FOLLOW UP BLOG BONIFACIO GLOBAL CITY A NICE PLACE TO STAY IN THE MANILA AREA

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INTRODUCTION

Yes I live in Tacloban and as mentioned in a previous blog I travelled to Manila to apply for my daughters Canadian Citizenship recently.. We decided lets also make it a bit of a getaway holiday as well. I would also like to supply a bit of additional information on what we experienced on our stay in Global City.

Getting a Taxi at Terminal 3 arrivals Manila

I have travelled to Manila many times and foreigners are a target for taxi drivers. Yes taxi drivers have to make a living but in addition they need to promote the country.

When you come out of terminal 3 you will see many people trying to get you to take their taxi. When you come out look to right and you see two large taxi stands. The first one is a set price taxi fee that is advertised on a board. I use this service all the time when getting to my destination. It is better especially if there is traffic to get a set price

During this trip I was walking to the fixed price taxi stand when I was approached by a woman and said “where you go”. I said “are you the fixed price taxi”? And the answer was “yes” I said “ok how much to Global City” and the answer was 850 peso. I have made this trip many times and the rate is 450 peso. The woman was approaching people just before they reached the fixed price taxi stand. And making an offer at near double the price. Not a big deal but still not honest in my opinion but it may leave a sour taste in the mouth when you eventually find out you have been charged twice the going rate.

If you pass this fixed price taxi stand you will get to the meter taxis. Just say you want the meter on and will give a 100 peso tip. They will be happy with that.

I must say the taxi services have improved in the last 10 years in certain areas of Manila

Accommodation

There are hotels in Global City like F1 and the Seda Hotel that are very good. If you search the internet you will see many condominiums for rent even on a short term basis. I have had issues here as well over the years. The main thing is the short term rental they want you to pay for the water and power. Six years ago I rented a condo and the power bill was 4000 peso for 4 nights which is way too much.

I found an agency that supplies accommodation for family people who a relative in St Luke’s Hospital which is one of the best hospitals in the Philippines. There rate is 2500 peso a night for a studio which includes power and water.

I just give them a call or email and ask is there anything available that they are not using for people visiting St Luke’s Hospital and 90% of the time there will be something.

So we rented a studio for 2500 night near 30th Street and 1st Avenue. I am a returning customer so they do not ask for a security deposit. They are very good at check in and check out.

A condo rental (apartment) can save you a bit of money. You can cook your own meals if you want or just go out to eat. There are many restaurants and cafes in the area. All of the condos I have stayed have good security.
There are condos (Apartments) for rent in Global Cit
To buy a condo in this area. – Some additional information
Like everywhere the cost to purchase a condo varies. In the condo we stayed at I asked different people about the cost of a unit.. About 4M peso for a studio, 6M peso for a 1 bedroom and 8M for a 2 bedroom. If you look on the internet for the wealthy you can pay 80M to 100M for a penthouse unit in the Global City area
I also asked about rent on a long term basis and 70,000 peso a month for a moderate one bedroom unit was the rate in the property we were staying..
It is good to look but out of my budget!
Makati is not too far away
Makati is about 5km away. If you travel in peak hour it has taken me 50mins to get to down town Makati. Out of peak hour it can be as quick as 15minutes and the taxi fare will be under 200 peso plus a tip if you wish. Global City has very nice bars and restaurants but if you are looking for night life then Makati is not too far away.
Market Market
On this visit we had a good look around Market Market The mall is very large with markets in and around the entrance. At the lower ground level they have a large and great supermarket. Imported frozen American foods are available. If you are into seafood this section is quite large. Being a foreigner I like prawns (shrimp) and mussels.
INSIDE MARKET MARKET MALL

High Street a great place to walk around and relax
Hard to describe this area and not what you would expect to find in the Philippines. Different stores and restaurants. For the man a good place to have a beer and relax while the wife goes shopping. Plenty of places where you can have a beer outside and watch the world go by!!!
My wife’s sister has 2 daughters so we took them out to dinner at an Italian restaurant on High Street. The food and service was very good.

Final thoughts
I have been coming to the Philippines for 12 years and have lived here permanently for the last 5 in the Tacloban area. I have no advertising on my blog and these are my thoughts. So I try to help foreigners and Filipinos, Most of us travel on some sort of budget and we all look for value for money.
 Most of us are working people and have worked hard for our money. The purpose is share experiences that will help in making an informed choice. 
This blog is about Global City and maybe the area that some people are looking for when staying in the Manila area. Global City is safe, clean and has something for everyone.
If you would like additional information feel free to contact me.
Have a nice day.
Robbie in Tacloban

There are condos (Apartments) for rent in Global City



To buy a condo in this area. – Some additional information

Like everywhere the cost to purchase a condo varies. In the condo we stayed at I asked different people about the cost of a unit.. About 4M peso for a studio, 6M peso for a 1 bedroom and 8M for a 2 bedroom. If you look on the internet for the wealthy you can pay 80M to 100M for a penthouse unit in the Global City area

I also asked about rent on a long term basis and 70,000 peso a month for a moderate one bedroom unit was the rate in the property we were staying..

It is good to look but out of my budget!

Makati is not too far away

Makati is about 5km away. If you travel in peak hour it has taken me 50mins to get to down town Makati. Out of peak hour it can be as quick as 15minutes and the taxi fare will be under 200 peso plus a tip if you wish. Global City has very nice bars and restaurants but if you are looking for night life then Makati is not too far away.

Market Market

On this visit we had a good look around Market Market The mall is very large with markets in and around the entrance. At the lower ground level they have a large and great supermarket. Imported frozen American foods are available. If you are into seafood this section is quite large. Being a foreigner I like prawns (shrimp) and mussels.




High Street a great place to walk around and relax

Hard to describe this area and not what you would expect to find in the Philippines. Different stores and restaurants. For the man a good place to have a beer and relax while the wife goes shopping. Plenty of places where you can have a beer outside and watch the world go by!!!

My wife’s sister has 2 daughters so we took them out to dinner at an Italian restaurant on High Street. The food and service was very good.


Final thoughts

I have been coming to the Philippines for 12 years and have lived here permanently for the last 5 in the Tacloban area. I have no advertising on my blog and these are my thoughts. So I try to help foreigners and Filipinos, Most of us travel on some sort of budget and we all look for value for money.

 Most of us are working people and have worked hard for our money. The purpose is share experiences that will help in making an informed choice. 

This blog is about Global City and maybe the area that some people are looking for when staying in the Manila area. Global City is safe, clean and has something for everyone.

If you would like additional information feel free to contact me.



Have a nice day.

Robbie in Tacloban

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