BTW, I still have 1 more phone to give away for anybody wondering!

The food is surprisingly good at LA Cafe, I must say. Watch the little slips of paper though, not a big deal at all, but my waitress put down 95 php for the mug of draft when the menu says 90. She corrected it. I don't give a damn about 5 php but I don't want any of my fellow mongers or myself to be cheated!!

[X Man]

I am not as picky as some of the other guys. I would just assume riding to the hotel in a wooden cart pulled by a donkey.

SNIP

Surely you'd have to pay extra for the "special" service.

Once I was switching hotels in Malate / Ermita area. While trying to get a taxi one of the pedicabs pulled up. He put the suitcase on the roof. A block later a car suddenly stopped in front of us. Pedicab driver had to quickly stop and the suitcase slid off and hit the back of the car. The driver of the car was a bit irate. No damage to car, nor suitcase. Another Manila adventure!

[Free2]

Been in Manila since Tuesday. Took 1 of my regulars, her 3 month old baby, her sister, a friend and the mother to the hot springs in Laguna for a day trip. Lots of fun. Rented a room so I had private time with and when I wanted! (not the mom though). LOL.

5500 private driver from 7 am - 6 pm, including gas, tolls the works. Can't beat that. Well, maybe YOU can but I don't give a damn. Chauffered service while I fondle the girls in the back seat or sleep is fine with me.

Its great having Rizal Ave close by. When I want an immediate release, there is always a LBFM available (SW) ready to please. They ask for 1000ST. I give it to them. They sometimes ask for something (300 php) for the mamasan, some don't. Kamagong hotel is great for 1 - 2 HR stays. Some girls look real skanky, some are drugged out, I ignored those because I was always able to find (surprisingly) a normal, clean LOOKING girl who may as well have been picked up from SKOUT or something.

One night I got the tricycle driver to slowly prowl the 2 sides of Rizal Ave while I kept an eye out for a SW. I saw a slightly chubby (but not fat) 24 year old who looked sweet and very nicely dressed. After negotiating the mamasan down from 1500 to 1000ST, we start heading to the trike to go back to my hotel (not to Kamagong). Damn the mamasan wants to accompany the girl (which I hate).

When we get back to the tricycle, I see a skinny (like 80 lbs skinny) , roughly 21 year old girl standing right by the tricycle. I switch gears fast, offer her 1000ST, and tell her to get into the tricycle. The mamasan starts arguing with me, but I wave her off and tell the driver to go immediately. Without ID, the hotel guard just made her write her name and sign and all was good. Another time, a girl I brought (a regular) who had no ID, the guards just took a photo of her upon leaving to make them happy! No girl has ever been refused entry.

[Transporter]

Hanging out around Makati, decided the bars were a waste of money. I remember there being several semi-decent "fishbowl" type massage places in Manila. Are there any close to Makati P. Burgos region?

You can check manilatonight.com (some outdated but still might have a good previ of info).

As far as "fishbowl" spa, there just lineups.

The last "fishbowl" spa that I remember and still current is by the airport in paranaque flight 168.

[Nolz7]

Hanging out around Makati, decided the bars were a waste of money. I remember there being several semi-decent "fishbowl" type massage places in Manila. Are there any close to Makati P. Burgos region?

Essere Spa.

Nara spa.

Native Palm Spa.

Just to name a few, all in Makati.

[Mogwai]

Paying more for better service (or less-hassled service) is not new.

True. But in this case the service should be the same and pretty simple: driving you from A to be in a car via the fastest way without any hassle.
The SUV doesn't justify the double price compared to the 'normal' taxi's that are quite comfortable as well. Not for me anyway.

[Mr Enternational]

I can understand why you are using the coupon taxis but OTOH: isn't it odd that you have to pay almost double prices just to avoid being hassled?
I mean, it's almost like saying to a driver beforehand: I pay you double because if I don't you will try to rip me off for the same amount anyway.

I am not as picky as some of the other guys. I would just assume riding to the hotel in a wooden cart pulled by a donkey.

Out of all the times I have been to PI only twice has a taxi tried to rip me off. Both were yellow taxis leaving the airport. Thanks to RTFF as well as being on that route before, I knew what the price should be. And I don't mind arguing with them. It actually spices up my day.

[WestCoast1]

I can understand why you are using the coupon taxis but OTOH: isn't it odd that you have to pay almost double prices just to avoid being hassled?
I mean, it's almost like saying to a driver beforehand: I pay you double because if I don't you will try to rip me off for the same amount anyway.

That's close, but not always correct. Sometimes I take the coupon taxi because its closer, I don't have to bother checking if there are white or yellow taxis in queue, and its usually a larger SUV-type vehicle that I have to myself. Usually: recently at NAIA just as I emerged into the taxi area, a tout hollered a price for the higher-priced coupon taxi and I bit. He led me to a nice-looking large sedan and opened the back door, but there were already 2 other gents in the car waiting (it appeared to be a car-pool). I said no thanks. The tout led me back to an empty SUV, I confirmed the same price for the SUV and away I went. You see it, right? You can even get ripped off by the coupon touts. Its a ripoff because who would car-pool for $15 when you can have your own for $15? I pay the higher price for the coupon SUV because I don't want any of the hassles. Yes its nice to be able to say my white taxi cost only p180 to my hotel, but paying $15 to get me to my hotel quickly, quietly, and safely (and knowing exact price in advance) in the SUV is spit after a 15-hour nonstop.

Paying more for better service (or less-hassled service) is not new.

[Wicked Roger]

I can understand why you are using the coupon taxis but OTOH: isn't it odd that you have to pay almost double prices just to avoid being hassled?
I mean, it's almost like saying to a driver beforehand: I pay you double because if I don't you will try to rip me off for the same amount anyway.

I never see it that way. For me is cheap so why quibble over say $5? Seems an odd approach given many pay a lot to get to the country and then boast about saving less than $5.

[Mogwai]

This whole debate has served to remind me of why, when arriving in Manila, I invariably use the coupon taxis: never a hassle over rates or meters as they're all posted. In my 17 years of taking these taxis I've never had a problem.

I can understand why you are using the coupon taxis but OTOH: isn't it odd that you have to pay almost double prices just to avoid being hassled?
I mean, it's almost like saying to a driver beforehand: I pay you double because if I don't you will try to rip me off for the same amount anyway.

[CasperStake]

Hanging out around Makati, decided the bars were a waste of money. I remember there being several semi-decent "fishbowl" type massage places in Manila. Are there any close to Makati P. Burgos region?

[GoodEnough]

I thought you were a die-hard Uber fan GE judging by your posts last year. I am pleased to learn that you do actually tolerate the other taxi services.

As I have said several times here on ISG, I prefer to keep an open mind until I emerge from the terminal to see what the lines are like.

In 5 arrivals in 2017 at NAIA T1 I had instant connection with the Yellow cabs (no one ahead of me), so why would I choose to pay an extra 200 to 300 php to a coupon taxi when the yellow cab is sitting there.

Similarly for 3 arrivals at T3 in 2018, I have used the yellow taxis twice and the coupon taxis once (because the yellow cab lines were long).

As I said, play it by ear. If both coupon and yellow lines are long, then go to Grab or Uber as 3rd option.

There are no hard and fast rules.

I'm an Uber fan when in the city. But from the airport to the hotel, I use the coupon taxis because there's no waiting, and no ambiguity about the fare.

[Red Kilt]

This whole debate has served to remind me of why, when arriving in Manila, I invariably use the coupon taxis: never a hassle over rates or meters as they're all posted. In my 17 years of taking these taxis I've never had a problem.

I thought you were a die-hard Uber fan GE judging by your posts last year. I am pleased to learn that you do actually tolerate the other taxi services.

As I have said several times here on ISG, I prefer to keep an open mind until I emerge from the terminal to see what the lines are like.

In 5 arrivals in 2017 at NAIA T1 I had instant connection with the Yellow cabs (no one ahead of me), so why would I choose to pay an extra 200 to 300 php to a coupon taxi when the yellow cab is sitting there.

Similarly for 3 arrivals at T3 in 2018, I have used the yellow taxis twice and the coupon taxis once (because the yellow cab lines were long).

As I said, play it by ear. If both coupon and yellow lines are long, then go to Grab or Uber as 3rd option.

There are no hard and fast rules.