Manila

Yahoo! Just fixed my sched and found out I'll be going to Pinas frm late December to early January! Time to hit the good ole MP's, KTV's and other nightspots!

NYPinoy - e-mail/pm me if your trip pushes through and you want to hook up...

Has anyone heard of Flight 168? From what I hear its the hottest MP/KTV right now, beating out Pega/La Legende and the rest...

P-Guy,

You are talking about Air-Force-1 in Paranaque, jus past the Sky Trek nightlub.

genius - Near NAIA? Ya, I think that's it...is the twin services as good as they say it is?

Gents,

A former poster on the Thailand/Korat board asked me to put this Manila report up. Here it is:

"I woke up at 1700hrs sunday. I had, at some point this morning, gotten aquianted with a couple of local club denizens with a freeflow bottle of tequila happening (well it seemed like a good idea at the time, as it always does) :p One thing about the folks here, I mean, if you get away from the shysters and tourist trap mongers, they are generous and gregarious to a fault, open hearted and just damn nice people. I'm going to remember that next time I deal with a Philo migrant worker on minimum wage in another part of the world. (OK moralizing over, back to the party.)

Well, around about 2000hrs I made my way to the WSG plugged GPoint Bar on Padre Faure St (a block or two west of LA Cafe) and ordered a coffee, twice the price of a beer, but I'm never going to drink again anyways ;D so what the hell. OK this place has been talked up by some guy on WSG to the point I was expecting a kind of cross between Starbucks and Long Bar at Raffles, Singapore. For starters it's in the wrong neighbourood to be keeping company with a Starbucks, let alone RAFFLES. Basically, what you got is a place where Philipina women (the ones who you see married to older guys back home, not exactly tarty-looking, but sexy in that impish tribal kinda way, if you know what I mean...) are chilling out with much older white men. I'm 42, but these guys are MY dads vintage, or look it. I have nothing against the borrowing timers making the most of their pension checks, mind you, I'll be there soon enough! This IS a nice enough place for what it is. There are no hassles, no assholes, no pretence at anything, and cheap food n drink. What let it down badly on the night was the music, some dickhead on the CD player (which annoyingly, kept skipping) would jarringly switch from Metallica at full volume, to fucking HORRIBLE crooning from some sixties B graders, to chirpy ABBA supermarket aisle numbers, at home my CD collection includes Herb Alpert, Tom Jones, Marvin Gaye, and -when I'm in the mood- ABBA, and guys like that, so you know I'm not trying to be hip here, the music, and how it was being mishandled, was inexcuseable, and I don't know why some of the older guys did not speak up, I don't know why I didn't! Actually, I DO know why, I was a bit over-dressed in crisp tropical pants and cotton shirt, the other guys were in sports shirts, shorts, T's and flip flops, so I thought if I spoke up it would not 'look' good. So I drank my coffee and left to hook up with the other two amigos who were texting me from LA Cafe by about 2100hrs.

This was my first time in LA Cafe, I was just looking for the other guys, and we left as soon as I rv'd with them, but it's basically a sleazy TGI Friday's concept, with semi-pro's on the make, and pool tables.

After swinging by a relatively dead Havana Bar at Adriatico, we headed out to the strip, er, Strip, namely, P.Burgos St, Makati City. Seemed like we were the only tourists there, and we were swarmed by urchins selling gum, off duty scabbies (my word for cab drivers, fucking rogues on wheels that they are -just about everywhere you go in the world.) and door pimps. Watch your wallets here! We toured I think every club there including the ones with Korean and Arabic scrip names in neon. (You know you're less likley to get bombed in an Arabic club hehe!) We were all stone clod sobah, but it was funny after a while, trying to remember which ones were the best, so we could choose a 'field HQ' to set up in "Hey, lets go back to that one with the big-titted mamasan... "Was that the one with the velvet couches?" "Naah that was the one with the chick who had the pierced tongue, remember?..." and so on... we settled in the Shampoo Bar, which had a side entrance (as many do) to a bigger club called... I forgot, dammit! My buddies slithered into the big barn next door where they paid for P300 tequila shots for the girls (who let them at least lick the lime juice from their titties) whilst I put a P50 note in the xmas tip jar for the girls at shampoo as a token of my affability, not generosity ;p The tiniest woman in the world this side of dwarfdom 'Paloma' made friends with me, then her afro- american looking buddy, 'chat' came up to, umm, chat too. (That was after I met a waitress named Pretzel! SheeesH! why do they choose these names?) All the while I girl in a black negligee with an ASS that seemed to have a mind of it's own, was dancing on stage, (groan!) so much pookie, so little time, not to mention pesos! (If I ever win lotto I'm coming back here to fuck myself to death!) Well, it being a slow night, Paloma and Chat came up with a novel idea, why not have two of us! This is actually something thats affordable in this part of the world, why not? besides, I want something different for the 'family album'. They said to avoid the barfine P1K each! Madre Dios! To meet them in the nearby eatery "The Filling Station" after 0400 (closing time) cellphone numbers were collected, then the boyz and I called it a night (they were tired out from the excesses of Saturday night AND xmas shopping all day Sunday, whilst I had opted to lie low.) The hotel was a P130 ride away and at 0200 with empty streets still took about 20mins, this is a big city! (we got the taxi meter switched on because one of us is a local, remember?) After arriving at the hotel, I decided I was too toey to wait for 0400 so I went out again to LA Cafe which is, incidentally a 30min stroll from our hotel on the bay -although I cabbed it. LA Cafe, being a 24-7 operation was jumping, there were Korean, Japanese, Black and White mongers all partying down. I figured that if I could not find a decent friend before 0400 at least I had my threesome to look forward to (assuming it was not all bullshit, as can often happen, just so one of 'em ends up with a john) at the very least either Paloma or Chat alone would have been just fine! About this time I was in the middle of being offered another 'threesome from two passable girls when the stunning 'Tia' caught my eye, she was with some stiff-looking nerdy type, the guy was in a button-down sleeve shirt for shitsakes, he looked like he'd just finished at the office... on a Sunday? Maybe he was a preacher, hehe! (See guys, even with PAID ass, it pays YOU to dress to impress a little, ALL women RESPOND to that, given all the odds being equal, which they are in a pussy bar, after all!) in no time, I had her full attention (she made sure to swing right by me on her way to the powder room!) And after a 'personality test' because I've learned this much, pretty faces often conceal bitchy attitudes and lousy performances, we were taking a bubble bath back in room 603. Halfway through a red-hot ride, I asked for permission to 'go digital' and you (Hi Five Group only!) have the hapy results dripping down your screens, gentlemen (Which pleases us no end!, Freeler).

I let her stay the night. We had breakfast at a cafe nearby, and I gave her a Ten Pound note (P950) plus P500 for a cab ride. Got her email and promised to send the raunchy pix she asked for! (Love a girl who loves her work!) Woven into the weekend was a sub-plot of sms (text) messages from WSG favourites "Cathy" and "Jing" both of whom were too busy to meet me. Cathy started well, but seemed to lose patience, and turned me off completely by eventually talking prices, sight unseen! Talk about arrogance! Jing seems keen, and we may meet in a week or two when I get back. To sum it all up. Don't miss out on some of the GREAT regular nightlife in Manila for the sake of purely mongering. As Progman has demonstrated, some great 'free' GFE to be had in the malls just because you're (in their eyes) overpaid and overthere. Don't forget your digicam. Don't forget your manners (and watch 'queer eye for the straight guy' to get some dress tips!) and don't forget to insist those scabbies turn on the meter. Get out the cab if they won't! If only on PRINCIPLE... don't forget, locals with as much or more money than us don't get shaken down by cab drivers when they use cabs, so why should we.

Scuse the typos.

Scotfree"

Hello to all from a part time reader.

I've been to P.I. twice; once to Angeles and the other to Sabang, and both times struggled to find a decent hotel in Manila for one night at around $20 U.S. I usually stay in Manila the night before I fly out.

This time I'll be in Manila for three days around Dec. 15 and I am looking for a place near the Edsa Complex. At one point not so long ago there was a lot of talk on this board about a hotel called the Townhouse, or the Town and Country? Something to that effect, and it is owned by an American expat.

The place was highly recommend, less that 1,000 pesos each night, with airport pickup and the whole nine yards.

I have done a search on this board and not turned up a thing with the words "townhouse". Does anyone know of a hotel close to this name?

If not, I will accept any suggestions of good hotels in the area of Edsa Complex for around $20.

Cheers boys and best of luck!

Wastrel:
Thanks for the comprehensive response. Despite the fact that I'll be staying in the Dusit (the company will be paying) I too am aa cheap bastard and enjoy feeding on the bottom, therefore, I will check out not only the LA Cafe, but also the other places you mentioned. I am stationed for the moment in Davao, and have begun to know that city a bit, but I know very little of Manila. Even if I'm not successful in trolling the places you mentioned, the journey itself should prove fairly interesting.

You don't mentioned anything about the prices for the girls. I understand from some colleagues here that the price for thegirls in Burgos, EXCLUSIVE OF BAR FINE IS p1,500-2,000 which seems a bit steep to me. In Davao, you can buy a lot for P1,000 with no problems at all, and the choices are abundant.

Is there a problem taking taxis alone, at night, in the districts you mentioned? My curiosity does not extent to getting rolled, getting killed or involuntarily donating a kidney. I'm pretty familiar with the street tout concept, but thanks for the warning. I will avoid these folks. How different from Thailand where, if you follow one of the street guys, the worst that can happen is that he introduces you to an ugly woman and then wants to be paid for the introduction.

I'll report back on what I find after my 3 days in Manila, which will begin on Monday.

Thanks again for the advice.

Wonder - I believe the place you're looking for is called "Town and Country"...its a motel type of place. I don't know if there's a branch near the EDSA complex though.

You can also give "Copacabana" or "Aloha" (can't remember which is which...one is near the complex, the other along roxas) a try, its usually an apartelle, but I hear that you can get three day deals for around 30 to 35 dollars a night. Best is the location - Just across EDSA complex! Or for a 5 star place, The Heritage Hotel is next to the Copacabana.

You might also want to try the SOGO hotel...should be relatively cheap, and its just down the road from the complex

Wonder,

The place you are seeking is called the Townhouse Hotel, located in a little section known as the Villa Carolina Townhouses, near the border of the northwest corner of Paranaque and the southwest edge of Baclaran. It is owned by an American in Connecticut and his Filipina "wife" Lorna. It is located on a little side street (just an alley really) lined with squatter's shacks just off Roxas, a little north of the small mall at the intersection of Roxas and the airport road. I doubt if most taxi drivers will be familiar with it, or be very enthusiastic about going there on the meter, and their airport pickups are not reliable because they keep firing their staff just before payday. It's not surprising you've heard of it somewhere because the owner is relentless in promoting himself on any website or discussion board remotely connected with the PI, usually under the name "Asia Bill."

I suppose you could call it "near" the EDSA complex if you are a lot more athletic than I am. It is about 2 km (over a mile) and if you plan to walk that seedy stretch of the Roxas frontage road at night I suggest you do it with a companion. I did it once on my own, and I ended up with a colorful story about my fifty-dollar cup of Nescafe; a good investment at the time to escape without further incident from a place I stopped to rest in, which I feel fairly sure was run by the Japanese mafia.

You only asked for name and location, so there you have it, and I will try to restrain myself from offering too much of my opinions about it as a place to stay, except to say that I believe this place and the people connected to it are sleazy in any language, and even though I have pretty industrial strength taste in low end accommodation I find this to be the worst place I have ever rented a room on the face of the earth. I am not kidding. All the rancid details furnished upon request if you really want to know.

It is, however, well within your price range, as most of the rooms go for 300 to 500 php, unless they run their well practiced bait and switch on you for 1,000 php and up. There are some people who are quite loyal to it, and to "Asia Bill," so good luck.

--wastrel

goodenough,

Ah, a man after my own heart.

In general it is more risky and expensive in Manila to take an unmetered "gypsy" taxi than one with a WORKING meter that is turned on IMMEDIATELY upon your request, but there are exceptions. One of these exceptions is permanently parked in front of the entrance to LA Cafe. They have an informal arrangement with at least one driver for the convenience and safety of their patrons. The last thing he wants to do is jeopardize his relationship with the LA Cafe and lose his steady business by messing with their customers. He is also the only driver in Manila who didn't try to sell me everything from a packet of shabu to the Queen of England, and even though I don't think he really cost much less than a taxi on the meter would have, it was worthwhile for convenience and piece of mind while my mind was on a piece of something else. It will probably not surprise you to hear that he knows the local short time places blindfolded, in case you don't. If in doubt, ask the bar staff if they know the driver you are about to use.

I don't remember just what I paid the last time I went to the EDSA complex, but my best recollection is that it was about what you just quoted for Makati. Maybe Makati isn't as bad as I thought, and I should refrain from sneering about it, but I just can't help myself sometimes. As I mentioned before, prices in LA Cafe tended to run from 500 to 1000, depending on the girl, your desires, and your conscience. The largest "gift" I have ever made out of the LA Cafe was a total cost of about 1,200 including some incidentals. I did once meet a Filipina who insisted right up front (unusual behavior here) on no less than 1,500. She was attractive, but not that attractive, and I think she stayed lonely that night. Or maybe I had something hanging from my nose at the time.

It sounds like you're sufficiently streetwise in the PI to actually be able to ferret out something useful from among the street hustlers. There are so many that are simply there to scam you or set you up that I don't try to sort them out, and I usually assume that I am writing for an audience of potentially unwary tourists.

My apologies in advance if this is not in time to be of any use on your Monday trip. Perhaps I'll have the pleasure of meeting you one day.

wastrel

Heritage is much better than the copacabana although a little more expensive, you will feel much safer and comfortable there. Try their website and e-mail for the best deal. Both right by EDSA.

Check out the website for asia travel www.asiatravel.com for good hotel deals at the moment Heritage Hotel is $60.

Wastrel:

Thanks again for your recommendation regarding LA cafe. It worked very well for me. I went there on Wednesday night, and there were probably more than 200 women, and a good distribution of 7-8s. I finally went upstaires and met two really nice looking girls by the pool table in the rear, and I took one of them. I have her P1,000 because I really liked her, but I'm sure she would have been content with less. This is a much better deal than P. Burgos in Makati.

I did go to Burgos the next night, simply because it had been about 10 years since I'd been there. I visited four places, and they were all rip offs. First of all. the "ladies drinks" cost about P300 and it's impossible to avoid at least one of them if you find someone to whom you are attracted. Secondly, the bar fine is P3,000, and the girls seem to expect about P2,500. I did not find the girls, in general, any more attractive than the freelancers in the LA cafe. Further, the number of patrons at each of the bar was extremely small, so the places were virtually empty and altogether not much fun. Finally, every bar to which I went tried to push me to buy drinks, take the girls, buy more drinks for more girls, and so forth. I got sick of it very quickly.

The one unmetered taxi I found in front of LA cafe wanted P200 to take me back to my hotel in Makati. I got out, found a metered cab, and made the ride for P70. I don't know if this is a typical experience or not.

I am now back in Davao, and would be happy to meet you any time that you might be here. Alternatively, I will probably have to go to Manila every couple of weeks and I'll let you know the next time I'll be there.

Thanks again for the sound advice.

Hi all,

I have nothing against LA Cafe except for the numerous advices to keep distance from ladies that are not "traceable" - you would not be able to tract them if something goes wrong, such as lost items/money from your room during the short pleasurable moments.

Alternatively, for those who wish to have the option to get "flowers" to your satisfaction without worrying of losing more than what you paid for, you may want to check out this mummy:

Rhea 0920 898 5784 (mobile) or 02 851 9932 (landline) - she will make sure you will be happy - just tell her the type of "flower" you want.

Tried her 3 times and was 100% satisfied.

Guys....for those of you who are regularly here you will have heard of JR....tnx to GRO papa we have probably the best guide for mongering in Manila. had a phone call from JR the other day and i promised to promote him b4 Xmas.... this is an October excerpt from a gro papa post which says it all....

"Anyhow Jay R is still a guide to the pleasures of the City of Man so give him a call or text him 0917 414 5416

He's a taxi cab driver by profession this is his sideline for those who don't know. He can guide you or bring girls to you at your hotel. Very trustworthy and friendly customer oriented guy as many from this board who have used him I think will testify to.

I live in Manila now and use his services regularly, he's never too busy."

If ur in Manila give him a try.

The Flying Scotsman

Flying Scotsman:

How much does JR charge for the ladies? Does the "stable" he gets them from have a good selection, and can I tell him what kind of lady I'm after? My Thanks!