Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jcan]

I've heard from some people that Manila sucks but surely there is some charm to the capital of a country. Has anyone experienced any? Thinking of taking a quick trip over for a 5-day weekend in May.

[thrylos]

Yeah, it does kinda suck (compared to other SE Asian cities- BKK, HKG, SIN), but it isn't a bad place for 5 days...

Casinos, shopping, eating and drinking late night, friendly folks are the biggest attractions. Some historical sightseeing (but nothing too special) for the daytime.

Good times in the evening/nights, especially on sidewalk bars/restaurants. Ermita/Malate for more laid back nightlife, meet other travelers/Filipino youth, Makati for the higher end shopping/fine dining/clubbing.

Beats 5 days in Seoul any time.

[Missihippi]

Dirty, noisy, and the people weren't very friendly. Streets aren't well lit at night and i didn't feel very safe in the city.

[Marissa0687]

I had 2 days in Manila in February and that was way too much. I'll never go back, but that's just me. It reminds me too much of Mexico. It's dirty, everyone's trying to rip you off, heck even the little kids are trained to come beg you for money.

But while we were there, we did check out the Mall of Asia, Intramuros and Corregidor Island. Intramuros beckons back to when the Phillippines were under Spanish rule. It was interesting but again, it's hard to enjoy anything when everyone is begging you for money. Mall of Asia was cool, but really it's just a mall, y'know? Only high point for me was they had a Wendy's, but not sure if you're from the US. Corregidor was definitely the highlight of the trip. It's a WWII island. It takes about an hour and a half to get to from Malate and it's a day trip. Interesting if you're a history buff.

As for nightlife, we're not that into partying anymore so I really can't speak for that. If that's your thing, I think you'll find plenty to keep you busy at night.

The great thing about Manila was that it was CHEAP. Cheap to fly to, cheap to eat, cheap to shop.

Not trying to be a downer, but you may find that 5 days is waaay too long in that city. Have fun, whatever you decide to do. =)

[ttompatz]

[Missihippi]

[I-am-me]

Makati: Thats the only good place to stay in Manila. You can spend 2 good days shopping at the huge mall in Makati. One day at Mall of Asia is ok. Lots of clubs around makati. Nothing else really to recommend there. For five days you can do some good shopping though.

[BoholDiver]

Manila airport is somewhat of a hub, and Cebu isn't. We have tickets there and we're going to hop somewhere else. Either Puerto Galera, Palawan, Bohol, or Subic Bay.

You can take domestic hops for around $30 US one way.

[Hamlet]

I used to lived there, and I liked it. It is dirty and can be dangerous, but I find that kind of place fun. Like another poster said, it's a lot like Mexico. You can get into trouble if you're not careful, but I think it so interesting to see how the people there live.

It's not for everybody, but it's a place that I think everybody should see.

[bbb0777]

Pros:

Very friendly
Minimal hassles (begging/aggressive touts/etc.)
Has fully-stocked grocery stores full of normal-country variety (unlike S. Korean stores)

Cons:

Very little in the way of things to see...5 days would seem like far too long.

I expected it to feel very dangerous, but it actually felt quite safe. Emphasis on felt, I'm unsure the violent-crime rate as perpetuated against foreigners.

The taxis in Manila are quite cheap, so you can just ride around to the various tourist sites, such as they are. There's a completely non-touristy chinatown...that is both quite boring and mildly interesting to see for 10 minutes due to it's uniqueness...

Personally, I think Manila is worth taking a full day to see. Basically just because it's the capital. After that, fly to Boracay perhaps, or somewhere

[seoulstyle]

Worst place in the world. Don't go!

[jcan]

lol - a variety of different opinions on this one. Thanks for the input everyone.

I found a very cheap flight (with crappy layovers but whatever) so will be going for 3 days.

[ttompatz]

[DeMayonnaise]

I payed 80,000 won to fly Seoul-Manila about 2 months ago. I didn't want to, because I'd been there before and knew the city sucked. We just stayed in the airport and transfered on to our next destination. The rest of the country is OK, but Manila really, really, really sucks. Don't waste your time there.


You can probably get a cheap deal to cebu as well. It's a little better than Manila. I don't know if Cebu Pacific is still running that deal though.

[reactionary]

80,000 won? what the hell..?