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Without a doubt! I've been to Manila (my wife is filipino) and Bangkok countless times. I too am an avid walker and Bangkok is the hands down winner for walkability and safety. Nothing wrong with Manila but it doesn't have that "mesmerizing, WOW factor" that Bangkok offers.
Another thing that I enjoy about Bangkok is people leave you alone. I have a tough time in Manila because I'm a 6'4" Caucasian and I get a bit tired of hearing "Hey Joe" greetings that seemingly come every 5 minutes. I get it, Filipinos are just trying to be nice and I can appreciate that but it does get a bit tiring after awhile. Secondly, random Filipino men will yell at my wife wondering why she married a "Kano" and it bothers her.
She now too prefers to visit Thailand over Philippines. In fact, we bring her family over to Thailand every year for a family reunion.
Never been to Jakarta so can't compare and contrast.
Not hatin' this post but really Bangkok has "mesmerizing wow factor"? seriously??? Are you one of those bunch of people who had been to Manila City instead of the whole Metro Manila and then conclude it is the whole metro? Those who had been to BGC and Makati will probably disagree with you.
And your wife likes Thailand over Philippines? Seriously your wife is one in a million. Maybe she has bad experiences here or probably has psychological trauma or something similar about his past that made her think that way.
Not hatin' this post but really Bangkok has "mesmerizing wow factor"? seriously??? Are you one of those bunch of people who had been to Manila City instead of the whole Metro Manila and then conclude it is the whole metro? Those who had been to BGC and Makati will probably disagree with you.
And your wife likes Thailand over Philippines? Seriously your wife is one in a million. Maybe she has bad experiences here or probably has psychological trauma or something similar about his past that made her think that way.
I think so! I know these observations can be subjective but Bangkok is magical at night. The people watching alone is worth visiting. Fun to see people from all corners of the world congregating together having a fun time. It's inexpensive and the food is amazing, hotels are cheap, shopping fantastic etc. Don't know what else to say but my wife and I enjoy it. It's our favorite spot.
Regarding Philippines, I've been all over. Stayed in Makati several times, Ermita, Quezon City, Pasay along with Boracay, all over Cebu, various parts of Mindanao. So I've been around.
Philippines is great! Don't get me wrong. We just prefer Bangkok and other parts like Chiang Mai.
I think so! I know these observations can be subjective but Bangkok is magical at night. The people watching alone is worth visiting. Fun to see people from all corners of the world congregating together having a fun time. It's inexpensive and the food is amazing, hotels are cheap, shopping fantastic etc. Don't know what else to say but my wife and I enjoy it. It's our favorite spot.
Regarding Philippines, I've been all over. Stayed in Makati several times, Ermita, Quezon City, Pasay along with Boracay, all over Cebu, various parts of Mindanao. So I've been around.
Philippines is great! Don't get me wrong. We just prefer Bangkok and other parts like Chiang Mai.
Oh, then you need to visit BGC next time. It's very vibrant. Lots of people are out all the times, especially in the evening. The whole place is walkable, clean, and green. All the food, shopping, and entertainment you could need
Oh, then you need to visit BGC next time. It's very vibrant. Lots of people are out all the times, especially in the evening. The whole place is walkable, clean, and green. All the food, shopping, and entertainment you could need
That does look nice! Thanks for sharing. I watch vids of this older American Dutch guy that lives in Makati. My wife does comment that Phils has so much to offer tourists and it has so many beautiful women. Glad to see it's catching up with nice places like this...
Not hatin' this post but really Bangkok has "mesmerizing wow factor"? seriously??? Are you one of those bunch of people who had been to Manila City instead of the whole Metro Manila and then conclude it is the whole metro? Those who had been to BGC and Makati will probably disagree with you.
And your wife likes Thailand over Philippines? Seriously your wife is one in a million. Maybe she has bad experiences here or probably has psychological trauma or something similar about his past that made her think that way.
I know this was directed at the other poster. But I'm also one of those people who has spent a lot of time in both Metro Manila and Bangkok...and Bangkok is just amazing.
I also much preferred BCG & Makati over Malate/Ermita...but the biggest issue with Metro Manila is not that it doesn't have good areas....but that it's stressful to walk around at street level. I mean, it's fine to walk around the business district of Makati and BCG (the well-trodden areas with a set parameter).
The beauty of Bangkok is that a person can literally safely walk ANYWHERE at ANYTIME and there is always a lot of interesting things at street level all over the place.
Whenever I'm in Manila/Makati...the structure of the city somehow pushes everyone into the safety of those sterile malls....they are like sanctuaries away from the realities of navigating the streets.
Whereas Bangkok also has the large malls....but you can easily avoid the malls the entire time in BKK, and never run out of places to walk to on street level.
I know this was directed at the other poster. But I'm also one of those people who has spent a lot of time in both Metro Manila and Bangkok...and Bangkok is just amazing.
I also much preferred BCG & Makati over Malate/Ermita...but the biggest issue with Metro Manila is not that it doesn't have good areas....but that it's stressful to walk around at street level. I mean, it's fine to walk around the business district of Makati and BCG (the well-trodden areas with a set parameter).
The beauty of Bangkok is that a person can literally safely walk ANYWHERE at ANYTIME and there is always a lot of interesting things at street level all over the place.
Whenever I'm in Manila/Makati...the structure of the city somehow pushes everyone into the safety of those sterile malls....they are like sanctuaries away from the realities of navigating the streets.
Whereas Bangkok also has the large malls....but you can easily avoid the malls the entire time in BKK, and never run out of places to walk to on street level.
Absolutely agree!!!!!!! We must be twins Tiger Beer LOL. I often will pick a random neighborhood, get off the BTS and just walk for half a day with my camera. In Philippines, the joy and fascination is with the people. They are amazing. In Bangkok, it's just the energy, vibe and aura of the actual city that stand out. You never know what the next corner has in store for you. There is an element of mystery. You could find a funky lunch counter enjoying a world class plate of food for $3 and be seated next to some dude from Africa, a couple from Israel, a young gal from Brazil etc. It's unpredictable but always safe. It's almost like walking around in a video game LOL.
I know this was directed at the other poster. But I'm also one of those people who has spent a lot of time in both Metro Manila and Bangkok...and Bangkok is just amazing.
I also much preferred BCG & Makati over Malate/Ermita...but the biggest issue with Metro Manila is not that it doesn't have good areas....but that it's stressful to walk around at street level. I mean, it's fine to walk around the business district of Makati and BCG (the well-trodden areas with a set parameter).
The beauty of Bangkok is that a person can literally safely walk ANYWHERE at ANYTIME and there is always a lot of interesting things at street level all over the place.
Whenever I'm in Manila/Makati...the structure of the city somehow pushes everyone into the safety of those sterile malls....they are like sanctuaries away from the realities of navigating the streets.
Whereas Bangkok also has the large malls....but you can easily avoid the malls the entire time in BKK, and never run out of places to walk to on street level.
Yeah I agree. But at least Manila is trying to create more walkable districts. Even malls like Greenbelt or Eastwood are seamlessly integrated into the walkable fabric of the surrounding area. Lots of outdoor malls are popping up and usually the area around it is walkable too. Manila at least has walkable pockets. And old neighborhoods like Binondo (Chinatown) are walkable IMO. You can get around a lot of old Manila on foot. It might not be pleasant because it’s not clean, but it’s still walkable. BGC is on the other end of the spectrum. Some would say it’s too clean- I dont think Bangkok or Jakarta have an equivalent to this area.
Makati has a good mix of gritty urban environment and walkability. So this is a lot of people’s favorite area.
He’s walking all around Makati (but not the ugly redlight district)
So Manila is not at the point of Jakarta, where almost all the walkable areas are in malls
I know this was directed at the other poster. But I'm also one of those people who has spent a lot of time in both Metro Manila and Bangkok...and Bangkok is just amazing.
I also much preferred BCG & Makati over Malate/Ermita...but the biggest issue with Metro Manila is not that it doesn't have good areas....but that it's stressful to walk around at street level. I mean, it's fine to walk around the business district of Makati and BCG (the well-trodden areas with a set parameter).
The beauty of Bangkok is that a person can literally safely walk ANYWHERE at ANYTIME and there is always a lot of interesting things at street level all over the place.
Whenever I'm in Manila/Makati...the structure of the city somehow pushes everyone into the safety of those sterile malls....they are like sanctuaries away from the realities of navigating the streets.
Whereas Bangkok also has the large malls....but you can easily avoid the malls the entire time in BKK, and never run out of places to walk to on street level.
Same contrast for me. Bangkok really is fantastic because there's something to see throughout and yet you pretty much never feel like you've entered somewhere you're not supposed to.
Same contrast for me. Bangkok really is fantastic because there's something to see throughout and yet you pretty much never feel like you've entered somewhere you're not supposed to.
Often times wonder if it's a introvert vs extrovert thing? I'll explain. When I'm in Philippines, the wonder of the county is the people. But this forces to me to get out of my comfort zone (I'm pretty darned introverted) and interact with the people. It's not a bad thing and I enjoy it in moderation, but if I have to interact all day long, it's very draining.
Compare and contrast to Thailand where people stay to themselves and my canvas is quickly filled just from being laid back and observing. Bangkok has so much visual stimulation that my senses my introverted brain is satisfied. Bangkok allows me to just exist and have fun.
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Are you one of those bunch of people who had been to Manila City instead of the whole Metro Manila and then conclude it is the whole metro? Those who had been to BGC and Makati will probably disagree with you.
