Phillipines, Manila, Makati Happenings

[manilaboy2007]

Originally Posted by haha_123

Last week I booked Riviera Mansion hotel for 2 nights, through agoda.com at SGD 72 per night, including breakfast. It was a good recommendation from you as the hotel offers security and excellent value for money.

The breakfast is typical American with toast, scrambled eggs or sunny side-up and sausage, bacon or ham. My girl was able to order her Filipino breakfast consisting of rice with beef tapa. The free coffee and orange juice helped kick-start the day.

By the way, I was able to watch the LIVE BPL matches on the tv inside the hotel. Through the ESPN channel, I was able to watch Man U vs Liverpool, as well as Arsenal vs Man City. I was also able to catch abit of F1 racing through the StarSports Channel. On the negative side, my girl had to pay 100 P for 1hr of wifi as wifi is not free.

Location-wise, Riviera Mansion hotel is in an excellent location as it is just opposite to Hyatt casion. It is only 15mins walk to Robinson's Mall where we spent most of our time shopping for gifts for my girl's mom, sister, nieces and other family members. I was also able to get my cough syrup from the Mercury Drug store at Robinson's Mall. The mall also has Banana-Leaf, Ya-Kun, Toast-Box, Jollie-Bee, Chow-King and my favourite Shakey's Pizza. It even had a cinema where I was able to watch the fantastic Resident Evil.

Just around the corner from our hotel, there was a very good Hup-Chan Chinese restaurant. The roast chicken with keropok, beef kway-teow were even better than what I had in Singapore. They also serve congee, siow-pao and siew-mai. I think they have another branch in Makati too.

Further up along A. Mabini St is a place called Cowboy-Grill. It has 2 floors with Live Band. They serve typical American food like fries, steak, etc. There was a crowd when we got there, but we managed to find space on the upper floor. The band was very good and some Ang-Mo couples even took to the dance-floor. But the music was not too loud and me and my girl were able to enjoy the very cold San Miguel Light.

By the way, me and my girl also took a 15 mins taxi-ride to the nearby Manila Ocean Park. There, we were able to enjoy the Sea Lion show. The oceanarium contains the sharks, stingrays, turtles, eels. The jelly-fish exhibits were most exciting amid the background music and ever-changing lights. It was a good way to spend 3 hours, for only 650 P per person.

Overall, I think Riviera Mansion hotel is located in a very central location in Malate. Just that samsters need to pay attention to their belongings and wallet at all times, as there are beggars and gays aplenty in this area.

Yes I love the Hup Chan Chinese restaurant chain. I especially like their wanton mee and dim sum. Much better from some 'chinese' restaurant inside the Malls. Will check out cowboy grill when I am there in November. Thanks for the FR!

[AtlasShrugged]

Do check out their groupon http://www.beeconomic.com.ph/ for some good deals. Spotted some few wks back but didn't grab as I dunno about my schedule.

[bolsterposter]

Originally Posted by haha_123

It even had a cinema where I was able to watch the fantastic Resident Evil.

Milla Jovovich has seen better days.. resident evil IMO is just a rehash of a rehash of a rehash. It's either a dream, she's a body double, and at the end when they think they are safe, they really aren't. (cue next sequel)

But I know what drove you to watch it cos I experience it myself sometimes. in pinoy land they just LOVE to blast the new movies, when it's a supposedly mega movie, you can be assured that in a cineplex with 5 -6 theaters, a good 4 of them would be showing the mega movie, at different timings, and of the other 2, one would be a tagalog movie and the other is some super old kids cartoon or children movie. I suppose it's their way of artificially inflating the "opening weekend" box office numbers so as to psycho more people to watch.

Tao yuan is pretty near riveria as well, as some of the bros have mentioned, it's got pretty good food / chick rice.

@manilaboy2007 if you're at bonifiacio high street again, can check out Abe, filipino resto, it's not half bad actually. But often have to queue up. And I do dig the coffee at chelsea market cafe..

Though if you're a bit more adventurous or have time to walk walk AND like to taste yummy filipino fare, head to burgos circle (at global city) and eat at Cafe Juanita. It's really one of the better filipino restos i have tried before.

[manilaboy2007]

Originally Posted by bolsterposter

@manilaboy2007 if you're at bonifiacio high street again, can check out Abe, filipino resto, it's not half bad actually. But often have to queue up. And I do dig the coffee at chelsea market cafe..

Though if you're a bit more adventurous or have time to walk walk AND like to taste yummy filipino fare, head to burgos circle (at global city) and eat at Cafe Juanita. It's really one of the better filipino restos i have tried before.

Yes I saw the starlets at Chelsea market cafe actually. Is Cafe Juanita expensive? A lesson learnt for me, i stop bring my gf to expensive western restaurant coz she dont appreciate good western food like risotto or real italian pizza. She prefer her sweet spaghetti aka Jollibee! LOL

So if it is a good filipino restaurant, I hope it have good sinigang and beef steak coz that what she love. haha

I also like the amount of really good food in Manila. I was in MOA and went to this Tokyo Cafe and French Bakery and it is surprising good and affordable compared to SG standard. I used to think Manila have little good cuisine, but after going there half a dozen times, my thinking change a lot

[etsys]

Originally Posted by haha_123

Location-wise, Riviera Mansion hotel is in an excellent location as it is just opposite to Hyatt casion. It is only 15mins walk to Robinson's Mall where we spent most of our time shopping for gifts for my girl's mom, sister, nieces and other family members. I was also able to get my cough syrup from the Mercury Drug store at Robinson's Mall. The mall also has Banana-Leaf, Ya-Kun, Toast-Box, Jollie-Bee, Chow-King and my favourite Shakey's Pizza. It even had a cinema where I was able to watch the fantastic Resident Evil.

Yah, forgot my first learning of Banana Leaf was in Robinsons mall ..

By the way, me and my girl also took a 15 mins taxi-ride to the nearby Manila Ocean Park. There, we were able to enjoy the Sea Lion show. The oceanarium contains the sharks, stingrays, turtles, eels. The jelly-fish exhibits were most exciting amid the background music and ever-changing lights. It was a good way to spend 3 hours, for only 650 P per person.

You didnt' walk through Makansutra did you ? Oh, is the Ocean Park still soliciting donation from Foriegners, yes, the same foreigners who also pay to enter are expected to 'donate' .. beggers .. or beggers to be believed ..

Overall, I think Riviera Mansion hotel is located in a very central location in Malate. Just that samsters need to pay attention to their belongings and wallet at all times, as there are beggars and gays aplenty in this area.

If you got stuff to do in Manila, like go to MBC, and Ocean Park, and stuff, it is good .. though, for me, if I need to stay in a 'nicer' place, Makati it is .. except on the fringes, you don't need to worry much in Makati .. and can take long strolls ..

Good to hear you had a great time there bro.

Last weekend, being 3rd Friday, you could have seen a free concert in Malate -- details later ..

[AtlasShrugged]

Originally Posted by etsys

You didnt' walk through Makansutra did you ? Oh, is the Ocean Park still soliciting donation from Foriegners, yes, the same foreigners who also pay to enter are expected to 'donate' .. beggers .. or beggers to be believed ..

..

So Manila ocean park is to be avoided?

[dragonstar87]

Hi bro estys i would like to ask you on taxi at airport how do you take them i always get cheated by them

[etsys]

Originally Posted by dragonstar87

Hi bro estys i would like to ask you on taxi at airport how do you take them i always get cheated by them

haha .. read up on the previous page .. take legal / coupon and avoid 'special' 'hotel' taxis ..

Originally Posted by AtlasShrugged

So Manila ocean park is to be avoided?

I think you missed the point .. avoid the 'donation seekers' at the exit of Ocean park

For a Filipina, a visit to Ocean park can win favours ..and of course, remember the food street when you come out ..

Oh, avoid the fish spa .. it maybe contaminated like hell ..

[huanggua]

You can stay at my condo just opposite MOA. Its only 2k per night. No need to dine in restaurants. You can buy food and cook there. Something you can't do in hotels. There is internet connection and cable TV. Manilaboy had stayed there before. PM if you need the unit.

[BoinKING]

[haha_123]

Originally Posted by etsys

You didnt' walk through Makansutra did you ? Oh, is the Ocean Park still soliciting donation from Foriegners, yes, the same foreigners who also pay to enter are expected to 'donate' .. beggers .. or beggers to be believed ..

Bro, I didn't walk through Makasutra as I felt the place would be expensive. My girl suggested that we took the taxi back to Robinson Mall to have Jollie-Bee. We ended up eating at Banana-Leaf.

And nope, Ocean Park was not asking for donation when I went. But I believe they were charging about 300 P to take photos with the super-cute sea lions.

[haha_123]

Last Sat I touched down at Manila airport at 6 plus in the morning. I took a taxi and arrived at Riviera Mansion hotel at 7:30am. But the stern-looking receptionist told me that check-in time is 2pm!! What the heck!! What am I going to do from 7:30am to 2pm alone, as my girl will only arrive from Batangas after 2pm!!

So I left my bag with the hotel, and bravely walk out onto the Malate streets and head out to the Robinson's Mall but I was told by the security that the mall opens only at 10am. So no choice, I sat down at Starbucks and had my coffee for an hour. All shops including the money-changers were closed at that time. The only shops open are the seven-elevens and of course Hyatt casino.

Being not much of a gambler, I started to explore the area surrounding my hotel where I chanced upon Hup-Chan Chinese restaurant but it was not open yet. As I walked further, I found myself being followed by 2 lady-boys. They tried to strike a conversation with me but I walked faster away from them. I tried to shake them off by running into a seven-eleven to buy my mineral water and local sim card. But the 2 lady-boys were still waiting for me outside the store!!

Outside 7-11, the 2 lady-boys persisted in trying to make friends with me for the next 15 mins. I had no choice but to run into my hotel lobby where they dare not enter. I frantically called my girl to hurry down from Batangas asap!!

Then at 11:30am, I tried my luck with the hotel receptionist who told me that they have a room available for check-in. Once I checked-into my room, my girl called to say that she has arrived in Manila already.

Phew!! What an eventful way to start my day in amazing Manila!!

[BoinKING]

you should have just flirt with the recep.

[haha_123]

In the same evening, me and my girl left our hotel to grab our dinner. As we turn left from our hotel, there were a row of girly-bars along A. Mabini St. I saw there were many young syts dressed in the Jap schoolgirl uniform. Then there were 3 super chio ladies dressed in evening gown standing outside a bar. As we walked past, I turned my head back to look at the most gorgeous of the 3 ladies. She looked at me and blew a kiss in my direction. Her eyes can talk and they were saying:"Hey, we are much prettier and definitely more sexier than your girl!! Why don't u ditch her and join us for some fun inside?!!"

Damn!! At that moment in time, I wished my girl was not with me but in Batangas!!

[BoinKING]

you should have asked your girl to join you.. pinays are very open as long as you "love" her only..
If you get her drunk, they turn into another beast..

he who hesitates masturbates HAHAHA