Manila

[QUOTE=WestCoast1;1911390]At the time, there was no white taxi lane. Just fixed-cost taxis (they look like white SUV's), touted at p530 to my hotel. Should have taken one. There was construction, and an obvious traffic jam getting out, backed up all the way to the taxi queues. Went to the yellow taxi line. Time to get yellow taxi: 90 minutes. Kept looking back at the fixed-cost taxi lane, but no more fresh taxis were showing up (and relatively few yellows in my queue). After entering my yellow taxi, we moved 20 meters in 30 minutes. Time to depart the airport facility: 1 hour. Time from getting to the street, until getting to my hotel in Malate: another hour. P470 on the meter. This was late afternoon. Saved myself 60 pesos and waited 90 minutes in the heat. Boy, I showed them pilipinos![/QUOTE]Based on a half dozen recent visits through NAIA it appears that the problem is not primarily related to choice of taxi (admittedly, there is often a queue for the cheaper yellow cabs), but to construction. It appears to me that construction of the new Skyway (intended to connect Mall of Asia, Cavite expressway, the airport, and World Resorts area to the Southern Expressway) has really created a bottleneck. Taxis, jeepneys, buses, and other vehicles seem to have been cut off from some of the shortcuts that they previously used to get in and out of the area, especially around Terminal 3. So now everything has to flow through a few narrow lanes underneath the overhead roadway that will eventually be the Skyway. Access in and out of T1 and T2 isn't much better.

I arrived at NAIA via Roxas a couple times, and it was similarly backed up, presumably because of all the traffic headed into the congested construction area approaching the airport. Getting from T3 to Makati (or to go to Malate / Ermita via the Southern Expressway and Osmena) seems to have fewer problems. I suspect if your driver had taken the Southern Expressway / Osmena to get to Malate he would have gotten there with less traffic congestion, even though it seems more roundabout. The driver will want 20 pesos for the toll, but so what?

GE and others have written about the growing gridlock in Metro Manila. Construction planning and implementation are obvious problems, but somebody recently suggested another factor: Call centers and other IT work has produced growing numbers of "middle class" families, and the availability of cheap, small cars has made it possible for them to own cars for the first time in the family's history. This means increasing numbers of vehicles on the roads.

[QUOTE=RenaldoB;1910425]Thanks BD! Sorry won't be heading to AC. But I might just change my mind once I reach the Philippines.

So one of my goals for my trip to Manila would be to take multiple girls back to my hotel room (I'm sure that I am not the only person who shares this goal). I'm not talking about just 2 girls but 3+. Just want to try and experience that in life. Any pros out there who have experienced this willing to share their experience and how to achieve this goal? Any problems with the hotels and you bringing more than one "guest". I understand that one guest is OK but would they deny the other girls?

Thanks in advance![/QUOTE]For the multiples, my best advice is to make it clear to the first girl what you want, then ask her if she has any sexy friends, sisters or cousins that would be interested in joining the party. For the hotels, my experience has always been, don't cause them trouble and they'll pretend not to notice our pursuits. I've many times brought two at a time quietly with normal conversational tones among us. On occasions with 3+ guests, I've kept a couple in the room (bang box only, no personal belongings to worry about) while escorting the others up to join us. When I am thinking clearly enough and have enough advance detail, I just ask the door guy to let her / them up to my room when they arrive. That's just my experience, hope it helps.

I am going to be taking my first trip to the Philippines in October so its still a good 2 months away from now. But when I was checking out accommodations on online yesterday, I found that a lot of hotels / apts are already booked through September. I'm thinking that I might need to book soon to secure a good place.

My budget is $30/ night. All I'm looking for is a nice clean place with WiFi and cable TV (for the girls).

I am going to be staying in Manila for 1 week. I am not going to visit EDSA and Burgos much, if at all. I do plan to visit LA cafe for a night or two. I will mainly be using dating sites and wechat to meet girls and invite them to my place. My main objective is to bang as many girls as possible, as well as making my 3 some dream come true.

1) I've read through the legendary DS aka Member #4387's posts and knows that he almost always stays in Makati. Its a more upscale neighborhood so I think girls will be more willing to come to Makati as oppose to Malate or Ermita. Any thoughts on this guys? Also, Makati seems like a pretty big area. What area should I stay in for a balance of security and affordability?

2) Hotels vs Airbnb. The hotel that DS stays at is way too expensive for me. Yet the Makati hotels I found in my budget range (30/ night) all look old and nasty to me. Anyone have any hotel recommendations? I'm kinda leaning towards Airbnb as I have found a few in the Makati area that look pretty clean and modern. The only concern I have is the security of my belongings with overnight pinay (s)? Anyone experienced dating site girls with stealing? Any input is much appreciated.

[QUOTE=DreamCarnarvon;1914304]My budget is $30/ night. All I'm looking for is a nice clean place with WiFi and cable TV (for the girls).

I am going to be staying in Manila for 1 week. I am not going to visit EDSA and Burgos much, if at all. I do plan to visit LA cafe for a night or two. I will mainly be using dating sites and wechat to meet girls and invite them to my place. My main objective is to bang as many girls as possible, as well as making my 3 some dream come true.

1) I've read through the legendary DS aka Member #4387's posts and knows that he almost always stays in Makati. Its a more upscale neighborhood so I think girls will be more willing to come to Makati as oppose to Malate or Ermita. Any thoughts on this guys? Also, Makati seems like a pretty big area. What area should I stay in for a balance of security and affordability?

2) Hotels vs Airbnb. The hotel that DS stays at is way too expensive for me. Yet the Makati hotels I found in my budget range (30/ night) all look old and nasty to me. Anyone have any hotel recommendations? I'm kinda leaning towards Airbnb as I have found a few in the Makati area that look pretty clean and modern. The only concern I have is the security of my belongings with overnight pinay (s)? Anyone experienced dating site girls with stealing? Any input is much appreciated.[/QUOTE]$30 a day is a bit tight. That'll get you a low-end pension, like the Malate Pensionne at p1000 per night. Red Planet is less grotty than a pension, but the rooms are very small.

Airbnb is your best option for price + amenities, such as a swimming pool and a gym. You may also save a bit on your total budget by cooking a few meals at home rather than dining out and hanging out at in coffee shops.

Yes, it's unlikely an airbnb flat has a safe. BTW, if an airbnb landlord is reading, you ought to consider putting in a small, hotel-room safe in your condo as a way to differentiate it from the herd. The safety of your valuables depends on the quality of your hiding spots. I've never had a dating site girl steal anything from me *knock wood*, and I meet a lot of them. Those who have stolen have been late-night drunken pick ups from the likes of LA Cafe, etc. It's only been a few occurrences, so not the norm. Minimise temptation. Don't keep valuables visible, don't have a lot of cash in your wallet, don't leave a stranger alone in your place as you dash out to get food or whatever. Common sense precautions.

We've debated the merits of Makati v Manila often in this forum. I'm a Makati advocate for many reasons. Some girls are wary of going to Manila itself because of perceived danger. I've had a few girls tell me they've had never been to Manila though they've spent their entire lives living in Makati, QC, etc. On the flipside, there are many Manila-based dating site girls who possess no misgivings at all. For me an important thing is the ease for the girl to travel to and find my place - I'm not running around to malls and coffee shops. Though metro Manila transport sucks, it can suck less in some places. I lived in Makati for a couple of years before relocating to Pasay. I think Makati is far superior to Manila because of the variety of transport links, the safety, the grocers, and the better dining and entertainment options. But, for a fella who wants to pull from LA Cafe, Harrison Plaza, and Robinson's, to stay in Makati is double plus ungood.

I tend limit myself to visitors who live in metro Manila (I don't need the hassle of some newbie coming from Pampanga), and Makati is the ideal spot for girls coming from QC, Las Pinas / Alabang, Pasay, and Manila itself. A girl in Caloocan can board the LRT, take it to Gil Puyat station, exit and board a jeep or bus going to Makati. A girl in QC can board the MRT and then bus or jeep. Keep in mind that a lot of girls can't figure things out, so they'll be asking you to sort it for them. If you can't answer questions, then it may be best for all for her to take a taxi or you to arrange transport, such as an uber. Look for hotels / condos near major intersections, easy to see landmarks, and not too far from MRT / LRT stations. In Makati an ideal inexpensive location is near Makati Medical Center, such as the condos in barangay Pio Del Pilar. Staying at a condo near Greenbelt is even better because a girl can find that on her own, but those are posher residences and more expensive.

Upon arrival at T1 from my int'l flight, after picking up luggage and heading towards taxis, before exiting the doors I spotted the Globe stand and purchased a Globe sim card. I had the girl install the card into my American smart phone. I loaded it right there. To make absolutely sure the card worked, I asked the girl to send a simple txt to my number from her phone and she did: "Hi. Angela". I replied Hi, Westy. And went on my way. 2 days later having coffee with a mate in Makati, I noticed his cell showed 4 GLTE, while mine showed 4 G only. Both of our sims are Globe. Later I walked in a Globe store in the mall, found a techie rep there, and he pointed out that my sim card was 4 G-capable only. If I wanted LTE then I would have to purchase a new LTE sim card. Hey, kid, can you transfer my load balance + my purchased unli data + txt msging from the old sim to a new LTE sim? "No sir, sorry". Great. Off I went.

As I was departing the mall, out of the blue I got a txt from an unknown number: "Hi this Angela. Remember? Manila airport". Oh, yes, Hi sweetie, let me add you to my contacts. "Westy where you now?" Makati sweetie, why? "I have shit life. Birthday tomorrow. No celebration. No money". Oh my, did the NAIA Globe chick just hint at money? Well, that's unfortunate honey. "Westy what you do tomorrow night?" Ah, flying to the province in the morning sweetie, out of town for a while (never thought I'd say this: Saved by Cebu Pacific). "Oh ok. Shit life here". The next day she sent several more txts about having no money for her party that evening. The txts died down in quantity, but persisted for several weeks.

Regarding the 4 G sims, the Globe guy said there some phones out there that are still not LTE capable, and that's why the Globe peddlers sometimes sell 4 G-only sims. Wish Angela had offered the option.

[QUOTE=WestCoast1;1914538]To make absolutely sure the card worked, I asked the girl to send a simple txt to my number from her phone and she did: "Hi. Angela". I replied Hi, Westy. And went on my way. ...

As I was departing the mall, out of the blue I got a txt from an unknown number: "Hi this Angela. Remember? Manila airport". Oh, yes, Hi sweetie, let me add you to my contacts. "Westy where you now?" Makati sweetie, why? "I have shit life. Birthday tomorrow. No celebration. No money". Oh my, did the NAIA Globe chick just hint at money? [/QUOTE]This story put a smile on my face. But WestCoast, you neglected to describe Angela's looks. Was she doable? I love random possibilities. The PI are chock full of them.

On the last night of one of my previous visits I had dinner at one of the Green Belt mall restaurants. I was not looking for a girl having had pool party & goodbye sex with my favorite girl that afternoon, but I decided to have one more stroll around Havana Cafe / Starbucks later that night just for the hell of it. I did not see any girl I had to have hanging out between the two coffee shops so I walked towards the GreenBelt 3 exit and my hotel. And low and behold, that's where I spotted a very sexy girl standing by her lonesome just outside the mall smoking a cigarette. She smiled at me and asked where I was going. I said, "Home, USA." Then she said, "take me with. " We both laughed and I said, "I wish I could."

On the subject of sending money: I always held the position of no way and of being a strictly pay as I go kind of guy. But I have to confess that earlier this month I broke my long standing habit and sent my #1 girl $150 for her birthday. She did not ask for money explicitly, but we were chatting and I made the foolish mistake of asking what she was going to do on her birthday. She said nothing special because she did not have any money. So while we continued chatting about other things I wired her the present and then I told her what I had done. This is the same girl that saved me around $1000 in barfines on my last two trips so it is not exactly out of pocket. But as Dylan once wrote:

"Well, they'll stone ya when you're trying to be so good
They'll stone ya just a-like they said they would
They'll stone ya when you're tryin' to go home
Then they'll stone ya when you're there all alone
But I would not feel so all alone
Everybody must get stoned."

-Rainy Day Woman #12 & 35

[QUOTE=NattyBumpo;1914652]This story put a smile on my face. But WestCoast, you neglected to describe Angela's looks. Was she doable? I love random possibilities. The PI are chock full of them.
[/QUOTE]Angela is not really doable. She'd have to give *me* some taxi money in the morning.

[QUOTE=Hutsori;1914390]I tend limit myself to visitors who live in metro Manila (I don't need the hassle of some newbie coming from Pampanga), and Makati is the ideal spot for girls coming from QC, Las Pinas / Alabang, Pasay, and Manila itself. A girl in Caloocan can board the LRT, take it to Gil Puyat station, exit and board a jeep or bus going to Makati. A girl in QC can board the MRT and then bus or jeep. Keep in mind that a lot of girls can't figure things out, so they'll be asking you to sort it for them. If you can't answer questions, then it may be best for all for her to take a taxi or you to arrange transport, such as an uber. Look for hotels / condos near major intersections, easy to see landmarks, and not too far from MRT / LRT stations. In Makati an ideal inexpensive location is near Makati Medical Center, such as the condos in barangay Pio Del Pilar. Staying at a condo near Greenbelt is even better because a girl can find that on her own, but those are posher residences and more expensive.[/QUOTE]Thanks for the detailed and helpful reply Hutsori. I am a complete newbie when it comes to Philippines and I have so much learning to do. To me, that's part of the fun. You, DS and the many veteran members here are who I hope I can one day become. If you are still in Manila in October when I arrive, I would love to meet up with you for a drink and maybe you can share some more of your vast knowledge about the pinay land to me.

To be honest, this coming short trip is for me to test in person the possibility of Philippines as hunting ground in the future when I will be staying long term.

Per Wikipedia, the only bank in Philippines that do not charge withdrawal fees for foreign ATM cards is HSBC. Can any member confirm this? Are there any other banks that do not charge a fee (service charge)?

From a security and safety stand point, I am thinking about mostly using my ATM card to withdrawal funds when I am in manila as oppose to bringing all cash (and using money exchange shops) with me.

[QUOTE=DreamCarnarvon;1915083]Per Wikipedia, the only bank in Philippines that do not charge withdrawal fees for foreign ATM cards is HSBC. Can any member confirm this? Are there any other banks that do not charge a fee (service charge)?

From a security and safety stand point, I am thinking about mostly using my ATM card to withdrawal funds when I am in manila as oppose to bringing all cash (and using money exchange shops) with me.[/QUOTE]HSBC does charge the standard Php200 per transaction, as with all other banks. However, it's the only bank I know of here that allows up to Php40,000 per withdrawal.

GE.

[QUOTE=DreamCarnarvon;1915083]Per Wikipedia, the only bank in Philippines that do not charge withdrawal fees for foreign ATM cards is HSBC. Can any member confirm this? Are there any other banks that do not charge a fee (service charge)?

From a security and safety stand point, I am thinking about mostly using my ATM card to withdrawal funds when I am in manila as oppose to bringing all cash (and using money exchange shops) with me.[/QUOTE]GE is correct but if you are a HSBC card holder there is always no fee if you use an ATM from HSBC. Sometime it is better to ask the bank not Wikipedia. The call center in your country is usually free.

[QUOTE=GoodEnough;1915249]HSBC does charge the standard Php200 per transaction, as with all other banks. However, it's the only bank I know of here that allows up to Php40,000 per withdrawal.
[/QUOTE]GE is correct in that they normally charge a fee for withdrawal from non-HSBC ATMs. HSBC ATMs are difficult to find in the Philippines (Manila and Cebu have them, and there may be others).

In my case, when my account was set-up some 16 years ago, it was flagged with a "no transaction charge" provision because I agreed to the direct-deposit of my monthly salary check into the account, and that provision holds to this day. If I use non-HSBC ATMs in the Philippines (I rarely do) or use networked ATMs in other countries (much more common) the fee appears in my account and is then deducted at end of month reckoning.

[QUOTE=DreamCarnarvon;1915083]Per Wikipedia, the only bank in Philippines that do not charge withdrawal fees for foreign ATM cards is HSBC. Can any member confirm this? Are there any other banks that do not charge a fee (service charge)?

From a security and safety stand point, I am thinking about mostly using my ATM card to withdrawal funds when I am in manila as oppose to bringing all cash (and using money exchange shops) with me.[/QUOTE]Sometime ago I researched this and I found that Citibank does not charge ATM fees in the PI. I would do follow up to see if this remains true.

[QUOTE=Pompetus;1915391]Sometime ago I researched this and I found that Citibank does not charge ATM fees in the PI. I would do follow up to see if this remains true.[/QUOTE]You could be right on this because as I forgot to mention in Post 14967, most of these large international banks are actually franchised to each country.

Despite being international banks, both HSBC and Citibank are marketed as HSBC Philippines and Citibank Philippines, and so are subject to the rules of the Philippines.

They also have their own rules as distinct fro the "parent", even though they are all linked internatonally and appear as one big happy family.

Note also that the Philippines Deposit Insurance Cover is 500,000 php, so if anything goes wrong with your bank account in any of the Philippine banks, that's the extent of any local bank's liability.

[QUOTE=Pompetus;1915391]Sometime ago I researched this and I found that Citibank does not charge ATM fees in the PI. I would do follow up to see if this remains true.[/QUOTE]The last time I used a Citibank ATM here I was charged the normal fee. However, I haven't used one for a while so things might have changed.