Thứ Bảy, 1 tháng 12, 2012

Taxis in Manila & Rental Cars in Manila



HAAP Transit Hotel, HAAP Transit Hotel in Hanoi



Taxis in Manila & Rental Cars in Manila

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.  Taxis without meters can be dangerous and there is several cases where tourists were robbed, that's why it's best to take the taxi from the hotel and ask them to mark up the plate number. In the Provinces jeepneys and tricycles (motorcycles with 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 make sure they turn the meter on. If they refuse, get another taxi. Do not accept a fixed price. You can be sure that you will be severely overcharged!  For long distance travel, buses are good value but do not fall asleep unless your valuables are safe. 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. Get an overnight cabin if you want 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 jeepney. bus and taxi drivers who break the rules to the controlling organization, LTFRB, which is effective but it takes a long time but it does result in drivers' licenses being suspended. They can lose their franchise if enough complaints are made about a company.

If you're travelling a lot even inside Metro Manila, it's best to find a rental car. As in Manila there is one car rental company that is offering self-drive rates as low as 999PHP/24 hours, it's cheaper to use than taxis.

Best of Manila, 3 days in Manila

Best of Manila, 3 days in Manila

The capital of the Philippines, Manila, is a crowded and colorful metropolis. Due to traffic congestion, it would be best to spend three days in three different parts of the city. There is a lot you can do in the city depending on your budget and your interests.

Good for: Families, Groups, Seniors, Individuals
Seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Family-friendly Manila, Manila for young kids

Family-friendly Manila, Manila for young kids

There may not be too many open spaces and playgrounds for young children in Manila but those that exist are quite fun and there are a number of indoor play spaces as well. Check out a chidren's museum, a zoo and an ocean park.

Good for: Families, Groups, Individuals
Seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Insiders' Manila, Manila off the beaten path

Insiders' Manila, Manila off the beaten path

A centuries-old church, the oldest university in Asia, Manila's Chinatown and a shoe museum may seem like odd attractions but visiting these places in Manila are not only interesting by themselves, but will also prove stimulating to the tourist seeking adventures off the beaten path.

Good for: Families, Seniors, Individuals
Seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Manila on a budget, Manila for free

Manila on a budget, Manila for free

The following places will inspire you to stop and observe. Visiting the forts, a church, a park and watching a sunset at the bay are all free for you to enjoy.

Good for: Families, Groups, Seniors, Individuals
Seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Day trips from Manila, Day tour from Manila

Day trips from Manila

Take one or all of these day trips from Manila. They are all within a 3-hour drive from the city. See the world's smallest active volcano in a lake on an island in the middle of a lake, hike up another active volcano to visit its crater, dine under a waterfall, and visit a site that played a big part in World War II.

Good for: Families, Groups, Seniors, Individuals

Seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Manila capital of the Philippines

Manila capital of the Philippines

Manila is the capital city of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities that comprise the national capital region of Metro Manila. The city of Manila is located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay and is bordered by the cities of Navotas and Caloocan to the north; Quezon City to the northeast; San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east Makati to the southeast and Pasay to the south.

Manila (English: /məˈnɪlə/; Tagalog: Maynila, [majˈnilaʔ]) is the capital city of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities (along with the municipality of Pateros) that comprise the national capital region of Metro Manila.

The city of Manila is located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay and is bordered by the cities of Navotas and Caloocan to the north; Quezon City to the northeast; San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east; Makati to the southeast, and Pasay to the south.

Manila has a total population of 1,652,171 according to the 2010 census. Manila is the second most populous city in the Philippines, behind its neighbor, Quezon City. The populace inhabit an area of only 38.55 square kilometers, making Manila the most densely populated city in the world.

The city is divided into six legislative districts and consists of sixteen geographical districts: Binondo, Ermita, Intramuros, Malate, Paco, Pandacan, Port Area, Quiapo, Sampaloc, San Andres, San Miguel, San Nicolas, Santa Ana, Santa Cruz, Santa Mesa and Tondo. Bustling commerce and some of the most historically and culturally significant iconic landmarks in the country, as well as the seat of the executive and judicial branches of the government are found in the city. Manila is also home to many scientific and educational institutions, numerous sport facilities, and other culturally and historically significant venues.

Listed as a global city, Manila has its strengths in the arts, commerce, education, entertainment, finance, healthcare, media, professional services, research and development, tourism and transport making it the historical, cultural, political and economic center of the Philippines.

The earliest written account of the city is the 10th-century Laguna Copperplate Inscription which describes a context of an Indianised kingdom maintaining diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of Medang. The city was invaded by Brunei's Sultan Bolkiah and was already Islamized by the 15th century when the Spanish explorers first arrived. Manila eventually became the center of Spanish activity in the Far East and one end of the Manila-Acapulco Galleon trade route linking Latin America and Asia. The city would eventually be given the moniker of the "Pearl of the Orient," as a result of its central location in the vital Pacific sea trade routes. Several Chinese insurrections, local revolts, a British Occupation and a Sepoy mutiny also occurred shortly thereafter. Manila also saw the rise of the Philippine Revolution which was followed by the arrival of the Americans who made contributions to the city's urban planning and development only to have most of those improvements lost in the devastation of World War II.
Since then the city has been rebuilt.

Manila travel Forum, Manila Travel Guide

Got a question or comment about Manila? Ask a Travel Expert!

Why? Many who travel to Manila find that the cosmopolitan capital of the Philippines is the most exciting city in Asia, offering a blend of cultures, a good supply of historic sights and places to see, and unforgettable experiences. Another plus for a holiday in Manila is that the city is as lively at night as it is during the day.

When? Peak season for a holiday in Manila is between November and February, when the generally high tropical temperatures drop to reasonable levels. This period also falls in the dry season, which is a big consideration because during the wet season the city can be subject to typhoons and tropical storms.

Who for? A vacation in Manila is recommended for young, energetic travellers who enjoy sightseeing, shopping malls and plenty of after-dark activity like the city's infamous go-go clubs and wild nightspots.

Manila, the somewhat daunting capital and pulsating hub of the Philippines, is situated on the east coast of Luzon, the most northerly island, the largest and the most developed. The city was founded in 1571 on the site of a Muslim settlement. The city is made up of 16 areas which were once towns in their own right, and its major tourist attraction is the old Spanish walled city known as Intramuros, which contains some historic buildings and ruins.

Modern Manila is a morass of traffic and people, polluted and chaotic, an industrial metropolis that grew from the ashes of war when in 1945, the United States' forces fought to recapture it from Japanese occupation. It is also a city of theatres, libraries and museums, and the home to the University of the Philippines. The neighbourhoods of the metropolis vary from wide avenues full of palatial homes to squatter camps where the poorest of the poor scratch out a living.

Visitors to the Philippines cannot avoid using Manila as a starting point for their exploration of the other provinces and islands, because most charter flights to the outlying islands leave from the city's airport. The city is also within reach of day and weekend getaways on the island of Luzon; this makes it a good base for travellers intent on touring. One thing no visitor should miss is a famous Manila Bay sunset: a light show created out of the high humidity conditions coupled with the effects of cloud over the city's harbour. This remarkable sight allows a short respite from the more unpleasant aspects of the sprawling city. View the sunset from Rizal Park, Roxas Boulevard or from a cruise boat that plies around Manila Bay.

Overview of Manila, Philippines

Overview of Manila, Philippines

Fourteen cities and three municipalities make up what is officially known as Metro Manila, referred to by most residents and visitors simply as MANILA, a massive, clamorous conurbation that covers 636 square kilometres and is home to almost 10 million people. To add to the confusion the old part of Manila – the area near the old walled city of Intramuros – officially remains the capital and seat of the Philippine government. In practice, the seats of government are all around Metro Manila, with the executive, administrative and judicial branches in Manila, the Senate in Pasay City and Congress in Quezon City.

At first sight Manila (in this book, the word refers to the whole conurbation) is intimidating: noisy, unkempt and with appalling traffic. There are few open spaces and only a handful of remarkable buildings. Signposting has improved in recent years, but is still woefully inadequate or misleading. Finding your way around is made even more difficult by the absence of significant modern or historical landmarks – most of the buildings are low concrete structures built in a hurry since the end of World War II. Skyscrapers have gone up in some of the business districts, but none is as notable as Hong Kong's Bank of China or Kuala Lumpur's Petronas Towers.

Manila has no proper city centre. To some Manileños, the central business district of Makati is the city centre, to others it might be Quezon City or the Roxas Boulevard/Manila Bay area. Each is a city in its own right. Roads run everywhere like capillaries, and suburbs act as connecting tissue between new centres of population. It is this apparent lack of order, though, that imbues Manila with character. Its flaws are what make the city human, giving it an anarchic charm that sweeps you along. Manila is also a city of striking emotional counterpoint. Frothy mansions belonging to tycoons and politicians fight for space with squalid shantytowns built along railway tracks. One of the problems Manila faces is the unceasing influx of provincianos, people from the provinces who believe the streets are paved with gold, most of whom end up squatting illegally on any spare scrap of land they can find. The fight for space is intensified by the city's apparently insatiable appetite for shopping malls.

To understand Manila completely, to get under its skin, you need a grasp of its complex and sometimes tragi-burlesque history. It has been razed by an earthquake, bombed, occupied, bombed again and rebuilt. It has expanded inexorably, but public services have not kept pace. The result is a rakish megalopolis that lives on its wits and maintains a frenetic pace 24 hours a day just so it can get things done. The roads are always busy and the buses always full, but in Manila you learn to go with the flow, never worrying about whether you'll be late or whether your taxi is going the wrong way down a one-way street. The Filipino maxim bahala na – what will be will be – applies as much to Manila as it does to life.

Despite its problems and troubled history, Manila is a sociable city, with a populace who take pride in their cultural affinities to the West and their embrace of all things American. Most tourists, however, use Manila as a transit point, a place to spend a day or two on the way to the islands and beaches of the south or the mountainous tribal areas of the north. A couple of days is all you really need to explore the key sights in and around Intramuros, the city's only notable historical enclave, its stone houses and grassy courtyards much as they were when the Spanish regime came to an end in the nineteenth century. If you've got a bit more time on your hands, take a wander through nearby Binondo – Chinatown – or head out of the city on a day-trip. There's plenty to see and do in the vicinity of the capital, from the Manila Bay island of Corregidor, a fascinating reminder of the horrors of war, to the rapids and waterfalls at Pagsanjan.

Manila also prides itself on the quality of its nightlife and the ability of its residents to kick up a good time. For many tourists, this will be their enduring memory of the place: funky bars and nightclubs in areas such as Malate and Makati whose attraction stems from their egalitarian nature. It doesn't matter who you are or what you are, you will have fun in Manila. All you have to do is take a deep breath and dive in.


Got a question or comment about Manila? Ask a Travel Expert!

Why? Many who travel to Manila find that the cosmopolitan capital of the Philippines is the most exciting city in Asia, offering a blend of cultures, a good supply of historic sights and places to see, and unforgettable experiences. Another plus for a holiday in Manila is that the city is as lively at night as it is during the day.

When? Peak season for a holiday in Manila is between November and February, when the generally high tropical temperatures drop to reasonable levels. This period also falls in the dry season, which is a big consideration because during the wet season the city can be subject to typhoons and tropical storms.

Who for? A vacation in Manila is recommended for young, energetic travellers who enjoy sightseeing, shopping malls and plenty of after-dark activity like the city's infamous go-go clubs and wild nightspots.

More Info: Anyone planning a holiday in Manila should have safety and security concerns, and it is wise to check on conditions before you go. This is easy to do using our up-to-date Manila travel guide. Not only does the guide feature safety information, but a host of other useful facts and figures to help you plan your Manila holiday.