General Information

[QUOTE=Key Master]I remember also having an issue going to Mactan where driver negotiated a rate. I also had problems finding a taxi back from Mactan. Everywhere else in downtown greater Cebu, the meter wasn't an issue and just turned on.[/QUOTE]
In My 9 trips to Phil ( next one will be in 2 weeks) I found the worst taxie drivers to be in Manila. So bad that I no longer land in Manila but fly into Cebu. I ALWAYS ask before entering the taxie " do you use the meter " Any response except a YES I close the door and find another one. I always tip the drivers because I understand they don't have an easy job. Just imagine using your left leg hundreds of times putting that clutch in and out for 12 hours or more in stop and go traffic. I could'nt do it. I found the best taxie drivers in Cagayan de Oro and in Davao. In fact in Davao you have the option of air con and non-air con taxies if your really trying to save your pesos..lol..Davao taxie drivers are the best I think. When I was there in Sept one of them picked up a Korean who would not put out his cigarette when he entered the taxie. The driver took him to a police station instead of his destination and they deported him. I have been told the mayor of Davao is a tuff guy and enforces the non smoking ban there and all other laws. His city is noticeably cleaner than most in the Phil.

[QUOTE=X Man]
Key Master -- was was the going rate to the resorts. I think it is less than 150 from airport to midtown area.
X[/QUOTE]
X, I'm not completely sure, but I was coming from where Midtown and Robinson's area and I think he wanted like 250 or 350. That makes sense a little bit because it's probably around 100-150 pesos to airport area anyway. This was over a year and a half ago.

X Man
Thank you for coming back to me on that hotel information. Much appreciated.

All the best
Daring Mood

Mattrick

Thanks for the comment about the wireless... Actually for a city intent on becoming a major global call-centre hub the lack of basic IT infrastructure especially in hotels is astounding. Having wireless in a hotel room, rather than an exotic local delight, is the deciding factor for me nowadays.

Anyway enough ranting

Daring Mood

Visited Davao a few years ago. In my estimation it is a very clean/safe when compared to other cities. The tough guy you are talking about is Mayor Duarte (hope I spelled it right). He is one "tough" guy. Time Magazine actually did an artilce on him about 2 years ago. He can be seen driving around Davao "anytime" day/night night on his Harley. He takes absulutey no shit when it comes to crime.

[QUOTE=Nightrider1]In My 9 trips to Phil ( next one will be in 2 weeks) I found the worst taxie drivers to be in Manila. So bad that I no longer land in Manila but fly into Cebu. I ALWAYS ask before entering the taxie " do you use the meter " Any response except a YES I close the door and find another one. I always tip the drivers because I understand they don't have an easy job. Just imagine using your left leg hundreds of times putting that clutch in and out for 12 hours or more in stop and go traffic. I could'nt do it. I found the best taxie drivers in Cagayan de Oro and in Davao. In fact in Davao you have the option of air con and non-air con taxies if your really trying to save your pesos..lol..Davao taxie drivers are the best I think. When I was there in Sept one of them picked up a Korean who would not put out his cigarette when he entered the taxie. The driver took him to a police station instead of his destination and they deported him. I have been told the mayor of Davao is a tuff guy and enforces the non smoking ban there and all other laws. His city is noticeably cleaner than most in the Phil.[/QUOTE]

Hi!

Doesn't Cebu Pacific and PAL fly from Manila Int'l airport to Cebu?

Thanks,

Don

Of course!

[QUOTE=Desert Don]Hi!

Doesn't Cebu Pacific and PAL fly from Manila Int'l airport to Cebu?

Thanks,

Don[/QUOTE]


I have now made contact with DesertDon via pm and clarified this for him.

I understand now that PAL has own terminal and goes in and out of there for Int'l and domestic, but just bought ticket to cebu on PAL and it show Manlia Int'l as departure???? Don

You arrive at the international go through customs walk outside to small check box in the middle of the road just outside. they will give you ticket for taxi to go to pal or cebu pacific cos t 150 pesos. or if you fly philippines air same they both have there own terminal for domestic. 1 Tip make sure you have 200 pesos as drivers always oh sorry no change . the ride is only ten minutes away but to far to walk and too hot.

Hope that solves the question.

In cebu only 1 terminal for domestic and international.

Thanks

Porty has some good info, but for a newbies...Manila Airport is a nightmare.

Change money before you exit the airport. I always change enough to get me through the night. US$200 should be more than enough unless you are paying cash for hotel or staying in Makati. If you are newbie you might be buying a used phone ... The airport rates aren't too bad. Hotel rates are terrible. (I travel regularly, so I usually have one day cash, plus phone card...I'm in business as soon as I get off the plane)

There is a taxi office. Don't make the mistake of immediately getting in any line/ queue. You have to buy a prepaid ticket- the prices are clearly posted on the wall. They are about double what you should pay, but not unreasonable by Western standards. ***THese taxis tend to be newer, AC, and in some cities (cebu) they must pass a test to get a "tourist" license. These guys are good for info, so pick their brain and get their card. Ask about day trips to AC or elsewhere. They will start at the high price, but they will bargain.

There are ways to save money, but I wouldn't recommend any for a newbie. You'll have enough to deal with. But, you can go upstairs (sometimes security makes this easy to do, sometimes not) and catch a taxi that has dropped off passengers. Some of them will be happy for the unexpected customer, some will use the meter and some will treat you like the golden goose. Either ask for meter, or bargain for a fee before you get in. Don't be afraid to say "no thanks" and close the door. The taxi directly behind will see you do that and maybe offer a fair price.

You can also walk out the the street, but you need to get away from the airport a bit if you want a taxi to pick you up. The police are right there waiting to ticket any taxi that picks people up in front of the airport.

Should be less than 200 pesos if you do it the hard way.

Going to airport at Manila, is another problem. If you are flying PAL International, make sure the driver understands that. I had one guy try to give me the tour of the city, I set him straight real quick, and then he dropped me off at the wrong terminal. I didn't realize it until too late. He must have been laughing his ass off as he drove away. Whenever possible, I fly into Cebu these days.

X

forgive me for my twisted take on taxi and drivers, but i don't understand why so much is being written on getting in and out of a taxi and being charged high, is it really being charged high or is it just male ego or its just visible that you are being conned.

not sure, why people are so bothered to get conned by taxi drivers for 20 to 30% higher than the actual rate and its not that, in every taxi you get in, you are gonna get conned, it is like 1 in every 20 or more trip.

i don't know, but if i look at the way, the government sucks 30% of my hard earned income plus, i pay for 1 million places varies surcharges and octroi from peeing to getting into the bed every f..ing day...that pisses me more than a taxi driver getting better of me.

the very reason, i being able to come to cebu, was not paying those mafia governments who prey on my money and i could not do anything to stop the day light robbery and even if i complain..i would be put into jail.

for every 100 i earn, i have to give 50 to the government mafia one way or the other...why bother, when you come all the way from that and you cry for your peeny being taken away from some folks..who are trying to make a living and atleast they drop u from point a to point b..what has ever, the mafia done to me ever.

it also does not justify, that i should freely distrubute the money to everyone..but it helps to put things in perspective...its ok, if you get conned infront of your eyes once in a while, there are bigger cons happneing to us, every day, that even though we are aware of it, can't do much about it.

i have given up, its time to move on....i just do the usual talking, smile and get in, have a good talk and get out, i have being conned some 3 or 4 times in cebu for around 100 taxi trips on a two month period.. it was some 20 to 30 percent more than the usual trip to my hotel from bar.

if i look at the bigger picture and take these collateral damages into account, my trip was as blissfull as living in heaven with my body in it.

the most you will be ever conned in cebu over a period of time would not be more than 100 to 200 pesos for a 100 taxi trips..its not that every taxi driver will con you...you will find taxi driver that even refuse to take tip and believe it or not...once when i was dead drunk in viking bar at mango avenue..the taxi driver..looking at the state of my condition...dropped me for free.

i was more pissed at the charges for renewal of my visa plus the 500 pesos airport tax at cebu airport..that was the height...if you don't pay..you don't get in..folks that is the biggest con in cebu at the moment

cebu is a blast. i have traveled around the world, and a lot in asia..- i think cebu is as much fun and as rewarding as anywhere in the world.

let me first say that i have read this board and get a lot of tips from members. taxi, hotel, etc. i paid 250p for taxi (not in the queue) from the airport to my hotel at regency towers fuente. if you want a first class hotel, this is not it. they do have a starbucks in the lobby and everyone is friendly. the owner, mr. king is often in the hotel, and just the mention of his name snaps the staff into action. they are a convoluted bunch, but they try hard.

i was here for business as always *wink* and first visited the sm mall on sunday. i have never seen so many people in a mall at one time. not even x-mas in the states. shit, there were girls everywhere..-- girls, women, old, young, pretty, prettier. you name it. and yes, they are all looking at foreign men. so, here's the deal. it's like shooting fish in a barrel. all you have to do is catch their eye and you're in. these girs look, stop, talk, give you their cp number, etc. seriously never seen anything like sunday at sm mall in cebu.

ok, so i was talking to this hot little girl at one of the railings in front of french baker..- she said 18, but. so, while talking, another girl (michelle, 26) looks at me from across the floor and shakes her finger at me w/ a big grin on her face. so i move over to michelle and we have a laugh. talk about the merits of youth vs. experience, etc. ok, she won. we went outside, had a beer and told her that i would spend time w/ her if she would come to my hotel with me for sex later. of course she agreed. we had a bite and another beer and took off. not 10 minutes at the hotel we wer in the sheets. she had a typical killer young filipina body w/ small (milky) tits as she has a 1 yr old..-- small tight ass and a sweet creamy pussy! we fucked, sucked all night. of course, free isn't free..- i gave her some "taxi money" in the morning and she left.

day two. i had been talking some girls up on dia for a few weeks. this hot little 18 yr old (april) wanted to meet. so, ok, i called her the second day. she immediately hopped a bus (2. 5 hrs. from toldeo) se was at my hotel by noon. i had originally told her that i would be w/ a business associate, but forgot to tell her that he couldn't make it at the last minute. surprise. she shows up at my room w/ her cousin (heide). shit! but, turning into lemonade, we went out to lunch, baught some rum. cokes, snacks..-- came back to the room for a party. as i was kissing on april, the cousin comes in and sits next to her. i run my hand up her leg and she doesnt resits. april just keeps on kissing me as heide now has her hand up my pant leg looking for something. in 10 minutes i had both their clothes off and put them both in the sheets. these two 18 yr old goddeses now lay their beautiful brown bodies on my stark white sheets. i could do nothing but start licking and squeezing every part of them. at one point they were both sighing for me to enter them. tough choice, but april got it first..- we both came and heide wanted her turn. they had no trouble going at me like a tag-team wrestling championship. we ended up sleeping intertwined for the next 8 hours. kicked them both out in the morning w/ a 2000p tip each for "taxi".

tired and sore, i have to leave this afternoon to bkk (poor me). there will be more trouble i'm sure..-- some little [url=http://isgprohibitedwords.info?CodeWord=CodeWord901][CodeWord901][/url] will have me on fire by the time i reach the airport and i will surely fall in love again.

don't miss cebu. its a mongers paradise.

[size=-2][b][u]editor's note[/u]:[/b] [blue]i would suggest that the author or another forum member consider posting a link to this report in the reports of distinction thread. please [url=http://www.internationalsexguide.info/forum/announcement-reportsofdistinction.php?]click here[/url] for more information.[/blue][/size]

i can't really see what your point is. is this just a rant?

are you suggesting just get into taxis, don't bother insisting on meter, and then paying whatever you are asked for? cebu taxis aren't usually a problem, but newbies need to be warned about the mnl taxis.

and we apparently define "con" in different ways. a clearly posted price such as an airport fee, is not a "con". i would agree with you if you said it is too expensive.

x

[quote=born loser 5]forgive me for my twisted take on taxi and drivers, but i don't understand why so much is being written on getting in and out of a taxi and being charged high, is it really being charged high or is it just male ego or its just visible that you are being conned.

not sure, why people are so bothered to get conned by taxi drivers for 20 to 30% higher than the actual rate and its not that, in every taxi you get in, you are gonna get conned, it is like 1 in every 20 or more trip.

i don't know, but if i look at the way, the government sucks 30% of my hard earned income plus, i pay for 1 million places varies surcharges and octroi from peeing to getting into the bed every f..ing day...that pisses me more than a taxi driver getting better of me.

the very reason, i being able to come to cebu, was not paying those mafia governments who prey on my money and i could not do anything to stop the day light robbery and even if i complain..i would be put into jail.

for every 100 i earn, i have to give 50 to the government mafia one way or the other...why bother, when you come all the way from that and you cry for your peeny being taken away from some folks..who are trying to make a living and atleast they drop u from point a to point b..what has ever, the mafia done to me ever.

it also does not justify, that i should freely distrubute the money to everyone..but it helps to put things in perspective...its ok, if you get conned infront of your eyes once in a while, there are bigger cons happneing to us, every day, that even though we are aware of it, can't do much about it.

i have given up, its time to move on....i just do the usual talking, smile and get in, have a good talk and get out, i have being conned some 3 or 4 times in cebu for around 100 taxi trips on a two month period.. it was some 20 to 30 percent more than the usual trip to my hotel from bar.

if i look at the bigger picture and take these collateral damages into account, my trip was as blissfull as living in heaven with my body in it.

the most you will be ever conned in cebu over a period of time would not be more than 100 to 200 pesos for a 100 taxi trips..its not that every taxi driver will con you...you will find taxi driver that even refuse to take tip and believe it or not...once when i was dead drunk in viking bar at mango avenue..the taxi driver..looking at the state of my condition...dropped me for free.

i was more pissed at the charges for renewal of my visa plus the 500 pesos airport tax at cebu airport..that was the height...if you don't pay..you don't get in..folks that is the biggest con in cebu at the moment[/quote]

Cebu taxis are usually pretty willing to use meter even going to the airport. Bargaining with a bit of local dialect helps, as does patience. If first driver insists on fixed fare, wait a minute or two and you'll find another who will not argue about accepting meter. Meter to Fuente area from airport should be no more than 160P. You can avoid the airport surcharge by walking UPSTAIRS and across the street.

PS: If you have time to kill and want a nice meal, walk across the street to the waterfroent Hotel's restaurant. Not like the one in Lahug AKA mini Las Vegas, but WAY better than the other food options at airport. A 5.10 minute walk brings you to a shopping center and cluster of foreign restaurants: the Thai place is good but the Italian one not so great.