Manila, Philippines

6 replies

lukestar_m

Member since 01 Sep 2017

Total posts 1

Any kind advice for getting around Manila airport and out to Makita city? What sort of travel time do I need between airport and Makita?

Tancho

Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer

Member since 31 Jan 2013

Total posts 38

I just got back from a trip to Manila. There are coupon taxis available after you leave the terminal, follow the signs. They cost a little bit more but I recommend these over the metered taxis because at least you know what you are getting. There is also Grab (like Uber), which is what I used. My colleague did the coupon taxi and it was less hassle than the Grab car I took, so I will try a coupon taxi next time.

Travel time depends on time of day I think. I stayed at City of Dreams which is similar distance to the airport as Makati. Apparently the highway there is new and has cut down travel time considerably, but I don't know if this highway also goes to Makati. Normal streets looked quite congested. My trips to and from the airport took no more than 20 minutes.

victort

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 14 Feb 2017

Total posts 77

Depends time of day. I was there last year and landed on a Friday at around 7pm and took us 3hrs to get to Makati. Traffic is congested all times of the day so best of luck!

Monkeyo

Member since 01 Sep 2017

Total posts 1

I lived in Makati for a year, and worked near the airport so hopefully this info should be of help! 

Like victort mentioned it depends on the time of day, Fridays are terrible when it comes to traffic, or when it gets close to rush hour. It also depends on which terminal you're arriving at, as T1 and T3 (typically the two you could land at, unless you're with PAL which is T2) are on opposite sides of the runway, with T1 being further away. 
I'd highly recommend taking the toll road if possible, as it should only be around 65 pesos (1.6 AUD) to Makati from T1 and 20 pesos (0.49 AUD) from T3 (last I remember), and will significantly cut your travel time (with the exception of rush hour).
As Tancho mentioned you can go with a taxi or Grab/Uber. I personally prefer Grab and Uber over taxis as I find the drivers to be nicer and the quality of cars better. You should be able to find a Grab counter somewhere nearby once you've exited the arrival hall - don't feel bad asking for directions from a guard or someone, they all speak decent English.

JJM

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 02 Mar 2013

Total posts 7

I'm in MNL right now, having arrived yesterday (thankfully a holiday here and virtually no traffic). I always stay in Makati and concur with the earlier poster that travel times are variable depending on the traffic. I arrived into T1 yesterday and took a Grab car into Makati. P179 (AUD$4-50). It was a near new Toyota Vios (similar to a corolla). There is a Grab stand just outside the arrivals exit door (look across the road to the right). I usually go to the Grab stand, order the vehicle through the app and wait a few minutes for the vehicle arrival at the Grab stand. Seamless and much easier IMO than any other option at MNL T1.

BRCW

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 04 Oct 2016

Total posts 13

If you have a choice of airlines, avoid any arriving into T1 if you can.  The trip from T3 is much easier. Most times it will be well under an hour, but as people have warned any traffic hiccup or bad weather can easily turn it into 3 hours.  The section of road out to T1 is worst affected by bad weather.

keda

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 06 Jan 2017

Total posts 3

I just got back from a trip to Manila. There are coupon taxis available after you leave the terminal, follow the signs. They cost a little bit more but I recommend these over the metered taxis because at least you know what you are getting. There is also Grab (like Uber), which is what I used. My colleague did the coupon taxi and it was less hassle than the Grab car I took, so I will try a coupon taxi next time.
Travel time depends on time of day I think. I stayed at City of Dreams which is similar distance to the airport as Makati. Apparently the highway there is new and has cut down travel time considerably, but I don't know if this highway also goes to Makati. Normal streets looked quite congested. My trips to and from the airport took no more than 20 minutes.

Gosh, I got a Coupon Taxi to Nobu last year. I found out later that Coupon Taxi's are about 20x's more expensive than the Metered taxis which incidentally are hidden away about 100 metres from the Terminal. Superbly ripped off within the first half hour or arriving in the country.
The traffic was horrendous, but they were completing some major roadworks which when completed may solve some of those issues

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