Information by Coventrybee
Hotel - transport - tours (book here)

Updated :  May/June 2002

Exchange Rate : P50 to 1US$

Introduction 

The Philippines is an often over looked, and under-rated destination for TSM type vacations and activities. The fact that from almost any destination in the world the Philippines is a long haul flight away and travel time can be harrowing, to a less seasoned traveler, and adventurer. I can report that despite this misconception, the Philippines is alive and kickin' as ever. :) 

Be warned in advance though, that the Philippines is a 'third world' country with all the disadvantages that ultimately tends to mean. Poor infrastructure, heavy traffic, flooding , pollution and poverty, are all synonymous with the Philippines. Yet once you accept that and adapt a calm, and patient frame of mind, the Philippines becomes a dream vacation destination, with its exotic tropical paradise resorts, islands, and beaches and its infectious and active nightlife!

Whether you are a frequent traveler, and visitor to the various TSM destinations, or just intrigued by it all, and are thinking of doing your first TSM style trip to the Philippines, the first thing I want to absolutely assure you is there is nothing to fear or worry about traveling to, and around the Philippines on your own. - Or with a friend. And if your apprehensive about traveling alone, in a new country, then there are many TSM minded visitors here in Angeles for example that will willingly take you under their wing and give you all the advice and assistance you need.

Plus of course at Beeline Travel we will meet you at the Airport and help you arrive safely at your chosen destination in the Philippines, taking care of your hotel requirements too.

Tidbits - Flights and Airport.

Some long haul flights still have smoking (i.e. Philippine Airlines) -- get one that doesn't. Nothing is more dangerous to your health than 20 hours in a smoke filled plane. If you can get away with traveling light, with just hand luggage, and get off quickly you can avoid the long queues to get through immigration and customs at Manila. Also, if having to take luggage, then try checking your baggage in as late as you can -- without missing the plane (last bags in, first out, at baggage hall). Always wise to take a good book on board and some things to freshen up during the flight and even a spare set of clothes (just in case they lose your bags). Drink lots of water on the plane and avoid alcohol -- you'll arrive in much better condition (mental and physical)!

Health

Good medical insurance is a must. There are plenty of Hospitals and Medical Clinic's around but, you have to pay for everything. Better be safe than sorry. Dental work in the Philippines is cheap and fairly good, but the standards although good are not up to Western Standards. There are plenty of Drug Stores around for everyday medicines which you can buy -- aspirin and cough drops are bought singularly as well as in packets. Malaria is not a serious problem in the Philippines, but most Doctors (in U.K. at least) advise you take Malaria pills with you (and remember to take them I frequently forget). There are some occasional reports of Malaria but, these are usually confined to the really rural areas (four deaths reported in one of the Provinces whilst I was there).

Water -- never drink the tap water or take "ice" in your drinks. Always drink bottled water. It is hard to avoid ice and if you do take ice, expect the occasional sore throat. Colds can be common (take Zinc Lozenges with you, kills colds before they start, works for me). When venturing onto the streets be aware of the food street vendors sell. The barbecue kebabs look delicious, especially after a few beers, but, a bad case of the runs the following day can be a frequent occurrence. Eat in the restaurants, and buy food from supermarkets -- common sense prevails, OK!

Weather

The Philippine Islands are within the tropics which means the climate is hot and humid year-round. (Mean annual temperature nationally is 27i C/80i F; the mean humidity is 77 percent). Rainfall averages about 2,030 millimetres (about 80 inches) a year in the lowlands. In general, the first six months of the year comprise the dry season, while the period July through December brings rain. The hottest period is March through to May. "Typhoon season" is generally considered to be from June to October Use a local internet cafe for current conditions. (weather data, map forcast) Map of the Philippines.

General Information (Safety tips )

Manila is the Capital of the Philippines and the City is a large metropolis with heavy traffic congestion almost 24 hours a day. There is also lots of pollution and poverty in plain evidence to the naked eye.

Beggars

Street children and beggars are abundant and although you can feel sympathy, tipping is not advised. There are many professional beggars and children are often used by parents or adults to collect money. If you give one some cash, you are often surrounded by others and it becomes an impossible situation. Better to just walk on by or ignore. 

Crime
I have been asked what area's are safe, and which are dangerous etc. And what is crime like. Well use your commonsense and you will not go far wrong. I have been in Manila and lived in the Philippines, and have NEVER confronted a "ugly or nasty" situation. The Philippines is no worse than any other major city in the World. And far safer than some. I feel just as happy walking around MANILA as I did in LONDON for example. Ask at your hotel, and taxi drivers if there are any well known trouble spots to avoid if in doubt. Muggings are the main thing you must look out for... walking around areas at night that are unlit, can be hazardous, wearing expensive looking clothes and jewelry is a un-wise thing to do. Casual clothing, no jewelry (Rolex watches etc) and a minimum of cash or credit cards needed, on your possession is advised. - Really it is all commonsense. Incidents are not frequent but, it pays to be cautious and use your commonsense.

RIZAL PARK

Situated by Manila Bay is generally fine during the day, but a NO at night. You will be approached with all sorts of offers at night. All of which are Taboo and possibly Dangerous. You have a fair chance of being mugged as well.! Stick to the main Bars and areas I have highlighted and you should be fine. Beware for example when walking down Roxas Boulevard at Night, that you do not get side tracked by a Filipino offering you a girl or a nice bar down a back street. They are rip-offs if genuine, and dangerous if not! Again a polite but firm "No" is all you require.

All the highlighted bars have good security and look after its guests, so you rarely find any trouble. Beware also, despite my advice a friend left some money in his suitcase inside his room and even though he had been with one particular girl for two or three days he discovered to his cost ($200) that you can never really trust anyone.

*** Always use the Safety deposit boxes at hotels for money and valuables or use a money belt ***

Transport

Jeepney

Again commonsense is what you need to apply in most situations. Use the Taxi's rather than Jeepney's. Taxi's are cheap enough and although Jeepney's are much cheaper than cheap, at night I have heard of pick pockets cleaning out tourists very efficiently. Thankfully, as I have said, I have done many trips and have never had any problem what so ever. If you really want to experiment and look around off the beaten track, try it when you have a girlfriend with you, who will probably know where you can and cannot go safely. If you use Jeepneys always make sure your money or valuables are in a front pocket with your hand on the pocket!

Trike.

Many areas have tricycles, (trikes) that are a a motorcycle and sidecar. These are often uncomfortable for westerners as they are small and you feel ever bump you go over. Prices can vary depending on where you are. In Angeles for example the shortest journeys are P30-P40 and longer journeys P50-P60. You can hire a trike by the hour though just negotiate a price. P100 an hour is a guide. In the provinces these same trikes can be a lot less expensive P10-P20 for example - Yes, tourist are charged more in Angeles (although they charge the locals the same down and around Fields Ave.)

There are also of course bus services that act as the main form of public transportation from city to city throughout the Philippines. There are no rail networks at all! Every large town or city has a bus terminal where you can get information to various destinations. 

Calesa.

In Manila and some of the provinces (downtown Angeles for example) there are still the Calesa's these are horse/pony drawn and can be fun to do a little sight seeing on. The animals though often look about ready to drop dead!

Private Car hire for Airport pick up and drop off's, especially useful, and adviable for Manila-Angeles is available through various places. Beeline have a good, safe and reliable service.

Sea Air do flights to and from Clark (Angeles) and Manila. check with your local travel agent for details and bookings. There are generally only 1 flight a day. A private chartered plane for upto 3 people is also available for around $110 each way. Contact Beeline travel for details and booking.

Money changers

Always use an official money changer or your hotel. Money changers in Manila and Angeles are plentiful. Banks can also change money. Be aware, especially in Manila of touts offering a good rate 'just around the corner' or in some cafe etc. Chance are you will be 'scammed' and when you leave and recount your money you will have been short changed or given counterfeit bills. 

CC cash advances are available at some banks and places like Swagman Travel. In many places you will find credit card transactions carry a surcharge of anything between 3-10%. Always check. There is little you can do about this other than accept it, keep the receipts and then contact your CC company on return home and try to claim back the surcharge. Bank ATM's are available but not as widely as in the States or the 'west'. Sometimes they are also limits to withdrawals and often a machine can be 'down'

Travelers Checks are almost totally worthless. In all my trips and visits here, I think I learnt from the very first trip that finding places that would cash them was more of a hassle and time consuming than it was worth. From then I used cash and Credit cards and ATM's only. (Make sure you have you receipt of purchase for any Travelers checks.)

Nightlife Guide.

Ladies Leaving Fee

The term 'bar-fine' is commonly used but technically illegal in the Philippines. For those reasons it is more commonly referred to on the Internet as a TG or EWR. A TG is a tour guide. EWR is Early Work Release. Another term is Ladies leaving fee. When you are in a Go-Go bar in particular, a TG is a fee paid to compensate the bar for the loss of an employee for the night. Usually a fee around P1000 or 10 ladies drinks. The fee differs in different locations or types of establishments. You can establish what the fee is with the mamasam in any particular place.

Tipping

Tipping in general in the Philippines is like in any other country. 10% of the bill is the general guide. But, of course it is not mandatory and tipping amounts are entirely up to the individual. In terms of tipping the girls for TG, in Angeles the girl gets 50% of the TG fee as commission so a tip is not 100% necessary or mandatory. However, again if you are happy to tip then a small tip is always appreciated. In Manila and some other places the girl does not get any part of the TG fee to the bar, so a tip would be expected by the girl. This can be negotiated with the girl. In Makati the girl often requests a tip in the region of P3,000 (US$60) In Pasay the tipping  requests are usually lower P1500-P2000. In other regions amounts differ, so check with mamasam and negotiate with the girl. Outside the bars with Freelancers negotiated tips are of course lower. Tipping is a sensative issue, and is a individual thing. Basically tip what you are happy and comfortable with.

Whether you are a seasoned traveler to the Philippines or first time visitor armed with only advice and material within TSM to act as a guide to the adult nightlife, you need to know a few fundamentals so here is where the action is :

1. Go Go Bars.

Go-Go bars are western type night clubs or bars mainly owned and run by western expatriates, and usually with a Filipina/o owner/partner for licensing and legal reasons. They usually feature bikini clad ladies dancing to modern disco/dance music. In these bars you can by local or imported drinks for yourself and ladies drinks at a premium price (includes a commission for the girl) The bars are designed to meet westerners needs and comforts. You will rarely find locals (Filipino's) in these bars, even though in the main they are welcome.

   2. Karaoke Bars

These are mainly designed to meet the Japanese and Asian clientele market. Although westerners are welcome. They too have local and imported drinks for the customer, and ladies drinks. In some cases they may have a cover charge but that is rare in purely Karaoke bars. They do sometimes though have VIP rooms where you pay a premium to enter the room with the ladies of your choice in private. Singing is of course optional!  Unlike in the Go-Go bars, the TG or Ladies Leaving Fee is not really appropriate here. Ladies are required to complete their shift, at which point they are then free to do as they please. However, they are worth checking out and making your own arrangements with the girl. - A late meeting or a early next day meeting is often the result.

  3. Videoke Bars

These are local Filipino styled and run bars. Only really appropriate to those visiting the provinces with less westerner styled nightlife action. You will be surprised that in the Provinces you will usually be far more welcome than in places like Angeles for example. - Nice to have a guide with you though. (local taxi or hotel worker you may have befriended) These videokes will have GRO's within them. TG fee's are paid. Some will have a place on location where you can 'rest up a while.'

    4. Showgirl bars.

Some times hard to figure if it is a 'showgirl' bar. As they advertise as being KTV bar with 'models' - That is a real key phrase to look for. (Models) These places will almost all have a door fee of around P200-P300 (more in Manila) Usually that will be incorporated within your bill for your first drink. Then normal local and imported drink prices are charged. Ladies drinks are available. Sometimes there are table charges to pay.... If a girl joins you a table charge for her to sit with you - this works like the door fee. Also VIP rooms as with the Karaoke Bars. Like Karaoke as well ladies are usually required to finish their shift and no TG is accepted. Use the VIP rooms!

   5. Massage Parlors

Just like anywhere else in the world really. You will find massage parlors all over the place and often advertised in telephone directories within hotels etc. Some hotels will also offer 'in house' massage service. There are parlors of al types of ranges from cheap and seedy to the more up-market 'Thai styled' fishbowl places. Extra's of course are always negotiated with the girl.

  6. Escort Agencies.

More appropriate in Manila and again advertised largely in travel books and directories at hotels. They offer 'classy' type escorts and models. This is really for those looking for up-market prices and is often not necessary. You can expect to pay at least P5000 for these girls.

  7. Freelancers

In many area's you will find all night bars and disco type places that will be heavily populated with 'freelancers' - They usually approach you in these places, so they are not hard to find. It can be hard to define a freelancer though. As you maybe just wandering around a mall, and get to chatting to a girl.... Next thing you know they are in your room (ask Bruce from a previous encounter in Manila)

  8. Meeting a 'nice girl'

Lots of methods here. Firstly you could join a pen-pal club prior to a trip and make contact with some possible girls to meet. Of course this can be a time consuming process, and even when you do get to meet them, it does not mean you will get anywhere - if you know what I mean. Another method is to use newsgroups on the Internet like Yahoo... You will find quite a few Pinoy groups and could get to chat in advance.

  9. Internet Video chat clubs

An advance in recent years is the video cam chat rooms. Jadecool is the obvious one that comes to mind. You pay a membership fee, and then chat to girls live, can get raunchy as well. There are several others out there as well such as www.cumtv.com they have Filipina's on and you get a free preview. I'd question whether though these are really worth while joining. They are not cheap and are designed to 'entertain' guys 1000's of miles away... But, I know many who did join Jadecool and meet up with these girls later.

  10. Shopping Malls and Colleges

Another place to meet nice girl types and see if you can push for a 'freelancer' type experience is the shopping malls in major towns and Cities. These malls are a magnet for student types who have precious little else to do, or entertain them, other than a trip to the mall to treat themselves to a TGI Friday's  or MacDonalds and a good time is at weekends when some of these malls put on live music and bands which draws them in. It is so easy to break the ice and chat with these girls, and you just never know!

  11. Shop Assistants.

You go into any large mall and you will find stores like SM and within they have all sorts of goods clothes and perfumes etc for sale. Each counter seems to have an abundance of salesgirls. It can be fun to flirt and chat with them... Remember, your in a third world country where half the available filipina's are just dying to meet a foreigner! Dates can be easily arranged in these malls.

  12. Hotels.

When you check in to your hotel make a point of getting to know the hotel doorman or porter. Many can be a great source of information of where the best bars and action is, and can even help find you a lady for some companionship. A friend of mine got a good result at the Holiday Inn in Manila one time... After he had concluded a evening with a companion with a girl from a bar, he walked her out of the hotel, where the doorman promptly offered him a replacement! - 30 minutes later there was a knock on his door.... A small tip to the doorman/porter can work wonders.

 13. Casa's

Casa's are all over the place. Of course finding them, and more still, finding the good ones, is always the problem. I consider it more of an adventure. For example, the best way is again through someone at the hotel knowing where to look, or try a taxi driver - the taxi-drivers may over charge from time to time, but they can be man's best friend too when out searching for casa's and new places to discover some nightlife action. I offer my best advice, is try using a hotel taxi service when you are un-sure. These are registered with the hotel. This gives you some peace of mind regards safety and not being ripped off. (Although hotel taxis do charge at a premium to one you flag down in a street) Casa's usually have a lounge area to view the girls and a mamasam or papasan. You decide and negotiate a price. They always want more than they will accept.

 14. Disco's

Another great pick up opportunity is at any decent disco or nightclub offering live music etc...Even the Casino's can make excellent pick up places - although usually for those who want a girl at up-market price.

 15. Jeepney trade!

In some smaller towns and provinces like Balocod for example there is an area where at certain times of night a Jeepney comes around with mamasam and girls. Here again you need advance knowledge from a hotel doorman /porter or taxi driver. Most will know the areas for this type of street action in the provinces. You could be sitting outside some small cafe or bar and at 9pm along comes the Jeepney - every night, rain or shine.

The above is just a small selection of ways. places and methods to find available ladies to be companions for a night or more... There are other ways out there just waiting for you to discover - when you do let me know :)

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