Manila

Thanks for the report, Manny. I was there a few weeks ago, stayed 4 nights in Makati and checked out Burgos clubs as well as MPs in Quezon City. You did an excellent job capturing the scene, the traffic, and Green Belt 3. I did not make it to EDSA. Pleased to know they have a metro. Next time, I will give it a try, as the taxi ride from Makati to Quezon was brutal.

[QUOTE=Manny51;1831791]

(Snip)

If your trip is long enough, my advice would be to sample both. The thing to know about Manila is that traffic congestion is really bad. A taxi ride from EDSA to P. Burgos at 11 pm took us 45 minutes.

(Snip)

So go to the PI to check it out. You know you want to. And you have to. Just keep your expectations in check.

And BTW, just one more bit of advice that I HAVE to mention--use the metro. It isn't nearly as bad as people make it out to be. I lived in Manhattan for a few years, and the situation in the train cars was about the same as NYC during rush hour. Uncomfortable, but not THAT bad. It only costs about 20-30 pesos to ride, depending on how far you go. Buy a prepaid fare card and put 100 pesos on it. Having a prepaid card bypasses a LONG line of people buying individual tickets. I have NO idea why locals are buying the individual tickets. The cars themselves were crowded, but no more crowded than NYC at rush hour. It's uncomfortable, but the discomfort is far outweighed by the pleasure of zipping over traffic jams that you can look at in glee. I zipped from Quezon to Pasay in 20 minutes at 4:30 pm rush hour. The same ride in a tax would have taken over an hour.Just beware of pickpockets.[/QUOTE]

You learned a lot and described it well for somebody who spent only 4 to 5 days in Manila.

What you refer to as the Metro is actually three different systems. LRT 1 runs North and South from Baclaran (Pasay City) to Monumento (Caloocan City), and then East into Quezon City. LRT 2 runs East and West from near LRT 1 in the Quiapo area (Manila City) to Marikina City. The MRT, which you refer to as the Metro, runs along EDSA (the highway) from near LRT 1 (not far from the EDSA Complex you describe, in Pasay City) to SM North and Trinoma Malls in Quezon City. LRT 1 and the MRT get very packed during the day; a little less so early in the morning and after about 7 or 8 pm. Be aware that pick pockets work these trains, so keep valuables in front of you and well protected. LRT 2 is newer, less packed, has better air conditioning, and so probably less susceptible to pick pockets.

It is true that you can save a lot of time riding these systems as compared to taxis, and they are cheaper. Buying the multiple ride ticket is excellent advice. A principal limitation is that they stop running a little after 10 pm and do not reopen until early morning. Fortunately, traffic is less dense for the taxis during that period, but check out the rail schedules beforehand so you don't get stuck.

One other thought: since they run above ground (except for a short part of MRT through Makati), they are not susceptible to flooding, as are taxis. Rainy season in the summer can create some major street flooding that taxis cannot negotiate.

There are some useful background and tactical recommendations from a few years ago in the "blog" section of the Phils Forum under the name "Getting Around in Manila. ".

[QUOTE=SoapySmith;1831965]You learned a lot and described it well for somebody who spent only 4 to 5 days in Manila.

What you refer to as the Metro is actually three different systems. LRT 1 runs North and South from Baclaran (Pasay City) to Monumento (Caloocan City), and then East into Quezon City. LRT 2 runs East and West from near LRT 1 in the Quiapo area (Manila City) to Marikina City. The MRT, which you refer to as the Metro, runs along EDSA (the highway) from near LRT 1 (not far from the EDSA Complex you describe, in Pasay City) to SM North and Trinoma Malls in Quezon City. LRT 1 and the MRT get very packed during the day; a little less so early in the morning and after about 7 or 8 pm. Be aware that pick pockets work these trains, so keep valuables in front of you and well protected. LRT 2 is newer, less packed, has better air conditioning, and so probably less susceptible to pick pockets.

It is true that you can save a lot of time riding these systems as compared to taxis, and they are cheaper. Buying the multiple ride ticket is excellent advice. A principal limitation is that they stop running a little after 10 pm and do not reopen until early morning. Fortunately, traffic is less dense for the taxis during that period, but check out the rail schedules beforehand so you don't get stuck.

One other thought: since they run above ground (except for a short part of MRT through Makati), they are not susceptible to flooding, as are taxis. Rainy season in the summer can create some major street flooding that taxis cannot negotiate.

There are some useful background and tactical recommendations from a few years ago in the "blog" section of the Phils Forum under the name "Getting Around in Manila. ".[/QUOTE]Thanks for the feedback!

When I use the term "metro" I was referring to the whole system, not just the MRT blue line. In getting more detailed, I would note that the North / South LRT line trains seem much newer than then older east / west MRT line. The aircon in the LRT line blasted harder and was much better at keeping the train cool. The MRT trains are more rickety and hotter. Fortunately, tourists are only going about 2-3 stops on the MRT line. Rides on the LRT line are longer, so the extra aircon comes in handy.

I would also add that the best time to ride the metro in general is between 10 am to 4 pm. Try to avoid rush hours. But even if you happen to get stuck in it, like I was, it won't be that bad.

[QUOTE=Socker;1831881]Nice write up thanks for taking the time. You moved around the city pretty good and have some good advice which I will benefit from.

As for Burgos St we have different favorites and I was curious about the BF your friend paid at Kojax. When I was there a few months ago Kojax's BF was 2,600 p and the lady wanted 3,000 p ST. Short time meaning around 3 hours of bar hopping and screwing. You say your friend negotiated the BF down to 2,000 plus LD, that's surprising. I hope I can negotiate on my next Kojax visit. What did he give the lady as a tip?

snip

I really like Burgos but the BFs and tips are ridiculous. The FL scene on Burgos St is pretty wild and on my last visit there were a couple of very nice FLers hunting amongst the hordes on Burgos St, 2,000 p I think.

Again Manny thanks for the quality TR.[/QUOTE]He paid 3000 for a 2 pop short time. For P. Burgos, I would say that that is the going rate. You may be able to get one pop for 2500, and some (including myself) would say that that is a better strategy. Some girls try to bail early, so there is no point in pretending to negotiate a longer stay up front. Once they are at your place, if the vibe with them is good, its easier to negotiate another pop or LT.

But tips for the girl are highly variable. Alot depends on how busy the night is, and how she feels about you. The tip I was trying to emphasize is that barfines are not always set in stone. Kojax is a place where the total package can be reasonable.

On further reflection, I thought I would mull the question: How does the PI compare to the reset of SE Asia? Or other fun countries for that matter?

Firstly, on the ladies themselves. Their look is different from, say, Thais and Vietnamese. In addition to slightly darker skin, Filipinos have some Spanish / European in their ancestry. So they have bigger eyes. I thought that Filipino babies were some of the cutest I have ever seen. Asian faces / features, but with these big expressive eyes. That being said, I would say that I still prefer the more classical asian look – lighter skin, slender figures, more delicate features.

As for the punting scene per se, in Thailand you have many options – Soi Cowboy girly bars, soapy massage, oily massage, and other less conventional venues. In the PI, you don't have anywhere near that kind of variety. Its almost completely just girly bars. But despite that, prices in the PI are actually higher than in Thailand or Vietnam. For a quality barfined girl, you are out an average of 5000 pesos. That sum goes a lot further in other SE Asia countries.

So slightly less attractive women (in my opinion), paying more for less variety, and a location more off the beaten track and harder to get to. So why bother? Why has the PI become so legendary in punting circles?

Because everyone speaks English. That's the key. Being able to converse in more than just hand gestures and "where are you from?" makes the vetting and social process so much easier and natural. You can take them on a date. Dirty talk and moaning during, and pillow talk after. When you combine that with the natural friendliness and "bahala na" of the Filipino people, it just makes the GFE so much easier to reach. Whether subconsciously or not, this has caused western men to gravitate to the PI, increasing demand, and thus driving up prices.

When you compare the PI to Thailand / Vietnam, that ability to converse and connect is hard to put a price tag on. But that's what the premium is for. And that's why the PI is worth going to.

Hi,

I had a blast my 2 weeks in Manila. I don't really go out to the bar scene at night, there is no need here. Although I did go to LA cafe one afternoon. I stayed in a nice 2 bedroom condo. Very good rate: with electric and water ended up being 40 dollars a night. Found on AIRBNB, but also the same condo I stayed in 2011.

I had arranged some contacts through SA, there are many on there, and for ladies it is free. I think it is mostly spread by word of mouth there. But I use it at home and has worked well for me. The young ladies I met through SA were already taken care of by their parents, they just wanted some extra funds for makeup and clothes. Non pros and not much experience, but willing to do what was asked. One told me she liked it because it was fun for her. I did have a lot of fun with the SA ladies. They had their other life they had to return to of course. You can expect to give an allowance of anywhere from 4 k to 6 k and they will be very happy to spend the day with you, indulging your desires, you just have to show them what to do.

On to the LA cafe girls, they were nice but both into "ice", so I did smoke some with them. I do not advise or recommend this to anyone unfamiliar with recreational use, not to mention the legality, and the affect to your health, especially someone close to 60 such as myself. Downside: you will be awake for 30 hours, you will not be able to get an erection. Upside: it makes the girls insanely horny, it creates a desire to lick the girls all night. One girl started masturbating with her I-Pad. I thought that was hilarious. A new meaning to social networking.

After that night I got a sore throat, I walked up to the Family Friendly health clinic. I was very surprised at how efficient it was. I was in and out in less than an hour. I saw the doctor, cost 350 pesos for a doctors visit. Diagnosis Pharyngitis: Sore throat. The prescription was more than the Dr. S visit. Azithromycin (this is the best antibiotic I have ever used) one pill is 105 pesos.

It seems to me the ladies are so friendly here, from the supermarket to the pharmacy all made it clear they were available to the foreigner, but I do not have the time or the desire to pursue a meaningful relationship. Or perhaps I was just imagining the gesture of her turning her ass so I could get a better view. As I said you do not have to look far to find sweet women here.

Don't lose your old contacts, they are so happy that you contact them again and will set you up with their neighborhood friends. They are much more appreciative and generous and expect very little. They would come all the way across town just to shop for me and take care of me.

In the end I always went back to my old contacts. They probably would have stayed with me for free, just for the AirCon and the nice pizza and burgers. I did give 2 k a day and they were well pleased with that. And they said any of their friends would be well pleased with that. These girls are just happy to get smashed with me. Yeah I did get high with my old contacts too. It was a blast.

One of my old contacts had 9 people in a 2 room house 5 years ago, now the same house is up to 12 with the addition of 3 new babies. But they put on a great feast for me and all was good.

I did not see, even from the LA cafe girls the barracuda looking for something shiny to run with. I may have been lucky, but I always treat the girls right and so far they have returned the favor.

Got to love Manila.

Kork

[QUOTE=Manny51;1831994]He paid 3000 for a 2 pop short time. For P. Burgos, I would say that that is the going rate. You may be able to get one pop for 2500, and some (including myself) would say that that is a better strategy. Some girls try to bail early, so there is no point in pretending to negotiate a longer stay up front. Once they are at your place, if the vibe with them is good, its easier to negotiate another pop [/QUOTE]Just to clarify a bit, Kojax, Hot Spot and Plan B are all part of the same "group," which means they basically have the same owner. The standard BF at each place is 2,600, which, with three lady drinks, can be negotiated to Php2,000 quite easily. The rest is up to you and the girls most of whom, in my experience, are willing to go long time. All of the chief mama sans, Emmy at Kojax, Raffi at Hot Spot and Vanessa at Plan B know each other well and they're friends. So in a sense, getting to know one of them, and then mentioning that friendship to any of the others will work fine. I believe these are by far the best bars on the street, but of course that's just my opinion.

GE.

[QUOTE=GoodEnough;1832197]Just to clarify a bit, Kojax, Hot Spot and Plan B are all part of the same "group," which means they basically have the same owner. The standard BF at each place is 2,600, which, with three lady drinks, can be negotiated to Php2,000 quite easily.

GE.[/QUOTE]Thanks for the intel GE. We paid 2900 peso BF at Plan be and don't remember if lady drinks were over and above. But sure am going to remember this on the next trip.

Yikes, Kork, be careful. Is this the same thing as shabu?

[QUOTE=Korkavado;1832016]Hi,


On to the LA cafe girls, they were nice but both into "ice", so I did smoke some with them. I do not advise or recommend this to anyone unfamiliar with recreational use, not to mention the legality, and the affect to your health, especially someone close to 60 such as myself. Downside: you will be awake for 30 hours, you will not be able to get an erection. Upside: it makes the girls insanely horny, it creates a desire to lick the girls all night. One girl started masturbating with her I-Pad. I thought that was hilarious. A new meaning to social networking.

After that night I got a sore throat,[/QUOTE].

[QUOTE=GoodEnough;1832197]Just to clarify a bit, Kojax, Hot Spot and Plan B are all part of the same "group," which means they basically have the same owner. The standard BF at each place is 2,600, which, with three lady drinks, can be negotiated to Php2,000 quite easily. The rest is up to you and the girls most of whom, in my experience, are willing to go long time. All of the chief mama sans, Emmy at Kojax, Raffi at Hot Spot and Vanessa at Plan B know each other well and they're friends. So in a sense, getting to know one of them, and then mentioning that friendship to any of the others will work fine. I believe these are by far the best bars on the street, but of course that's just my opinion.

GE.[/QUOTE]I was quoted 2,900 at Kojax and Plan be early this month. Is the BF based on the customer's face? Or maybe prices have gone up this year.

One of my regular Makati girls works in Plan Bee so I have been to this bar on numerous occasions in the past 2 years and I am on friendly terms with Vanessa (the mamasan). The barfine used to be 2600 p, but was recently hiked up to 2900 p. My Plan Bee girl and I have done occasional overnights, but we both prefer extended friendly ST of 4 or 5 hours duration which includes drinking, dinner, sex, and spooning in bed while watching movies on cable. As with my other 2 favorite Burgos bar girls from Bottoms, my Plan Bee girl comes straight to my hotel at least half the time we hook up thus eliminating the barfine. But I still like to meet up in the bar occasionally, to fool around and have a few Tequilas. When I go to Plan Bee to see her I usually end up ordering 2 rounds of Tequila while we sit and watch the girls, talk, and get warmed up. Eventually Vanessa comes over to say Hi and I offer her a Tequila too. Vanessa in turn always offers me a 3rd Tequila on the house and to keep things even, I order a 3rd Tequila for my girl. When the drinks arrive I make a toast and the three of us throw them back as fast as they came. By this time we have drunk enough and I ask for the bill.

[highlight]So here is the bottom line: Barfine 2900 p (was 2600 p up until March 2015). The 3 Tequilas for my girl are ALWAYS removed from the tab. Vanessa's Tequila is on the tab and she gets a commission for that drink. 2 of my 3 Tequila's are on the bill. My 3rd Tequila shot is on the house and is never put on the bill. The final tab is 2900 p + 290 p (Vanessa's Tequila) + my 2 Tequilas.[/highlight]

I like Plan Bee and I plan to check out Kojax the next time I am in Makati based on all the positive reviews I keep reading. At present I like Bottoms better than Plan Bee however by a long shot. There are 2 reasons: 1. My two Bottoms girls ARE HOT and super friendly. Together and alone they were my #1 & #2 highlights of my Sept / October trip. And prior to my meeting the two of them, I had the pleasure of another top quality Bottoms girl in 2013 and 2014. I lost contact with her and she is apparently on hiatus and is no longer available. (So Sad. LOL.) I don't wish to slight my darling Plan Bee girl, but she is just not in the same league as those 3 Bottoms girls. 2. I like the ambiance in Bottoms a lot more. What goes on and is encouraged to go on in the sideline booths in Bottoms is pretty amazing and wild even for a seasoned warrior like myself. For that reason Bottoms and Crazy House of Soi Cowboy in BKK are my two favorite bars in Asia. Both bars have a quality lineup of super friendly girls AND both bars are hands on honky tonks where things can get very wild. To be clear, I like Plan Bee a lot and I am sure I will like Kojax too, but Plan Bee did not have quite the same level of quality and was not near as randy (wild) over the last 3 years I have be frequenting both establishments. I was last in Makati in October, 2015. YMMV and everyone's tastes are different. This is my experience.

[QUOTE=DCups;1832258]Yikes, Kork, be careful. Is this the same thing as shabu?.[/QUOTE]Hi DCups,

Thanks for that. Something I will not be trying again. It was just a crazy day. However I did make note that one of the upper class girls indulges in prescription drugs similar to Valium. She said her and friends take small amounts when they go out to party. Probably cheaper than buying drinks to get drunk. And easy to get here, you can just use the same prescription over and over, and they will give more than the prescription calls for.

Stay safe.

[QUOTE=NattyBumpo;1832321]One of my regular Makati girls works in Plan Bee so I have been to this bar on numerous occasions in the past 2 years and I am on friendly terms with Vanessa (the mamasan). The barfine used to be 2600 p, but was recently hiked up to 2900 p. My Plan Bee girl and I have done occasional overnights, but we both prefer extended friendly ST of 4 or 5 hours duration which includes drinking, dinner, sex, and spooning in bed while watching movies on cable. As with my other 2 favorite Burgos bar girls from Bottoms, my Plan Bee girl comes straight to my hotel at least half the time we hook up thus eliminating the barfine. But I still like to meet up in the bar occasionally, to fool around and have a few Tequilas. When I go to Plan Bee to see her I usually end up ordering 2 rounds of Tequila while we sit and watch the girls, talk, and get warmed up. Eventually Vanessa comes over to say Hi and I offer her a Tequila too. Vanessa in turn always offers me a 3rd Tequila on the house and to keep things even, I order a 3rd Tequila for my girl. When the drinks arrive I make a toast and the three of us throw them back as fast as they came. By this time we have drunk enough and I ask for the bill.

[highlight]So here is the bottom line: Barfine 2900 p (was 2600 p up until March 2015). The 3 Tequilas for my girl are ALWAYS removed from the tab. Vanessa's Tequila is on the tab and she gets a commission for that drink. 2 of my 3 Tequila's are on the bill. My 3rd Tequila shot is on the house and is never put on the bill. The final tab is 2900 p + 290 p (Vanessa's Tequila) + my 2 Tequilas.[/highlight]

I like Plan Bee and I plan to check out Kojax the next time I am in Makati based on all the positive reviews I keep reading. At present I like Bottoms better than Plan Bee however by a long shot. There are 2 reasons: 1. My two Bottoms girls ARE HOT and super friendly. Together and alone they were my #1 & #2 highlights of my Sept / October trip. And prior to my meeting the two of them, I had the pleasure of another top quality Bottoms girl in 2013 and 2014. I lost contact with her and she is apparently on hiatus and is no longer available. (So Sad. LOL.) I don't wish to slight my darling Plan Bee girl, but she is just not in the same league as those 3 Bottoms girls. 2. I like the ambiance in Bottoms a lot more. What goes on and is encouraged to go on in the sideline booths in Bottoms is pretty amazing and wild even for a seasoned warrior like myself. For that reason Bottoms and Crazy House of Soi Cowboy in BKK are my two favorite bars in Asia. Both bars have a quality lineup of super friendly girls AND both bars are hands on honky tonks where things can get very wild. To be clear, I like Plan Bee a lot and I am sure I will like Kojax too, but Plan Bee did not have quite the same level of quality and was not near as randy (wild) over the last 3 years I have be frequenting both establishments. I was last in Makati in October, 2015. YMMV and everyone's tastes are different. This is my experience.[/QUOTE]You in Manila now Natty? Let me know as I arrive Monday night for few days. Maybe I can be your left wingman LOL.

PC out.

[QUOTE=NattyBumpo;1832321]I like Plan Bee and I plan to check out Kojax the next time I am in Makati based on all the positive reviews I keep reading.

SNIP

To be clear, I like Plan Bee a lot and I am sure I will like Kojax too, [/QUOTE]Hey NB, I would encourage you to visit Kojax but liking PlanB is no reason to automatically like Kojax.

For starters Kojax is a bit more spread out in comparison to PlanB. They have a central square area for the girls to strut their stuff while there are booths lining the 4 sides of the bar, with quite a bit of space in between the dancing square and the booths. And it is a lot quieter than PlanB and definitely nowhere as wild as Bottoms. If you are seated in the right booths you can enjoy a decent bit of privacy but I think there is more fun to engage openly in debauchery inside the bar. The hotel room affords all the privacy I need later. From the name KOJAX I gather than the bar is favored more by KOreans and JApanese. When I was there in Dec 2015 I was an odd man out but the mamasan and the waitresses were all very friendly.

The girls were absolutely gorgeous. Plenty of incredibly cute 18 - 22 yo begging to be taken. I can't wait to get back in May.

[QUOTE=Lefeu;1832309]I was quoted 2,900 at Kojax and Plan be early this month. Is the BF based on the customer's face? Or maybe prices have gone up this year.[/QUOTE]I was there last week, and for me at least, the BF had not changed. Also this discussion has omitted any mention of String. Though the quality there varies, there are tiimes when it has a great lineup, as it did, for example, on Friday night. The BF there as quoted to me, was Php3,000. Strange too that no one has mentioned Hot Spot, the bar below Kojax. It's significantly smaller than Plan be and Kojax, but at to, Es has so, e very pretty women. Again, last week the BF was 2,600 reduced by Php200 for each of up to 3 ladies drinks.

Contrary to some posters I dislike Bottoms because of the endless hustle to which I'm always subjected there. Also, I think that the Php3,900 bar fine, for what are, at best, quite average girls, is inane. But of course, different strokes and all that. I also sometimes enjoy Moulin Rouge, though less for the girls than for the music, which is less modern noise and more old time rock and roll.

GE.