Manila, Philippines

[antspants]

I'm off to the Philippines in a couple of weeks for around 10 days work, staying in Makati, and should have a weekend and maybe the odd evening to myself.

Are there any particular highlights I should be heading for and anything to be avoided?

[ChrisBMW]

antspants said:

anything to be avoided?

All the Ladyboys:-)

[King Herald]

antspants said:

I'm off to the Philippines in a couple of weeks for around 10 days work, staying in Makati, and should have a weekend and maybe the odd evening to myself.

Are there any particular highlights I should be heading for and anything to be avoided?

Do a Google for 'Clark International Speedway'. It is up in Angeles city about 90 minutes north of Manila, and they quite often have some sort of motor racing going on, drag racing, drifting, autocross etc. They don't seem to have a web page of their own, or at least I can't find it.

[HarryW]

There are plenty of areas/bars in Manila where you could lose a life time, so a spare weekend shouldn't take long, you might as well be on a different planet. It really is a place of extremes. Try not to look too far outside of your cab window once out of the diplomatic area though, it'll break your heart, particularly at traffic lights where 4 year olds will try to sell you single home rolled cigarettes.
A wonderful place with a very proud population but the majority are dirt poor. It is also not necessary the safest place for a westerner to wander about either, life is cheap in some parts.

[Odie]

The envelope factory tours are best avoided

[deeen]

What kind of things do you want? History? Red light district? Bars? Churches?

Avoid buying anything from street vendors who approach you

Do you know what hotel you are in?