Before you decide against a trip to Manila, you should bear in mind that the newspapers do not always give an accurate picture of a situation. Sensationalism is their business, and sensationalized news is what you usually get.

Manila is located in the northern island of Luzon. The terrorist stronghold is located in the southernmost part of the Philippines – two big islands away – in Mindanao. The status of emergency was indeed declared but civilians basically continued to live their normal lives even as it was in place.

It is very easy to get around in Manila. The jeepney is the Philippines’ most common form of transportation. It is actually based on the US Army jeep but is longer and fits about 16-20 people. You can also get on buses, the Metro Rail Transit, and hire cabs. Language is not a major problem as even the people on the streets can speak rudimentary English.

Manila is well-known for its nightlife. You can find bars open until 3 or 4 in the morning. The Makati and Malate areas are where you can find the hottest clubs and bars. Makati is a bit more expensive but safer as well.

Malls abound in the metro. You can find anything from designer brands to nondescript but very cheap brands. Food is not a problem. Filipino food, American fast food, Japanese food – you can find anything there.

Filipinos are very hospitable by nature. You will be surprised at how friendly and helpful most of them are. It’s actually a different form of racism – they seem to treat Caucasians in a much better way.

Cost of living and traveling is so much lower than in western countries. So if you have dollars or euros, chances are you will have no problems availing services that meet your standards. Hotels and other accommodations are abundant and easy to find.

If it is the beach you want, then you can opt to go out of the city. The nearest beach can be reached in about 4 hours from the city. You can take a plane to other parts of the country if you want to see more.

Whether you are traveling alone or with your family, Manila is a good place to visit. It will be a rich cultural experience for you.

When Is It Best To Travel To The Philippines?

Are you allergic to rain? If so, it would do you good to avoid traveling to this part of Southeast Asia during the months of June till November as that’s when the occasional typhoon or two makes time to visit the Philippines. Traveling during the rainy season of the Philippines can be quite a hassle, especially if you don’t have a car. But if you do, you could expect smaller crowds to contend with as most people tend to stay indoors.

If you’re unable to take the heat and still be merry, then you should not travel to the Philippines during the months of March till May because that’s officially the summer season of the country. Everyone heads for the nearest beach so if you don’t want to feel crowded when you’re sunbathing, set your travel date for another time of the year. The Easter season is always busy for everyone in the Philippines so expect a difficult time on reserving transportation when it’s Holy Week.

If you’re on the lookout for the world-famous fiestas that only the Philippines could offer, schedule your travel date for January, May or December. The flower season of Baguio – described as the summer capital of the Philippines because of its perennially cool weather – is something to look forward to. And then there’s the Santacruzan during May and which each and every town parades its most beautiful residents in a walk around town.

Where In The Philippines Is It Best To Travel To?

There are so many types of places to visit in the Philippines that it’s hard to enumerate each and every one of them. Beaches, however, are one of the most favorite travel spots of the country so if you want to enjoy your stay in a beautiful paradise of clear blue green water and cool white sand, you could check out Tali Beach, the world-famous Boracay or try surfing the secluded beaches of Surigao and La Union.

I spend a lot of time in Manila so it is only fair to list it as a separate page as I have enjoyed many a long session in the massage establishments there. As with most things in  Manila there is no real distinctive style to their massage, they take what is best elsewhere, copy it and end up with a product that is not bad but you would not travel too far for.

The Manila massage is loosely based on the Thai traditional massage, although not so ubiquitous as in Thailand, it is not difficult to find a massage parlour in Manila. Much of the time they call themselves Spas and offer treatments as well as massages.

The actual massage itself normally uses oil and involves a fair amount of needing and stretching, but not to the extent of the Thai traditional massage, where the object of the exercise is to inflict pain in order to gain the benefits.

Many ladies hair salons also provide massage services, mostly in a room above the premises. These establishments are clean and have all the facilities required such as showers and air conditioning, if you are male you may also be offered a pedicure as part of the massage package, strangely enough it is always a pedicure and never a manicure!

Most of the beauty parlours that offer massage services are run by Chinese and offer many services massage and medical as well as the previously mentioned beauty treatments. Some of the massages are given whilst you sit up, for a true Manila massage though I like to lie down as the barber chair form of massage is not so relaxing.

Manila massage services are also offered in many of the main hotels; however they may be on the expensive side so beware. There are also plenty of visiting massage services that advertise all over town, these services provide the massage in your room and I suspect do not dwell too long on the massage side of things, if you wish to have a “proper” massage in your room it is always best to ask reception and let them sort it out for you, you will end up with a registered service and with someone who arrives expecting to give you a massage.

The Manila massage scene cannot be described as the best in the world; however it will waste away a couple of hours and should not be too expensive if you agree the price in advance.

Also on offer is The Manila barber massage, these take place in normal, barber shops anywhere in Manila, the format is always the same, the barber shops are attached to a ladies beauty parlour. If you ask for a lady massage and are known to the chaps in the barber shop they will call through a little gap in the wall and 5 minutes later a girl will arrive with a variety of creams and liquids. There is absolutely no privacy involved, you are sat in a barber’s chair in front of a mirror and the world goes on around you.

Your next door neighbour will be having a shave and the bloke three down having a trim of his beard, no one bats an eyelid and everyone gets on with their own thing.

The Manila massage in the barbers itself is not unpleasant as long as you can put the noise to the back of your mind, Manila barber shops without exception play musical CDs on full volume from when they open until they close. Some form of facial cream is used to give a 10 minute facial massage, the girls are not especially gentle, however it is quite pleasant as long as you keep your eyes shut as the damn stuff stings if you get it in your eyes. Once the face is finished with the strange part starts, you will already be wearing the traditional barber’s gown that it tied up to the neck. The girl will loosen this, undo your shirt and use a handful of what maybe moisturising lotion to rub around your chest. This can be a very pleasant experience and I am convinced that the girls know exactly what they are doing, as with a lot of things in Manila there is a suggestion of something more, without that something more materialising.

The other option for a Manila massage is not quite so pleasant but will test your manliness to the extreme. After a haircut, the man who has cut your hair will give you a complementary 5 minute massage. If you survive the full 5 minutes without asking him to stop or shouting out in pain you are indeed a man. I am convinced that especially rough treatment is served out to foreigners. The fewer foreigners that use the salon the rougher the treatment as it is more entertaining for the chaps who work there.

The massage if indeed it can be called that consists of hitting you very hard in the back of the head, scrubbing the top of the head with knuckles, taking handfuls of neck muscle and squeezing as hard as possible, repeat the process even harder and finish with a sort of double handed karate chop to the top of the head. Two types of Manila barber massage, you choose!

To sum up, the Manila massage is not for the gourmet, however most of the time it will be a relaxing and pleasant experience.

If you have any experience of Manila massage please mail us from our contact page and we will be pleased to include your stories.