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Two views of Manila by night: The
serenity of the sunset across Manila Bay, and on the other side of the
metropolis, the party places of Makati City's Greenbelt complex.
Hotel bookings and travel
advice
about the Philippines
Boracay: Beach, bars,
beds,
breakfasts and in-between
By Andrea Larssen & Joaquin Paolo Gochoco
On a budget? Or looking to clean out the bank? In Boracay
you can do it either way as anything
goes. The hottest white sand beach in the Philippines – pretty much a
Disneyland for grownups – is home to endless
pampering and partying. Chill out on the beach all afternoon then hit the
clubs, bars and discos until dawn. Wake up at noon and do it all over again.
In between, eat whatever takes your fancy, swim, dive, snorkel or
simply unwind at your Boracay resort or spa.
Getting to Boracay
Getting to Boracay is getting easier by the day
(well, by the week at least). Yesteryear problems with airline access and
the local "banca" ferries have largely been fixed, mainly because the
growing volume of visitors and heightened competition have made the problems
worth fixing.
There are now many flights there and back daily from Manila by four main
airlines – Cebu Pacific, PAL Express, SEAir and Zest Air – as well as a
couple of smaller commuter and charter carriers. Cebu Pacific, PAL Express
and SEAir also fly there from Cebu. In addition, SEAir also offers
flights to Boracay from Clark in Pampanga and from Busuanga and Puerto
Princesa in Palawan, the latter pair making it possible to combine Boracay
and Palawan into one extended holiday.
In Manila, it's worth noting, the trip to Boracay starts at either the Domestic
Terminal (if you're flying SEAIR or
Zest Air) or Terminal
Three (for Cebu Pacific and PAL Express). It is important to
check which terminal you're using and tell your taxi
driver, as they are some distance apart. Terminal Three
is newish, comfortable to wait in (and Boracay flights are often delayed)
with a choice of shops and places serving snacks and drinks. The Domestic
Terminal is old and very basic in terms of amenities. The government's terminal
fee at both is 200 pesos (on top of the air fare)
There are actually two gateway airports for Boracay on the nearby main
island of Aklan – tiny Caticlan airstrip which is
close to the resort isle, and Kalibo which is bigger and used mainly by
larger aircraft, but further away. With ongoing improvements at
Caticlan airport, many Boracay-bound passengers opt for the smaller planes
flying there rather than Kalibo a 90-minute drive away.
With the current stiff competition between airlines flying to Boracay, the
flight schedules vary from week to week depending on the season and
passenger traffic. So do the air fares. Intending passengers are advised to
book online and as far in advance as possible to take advantage of
substantial discounts. The Manila-Boracay fare can start at under 1,000 pesos in special
promotional offers, ranging up through 5,000 to 6,000 pesos and more, and the
prices can change daily. They change with the day and time of flight, the
airline and aircraft, and whether you have check-in or only hand-carried
baggage.
The flight to Boracay from Manila and the other Philippine gateway cities is an hour or less.
Then comes a short tricycle ride to the Caticlan pier, then a 20-minute ride on a local "banca" outrigger boat to the
terminal on Boracay island; then a short, albeit cramped, tricycle ride to
your resort.
In Caticlan, arriving visitors are greeted with a cluster of miscellaneous
charges – 50 pesos per person for the tricycle
ride to the port terminal; 50 pesos port terminal fee; 50 pesos
environmental fee; 25 pesos for the boat trip. The standard tricycle ride
fare from the terminal on Boracay isle to resorts along the center of the
island's main White Beach is 100 pesos per trike (it can be more if the
resort is further away).
Alternatively, you can ask your resort to organize more
comfortable transfers – an airport meet-and-greet,
maybe a private boat and then a car or van on Boracay. But it will cost you.
Getting around in Boracay
Boracay's ferry terminal
is on the southern tip of the island, a few kilometers from the start of
White Beach, the 3-1/2 kilometer stretch of brilliant white sand fringing
blue water that is the "main drag" for most visitors. There's a clean, tidy
coconut-shaded sand pathway along the length of White Beach, past dozens of
resorts, restaurants, shops, bars, watersports organizers, hawkers
selling trinkets, tattoo artists and all manner of other locals catering to
the needs and wants of tourists.
Boracay's concreted main road runs parallel to White Beach, from a few
meters to 100 meters inland and connected to the beach via mostly paved
pathways snaking between the resorts and other establishments. For many,
walking along the beach is the preferred way of getting around in Boracay.
Lazier individuals or people carrying heavy stuff (or maybe dressed in high heels
for an evening) simply walk down the nearest pathway to the main road for
a trike ride
– or mix a beach walk with a trike.
White Beach is mainly clean and well organized. There is little evidence of the pollution
that once plagued the place and garbage is now cleaned up quickly, even in
peak season when there are hordes of tourists out littering. The beachfront
walkway is often busy but it's pleasant, strolling amidst people of all
ages, nationalities, languages and partnerships, past groups playing
volleyball, beach tennis and other games on the sand, and other lolling on
beach chairs, some out in the blazing sun, others safely under the shade
trees.
Boracay's sand is so white that it reflects the
sun even on the hottest day and stays cool, so walking barefoot is comfortable.
The local police are there keeping order, but they're discreet and not in
anybody's face. Even the hawkers are not really pests as they peddle their
wares.
As a reference point and mecca for most everything, D'Mall is a complex of
shops, restaurants, internet cafes, money-changers and the like, about midway along White Beach. That's maybe 20 to 30 minutes easy walking
from either the northern
or southern end of the strip.
Eating out in Boracay
Boracay is a foodie’s dream, offering everything from fine dining to
Filipino turo-turo or street-side food stalls. Without budget
considerations, you can have the time of your life pigging out here.
And if you have budget considerations, meal-for-meal and drink-for-drink,
eating out and drinking in Boracay can cost about half the price of Metro
Manila and much, much less than most resorts around the world.
Let's start at the northern end, where some of the
up-market resorts are. The best in-resort restaurants are those
at Fridays, Seawind, Waling-Waling and Escondido. These all serve
Continental fare with some contemporary-style dishes thrown in, save for
Escondido which specializes in crabs and prawns – arguably the best on the
island. The Boracay Crab House quickly gained popularity for its Escondido
crab and prawn dishes. Be prepared to fork out 1,000 to 2,000 pesos for
lunch or dinner at any of these places. You may also want to check out Real
Coffee and Tea House for breakfast and the island's best brownies and
cookies.
Towards the middle of the beach, you'll find Aria and Gasthoff. These are
just two of many eateries in the D'Mall area,
which offer a broad variety of food types to suit most tastes, all within a
a hundred meters or so. Aria is an Italian
place serving
contemporary dishes alongside traditional ones. Don't miss the salads and specials for the day. Aria has a wood fire
oven for pizzas, while focaccia bread is baked on order (it takes about two
minutes in the oven). A meal for two will set you back around 1,500 pesos
including a bottle of wine.
Gasthoff is popular for its
baby back ribs, the house specialty. The ribs are simmered with special
ingredients for about an hour and then cooked for 10 minutes in a secret
sauce. Here, nearly 100 kilograms a day are consumed in ribs alone. Don't
miss the spicy crab, cooked in chili and coconut milk, either. Dinner for
two will set you back 1,000 pesos.
For a Mexican experience, complete with fresh salsa, try Mañana. The
triple taco
platter with its four tomato sauces is a good choice. A meal for two
and a couple of beers will cost about 800 pesos.
Time Out: Boracay
after dark
Nightlife in Boracay (after dinner, that
is) centers around several particularly popular
bars: Summer Place, Plazoleta, Club Paraw, Gilly's
Island, Cocomangas, and
Hey Jude.
Summer Place
draws a mostly European crowd with a trickle of locals. The bar's ambience
is oriented towards chilling out rather than dancing, but wild nights erupt
spontaneously, especially on Fridays and Saturdays.
Cocomangas, the island's oldest and most happening place, draws a mix of both
locals and tourists. Offerings at the bar include house cocktails served in
the Cocomangas signature jam jars. You will want to take it slow swigging
down these tasty concoctions as they can creep up on you.
At the moment, Plazoleta and Club Paraw are probably
wildest on the strip. As they say, anything goes...
But Boracay's nightlife and nightspots are as fickle as the customers and
the in places change from season to season. Just ask around where's best for
your own particular type of fun.
Where to stay in Boracay
Whether you're on a back-packing budget or
demanding complete luxury, whether you want to be right where the action is
or prefer peace and quiet, whether you want beachfront or hillside, all the
options are available in Boracay.
The island has several very up-market resorts and spas costing hundreds of
US dollars a night; many more mid-range establishments for maybe $85 to
$200; and smaller resorts for well under $100. For the real
budget-conscious, there are hundreds of rooms scattered around Boracay's
pathways that are available for just a few hundred pesos a night,
particularly if you're happy with a fan instead of airconditioning.
Following are the 20 highest rated resorts, hotels and inns on Boracay
island. These are ranked in order of popularity, based upon reviews by travelers who have
stayed there (travelers of various types with varying preferences and
budgets). They're listed in the popularity index of TripAdvisor,
myPH's partner in exploring the Philippines:
1. Dave's Straw Hat Inn (average price $37)
2. Boracay Hills (average price $114)
3. Asya Boracay
4. Island Jewel Inn (average price $50)
5. Boracay Beach Club (average price $150)
6. Artista Beach Villas (average price $87)
7. Discovery Shores (average price $391)
8. Jony's Beach Resort
9. Beachcomber Resort
10. Fridays Boracay (average price $280)
11. Punta Rosa Resort
12. Nami Beach Resort (average price $260)
13. Frendz Resort (average price $40)
14. Arwana Hotel (average price $40)
15. Sur Beach Resort (average price $92)
16. Two Seasons Resort
17. Baling Hai Beach Resort
18. Boracay Beach Resort (average price $112)
19. Microtel Inn & Suites (average price $222)
20. Turtle Inn Resort (average price $30)
The headline-grabber among Boracay hotels and
resorts has been the debut of Shangri-La's Boracay Resort and Spa. The
newcomer is promoting itself as the island’s first five-star international
resort – and it certainly is special. When fully open, it will offer 219
rooms, suites and villas spread across 12 hectares of grounds in the
northern corner of the island with a 350-meter beachfront, and all the
amenities and conveniences expected of a Shangri-La.
But the Shangri-La Boracay is very expensive with
room rates in the UD$400 a night range and a similar premium for its food
and beverage prices. In its soft opening months there have been complaints
about its restaurant food and service being sub-standard, particularly for
what you have to pay.
Another newish high-end place is Discovery Shores Boracay, an expansive affair with 88 rooms and
the Mandela Spa.
The suites are spacious ranging up to 122sq.m. with showers looking onto
small gardens (the one and two-bedroom suites have their own outdoor jacuzzi).
Generally they come with the up-market guest amenities expected of the
Discovery group (which also has the popular Discovery Suites in Manila).
Discovery Shores' Mandela Spa has a luxuriant feel and is well equipped and
deservedly popular. However the resort's Sands restaurant, has drawn
surprisingly mixed reviews from guests in terms of service and quality for
price paid.
A smaller new option worth looking at is
the 7 Stones Boracay Suites, which is currently putting the finishing
touches to its amenities and has a soft opening promotional package. The 7
Stones is on Boracay’s Bulabog Beach – known for water sports like
kiteboarding and windsurfing – a short work across from
the island’s central D'Mall complex on White Beach. The resort is managed by the Fuego Hotels
group, which is winning a reputation for the several up-market hotels under
its management umbrella.
The soft opening promotion at the 7 Stones offers a third night free to
guests who stay two nights. Standard rates range from 6,500 pesos per room
per night for a superior room up to 9,400 pesos for a family suite,
including Caticlan airport transfers, fruit platter and welcome drinks.
The room and suites at the 7 Stones are big – starting at 40 square meters
for the superior room, 87-99 sq.m. for a junior suite, up to 160 sq.m. for a
family suite. They come with 32” or 40” home theater systems (with screens
in bedrooms and lounges in the suites); full kitchens in suites; and
jacuzzis in the bigger suites.
The resort has a 25-meter pool with a swim-up pool bar and internet access
in all public areas. Still being completed in the current soft opening phase
are some of the rooms, the lobby lounge and restaurant and bar area, with a
targeted completion date of July 2009 or earlier.
Also worth looking at among the newcomers is Alta Vista de Boracay, which
opened its first phase in early 2008. Alta Vista is taking as shape as a complex of 18 three-storey condotel
buildings (about 400 rooms in all) spread across four hectares along the
northern tip of Boracay island, next to the exclusive Fairways & Bluewater
golf course and overlooking private Puka Beach, about a kilometer from the
White Beach strip.
The emphasis is on open space, sea and hillside views, gardens and natural
surrounds – tailored for peace-and-quiet getaways, family weekends, business
meetings and the like. It’s sufficiently distanced from Boracay’s hot-spots
for people who like quiet, but close enough for
those who want action to get there.
Alta Vista encompasses pathways through gardens around an open form pool,
spa, business center, family recreation zone with karaoke lounge, restaurant
with al fresco tables and bar, function room, barbecues site.
A suite at the Nami Private Villas at the
northern tip of White Beach is another way to put
a serious dent in your bank account (up to US$275 per night during the high season from
December to May). Villas there
are spread
out to maximize privacy. Bathtubs have nice ocean views and the
rooms have exquisite hardwood furniture. Don't miss
the champagne breakfast – it's a great way to start off the day.
Also on the northern end of the beach is Fridays Boracay,
one of the island's pioneer establishments and still one of the best. Rooms have a rustic, native theme but come with the usual mod-cons.
Le Soleil Boracay is a Mediterranean-style resort built with native
material. It has a relaxed ambience and airy colors. Rooms have a view of
the resort's new freshwater pool and its ornate landscaping.
Further down the beach you'll find Escondido, one of the better
non-beachfront resorts and situated behind Cocomangas.
Experience a different, quiet side of the island a convenient
distance from its wildest party places. A relatively new place, Escondido is
popular for its location and great food.
At the other end of the main beach you'll find 357 Boracay. Its
native-inspired modern amenities have captured the attention of its guests
almost as much as the white powdery sand outside its doors.
Rooms start at $125 per night, twin or double, with all the usual
amenities: airconditioning, cable television and hot water.
Budget travelers can try Orchids Resort at the southern
end of the main beach. The
resort’s architecture is native-inspired with all local material furniture.
Both airconditioned rooms and fan-cooled rooms are available.
Don't like the bustle of White Beach and want some
peace/isolation? Have a look at
the Grand Vista Boracay Resort and Spa.
The 41-suite hotel on a hilltop above
the main beach has a private pool in each suite in addition to the main
outdoors pool which it says is the biggest on the island.
Published room rates at the
Grand Vista start at $265, although the hotel
offers a range of promotional packages which can bring the bill down
substantially.
Also away from the main beach is Boracay Hills, a comfy
bed-and-breakfast-type resort inland, about 10 minutes from the beach by trike.
Surfside Resort and Spa at the southern end of the beach
is one of the better spa resorts for
those on a budget. The in-resort spa offers a full range of services.
If you're willing to spend a bit more for serious pampering, check out the
Mandala Spa & Villas for the quintessential spa experience in Boracay. The
spa's day packages are perfect for rejuvenating tired limbs and clearing
imbalances caused by nights of partying and afternoons of sinew-stretching
shopping. The resort accepts walk-in customers for the day spa treatments,
ranging from massages to wraps.
What to do in Boracay
Boracay is mainly about the sand, sea and sun
– which is where people mainly are there (between
partying, eating out and drinking, sleeping in late, a bit of shopping and a
lot of people-watching and people- meeting). One of the nicest things about
the island is that most of the people seem to be nice most of the time.
There's a laid-back air about Boracay that melts nastiness. People of all
ages, colors and creeds do just fine there.
For those who suddenly feel an activity spurt, there's plenty to do. For
instance:
•
Golf on the Fairways and Bluewaters course. Most resorts can arrange a round
of golf there costing 2,700 pesos for nine holes and 4,450 pesos for 18
holes on Mondays through Thursdays. It costs more on Fridays and weekends,
3,200 pesos for nine holes and 4,900 pesos for 18.
• Horseback
riding can be booked with a local horses stable through most resorts. The
price is 600 pesos per hour, and this can be bargained down.
• Parasailing is one of the popular
watersports options. The standard rate is 2,500 pesos per person per
15-minute "flight" or 3,500 pesos for two people in the same boat, but again
this can be bargained down substantially. In the latest slow season,
the price could be brought down to 1,200 pesos for a 15-minute "flight."
• Other
watersports options in Boracay include banana boat rides (250 pesos per
person); speedboat rental (3,500 pesos per hour per boat for up to five
people); wake-boarding and water-skiing
(2,500 pesos per person for 30 minutes); wave runner rental (2,000 pesos for
30 minutes or 3,500 pesos an hour);
and island hopping (2,500 pesos for two people for three hours). Again,
these are the "official" rates and can be bargained down.
• Scuba
diving is catered to by several dive-shops in Boracay and there are some
good dives in the area. Beginners can buy lessons through most of the
dive-shops. Prices vary depending on the type of dive and the season, but in
line with standard diving rates around the Philippines.
• For those who feel they really should do something between eating,
drinking, sleeping and whatever ... but can't really be bothered
getting physical, getting an eye-catching
or rebellious tattoo
is a popular pastime in Boracay. You can get the real thing for a few
hundred pesos or a wash-off henna tattoo for a lot less. Be careful though
– the
resort owners are getting very irritated about guests' henna tattoos rubbing
off and staining the bed-sheets etc. They now charge guests for the
cleaning.
• Shopping is only so-so in Boracay. It's mainly tourist souvenir
stuff and relatively expensive by Philippine standards for what you get (and
most of it brought in from other Philippine centers). Only buy that bikini
or pair of shoes if you really need to. In terms of groceries and
"essentials," the stuff on the Boracay shelves costs about 10-20 percent
more than in Manila or Cebu, which is fair enough to pay for the transport.
Time to leave Boracay
Sadly, the holiday is over and it's time to leave Boracay and head
back to wherever. Here's a couple of tips to make the take-off easier:
• Allow
plenty of time to get to Caticlan airport. It should take only about an hour
maximum (plus about half an hour for check-in), but things can go wrong...
This particularly applies if you have a discounted fare flight, as the
airlines are very strict about applying surcharges for flight changes
• Check with your resort about transport possibilities. You may be able to
join other guests in a van to the Boracay pier rather than have to cramp
yourself and your shopping into a trike, and it's also cheaper.
However if you end up traveling back to Caticlan by yourself, curiously the
tricycle fare is cheaper on way home –
25 pesos per passenger from the D'Mall area to the Boracay terminal,
compared to 100 pesos flat rate per tricycle that you paid on the way in
• When you get to Caticlan airport and check in, be prepared for some odd
carry-on security rules, particularly if you're flying Zest Air. The airline
security staff insist that pocket knives and the like go as checked-in
baggage, and they simply confiscate cigarette lighters and fluid containers
like shampoo and perfume.
• After you've checked in at Caticlan airport, walk back outside and across
to the Zest Air waiting lounge, even if you're flying another airline. It's
spacious in garden surroundings and much more comfortable than the cramped
waiting lounge in the main terminal. Remember, you might have a longish wait
... since Boracay flights are often late.
• For good deals in Boracay, plus price comparisons and reviews by other travelers, check out TripAdvisor.
Exploring the real Manila:
Where to stay, shop and party
By Joaquin Paolo Gochoco
and Dawn Obusan
Most travelers entering the Philippines through the capital
Manila find themselves getting intimately – and unhurriedly – acquainted
with the musty, concrete corridors of the city’s ageing Ninoy Aquino
International Airport. A more modern terminal down the road is the
exclusive domain of Philippine Airlines; if you’re not flying PAL, prepare
for some worldly adventures. A newly-built terminal around the corner is
still awaiting the go signal to open after lengthy legal battles over
alleged contractual graft and unsafe construction.
The queues can be long for peak-hour flights, but arriving visitors are
usually spared the tedious inspection that is reserved for outbound folks.
Most immigration and customs checks are perfunctory and should not take
more than a couple of minutes after the queue if all your travel documents
are in order and you have nothing serious to declare.
Getting past the airport
If you have nobody meeting you and need a convenient ride downtown,
exit the airport, go past the “coupon” taxi stands (and ignore any touts
offering “deals” – they’re mainly rip-offs), then proceed straight to the
metered taxi queue. However, if you arrive through the newer terminal on a
PAL flight, you might have to opt for a coupon taxi as the metered kind
can be difficult to find.
A metered cab ride to the Makati business center or the Malate-Ermita-Manila
bayside area should cost less
than 200 pesos depending on the traffic – try to
avoid the morning and early evening rush hours. Try
also to steer clear of the taxis who prowl the airport arrival area trying to
get away with not turning on their meters –
they'll ask anywhere between 300 pesos and
500 pesos for the trip from the airport to the Makati or Ermita/Malate
areas. They're illegal, but they're there.
If you have the money and want greater comfort, most individual hotels can
meet you with their cars and mini-coaches at an area just outside the
terminal entrance (but let them know you’re coming). If you’re saving
money and traveling light, you can catch public buses on the roadside
outside the terminal; these are cheap (20-30 pesos to downtown) but you
need to know exactly where you’re going.
Arriving in Manila isn’t really difficult, just a bit dreary. Leaving the
city is actually harder. Departures entail three levels of security
screening starting at the terminal entrance. Drop your bags, computers,
shoes and belts. Everything gets checked. Manila’s airport security rules
are actually stricter than many overseas cities with tough limitations on
liquids and gels taken on board aircraft. You'll probably have to put
these into your check-in baggage or run the risk of having them
confiscated. However, the rules are changing so check with your airline.
Manila airport’s departure terminal fee is 750 pesos, to be paid just
before the emigration counter. Duty-free shopping is limited in variety
and not very competitive price-wise.
Moving around town
Getting around in Metro Manila isn’t really challenging, although
you will want to keep an eye on taxi drivers out to make a fast buck.
Using hotel transport is a lot more expensive than just walking out of the
lobby and flagging down a cab on the street outside. Most hotels and areas
of interest in Metro Manila are no more than 100 to 150 pesos apart by
taxi. However, make sure your driver turns on his meter – some will
conveniently “forget” or say the fare is “up to you.”
Three commuter rail systems circle Metro Manila. They are cheap, quite
comfortable and airconditioned, although you’ll probably have to stand up
on most trips, especially if you’re male during the crowded morning and
evening commuter rush hours. Women and elderly passengers have one or two
compartments reserved for them and these are less crowded.
One train runs from Pasay City past Makati City to Quezon City along the
length of EDSA, a major artery through the metropolis. Another runs from
Pasay City through the Malate, Ermita and Manila bayside areas, Rizal
Park, Chinatown and the Quiapo cheap shipping district. The third train
links the first two, from Araneta Center to the fringe of downtown Manila.
All three trains interconnect each other with short works in between
terminals. They are safe, reliable and often much faster transport options
than taxis – although you might need a bit of practice to get the hang of
them.
Public buses and the smaller “jeepney” minibuses are plentiful and cheap
on many franchised routes, but again, local knowledge is essential with
these. Getting around on foot is generally safe if you stick to the more
populous places. Foreigners may not be entirely safe in some areas like
Pasay City, so it’s wise to ask your hotel concierge about places you
might want to visit - especially for men who, emboldened by a few San
Miguel beers, decide to venture out into the neon night in search of
svelte companions.
Manila’s a shoppers’ mecca
There is no better place in the Philippines for general shopping
than Metro Manila. The shopping malls are good places to start for items
in the mid-price range. Recommended are Glorietta-Greenbelt in Makati; the
Galleria-Megamall-Shangri-La cluster in Ortigas Center; SM Mall of Asia on
the Manila bayside; Araneta Center Cubao in Quezon City; and Robinsons in
Ermita. You’ll find just about everything you want or need at these malls,
from the familiar to the funky.
The new Mall of Asia is a must-see. It’s the largest shopping mall in
Asia, built on a swathe of reclaimed land beside Manila Bay off Roxas
Boulevard. It boasts the only IMAX cinema in the Philippines - at 350
pesos (or 250 pesos for weekday matinees), the shows there cost about
triple the normal movie rate but still draw crowds and bookings are often
required. The Mall of Asia also has a big, top-rate ice skating rink.
Standard mall shopping hours are from 10am to 9pm although these widen
during holiday periods.
Shopping for typically Filipino stuff to take home or buy for friends?
Check out Tesoro's and Balikbayan Handicrafts, both in Arnaiz Avenue,
Makati, for traditional handicrafts; Silahis and Galeria Ida Antique in
Intramuros for antique and pseudo-antique furniture and trinkets.
Among the department stores, the Robinsons and SM groups have big
complexes scattered around Metro Manila which sell a very broad range of
necessities, luxuries, trivia and trinkets at reasonable prices. The
Landmark next to Glorietta in Makati is similar.
For more up-market shopping, there are good shops selling top-end brands
in Makati – especially in the Glorietta and Greenbelt 4
& 5 malls as well as
the 6750 Ayala Avenue building, all within a few minutes’ walk of each
other. Louis Vuitton, BVLGARI, DKNY are there, along with outlets
including Firma, Carbon with its leather creations, Kate Spade with
handbags from 20,000 pesos, Mixdenim selling jeans starting at 12,000
pesos, and Sou Mak Bed 'n Beddings with Philippine-made quality bed linen.
For more adventurous shoppers who know how to bargain, the Greenhills
shopping center is an experience. A bewildering variety of shops and
stalls sell anything and everything in scattered mall halls with a
flea-market atmosphere but under one roof and airconditioned, so minus the
usual public market dust and heat. At Greenhills you’ll find everything
from pearls to cheap garments, mobile phones and electronic accessories.
Depending on the quality, a string of pearls will set you back by between
800 and 3,000 pesos. The trinket stores are stacked side by side making
for extremely competitive pricing. As in any flea market, haggling is not
only acceptable but expected, although not as much in the higher-end
stores.
Time Out Dining Out
Whatever your taste or pleasure, eating out in Manila offers
something for everyone. At the Ayala Center in Makati, a row of
restaurants span Italian to native Filipino fare. A meal for two at most
of the establishments here will cost about 1,500 pesos. In the Greenbelt
corner of Ayala Center, try to make time to visit Café Bola, where
Filipino food is served with panache, and try its sinigang (boiled pork in
a sour soup) and tuyo (dried herring) for a decidedly Filipino experience.
On the other side of the metropolis in the historic Spanish-era walled
city of Intramuros, Illustrado, housed in a rebuilt turn-of-the-century
house, offers Spanish and traditional Filipino fare. Try their paella and
adobong usa (venison cooked in vinegar and soy sauce). The restaurant has
a separate coffee-shop with freshly prepared pastries. Barbara's is
another Spanish-inspired setting in Intramuros. It’s quite romantic and
seafood is the order of the day there.
On St Francis Square in Ortigas Center, Mario's is for fine dining,
complete with a grand piano and elegant chandeliers. Try the oysters
Rockefeller with spinach hollandaise sauce, and angel hair pasta with
black olives.
In the Malate nightlife district (Jorge Bocobo Street), the menu at
long-established Guernica’s is traditional Spanish. The dishes there are
heavy on olive oil and garlic and the restaurant's trio of musicians
serenade tables – a pleasant touch to a romantic dinner.
Time Out partying
Manila is a place for partying until the wee hours with a
bewildering range of options for young and wannabe-young. The local Hard
Rock Café in Glorietta comes to life at about 10pm. Happy hour starts at
noon and ends at 7pm, making it perhaps one of the longest "hours"
anywhere. Forget that siesta – get happy instead. Slightly slower-paced
but also a good pace to meet new friend is TGIF (Thank God It’s Friday)
next door to Hard Rock.
The Café Havana bar-restaurants in Malate and also at Greenbelt in Makati
have a well-earned reputation for serious drinking and uninhibited dancing
by the customers. Similar things happen at Embassy in Fort Bonifacio just
outside Makati – the main difference is that the crowd in Embassy is
younger and faster; it’s a mainly mid-aged crowd of swingers at Havana.
Manila has many dozens of pubs and clubs catering to every taste. In very
general terms, the places in Makati’s Greenbelt/Glorietta, Power Plant and
nearby Fort Bonifacio are up-market and trendy; Malate is more
original-Philippines, a place where artists, musicians and university
students used to and sometimes still do congregate; Quezon City is for
locals and foreigners who know the local scene; the girlie bars are mainly
found along Makati’s P. Burgos Street strip and in Ermita.
Time in: Where to stay
When it comes to choosing your Metro Manila hotel, firstly figure
out what part of town you want to be in for work or play. As the crow
flies, the cities of Manila (the Roxas Boulevard area along the seafront)
and Makati (the business and financial hub) are just a few kilometers
apart. But as the car travels – especially in peak hours – a commute can
be a test of patience and skill. Plan ahead. Businessmen often stay in
Makati where most business is done; holiday-makers often prefer the Manila
side. And then there is the growing Ortigas Center area with a combination
of business and malling; and further out Quezon City with government
offices, some business centers, TV stations, the movie-making set and a
lot of nightlife.
Highly rated accommodation in Manila
Following are the 20 highest rated hotels and inns in the
Metropolitan Manila area. These are ranked in order, based upon reviews by
travelers who have stayed there (travelers of various types with varying
preferences and budgets). They're listed in the popularity index of
TripAdvisor,
myPH's partner in exploring the Philippines:
1. Peninsula Manila (average price $236)
2. Hyatt Hotel and Casino Manila (average $144)
3. Diamond Hotel Philippines (average
price $125)
4. Pan Pacific Manila (average
price $148)
5. Boulevard Mansion
6. Best Western La Corona (average
price $76)
7. Dusit Thani Manila (average
price $191)
8. InterContinental Manila (average
price $152)
9. Manila Hotel (average
price $131)
10. G Hotel Manila by Waterfront (average $102)
11. Somerset Millenium (average price $161)
12. Holiday Inn Galleria Manila (average price $99)
13. Traders Manila
14. Linden Suites Manila
15. Bianca's Garden Hotel
16. A. Venue Hotel Suites
17. Tropicana Apartment Hotel
18. Aloha Hotel (average price $51)
19. Sofitel Philippine Plaza (average price $157)
20. Fiesta Resort & Casino
Manila & bayside hotels
One of Manila’s newer and better hotels is the 378-room Hyatt Hotel
and Casino Manila (from $220) in the Malate area, well-known for its
extensive casino operation which attracts high-rollers. Apart from
gambling tables, the Hyatt has 378 rooms including Regency Club floors, a
ballroom that can handle a 600-person sit-down dinner, and Club Oasis
where guests can enjoy spa facilities, a fitness center, sauna, hot and
cold plunge pools and a 35-meter lap pool. Room rates at the Hyatt Manila
start at US$220 (room rates in this myPH Explorer guide are based on
published rack rates; often you can negotiate cheaper if you’re staying
for a while or have bargaining power).
A few kilometers along Roxas Boulevard from Malate is the Heritage Hotel
(from $116), which also has a casino, albeit smaller than the Hyatt’s,
with 448 rooms, a pool and fitness center – and a restaurant with one of
the more popular buffet spreads in the city. All rooms have dial-up
internet access for a fee plus the usual mini-bar and cable TV. Standard
rooms come with either a king-size bed or two twins. Millennium deluxe
rooms offer great views of Manila Bay. Right across the busy road is a
bustling nightlife area, popular with aficionados of slightly
off-the-beaten-track hostess bars.
Around the corner from the Hyatt in Malate is the Pan Pacific Hotel (from
$110). All rooms there are equipped with high-speed internet connections
for a fee and CD players and boasts hypo-allergenic bedding for
extra-sensitive guests.
In the same area the long-serving Century Park (from $96) remains as
popular as ever (it was once a Sheraton). Another veteran
chain-hotel-turned-independent in Manila is the 538-room Manila Pavilion
(from $130). The Pavilion in fact is a much better hotel now than it was
in yesteryears when it went through periods under Hilton and then Holiday
Inn management. It too has a casino.
The Sofitel Philippine Plaza (from $80) offers guests panoramic harbor
views from its location on the edge of Manila Bay. It’s also adjacent to
the Philippine International Convention Center and a short walk to the
Cultural Center of the Philippines which regularly stages world-class
shows. Guests can use the hotel’s putting greens and driving range (where
you whack golf balls out into the harbor), and play on all-weather
floodlit tennis courts.
The Bayview Park Hotel (from $54) is right on Roxas Boulevard, opposite
the American Embassy and a short walk from the nightlife of Ermita. The
hotel restaurant features Filipino fare for those not in the mood to
venture out for meals. The Bayview Park is entirely non-smoking, with 268
rooms and nine suites. Rooms have high-speed internet access with either a
hard-line hook-up or the more convenient WiFi, plus cable TV, mini-bar and
come with complimentary newspapers.
Further down Roxas Boulevard beside Rizal Park, the city’s ageing but
still gracious icon, the Manila Hotel (from $150), has been home to just
about every head of state and celebrity who has ever visited the
Philippines, from wartime General Douglas McArthur through to Michael
Jackson. It offers hoary Philippine hospitality, old-world furnishings and
décor (and somewhat creaky waiters), but all 570 rooms and public
amenities have been continuously renovated and upgraded over the years.
The old dowager is much more modern than she first appears.
Also on Roxas Boulevard opposite Manila Bay is the Diamond Hotel
Philippines (from $130). The Diamond’s bars and restaurants have won
accolades and service is crisp. Its 485 rooms are fashionably European in
taste and style and come with broadband internet access with hourly and
daily rates.
Makati City hotels
One of a dozen hotels that opened in 1976 to help Manila host that
year’s big World Bank and International Monetary Fund conferences, the
Peninsula Manila (from $195) sits proudly on the main intersection of the
Makati business district. Guests quickly notice it has the usual
attributes of a Peninsula group hotel, starting with the sprawling lobby
which remains a favorite see-and-be-seen meeting place for Manila’s high
society. Its mix of modern facilities and traditional service rival the
best in the country and the hotel is a favorite with business – and
banquet – clients.
Right across the same main busy intersection is the Shangri-La Makati
(from $255), known as much for its excellent restaurants and its Conways
music lounge as for its up-market accommodation and service. The
Shangri-La’s 699 rooms and 94 suites come with bathtubs or bathtub-shower
combinations, mini-bar, cable TV and morning newspapers. Shangri-La
Horizon Club members also enjoy free high-speed internet access and
coddling by personal butlers. The hotel also features a very good fitness
center that is open 24 hours.
Tucked in behind Makati’s Greenbelt restaurants, bars and shops is the
Renaissance Makati City Hotel (from $140). The hotel offers good business
facilities and a stress-relieving Maharai Spa. It’s ageing a bit but
progressive renovation of rooms and facilities is taking care of that. The
Renaissance’s rooms come with internet access. Club Floor rooms have irons
and ironing boards, work desks and hair driers.
Across Makati and down the road from the Peninsula is the Mandarin
Oriental Manila (from $130), also a member of a distinguished Hong
Kong-originating luxury chain and popular with visiting businessmen. Its
restaurants and bars are among the best in the city. The Mandarin’s 448
rooms are all equipped with high-speed internet access. Conventions and
functions are accommodated well in themed function rooms that range from
European baroque to Chinese bamboo with a main ballroom that can
accommodate up to 1,000 guests. Worth a visit is the Mandarin’s spa which
was recently renovated and is also among Manila’s best.
A Makati stalwart, the InterContinental Manila (from US$220), offers easy
access to shopping and recreation, being located next to Ayala Center,
Makati’s central complex of cinemas, shops, dining and wining. The
InterContinental has 338 rooms including 73 suites that are looking good
after the latest round of renovation and come with paid internet access,
work tables with ergonomic chairs, safes and a variety of bathroom styles,
some with showers, others with bathtubs. The InterContinental has a
fitness center, large outdoor swimming pool, and extensive function rooms
with a grand ballroom, all with overhead projectors, high-speed internet
and modern audiovisual equipment.
Across the road from the InterContinental and rising out of the Glorietta
mall complex itself is the Ascott Makati (from $277). Its 306 units
include studios, one- to three-bedroom apartments and penthouses which are
especially popular with visiting businessmen. It offers broadband access
points in each unit and WiFi in the public areas. Long-staying guests can
negotiate special rates.
On the other side of the Glorietta mall complex is the Dusit
Thani Manila (from $145) with its six bars and restaurants that serve Japanese (still
regarded by many as the best in town), Thai, Vietnamese, Filipino and
western fare. Facilities in the hotel are suited to hosting events and
gatherings of up to 1,000 guests. There is a good fitness center, a
business center and a wide range of function and banquet rooms.
Makati is best known as the business center of the Philippines – and it is
also home to one of the country’s most popular red light girlie bar
districts – P. Burgos Street and the surrounding lanes. For visitors who
want to mix business with pleasure, there are several mid-priced options
and one of the better (and safer) ones is the Oxford Suites (from $62),
right on Burgos Street. All rooms have cable TV, mini-bar, in-room safe,
and internet access with WiFi also available in the lobby, business
center, coffee shop and function rooms.
Ortigas Center hotels
Ortigas Center is actually a convergence of three of the cities
that make up the Manila metropolis – Mandaluyong City, San Juan City and
Quezon City. It’s a mix of business and shopping with some entertainment
places.
On the northern fringe of Ortigas Center are two adjacent sister hotels,
the Holiday Inn Galleria Manila (from $120) and the Crowne Plaza, both
owned by the same business empire and both under the InterContinental
umbrella. They’re newish with all mod cons, good value, and they rise
above the sprawling Robinsons Galleria shopping and restaurant mall which
is owned by the same group. They’re also adjacent to the Asian Development
Bank headquarters which helps maintain a nice clean neighborhood, and a
short walk away from Ortigas Station on the commuter train line linking
Pasay, Makati and Quezon cities.
In the heart of Ortigas Center is the Discovery Suites (from $120), a
favorite with businessmen staying in the area. It mixes the trappings of a
business hotel with the comforts of serviced apartments. Rooms come with
unlimited internet access, pay-per-view movie channels, a fully-stocked
kitchen and morning newspapers. Right opposite the Discovery Suites is the
Podium, a mid-sized, up-market mall.
A few blocks away, the Shangri-La EDSA Plaza (from $180) is slotted
conveniently between Ortigas Center’s two biggest shopping complexes, SM
Megamall and the Shangri-La Plaza. It has sprawling tropical gardens
around a large swimming pool, popular restaurants, a big spa center and
all the usual up-market hotel amenities.
Ortigas Center visitors who prefer to stay somewhere mid-sized and more
intimate should look at two good options, the Astoria Plaza (from $66) and
the Richmonde ($90). Both are modern and well-appointed with all the
amenities most guests would want including restaurants, internet access
and health center facilities.
• For good deals in Manila, plus price comparisons and reviews by other travelers, check out TripAdvisor.
• More information, tips and advice about traveling around the Philippines can be found in the myPH Explorer Forum.
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