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Hey dudes,

Ill be going to manila in the next couple of days for a Paintball Tournament. Any heads up, Dos and Dont of the city?

Thanks
Bleakus

Bleakus wrote:Hey dudes,

Ill be going to manila in the next couple of days for a Paintball Tournament. Any heads up, Dos and Dont of the city?

Thanks
Bleakus

Do's:

Wear protective gear
Keep your head down


Good luck on the turnament. I'm looking forward to the responses as I will like to visit there. There a few folks from there in the forum. Tells us about your experience when you come back. Can you compete while fasting

well....i may not be able to fast while im there i need to complete the days ive missed after ramadan. Haha i will have to use protective gear.....i dont want be shot too bad. Pray for me Concord!

its pretty safe for foreigners actually no need to worry. where exactly in manila is the paintball match?

just be respectful to anyone, which is the same as in any country. dont go talking to little boys or girls lest you are misinterpreted. if you come into any trouble send me a pm.

dont carry too much money or flash a wad of it and attract attention. there are many foreigners in manila, so really no need to worry.

Ill be going to the PALS Leg 3 (PIMP, 5-7 Oct 2007)

http://www.palseries.org/

thanks for the info

Geesh Bleakus, you have so many things to do there. I am coming home in December.

1.) Visit our Cathedral in Quiapo, Spanish regime historical places such as intramuros, luneta, fort bonifacio, malacanang palace etc

2.) You will enjoy malling (if you love shopping) - Powerplant, Mall of Asia, Glorietta, Greenbelt 1 to 4, SM Megamall, SM Ayala etc. Most of the Malls have bowling center and other indoor sports.

3.) If you want to go clubbing, there are so many at your own choice. There are bars and open clubs in Powerplant and Greenbelt. Well, lots of foriegners hang around there due to nice ambiance and comfy high-end lifestyle.

4.) You can't go Island hoping in Luzon areas Islands and Islets are mostly in the Visayas region.

5.) If you have more time you can go as far as Baquio City, Pampanga etc. If you want to see Lake, then go to Tagaytay City, if you want to see perfect cone volcano, then visit Albay. If you want to see Chocolate Hills, then go to Bohol.

6.) One week is not enough to visit that lovely country of Filipinos.

7.) English is widely spoken there, so you won't have any problem. Filipinos are nice, welcoming and very hospitable just be careful with your valuables while you're walking down the streets.

7.) You will see more pretty faces there than here. J/k!

8.) Good Luck and Have fun there!

Good post SCY.

By the way, I think that mexican guy will kick a.s.s.

A string of typhoons has been hitting the country the past few weeks, there's actually one now in approach. Just hope none is 'scheduled' during your stay and the event be indoors.

So true, but let's not wish for more typhoons though our country is already immune with this calamity.

naah,, we ignore typhoons.. what we worry about is super-typhoon! pinoys will understand what i mean =)

yes this is true, be careful with ur valuables. i.e. cellphone, jewelleries, branded shades. stay low profile.

apart from places suggeted above, suggest u visit these places in Manila
1. national museum where u will find Juan Luna's "Spolarium"
2. Luneta Park where our national hero, Jose Rizal, was executed
3. EDSA Shrine where 1986 People's Power took place
4. cultural center of the philippines which said to be haunted, hehehe
5. manila zoo becoz i've had 3 field trips there when i was a kid =) uve got to see the philippine monkey eagle, tarsier and other species that can only be found in the island... but this place has been maintained poorly. now they say paco park/zoo is better --- too bad i havent gone there yet

and the main attraction is the jeepney!! u have to ride our jeep!!!



as to nightlife, we have OKTOBERFEST too!! i think its starting this oct 5
we have one in ortigas and one in boracay --- i prefer boracay but if ur in manila, ortigas is the place. uve got to try our SAN MIGUEL BEER! oops,, only if ur drinking =)

we have so many clubs / bars!! depending on location and crowd preference. i think ur group will find the best club for u guys to hangout.

ooops i meant philippine monkey eating eagle!!! soweee

Hahaha! Panaghoy you're a silly kid!

The jeepney photo above makes me laugh but i doubt if they can ride it the way we do.

Bleakus, you can only see those Filipinos riding on top of the jeepney's roof in the provinces but no longer in cities and metro.

Panaghoy, show us also the photo of our very own hard working animal - CARABAO.

Bleakus wrote:Hey dudes,

Ill be going to manila in the next couple of days for a Paintball Tournament. Any heads up, Dos and Dont of the city?

Thanks
Bleakus

Nice one Bleakus.

Have a good time but be careful, you might get more than you bargained for. In my experience, Filipinos seem pretty gun crazy! Who knows how seriously they take their paint-balling...

Looks like you've already got a lot of recommendations. I've been to Manila twice and thoroughly enjoyed myself...

Yep, Mall of Asia is a must-see - if that's what you're after, a mall. Makati/Greenbelt, the area in general, is a nice upscale place to walk around, have a coffee etc.

In that last sense, I really liked Alabang Town Centre/ATL (??) - outdoor shopping/dining area, very nice atmosphere in the evening...

And if you do want to go for the scenery, yeah Tagatay is beautiful!

Aside from that, you've got Ermita and Manila Bay area for some of the 'earthier', more interesting bars and clubs...

Have fun!

Aside from the jeepney attraction and monkey eating eagle of panaghoy, we have also "balut". Here's the link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balut

Burton, have you tried "balut" ? It's Filipino delicacy. I think Bleakus should try it also.

Here's the Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ipIqIS_ ... ed&search=

Heh, I have tried balut and I actually like them very much,
wings, feathers, beak and all!

To be honest, I am one of those people who eats everything - and I mean, everything. Street food is one of the things I live for, when I go on holiday...

I was in Manila visiting my grandparents in Jan this year. Hopped on a jeepney to go the mall (cant remember which one). Was sitting halfway in, in the middle. One of those tricycle thingies came right up behind it and two guys hopped out of the tricycle and onto the back of the Jeep. One of them yelled that it was a hold up, one of them had a knife. They started asking everyone for their wallets and phones. The driver obviously didn't hear, so kept going, it made a stop, some people hopped in, but one of the hijackers blocked the door so no one could get out. In the meantime, the lady next to me was asked to give her wallet & phone, the next one would have been me. I was sh!tting my pants!!! Then at the next set of lights, me, my mum and my cousin made a run for it and somehow jumped out, ran to the nearest store (a pharmacy) and burst into tears! Went straight back home in a cab. I'm never taking a jeepney again!!!

that was scary!! lucky me, i never encountered this things.. me and my friends used to take jeepney going to landmark or glorietta during office break, especially whenever we fancy eating out. because its a lot convenient than bringing our car and then finding for a parking space.

it will always be happy moments whenever i think of jeepney. like how i did it the first time i ride the jeep...

so which part of manila did u go? i must say there are some areas that are not safe. ur relatives should have warned u about it.

wow manila was awesome, philipino paintball players are awesome

sadly i couldnt do much throughout my stay except paintball, events start from 6am to 6pm eveyday......i loved it

the people are so respectful and nice i was amazed, and they are full of joy

my friends and i stocked up on 30 bags of dried mango lol

thanks for the tips guys, definately going there again

Bleakus wrote:wow manila was awesome, philipino paintball players are awesome

sadly i couldnt do much throughout my stay except paintball, events start from 6am to 6pm eveyday......i loved it

the people are so respectful and nice i was amazed, and they are full of joy

my friends and i stocked up on 30 bags of dried mango lol

thanks for the tips guys, definately going there again

thats great to hear bleakus

@deedee,, ive lived in metro manila all my life (the 20 cities and towns as a whole) and have never been in that sort of situation. that are you might have been at could be in not so good part of town perhaps (like any other city in the world), there are places that you need to be really careful when you ride public transport, but in general it really is pretty safe.

Manila is safe for foreigners to travel. Food and goods are relatively cheap (compared to Dubai).

Most of the Filipinos (like me) know how to speak English and we are known for our hospitality towards foreigners.

DO:
> Enjoy your sight-seeing activities previously stated above.
> Shop at MALLS only (where prices are fixed).
> Try the local cuisine --- "Balut" and "Durian" if you can find one!
> Enjoy your stay and your paintball tournament!


DONT:
> Buy at small shops ("tiangge") and bazaars. They tend to sell their goods at a "higher" price to foreigners.
> Go out at night alone. Better be safe than sorry.
> Eat "street food" --- wherein food preparations are not safe. You might end up in a hospital with gastroenteritis, diarrhea or infection.

Hope this helps...

More about the Philippines. I've watched the vids on tv. Enjoy Bizarre Foods in the Philippines by Andrew Z.

Part 1/6:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s31nWSim ... re=related

Part 2/6:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOoBrRjY ... re=related

Part 3/6:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzMwzewz ... re=related

Part 4/6:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7WI15vt ... re=related

Part 5/6:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_LlaONP ... re=related

Part 6/6:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHkz_G3g ... re=related

I didn't take a holiday this year. And I am definitely feeling the effects.



So we are planning on going back to Phils sometime next year. But we are thinking of doing 2 weeks in Phils and 2 weeks somewhere ellse. The problem is, I can't decide where - I'm thinking of Hong Kong or Shanghai, never been to either.

Then there is the Singapore dilemma - simply because it is so easy, such a no-brainer, guranteed good time and, of course, the food. The food is a MASSIVE consideration.

And then, if it is only 2 weeks in Phils, where do I go there? I know Davao City and Manila. But I'm thinking I should try Cebu.

Oh man, there's just not enough time to do everything you want to!
Got any suggestions?

two weeks and Cebu should be great, on your first week you head out straight to bantayan island on the northern tip of cebu to get not too commercial beach setting (you can inquire at the cebu airport as soon as you arrive)

on your second week i suggest you head back to cebu and stay at either the hilton or the shangrila mactan,, both are really good for relaxation with superior facilities. the shang and hilton are around 15-20mins from metro cebu where you will find magellan's cross, among other hertiage areas, as well the bars etc, though the shang has a decent bar.

for cheap thrills you can go to... j/k

Bro, what is Bantayan island like?
How would you compare it to Samal Island in Davao - Paradise Resort and Pearl Farm resorts? If you been there, that is...

I mean, we're not talking Boracay/Palawan level are we?

That's not a problem, I'm just checking. Cheers...

Oh, and you can pm the cheap thrills info...

Go all out and head for Amanpulo!

burton wrote:Bro, what is Bantayan island like?
How would you compare it to Samal Island in Davao - Paradise Resort and Pearl Farm resorts? If you been there, that is...

I mean, we're not talking Boracay/Palawan level are we?

That's not a problem, I'm just checking. Cheers...

Oh, and you can pm the cheap thrills info...

bantayan is less developed,, so you get more of the nature thing i think, as opposed to pearl farm (though peral farm is really nice). bantayan also has less people compared to the 10,000 regularly going to boracay,, lol.

Howdy kabayans and all,

I am home! Today, I am going to the beach which is a walking distance from my house. Rain, rain go away so i can swim and play.

Let's see if I can post my vacation photos.