Our friend Nat and her partner Lauren are starting their new life in Manila. Living as an expat in Manila is a pretty common thing these days. They are based in expat-ville “Makati”.

How to get from Manila Airport to Makati:

The best thing to do prior to travel is to know where you are headed. Upon arrival you are overwhelmed with taxi options. If you are on a budget you can try taking a coach, but good luck to you navigating which bus to take. be prepared to be pushed and shoved and pointed in the wrong direct and wait on the bus until it’s full. Our recommendation…Download this app called Grab it is the Philippines version of Uber. In fact Grab bought Uber here in the Philippines as it was not permitted due to the high traffic volume in the Phils already.

Even with Grab be prepared to wait up to 15 mins for a car, but at least you know you will get the there safely.

For those with a little extra cash in your pocket look for the coupon taxis and be prepared to pay P440 (pesos) flat fee.

Is the Philippines safe:

Generally, yes moving about Makati is safer and easier than it used to be as there are allot more foreigners around. The biggest no no I always here is no to Jeepneys, as pickpockets are rampant, no to unmarked taxis (unless you ask them to turn the metre on, but even then they can fidget with the fare). It is a third world country, people are desperate and poor so just be aware.