By far the best place for the backpacker to stay in Manila is the Friendly's Guest House in Malate, Manila.
Benjie has done an excellent job of turning the top 2 floors on this concrete building on Adriatico into a home away from home for the traveler.
The upper deck has a spacious lounge area with big screen tv and internet.
They charge 30 pesos per hour if you use one of the house computers but wireless is free if you bring your own laptop.
The kitchen with two stoves and a fridge is available to everyone. Just write your name on the items that you put in the ref because anything unmarked is placed on top the the ref for everyones use. The idea is to not have spoiled food build up in there.
The community of travelers here energizes me. I really really like this place.
Friendly's is right in the center of the action in Malate so good food and cheap beer is available across the street all night.
People that moan about how bad Manila sucks just don't have a clue about how much fun this city is.
Numerous live bands play in the nearby clubs and street side cafes abound. Most stay open till 5am or so.
People that want to be locked up in a quiet hotel room or resort with no noise or action might not like it here because there is always something going on.
Manila doesn't shut down for the night like most places.
There is the sex scene with massage parlors and hook up joints like LA Cafe and Amazonia on nearby M.H.del Pilar St but if it's not your thing it can be easily avoided.
Walking around late at night you will get marriage proposals from big girls in dresses with a well defined adam's apple and big hands and feet but as long as you don't accept any free samples you should be ok.
Benjie has a strict policy against bringing anyone over to the Guest House for hooking up so if that is what you are shooting for check into any of the other numerous hotels in the area.
The Pension Natividad and Malate Pension are also not good places for sex tourism.
Sometimes they go overboard and turn away foreign men that have been married for several years to their Filipina but they are just trying to preserve their image.
Friendly's does not accept any local customers at the guest house to avoid any potential problems because they are trying to focus on providing a base for international travelers.
They have a guest house for locals in the works at this time but it will be a while before it opens for business.
Reserve a room in advance if at all possible because the news about the good service provided spreads fast and the place is often fully booked.
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