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I agree, there are a lot more and worse slums in Manila. Manila has areas that are much worse than Bangkok but also areas that are much nicer. Manila has the two extremes and then a lot of areas in between. Bangkok mostly looks like those "in between" areas of Manila. Everything is more mixed up because of zoning.
I'd walk through the slums of Tondo before walking through a ghetto in the U.S. The ghettos in the U.S. are much more dangerous. Look at this Japanese tourist walking through Tondo, Manila (one of the roughest areas, though this particular neighborhood doesn't look so bad).
Personally, I think Tondo is much more of a slum than anything I've seen in the U.S., but it's a different type of slum/ghetto, I agree. In Tondo, there are families and people that are harmless for the most part. There's this association that people make between being poor and dangerous, but I find that a lot of the people living in the ghetto areas of the Philippines are just poor and trying to get by. Meanwhile, in the ghetto areas in the U.S. (or at leas the ones I've seen) they're better off than people in Tondo but there's a lot more violence and crime.
I've been to both cities. Both have nice areas and ugly areas.
My initial thought was it is not fair to compare Manila with Bangkok ... why? ... I mean let's face it: Bangkok is a Royal City, a city of temples and palaces and monuments. Wat Arun, the Temple of the Dawn ... Wat Benchamabophut, the Marble Temple ... the Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha ... the Golden Mount ... Wat Po, the Temple of the Reclining Buddha ... the Democracy Monument ... the Chitralada Palace. Bangkok has nicer parks and public squares.
The one thing Manila has is it's glorious bay. I remember looking at a gorgeous full moon illuminating the Bay of Manila and it was unforgetable.
I've been to both cities. Both have nice areas and ugly areas.
My initial thought was it is not fair to compare Manila with Bangkok ... why? ... I mean let's face it: Bangkok is a Royal City, a city of temples and palaces and monuments. Wat Arun, the Temple of the Dawn ... Wat Benchamabophut, the Marble Temple ... the Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha ... the Golden Mount ... Wat Po, the Temple of the Reclining Buddha ... the Democracy Monument ... the Chitralada Palace. Bangkok has nicer parks and public squares.
The one thing Manila has is it's glorious bay. I remember looking at a gorgeous full moon illuminating the Bay of Manila and it was unforgetable.
Well, they're different cities. Bangkok is more historic. But aestically speaking, I dont see how it is better than Manila. Most of the city along the bay is old downtown Manila. Many tourists think it's supposed to be the nicest part of Manila, but it's actually not at all. Makati, Ortigas, and BGC are the new downtowns, and they're further inland.
Does anywhere in Bangkok look like these street scenes? BGC Makati Ortigas
Last edited by spamiard220; 07-29-2016 at 06:47 PM..
Well, they're different cities. Bangkok is more historic. But aestically speaking, I dont see how it is better than Manila. Most of the city along the bay is old downtown Manila. Many tourists think it's supposed to be the nicest part of Manila, but it's actually not at all. Makati, Ortigas, and BGC are the new downtowns, and they're further inland.
Does anywhere in Bangkok look like these street scenes? BGC Makati Ortigas
The best parts of Manila might be better looking than Bangkok but the worst parts also look a lot worse.
So I think it's fair to talk about how Bangkok is more efficient, has a better culture, etc., but when people talk as if Manila is some dump compared to Bangkok, I don't understand at all.
Neither city is made up of mostly indigenous architecture. Both cities have mostly that functional but ugly architecture like this in Manila and this in Bangkok. The two cities are mostly indistinguishable because most of the buildings look like that.
But when it comes to modern architecture, Manila wins because it has large sections of the city that have beautiful architecture. It may not be indigenous, but it's nice to look at. For those of you unfamiliar with Manila, look at these Google street view links that I posted in the OP.
^ those buildings look a hell of a lot better than the other crap which is so common in both Bangkok and Manila
And regarding architecture in the Philippines, there is really no city in the Philippines that has nice architecture except Vigan. People talk up Cebu, but most of the city has the same ugly buildings as Manila except without the sections of really nice modern areas. Davao is supposed to be a nice clean city, but the architecture makes it look unattractive. The Philippines (and Thailand) need work in the architecture department. Most buildings are build for functionality and aesthetics dont seem to be taken into account at all
People talk up Cebu because it is big enough to provide a city's amenities but the goal is still to use Cebu as a hub to get out to the provinces, not look at buildings.
People talk up Cebu because it is big enough to provide a city's amenities but the goal is still to use Cebu as a hub to get out to the provinces, not look at buildings.
Coming from the Philippines, it's true that the Metro Cebu area (being the urban/economic/transportation/educational center of the Visayas region) is also another hub that people use as a stopover to go somewhere else in the region/country, there are definitely more foreign tourists going there who actually make it a part of their holiday plans than in Metro Manila, an area people would not linger around in for long if they're not working, studying, or doing business there. I've met backpackers in Metro Manila and they most often tell me they're just there overnight before heading to (insert name here) province, etc.
The only reason why so many visitors pass through Metro Manila in the first place is because most international routes into the Philippines only land in Manila; if they had many other options when entering the Philippines, a very large portion of foreign tourists certainly would not enter via Manila. And I wouldn't blame them.
Coming from the Philippines, it's true that the Metro Cebu area (being the urban/economic/transportation/educational center of the Visayas region) is also another hub that people use as a stopover to go somewhere else in the region/country, there are definitely more foreign tourists going there who actually make it a part of their holiday plans than in Metro Manila, an area people would not linger around in for long if they're not working, studying, or doing business there. I've met backpackers in Metro Manila and they most often tell me they're just there overnight before heading to (insert name here) province, etc.
The only reason why so many visitors pass through Metro Manila in the first place is because most international routes into the Philippines only land in Manila; if they had many other options when entering the Philippines, a very large portion of foreign tourists certainly would not enter via Manila. And I wouldn't blame them.
That's because Malate is labeled as the "tourist belt" of Manila, even though it's a pretty run-down area. If I were a tourist and believed that Malate was the most tourist-friendly, nicest part of Manila, I'd stay away from Manila too.
People with no money (and many others) have no business making babies. They seem to understand that in BKK. 30,000 people die per year of malnutrition in the Philippines. Filipinos are not genetically short; it is stunting from malnutrition. I live in Chiang Mai, but I enjoy my trips to BKK. The femi-nazis always love to paint it as a one big red light district, but the reality is those places are needles in haystacks. I spend a lot of time looking at real estate, and that takes me to places the tourists don't even know exist. The true Bangkokians are quite friendly, honest, and gracious hosts...and that includes sitting on plastic stools drinking beers with people you've never met. 18 million people in BKK Metro....but the atmosphere is opposite of the cold, big city feeling you get in NYC.
Last edited by Hal Roach; 08-03-2016 at 03:01 AM..
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