The Philippines - Manila : Read reviews and compare prices at Ciao.co.uk

Author's product rating:

Value for Money
Shopping
Nightlife
Ease of getting around
Family Friendly

Advantages:	Vibrant . Warm . hospitable people . Cheap
Disadvantages:	Considerable poverty

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

I have been to Manila four times and I like the city. More specifically I like the Fillipinos who are warm and friendly,very hospitable and have a thoroughly infectious love of life. They have been described as the
Latin Americans of South East Asia and most certainly they are markedly different from Malays,Thais,Vietnamese or Indonesians.

Manila,the capital and chief city of the Philippines is also very much the artistic and commercial capital. It is located in Central Luzon Island and enjoys good air communications with the US, Europe, Australia and regional centres in Asia.

Night life is alive and well in Manila and it is comparatively cheap; much cheaper,for example,than Singapore, Kuala Lumpur or Hong Kong.The favourite beer in town in San Miguel which is owned by a company based in the Philippines.

Makati is a sophisticated district and here you will find the stamping ground of the well-heeled,rich,Fillipinos. Roxas Boulevard-the Orchard Road of Manila-is another very lively area,full of plush hotels,nightclubs, and good eateries.

Of course Manila has its seedy areas with sex shows,low class bars and pick up joints and the income gap between rich and poor in this city is very wide.

Food wise I must say I do not rank Manila as highly as places like Singapore,Kuala Lumpur,Bangkok or Hong Kong. The local dishes are rather bland,there is a lack of really fiery or spicy dishes, and the fast food is generally mediocre. Having spent 500 years under the Spanish and a further 50 years as a US colony,not surprisingly there are a number of bodegas reputedly specializing in Spanish cuisine as well as US style fast food haunts.There are several good Cuban restaurants in town and other Asian cuisines such as Japanese,Korean, Indonesian and Chinese can also be found.

A number of the hotels have elegant,up market-style coffee houses and if you are prepared to pay you can get good food in the Philippine capital. However, the middle range restaurants serving up very tasty food that are so common in Singapore,KL, Bangkok or Hong Kong,are a bit thin on the ground here..

Nominally the Fillipinos do speak English,as well as the national language, Tagalog,but be warned, they often have a rather strange accent-a sort of a cross between American and Spanish English. Flamboyant expression also seems to be a distinct characteristic of this fun-loving people.

Musically the Filipinos are often very gifted and it is no wonder that
singers and musicians from this country have become greatly demanded in numerous other Asian cities. A number such as Freddie Agguilar have become international famous and Filipinos have also made their presence felt in some Hollywood productions.

Getting around town can be fun particularly if you opt for a ride in a jeepney. These are locally assembled jeeps which accommodate about 15 or more passengers and they are colourful,and noisy, with the latest pop songs blaring. The great merit of this most popular form of local transportation is that they are incredibly cheap and ,if you can make yourself heard above the music,it is easy to strike-up a conversation with fellow passengers. Taxis are also plentiful and there is a reasonable number of bus services.The traffic jams though can be more than a bit wearing.

If you have a social conscience there is something a bit disturbing about Manila. Whilst foreign visitors,especially those from the USA and Europe,will be regally welcomed and can have a whale of a time,it dosen't take long to realise there are a lot of poor people in this city. The income differential between the rich and the poor is obscene.That is why for me,Manila, although a hospitable and fun place is very much a city that mixes up my emotions.