Manila

I'm staying in BGC as I write this, and so far PH most aggressively mediocre place I've travelled to in Asia. While I'm used to free/cheap wifi, friendly people, and great food living in place like Thailand, even staying in the most modern area in the country lacks all of those (no free Wifi even at Starbucks, and I've seen "cooked fresh" restaurant food taken out of the freezer before cooking). Social culture is very uncanny valley, people are "polite" but it's extremely fake, which you'll notice in subtle ways like slow service, not saying "you're welcome" to "thank you," and just a general dispassionate disposition even if you're very polite (which I am). I've also gone on a few dates here, and each one has been in a constant competition for the most awkward thing I've ever experienced (and I've gone out with people all over the world). It's also very dangerous by Asia standards — you have to stay in your bubble to stay safe. My verdict is avoid, unless it's visiting their beaches for a few days.

I’d say that everything said here about Metro Manila is about right. Transport is about the worst I’ve ever known, traffic is a nightmare that’ll leave you paying for Grab taxis (cheap but they add up quickly) and taking hours to get around. Would recommend BGC area as the most foreigner friendly.

Living options were limited on Airbnb, nothing like what you’d find in Bangkok or similar cities. Quality was much lower and generally not very comfortable.

Honestly the biggest issue for me was that free wifi basically doesn’t exist in Manila. Starbucks, McDonald’s, no matter where you go - will NOT have proper free wifi. Some malls offer a teaser 1 hour free session IF you’ve got a Filipino phone number. If not, you’re out of luck. Do not expect to go work in a cafe here and have wifi available. Locals use their mobile data instead.

I stayed in Manila for 3+ months and loved it. I am absolutely shocked by the reviews here—where do these people come from, the Upper East side of Manhattan? Sheesh. Yes, Manila is a BIG Asian city, it's a bit rough around the edges, and it's not the prettiest place in the world, but man does it have a lot going for it!

- Safety: I come from Cape Town originally, so for me, Manila felt very safe. Even in the more dodgy looking areas, I never really got a bad vibe.

- Friendly people: I found everyone friendly here. I never had a rude encounter with anyone, and I always felt respected.

- Convenience: You can get anything here in Manila. There are convenience stores everywhere and you can order anything to your door using Grab. Not to mention the fact that everyone speaks English and all signs/menus are in English, too.

- Food: Some people here complained about the food, but I really have no idea what they're talking about. Unless you're on a shoestring budget, you can easily find tasty, healthy food here. In fact, you can get any kind of cuisine you want! There is amazing Japanese, Korean, Chinese food, as well as Western food and good coffee.

- Fun stuff to do: Some people here complained that there isn't much to do in Manila. They are wrong. There is plenty to do here. If you're into coffee, there are endless interesting cafes to check out, there are amazing restaurants and eateries all over, there is good nightlife, rooftop bars, and KTV, there are parks where you can walk or run, there are malls all over the place where you can shop, watch movies and eat, there are museums, historical places, etc etc.

- Atmosphere: Despite being a rather bustling, chaotic city, the vibe here feels remarkably relaxed. It's odd in a way, but it's also nice.

Don't get me wrong, Manila is a massive city, so your experience here will be influenced by where you live. I would recommend staying somewhere in Makati (Salcedo is very nice) or BGC. Coming from South Africa, I was hugely impressed by the infrastructure in these areas, it's incredibly first world and very modern. The regular rules apply here (as they do in any big city)—don't walk around dodgy areas at night, don't flash your gold watches around, and be respectful. Do this, and I imagine you'll have a good time.

Don't listen to the haters, go to Manila and decide for yourself whether it's for you!

A common theme of many major cities are that they're generally safe with some dangerous pockets you have to avoid.
Manila is the inverse - it's a giant sprawling slum with one or two nice pockets in amongst it.

It's pretty dystopian and even if you try to isolate yourself into the 'rich' bubble you'll still see some of the poverty spillover on a regular basis. Eg in the central business district of Ortigas I saw multiple homeless children (a few girls who looked about 12 years old holding newborn babies). Armed guards with shotguns outside every store, coffee shop and mall. A tourist was murdered in the Makati area just a couple months back, supposedly one of the safer districts. My friend from Australia was robbed at knifepoint in the Eastwood area last month, again another supposedly safe area.

You'll be advised not to 'look rich' (no fancy watches, clothes, bags etc) in order to avoid attention - good advice if you're Filipino. But if you're white, forget it. You could be the dirtiest and most poor looking white person on the planet but it doesn't matter to the Manila locals - white skin = rich and unfortunately in such an improverished place rich = a target.

Unlike Bankgok, Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh etc, you'll rarely see white people walking down the streets - which tells its own story. It simply isn't safe. When there's so many great options in Southeast Asia to live, both islands and cities, absolutely no one in the right mind would ever choose to live in this place.

Anyone who would recommend living in Greenbelt / Legaspi / San Lorenzo must be in love with repression and boredom.

And there is no pickup culture. Everyone is busy. If they are alone, they are uncomfortable - because this place is uncomfortable.
It has all the free flowing mating energy as a mechanic shop during rush hour.
Stick to apps only. Because that's where all meetup culture got sucked into it like helium canisters. Permitting no more free range social energy to fumigate. This is how 2 extremes get formed and create a meta everybody!

Believe me when I say, you will be at tourist bars talking to only tourists. Like *every other played tourist trap on the planet*.

Greenbelt - and any other gentrified areas here - are completely leveled socially, smoking craters of mingle culture. And I fear millennial and zoomer phone addicts won't be the guardians to rescue it any time soon.

Anytime Delta and Marriott are posted up waiting for your landing, you should just roll your eyes and hit the gas pedal for another 10 KM.
The whole place is a cardboard prop that falls down when touched. Like all 3rd wave capitalist tourist traps.
The social ice is thick beyond function. The nightlife is a travesty.
So stay on your apps - learn how to refresh them - pipeline matches.
Stay far outside the 10 KM landing point radius. Unless you have some endless lightning of extroversion inside you -
this place will frost you over just like any other, and we will join together as ice sculptures. Yet again. Praise Delta Marriott, while singing kumbaya for office herbivore culture that hosts full-uniform no-contact cocktail sipping parties. 1 of the only examples of social culture and interesting nightlife inside the 10 KM radius is Poblacion Makati. Beware the hideous traffic. Walk around with strong frame, like you know not a single person is trying to do you a favor ever. Any bar that has to hide what the interior looks like - you might as well be born yesterday going into it. 'I like my exotic experience to go with 3 middlemen and surrounded by thugs in a dark room' - What is this the 1980s? Quezon City and Alabang Muntinlupa - that is how far you have to go, and the corporate frost all starts to thaw out and human behavior turns real again. And don't ever hire people for your digital "content" - this place hasn't caught up to that side of Western culture on any level.

The worst traffic in the world. The word traffic is misleading because it assumes movement, often during rush hour it can take 1.5 hours to go 10km (how do you like 3 hour daily commutes). The streets are chaotic like world war 3. If you get anxiety/claustrophobia this is not a place to be. Food is not great and unhealthy (lots of fried oily foods). And lots of garbage, litter, pollution just not a very pleasant place. It’s also hard to meet or really integrate with locals as a foreigner. The one redeeming factor is that Philippine people are so warm and hospitable. Without that it would be unbearable.

The worst. Everyone in Manila is controlled like Rats in a cage. I rented an Airbnb and a girl I met couldn't go swimming in the pool because she wasn't a "registered guest." The entire city stinks, the bathrooms in the nicest buildings in Makati stink, and it's awful. The rich treat the poor like dirt and take advantage of them on every opportunity. I will never visit it again. Horrible place. If you like a place where the rich treat the poor like dirt and keep them separated from them with big gates and security guards, then you will love this place.

Coming here from Bangkok was kind of a shock. Most areas are slum, except for a few developed enclaves mainly around BGC. Due to the limited developed land area equivalent housing options are more expensive and less flexible than say Bangkok. Internet is horrible (walk around with phone in the air for signal bad), public transport hugely lacking, Grab rides sometimes take over an hour to book due to driver supply caps after reopening from COVID lockdowns, food options are limited and often unhealthy. Looking forward to going back to Bangkok and the more developed cities here in Asia. Maybe if you're into crazy adventures with third world style karaoke and other sketchy nightlife this is your place. Beaches could be nice for a few days -- I'm more into cities though. Not to completely trash this place, maybe with more research and local connections you're able to make your stay more enjoyable, but you shouldn't expect the convenience you'll get used to elsewhere.

Manila and the Philippines in general are an absolute horrible place to stay or live. The whole country looks like a slum. The food is horrible (mainly rice and burgers). Completely unhealthy. The air pollution is high. Fun level is absolute zero. Internet is bad. Accommodation is pricey for very low quality. Would never recommend this place to anyone. Go to Bali instead much better.

I find the score of LGBTQ and racial tolerance for this city to be highly inaccurate. Is this score more about perception? I find LGBTQ-friendliness in Manila to be higher than Bangkok or Taipei, maybe even friendlier than other known cities such as London, Stockholm, Mexico City or Los Angeles. The hospitality culture makes it really friendly towards people of different race, too accomodating to a fault sometimes. Makati, BGC, Eastwood I've stayed in these areas for years and this is completely a first world bubble, so it is highly safe, walkable, livable and everything is just a walk's reach away as traffic can get extreme in Manila. Internet speed in cafes or public areas are quite slow or absent but the ones in your accomodation or hotel is fast. What I like about this city is like your living in 2 worlds, you can go to an area where it is 3rd world (you can find really budget items there), but at the same time you can go back to your first world gentrified bubble in Township areas such as McKinley Hills, BGC, Ortigas or Eastwood City. During weekends you can rent a car and go to mountains and beaches around Manila.

Manila is an incredibly welcoming city and cheap to live. Accommodation in ultra luxurious condos is reasonable, foot massage whilst tapping out emails (£7 per hour) makes working from here a no brainer. Agree living in the Greenbelt area is a no brainer. Vegetarian choices can be limited in some places but excellent (and so cheap!) Delivery services are available, including diet chef stuff which is unaffordable anywhere else. The streets feel safe inside Makati and the areas around greenbelt and I have never felt uneasy in good areas, which is not the same as London where you are constantly feeling at risk. Bureaucracy is tough in Manila though. Just chill, queue, take your laptop to keep you busy, and remember to be unstintingly polite - locals do not deal well with confrontation and you do well to empathise with them rather than get off by being "right" .

Not great, not terrible. Lots of scammers and dirty streets, but also great and cheap food. Mobility isn't a highlight, but condos have a huge infraestructure and you can easily do everything you need (working, groceries, gym etc) without even put your feet outside. Never felt 100% safe, as some streets are really dark at night. Anyway it's a good choice considering value for money if you find a nice place, otherwise Bangkok is way better.

Eastwood City hands down best places for nomads in Manila. Why? 50-100 mbps from Sky or PLDT. Closely guarded community where you can feel safe. Everything you could want is inside the community- condos for rent short or long term fully furnished, over 100 restaurants (both fast food and fine dining and some american franchises too), 7 screen movie theater, bowling alley, billiards. Many unique shops that are centered around activities. Pet friendly. Also, has 2 grocery stores, at least a dozen convenience stores, barber shops, massage and day spas (you can even get a professional massage right in your room), laundromat. The mall has anything you might need to buy for your condo.

If you stay in the area immediately around Greenbelt then it's great. There's a cafe called Antipodean that serves all day breakfasts, with excellent bacon and eggs, I stay 2 mins walk from there. I've stayed at Gramercy Apartments in Poblacion in the past and that wasn't good. That area is not very walkable and not much nearby except for some trendy bars.

Being close to Greenbelt means you have everything you need in the malls. Also, if you're a single guy, then it's a wonderful place for dating, especially if you have the courage to talk to locals that you see in day to day life.

Greater challenges are around eating nutritiously. I think Filipino food is underrated for its deliciousness but it's definitely not healthy. To better understand the Greenbelt area, it's a series of Malls (Greenbelt, Ayala, Glorietta, and some other mall). Collectively there would have to be upwards of 200 restaurants, so I'm sure there's a healthy option in there somewhere, just need to find it.

It's true that there's not a lot to do in the city outside of nightlife. And the infrastructure makes it a headache to get around. That's why I recommend staying in this part of town. In this part of Makati you can just walk everywhere. I've heard good things about BGC but have never visited.

Really bad city to live and to visit unless you have money to live in BGC.