Viajero's chauffeur-driven car rental service is top notch. I booked two commuter vans…read more(13-/14-seaters) for two days, from June 22nd to June 23, 2019. Both vans were in great condition and arrived on time. I was particularly impressed by their customer service. Viajero's personable communication - from the invoice to the arrival of the drivers - is not like other rental car services. It is worth noting that while their system is automated, Viajero's real, live staff also gave us something like a virtual concierge service. I also want to note that not only were the drivers polite and courteous throughout the trip, they were also very patient, as our group included several small children. Mang Rico and Kuya Emil took us safely to our destination and back, with several stops in between. Overall, I highly recommend Viajero. It absolutely made a difference in the success of our non-profit's event!

I would STRONGLY urge everyone to NEVER rent a vehicle from Viajero Rent A Car in Manila,…read morePhilippines. I travel internationally many times a year (both for buisness and pleasure) and this is the absolute worst experience I've ever had with a car rental company. Here is a copy of the email that I sent to Viajero Rent A Car on April 9, 2018, which was several days after returning from a 35 day vacation in the Philippines. I will try to a PDF file of Viajero's email replies to me. They always say they're doing something but it's been more than a month now and still NOTHING has been done. Please see my email of April 9, 2018 below: To Whom It May Concern: It's unfortunate that I have to write this email this evening, but I feel I have no choice in order to make you aware of how extremely unsatisfied I was with my Viajero Rent-A-Car rental. I have travelled to Philippines on many occasions in the past 9 years, but have always rented from Hertz Car Rental, located at NAIA. For this particular vacation, I decided to try another company. I found Economy Car Rentals (www.economycarrentals.com) and the price seemed reasonable so I decided to rent with them, which ultimately led me to Viajero Rent-A-Car. On March 2, 2018, at approximately 1PM, we arrived at NAIA and were given a Toyota Innova. The car looked very old, as there were numerous scrapes, bumps, dents, lots of scratches on every side of the car and the 4 tires were in horrible condition. The driver's seat had a very big rip in the leather, and there were many, many dirty stains/markings all over the roof inside the car. Norman, my Filipino travel companion and I were quite surprised at how poor and in such bad shape the car looked. We received the car with very little gas in the tank, as the dial was on 'E' (or empty). The very first thing we had to do was drive to a diesel station to fill with diesel. I have rented vehicles all around the world in the past and have always received a rental vehicle that had a full tank of fuel. On March 5, 2018 at approximately 7-8PM, we were driving from Calamba City, Laguna to Nagcarlan, Laguna, when the brakes on the car started to act a little strangely. While trying to stop at a busy intersection, I pushed on the brakes, but the brakes did not work and the brake pedal went directly to the floor. I had to quickly pump the brakes many times for the brakes to eventually work. This was an extremely scary situation, as this could have caused a terrible traffic accident, which could have killed Norman, his parents, his sister and myself. Immediately following this incident, the brakes seemed to work ok again. However, after driving approximately 5KM further, the same thing happened again. At this point, we immediately parked the car on the side of the highway and contacted the on-call telephone number at Viajero Rent-A-Car. Someone answered the call and took our information as to what was wrong and where we were located. The employee called us back very quickly and asked us if we could contact a towing truck to have it towed to a garage. I'm sorry, but as a customer travelling in a foreign country, I should not have to be the one to go through the inconvenience to research and find a towing company. My travel companion, Norman, contacted a good friend of his from Nagcarlan, Laguna, and we found out there were no towing companies in Nagcarlan, Laguna, and that the closest towing company was in San Pablo City, Laguna. We contacted Viajero again to inform them that it wasn't possible. Initially, we were told to leave the car on the side of the highway (in a safe place) and that someone would pick up the car tomorrow (March 6, 2018). The employee kept asking me if the car was parked in a safe place. I kept saying that I didn't know the place, so I couldn't verify if the place was safe. We left the car, hired a cab (another expense for me), and were driven back to our residence in Nagcarlan, Laguna. Later that night (March 5, 2018 still), we got a call from Viajero Rent-A-Car that they were going to send us another vehicle (Toyota HiAce) and that someone would be by sometime tonight/early morning to swap the car. I assured him that this would be ok. At approximately 2-3AM on March 6, 2018, we got a call from Viajero that someone was outside the house so we got up and drove the Viajero employees to the Toyota Innova. We then drove the Toyota HiAce back home. There is so much more to this email, but Yelp doesn't allow that many characters. If you want to see all of the email correspondance between Viajero and I, please contact me directly at jacobsdennis@hotmail.com, and I will send you everything. DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH VIAJERO!

During our most recent trip to Manila, we totally relied on using GRAB to get around, starting with…read morea ride from the airport to BGC where we stayed. Throughout our stay, we visited several places, and always counted on GRAB to get us to where we needed to go. The best thing about GRAB is that we didn't have too long to wait each time. There always seemed to be someone nearby. Every single driver we had was very polite and helpful. And each vehicle was nice and clean. Once, when we were in Mall of Asia, we thought we'd take a taxi instead. One taxi driver didn't want to take us to BGC. Another one wanter to charge us a much higher fare than what GRAB would charge. Lesson learned: ALWAYS use GRAB. We can track where the GRAB driver is coming from, we can share our location while in the vehicle, we have information about who the driver is, and we can provide feedback. There's no reason to use anything else other than GRAB when in Manila.

I highly recommend Diamond Rent a Car - SM Center Pasig branch . It was my first time to rent a…read moreself drive car and Jowelyn answered all my inquiries. The car was in good condition clean and full tank. I did't have any problems with the car. If you guys in the Pasig area and looking for a rent a car, go to Diamond Rent A Car - SM Center Pasig branch.

We had an amazing trip to Europe, thanks to Captain Travel. It's my first time to Europe and happy…read morena inassist po nila kami which documents ang kailangan namin i provide. Nag a advise sila Ms Mara if anong papers need namin i present since I am a freelancer, parents are retired, and sibling is self-employed. Dito mejo kabadi nung una sa Schengen visa application pero super glad na-approve kami. I really enjoyed our experience because of carefully-curated itineraries. Shoutout to Filippo and Eva for being cool tour guides! (from Italy and Spain)

Travel Beware. this is not an accredited travel agency. they are dishonest and corrupt agency and…read morewe filed a formal complaint against them. they will leave you hanging and will not lift finger to help you.

As much as we Filipinos have been so westernized, there is but one small part of our history left…read morein the city - it's found in the old capital of Manila which is Intramuros. If you have a friend visiting Manila, I suggest you take him to the Intramuros Tour of Carlos Celdran. The tour lasts about three hours and trust me, you won't get some typical tour where Carlos has a boring script and is tight with time. Carlos maps out Intramuros by sections and while the participants walk along with him he theatrically explains the history of the Philippines. He talks about the country in such a comic way. For sure your foreigner friends will laugh at some his jokes. Carlos' way of discussing is very interactive. He sometimes may need participation from the audience when it comes to things. Other than that, his company is surely enjoyable. At the end of the tour, you get a sweet surprise of halo halo to quench your thirst.

There's no better way to understand history a bit more than doing a literal walk-through with the…read morepioneer in walking tours of Intramuros, Manila - Carlos Celdran. Armed with a clearbook, a lapel, and mobile speaker, this man clad in his barong and hat will take you through time. The tour has several stops consisting of San Agustin Church, Manila Cathedral and Fr. Blanco's Garden, and lastly, Fort Santiago. I've taken this tour twice - once as a college student and again when I brought foreign friends to see Intramuros. On my second tour, Fr. Blanco's Garden was being renovated so it was replaced by a quick tour of the courtyard of San Agustin Church. This tour is best for adults (as opposed to teens or kids) as he talks fast and gives jokes that have underlying meaning, or need a bit of quick analysis. We were also advised that the tour works best for big groups as participants try to focus more and gives better interaction dynamics between the tour guide and the group. I personally saw truth in that. All in all, it's a great crash course or a nice refresher on old Manila's history. If (Intramuros) walls could talk, it would probably agree, criticize and laugh with Carlos Celdran.

I joined Dustin's God, Gold and Glory (3G) tour together with the rest of the international…read moredelegates from a research convention and peace dialogue that was put together by the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde. I was blown away by how informative the tour was, and it wasn't even that strenuous because it only focused on three main attractions in Intramuros. We first went to San Agustin Church for some really interesting trivia on the religious artwork, the construction of the church and the history of the Spanish conquest in the country. Then we went to other different parts of the nearby streets to learn more about the identity and the psyche of the Filipinos. Considering that most of the people on the tour were foreigners who are new to the country, I think the 3G tour is an excellent way to introduce the uninitiated to the values, the quirks and the psychology of the Filipinos. I highly recommend this tour to anyone who wants to stay in the country for a while, but wants to speed up the adjustment process. Dustin's intelligent insight on the way of life of the Filipinos will bring a certain level of understanding as to how we act, think and behave the way we do, and even as a Filipino, I learned a lot about our culture and history that I didn't learn from textbooks. It is such a refreshing take on our crazy Filipino complex of dealing with things. The rest of the delegates enjoyed the tour tremendously, and had a lot of wonderful things to say about the clever guide, the depth of the tour program and the way everything was set up. The logistics were smooth despite the rain, and the tour ended on time as Dustin was very timely in his delivery. Well done!

My colleagues and I had the pleasure of experiencing Dustin's 3G (God, Gold and Glory) tour of old…read moreManila two weeks ago. Our group was a mix of backgrounds (Chinese who grew up in Canada and Indonesia, Australian) so they came with a genuine interest in learning more about Philippine history and culture. Dustin did not disappoint. He is not only extremely knowledgable about Philippine history, he uses it to contextualize the country's present culture and values. Even if I grew up in the Philippines, I learned so much from Dustin on this tour. He is an engaging and dynamic storyteller with a special talent for connecting the past and the present seamlessly, and has fun while doing so. All in all I would say this was an unforgettable experience and I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to understand and appreciate Manila more.

The Pasig River Ferry is a unique way of seeing Metro Manila. The service has come and gone over…read morethe past few years, and the current incarnation has been active since late last year. The ferry service's resumption was so under the radar that a lot of locals aren't even aware that it's up and running again, and fewer still have actually taken it. That's a shame because it's a gorgeous, gorgeous experience. Okay, the Pasig River is not known for its cleanliness, which is a damned shame. However, rehabilitation works on the river have been undertaken intermittently through the past few years, and the river's quality has improved a lot. Which is good because the ferry's open air. The boats the ferry service uses are slim and sleek, and should fit around 40 passengers. There are seven active ferry stations from Intramuros in Manila to Pinagbuhatan, Pasig City, although most of the people who use this service get off at the Guadalupe station in Makati. The trip from Intramuros to Guadalupe takes about 40 minutes and gives you a glimpse on how important the Pasig River is to Metro Manila, in terms of livelihood, commerce, and interconnection. The fare varies depending on your embark and disembark points; Intramuros to Guadalupe costs P50 (roughly a US Dollar). Whip out your cameras as you pass by the Manila Post Office, as well as some old buildings and quaint riverside residences. Tuck that camera in as you pass by Malacañang Palace, the residence of the President of the Philippines, for security blah blah blah whatever. Seriously, it's a shame you can't take pictures of the Malacañang Palace because it's grand and majestic in the way most structures in Metro Manila aren't. The approach leading to Circuit Makati and Rockwell Center is picture-worthy and gives us a glimpse of the future of the river.

A less-popular and actually very convenient way of getting yourself from Makati to several parts of…read moreManila is via the Pasig River Ferry. If you're a local and you know what Pasig River is, then this mode of transportation won't exactly sound enticing. But you know what? It's cheap, comfortable, fast, and not bad at all. Fellow scout and cousin Ronan E. and I have just finished scarfing down double vegan cheeseburgers at a cafe nearby, and we had absolutely nothing to do. We've already walked along EDSA, went fruit-shopping in Guadalupe, took sneaky pics of that obscure park no one goes to at Guadalupe, and naturally, this was the next, obvious activity. We're both in our late twenties and until now have not been on the river AT ALL. They have several stops that can take you to Pinagbuhatan, San Joaquin, Sta. Ana, PUP, Escolta and Intramuros. For Php 50, you can get your butt to Plaza Mexico, Intramuros, the furthest stop in this ferry route to Manila and it will take you around an hour or more, depending on how many stops the ferry has to make because if you were a boat and you had to ply through Pasig River, that only means A LOT of things can get stuck in the engine/motor thingy (honestly I have no idea what this should be called). We had to stop several times to fix these small issues. But DON'T WORRY, this thing happens normally, so you won't actually get stuck in the middle of a trash-filled river. The only pre-requisites for anyone who wants to ride the ferry are as follows: you are definitely not 'maarte', and you can handle scents that vary from normal canal to very bad toilet to chemical/sulfuric fumes. Operated by the MMDA, the stations are actually quite nice, clean and well-maintained. But as for the river itself, Pasig River's 'cleanliness' varies from point to point as we saw during the trip. There are areas where it actually looks pretty 'okay', and there are other, horrifying areas that are floating with mounds of plastic, styro, and other non-biodegradable crap (I even saw a floating, dead cat! :( Huhu). The river has been in worse states, but it still needs some major rehabilitation. I also do think this ferry ride is quite educational, as you really see where OUR TRASH goes. Here. It will really make you think of switching to a more sustainable lifestyle. Even with those things being said, I still HIGHLY recommend everyone to give this ferry route a try if you'd like to experience a different, more rugged side of Manila. You get nice views of the several bridges, the Post Office, and Malacañang, too. NOTE: This route passes by Malacañang Palace and you can see how beautiful it is and not exactly orange like the bill (Haha), like Ronan. E here kept joking about. Though, don't take photos! It's prohibited. I was scolded by the boat crew. Haha. TIP: Try to avoid getting splashed by the water. You don't want any of that on you.

I could be wrong, but this is probably the biggest MRT station, and probably the busiest…read moreconsidering its location in the Metro. This station is practically one of the biggest hub of commuters in the Metro. I can't even begin to imagine just how many commuters go through this place. I think the government knew this which is probabl;y why they designed this place to be huge. In fact, this place probably has the most number of food stalls and restaurants along the MRT line. Heck, there's a KFC and Mang Inasal. Most MRT stations only have a wide variety of food stalls. It's a nice place if it's a empty, but a bit of a troublesome spot to be in during rush hours. I sometimes pass by here during rush hours and I swear the line gets so long that sometimes I can imagine that walking would be a better option than riding the train. This is especially true after they've cut down on the number of working trains.

MRT Ayala Station is a tricky place to be in. It's not exactly perfect especially when it's rush…read morehour and there are hoards of people in the place. The lines can drive anyone insane and the heat is sometimes unbearable. The place houses many little shops where one can buy a meal or a snack to help you stay sane in this place. Though many people hate the MRT Ayala Station, I enjoy it. It's always an experience and I never know what to expect. I appreciate the effort that the guards put in when it's rush hour and they have to make sure that the commuters stay in their line and follow the rules. The commuters are also used to the unofficial rules of this place and make life easier for everyone by preparing the exact amount needed for a ticket, standing in the right lines and not bring in items that are not allowed on the train. The people also know that they must give way to those getting off the train and try their best not to push (unless you're going too slow). Getting on a train will get you to your destination in less than an hour. If you're a girl, you're lucky. You get your own section on the train. Sometimes, I walk all the way to the end of the train 'cause there's fewer people there. Other times, when I'm really desperate, I just push myself in with the guys in their section.