Just new to the web-site, so apologise if these are questions asked before.
I'm planning a trip down to Angeles City in September timeframe instead of going to trusty Pattaya.
As I've not been to Philippines before, could sure do with some recommendations and advice on the following:
1. The best way from Manila Airport to AC (in thailand usually a trusty limo - is the same service available?)
2. A reasonable hotel, where girls can feel relaxed without any hassles.
3. As there appears to be numerous clubs in AC, some of the better clubs to take in due to the limited time I'll be there.
4. Idea of costs associated with the above.

Appreciate any assistance in making my trip a memorable one.

The foreign exchange rate has been around 53.5 pesos to the USD.

1. You can hire a driver/car from your hotel in AC or use Margarita Station or Action Travel (Kokomoz). Almost all private hires will run about the same amount at around 1600p one-way. Depending on when your flight arrives in Manila you can fly Sea Air one-way to Clark. They have a promo right now for 500p. The road construction on the expressway can be a nightmare so be prepared for possible long delays. The best time (via car) from NAIA to Angeles is 1.5 hours. The worst has been 6+ hours. The average has been 2 – 3 hours. By plane you’re looking at 30 minutes to Clark then another 15 minutes (average) to your hotel by taxi or trike.

2. Reasonable hotel? That’s a loaded question. What's your price range? The qualities of hotels in AC are not like they are in Pattaya. In AC they are usually very nice or real dumps... and not too many in between. You can get into a dump for as little as 600p/night (Anchor Inn, Park Chicago) or a nice hotel at around 2700p/night (Orchid, Oasis). Kokomoz has a hotel that is around 1250p/night and is in a great location.

3. Another loaded question. Guys' opinions on clubs are like assholes - everyone has one. Off the top of my head I would recommend you visit Blue Nile, Gecko's, Champagne, Dirty Duck (happy hour), Blue Nile Executive, Pickup Disco, Volcano. Many bars are hit-n-miss so try has many as you can muster.

4. Barfines are 1000p all night and 300p to 600p for short time (1 - 3 hours). You can find Freelancers galore all over the place. They will be in the streets and at Pickup Disco. If you are decent looking or can really chat well with the girls you will find many freebies available.

Food is relatively cheap Plan on spending 150p to 600p per day (depending on who you feed besides yourself).

The cost of customer drinks range from 55p to 70p. Lady drinks range from 100p to 250p (the average is 160p).

Depending on where you stay you may need transportation to/from your hotel. A trike will cost you roughly 30p to 50p one-way anywhere in AC. Jeepneys are 4p one-way.

I highly recommend you spend some time in the AC threads. There's lots of good (recent) information there. There are also lots of links to AC in the Link pages. If you need more information don’t hesitate to ask… Have fun. September is a nice time of year to go. There’s still a little rain and it’s still very warm so bring an umbrella and plenty of comfortable clothes.


...(prog)


(Message edited by progman on June 30, 2003)