Manila, Philippines Overview

Metropolitan Manila encompasses six cities and 12 towns. Located on Manila Bay in the South China Sea, and bisected by the Pasig River, the capital of the Philippines is historic and modern, rich and poor.A popular sight is the walled area called Intramuros. The capital during Spanish colonization, Intramuros has retained old dungeons and gunpowder rooms but added art galleries and theaters. The city is filled with museums, shops, parks and churches, plus enough nightlife to last until dawn.
Manila Weather & When to Go:
Manila is a tropical country -- so there are only two seasons: wet and dry. The weather and temperature rarely changes which means you can visit Manila any time of the year. If you're touring, it's best to avoid the rainy season in July and August.Eighty degrees is an average temperature throughout the year, although how this feels can vary with the humidity. Nights rarely get cold, even during the winter months. Updated weather information for Manila can be found online at http://www.wunderground.com/global/stations/98429.html or http://weather.cnn.com/weather/forecast.jsp?locCode=MANX

Travelers interested in heading to Manila during important events throughout the year should know that Manila celebrates major international holidays such as Christmas, New Years and Easter as well as local holidays.

Manila Health & Safety:
Most of the business districts, such as Makati, Ortigas, Bonifacio Global City, and Eastwood, and the primary tourist spots such as Intramuros, are generally safe areas for tourists. Of course, use common sense. As with all tourist areas, pickpockets will abound, so bring a bag that you can wear close to your body and avoid wearing valuables and flashy jewelry. Avoid travelling alone in dark areas.
Tap water is not potable in Manila. When in doubt, drink mineral/distilled water or soda.

Manila History:
The early history of Manila begins in the middle of the sixteenth century, when Muslims settled along the Pasig River and started a religious community there. The area was originally ruled by a triumvirate made up of two leaders who ruled in the south and one leader who ruled in the north. (For more about the general neighborhoods of Manila, visit http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g298573-s204/Manila:Luzon:Neighborhoods.html)

The Muslim community did not have long to thrive. In 1570, Spanish conquistadores arrived in the area and took over. They destroyed the Muslim settlement and created a walled fortress at Intramuros. They used the area as an export base for silver mining. Eventually, the area was named capital of the Philippines.

Modern interest in Manila did not come to the forefront until World War II. The Manila Massacre was an important battle in that war, and the area was considered to be of great importance in the struggle between the United States and Japan.

Since that time, Manila has been doing its best to rebuild itself as a city. Tourism has only recently become a major industry in the area. An influx of tourists in the area has lead to renewed growth and revitalization which has never been seen before in the history of Manila.

Manila Neighborhoods:
Manila is divided in to sixteen distinct neighborhoods, known locally as districts. These sixteen districts are categorized into south districts and north districts with the area of Pasig being the dividing line between the districts.

· South Districts

o Ermita – This is one of the most popular tourist areas in Manila. Daytime attractions and nightlife spots are generally located here.

o Intramuros

o Malate – This is the other of the most popular tourist areas in Manila. Daytime attractions and nightlife spots can be found here.

o Paco

o Pandacan

o Port Area – This district is a relatively new neighborhood in comparison with the other neighborhoods of both the south and north districts.

o San Andreas Bukid – This neighborhood was originally a part of the Santa Ana neighborhood but grew in to its own. It retains much of the flavor of Santa Ana with a more modern style.

o Santa Ana – Santa Ana is considered the old town sister district of San Andreas Bukid.

· North Districts

o Binondo – This is the Chinatown of Manila.

o Quiapo

o Sampaloc – This is considered the old town sister district of Santa Mesa. The two districts are very similar but this one has more history.

o San Miguel

o San Nicolas

o Santa Cruz

o Santa Mesa – This district was originally a part of the Sampaloc neighborhood but grew enough to become its own area.

o Tondo – This is a primarily residential area and is considered by many to be the “bad neighborhood” of Manila. It is safe, but there are not too many reasons for tourists to travel here.


Manila Recommended Reading:
Many travelers find that it is helpful to do some reading about the intended travel destination before finalizing plans for the trip. This can provide insight about the best ways to travel, the best things to see and the nature of the people and the culture of the area. Travelers interested in supplementing their Manila travel plans in such a fashion may consider reading the following books:

“The Rough Guide to the Philippines” by Rough Guides provides basic travel information for visitors just getting started in trying to figure out what they want to do during their Manila vacation.
“Lonely Planet Diving and Snorkeling Philippines” by Heneage Mitchell is a guide to the best water adventure options in and around Manila.

Continuition

Manila Arriving & Departing:
Many tourists in Manila stay in the Makati area because of its proximity to excellent lodging, dining, and nightlife. The trip from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to central Makati can take anywhere from 20 minutes to more than an hour, depending on what time of day you are travelling. It is best to avoid the rush hours of 7-9am and 5-7pm, during which traffic can get quite nad.

There are several transportation options available to you. First, there is the Airport Taxi service that you will notice on the left side as soon as you exit the airport's arrival area. This service typically uses Sports Utility Vehicles (larger than the typical city taxis) to bring you to your destination. Depending on where you are going, your trip may cost anywhere from around US$7.50 to US$11 for travel within the Metro Manila. This is generally a safe option as the license plate and driver details are logged and a copy of the information slip is given to you. The rate is agreed upon prior to departure and will not change upon reaching your destination.

An alternative option is to arrange for a hotel car to pick you up and drop you off at your hotel. These need to be arranged in advance, as only the most exclusive hotels have permanent booths set-up outside the arrivals area. This is probably one of the most expensive options, ranging anywhere from US$20 to US$40 depending on the hotel. The vehicles are usually nice and well-maintained, and you will be driven my a member of the hotel's staff.

Finally, the most affordable option is to turn right upon exiting the arrivals area, and go up the outside stairs to the departures area. You can then take a city taxi (there are plenty dropping passengers off at the airport). The tricky thing about this is you need to have a general idea of where you're going and you need to be confident and assertive to make sure you are not overcharged. You need to insist that the driver use his meter and not add on any additional charges. A trip to Makati will only cost you about US$2 using this method.

An alternative to this is to book a 'hotel' car in advance from your hotel. When you depart from the baggage claim area and turn right you will see a hotel waiting area as well as several unitformed 'greeters'. In particular the Shangrila, Peninsula and Mandarin are quite conspicuous. You will have several choices; Mercedes Benz or Toyota sedan. They are both clean and relatively inexepensive $40 - 75 one way. The driver will greet you with a cool towel, bottled water and newspapers.

Manila Public Transportation:
So you want to travel to Manila and use the public transport system... locally, we call that "Commuting"; and often times this means riding either (one or a combination of) tricycles, pedicabs, jeepneys, FXs, elevated trains, and buses. Many, if not all hotels and hostels in and around Metro Manila are a short walk to take your ride to somewhere else. So let's break it down according to mode of transportation:

Light Rail Transits (LRT, MRT, MRT 2)
The rail transits have three lines: the LRT and MRT 2 and the MRT, which travels along Metro Manila's main highway, EDSA. (Click on the links to view the different lines.) The RT lines are interconnected (ex. you can transfer from the MRT Taft station to the LRT Baclaran station), but there is a separate fare for each line. Single journey tickets and stored value tickets (tickets that have been preloaded with credits) are sold for each line. If you plan to use the RTs frequently, it is best to purchase a stored value ticket to avoid long lines at ticket booths during rush hours. The RTs are the quickest way to get around Metro Manila while avoiding the traffic. Be prepared, however, to brave the crowds especially during rush hour, when the trains are usually packed.

Taxi Cabs
For safety reasons, it is advised to call a taxi company in advance for a cab, or to call a cab from a hotel (although this may be more expensive than regular taxis). If you're not a local, the cab driver will more often than not, ask for a flat fare that is at least two times the usual, so always demand the driver to turn the taxi meter on, and take note of the plate number upon boarding. Its advisable also to have extra coins & small denominated bills with you so you can pay the exact fare, as most taxi drivers do not give change. Tipping is optional, but 20 pesos is enough.

Pedicab
The simplest form of public transport includes a bicycle with an attached sidecar. Although phased-out and illegal in most parts of Metro Manila, pedicabs can be found in and around the Metropolis. The "driver" is usually male and the age range is from the teens on up. The charge is a flat fare, usually PhP 10.00 - 30.00 per person. Never settle beyond PhP 30. The cab has two seating areas that face each other. The seat that faces forward is the wider seat and is probably less than a meter long. The seat facing back is much narrower and meant for children, although you may see teenagers on up sitting on them too. Best practice is to always ask for the fare before getting on; personally, I think most foreigners wouldn't even get in one since pedicabs in the Metro seldom travel more that two (2) kilometers "point-to-point".

Tricycles
There are more than 700,000 tricycles in the Metro. Tricycles normally link a business/commercial area to the residential areas, or main road to the "inards" of a locality. You hire a trike for either a "special trip", or "regular trip". All this really means is that you are either going solo (special trip) or waiting for the trike to fill up with other passengers (regular trip). Unlike pedicabs, tricycle normally ply their routes in an area with a pre-defined boundary. So within this area, you will pay a flat fare. The fares vary from place to place, but to give you an idea: a special trip usually starts from PhP10.00 up to, but not over Ph35.00; regular trips, on the other hand, start from PhP7.50 up to PhP15.00. However, if your trip will take you across say two boundaries, the flat fare is multiplied by three (3) times. Word to the wise: tryke drivers tend to be the craziest (read: most dangerous) drivers.

Jeepneys
I think they came into vogue right after the Second World War. Among equipment left behind by the Americans were the Willy's Jeeps, probably in the thousands. They were inherently sturdy and very easy to maintain; and had the ability to take you wherever their wheels could get traction. I think at that time these Jeeps could accomodate about six to eight people (including the driver). Today's jeepneys retain the traditional look of the Willy's Jeep at the front, but have passenger areas that can seat anywhere from 14 to 24 people. The basic fare in Metro Manila is PhP7.50 for the first four (4) kilometers, then there's a fixed additional fee for every unit of distance travelled. (I can remember if it's PhP1.00 per kilometer, so please don't quote me.) Some jeepney routes cover four (4) kilometers or less, while others travel much longer routes. Best practice is to ask any of the locals in the establishment where you're staying. More often than not, they'll be able to tell you which jeepneys to take, and how much you'll have to pay. Most driver are reasonably safe (in the local context) although there are those who believe that only they have the right to use and were probably tricycle drivers not too long ago.

Manila Taxis & Rental Cars:
For the most part you don't need a rental car in the Phillipines. In major cities taxis are cheap and cheerful. Just make sure they turn on the meter. In the Provinces jeepneys and trikes (motorcycles w/a sidecare) are the best choices. Just be aware that trike drivers are the one of the biggest banditos in the country, often trying to charge you well over what a metered taxi costs in Manila or Cebu. If you want to travel long distances you can hire a car and driver for reasonable prices. Be aware that hiring a car and driver at the hotel will cost you more than getting one on the street. Taxis will also drive you anywhere but you will have to baragin for the price. For long disatnace travel buses are good value. If there are many of you, just hire a car and driver or a taxi. Finally, ferries and domestic airlines go everywhere in the Phillipines and fares are very reasonable. Ferries are the choice if you want to mix with the locals, or get an overnight cabin or are into a leisurely travel with seaviews of the islands along the way without paying a fortune.

Unfortunately many taxi drivers do not turn on their meters when you get in. Check and ask - each and every time. Many drivers will claim their meters are broken or not working. Others just flatly refuse to turn on the meter. This is illegal; taxis are not allowed to operate at all, unless their meter is working and turned on. If a taxi driver refuses to turn on his meter, just get out of the taxi and get the next one - there are always plenty of taxis around in Manila. If you travel by un-metered taxi you can expect to get ripped off and charged at least double the proper fare. There is a hot-line for reporting taxi drivers who break the rules to the controlling organization, LTFRB, but this is ineffective and does not result in drivers' taxi licenses being suspended.