Heading to the Philippines, any advice?

Hi all,

I'm heading out next week for Manila. Any suggestions on where to go, what to see and where to eat would be appreciated. I'm going to be meeting up with a friend that lives there but it would be nice to have some idea of whare to go and what to do besides what she suggests.

Fire aways, I'm open. I'll be there a week, so not as long as I would like butI can try to fit as much in as I can.


Thanks for the suggestions.

reply to post by hoagy1199


Have a good time but be careful with tap water/ice cubes.

I got my sis a "Lifestraw" when she last went to Indonesia.
Gives you pure water to drink.
May be a good idea for you to get something like that,just in case.

www.amazon.co.uk...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393699306&sr=8-1&keywords=lifestraw

Essential for if you go off the beaten track,but I would take one if I was visiting a city,just in case.

reply to post by Silcone Synapse


I have one already and I tend to go towards bottled water anyway unless I'm going to sample the local brews. I'm sure there will be plenty of that put down too.

Thanks for the advice tho mate.

Make sure any girls you meet do not have an adams apple!

reply to post by Mamatus


So, I should tip the front desk extra to make sure before I ask for a massage?

Actually, I have been there before on business, just looking for ideas for a vacation but thanks for the advice.

reply to post by hoagy1199

This advice may save you from harm.
It's in the form of a short story-But if you are short of time,the lesson of the story is,always try to be aware of what you eat before you decide to eat it.

When I went to Borneo years back in the 90's,I had a really nice fish dish in what looked like a nice restaurant.
For the next 4 days I thought I was dying,and had to go onto the balcony to get air,overlooking the back of the restaurant which poisoned me.
So as I was trying not to die or puke on the balcony,I could see the chefs making the food-killing and cutting up the whole menu on the street-blood in the gutters,mosquitoes,rats.
The rusty red street,all dried blood from the menus past.
As they cut and skinned all manner of creatures,the chefs fought off rats with their skinning and cutting and chopping tools.
Sometimes the rats won,and took some meat away.
Others died,and their blood mixed with the food for the menus.
And I ate that sheet from that place,and survived-but I would not want to repeat the experience.
Check your food sources and prep areas before you eat if u can.

You can prevent such a silly mistake from happening,I was young and stupid when it happened to me,and no one had warned me.

reply to post by Silcone Synapse


Thanks for the heads up and reminder. I had a former employer who taught me how to eat things I woulod normally stay away from (USN). Street meat wasn't a big plan I was lloking more for ideas on where to go for something good. Howeever, your point is taken and noted. I got a nasty case of food poisoning here in Houston from a well known restaurant so I'll keep my eyes open.

reply to post by hoagy1199


Don't chew too many beetlenuts. See if you can get to look at the seaweed they make carageenan out of and ask the locals what they think of the additive we make out of it. I like hearing about things from people who are actually there.

I lived in the Philippines for six years. Actually stationed there during the Mount Pinatubo eruption. There are quite a few places to see while you are there. See the palace where Marcos lived. Hop on a jeepney and ask them to take you to the villages that were completely covered by the ash from the volcano.
You can also go and see the old Subic Bay and Cubi Point naval base. Other than that, some of the beaches are most relaxing you will ever see. The people are very friendly and almost all speak English. There is a lot of history there. From the Spanish to the Japanese to the U.S.
The Philippines has thousands of Islands. But ferry travel can be dangerous. They tend to overload the boats. You might be able to hire a small boat to take you if you desire.
Everything is very inexpensive. And your money will go a long way.
Well, I hope this helps get you started. Enjoy!

reply to post by trontech


Thanks mate. I'm looking forward to having time to kick back and relax and as they currently say, "It's more fun in the Philippines."

I think the Fire Empire is gone now, been a while since I was first there . I have every intention of logging as much beach time as I can and as you say Filipinos are very friendly, always a smile.

Should I down a San Miguel for you?



eta: just looked at the exchange rate, life is about to get really good.

Thanks! I remember it well...I think.

reply to post by hoagy1199


it depends what YOUR interests are : if I was going to manila - my first stop would be fort drum - but that's just me , if military history bores you to tears - you wont like it .

All packed and heading out in just a few hours. Thanks for the tips and suggestions everybody.

With a little luck, I'll add pics after I get back.

hoagy1199
Hi all,

I'm heading out next week for Manila. Any suggestions on where to go, what to see and where to eat would be appreciated. I'm going to be meeting up with a friend that lives there but it would be nice to have some idea of whare to go and what to do besides what she suggests.

Fire aways, I'm open. I'll be there a week, so not as long as I would like butI can try to fit as much in as I can.


Thanks for the suggestions.

Cabs can take a long time. They can cost more money than foods over in Manilla. Traffic is congested so if you have the options to pre plan your rides from airports etc that will save you excess frustration.

Do not pay people to cross the road with you. Just be careful lol

Sports clubs = strip clubs. Be aware

Try not to drink too much Red Horse beer if you are a beer drinker. Cheap and very potent. Memory loss is a high probability.

Other than that it is similar to Bali without the sewer smell and less haggling.

Hopefully these tips assist you limiting unnecessary frustration on your holiday.