MANILA TIPSTER: working around those NAIA metered taxis

Anyone who's flown in to Manila knows what I am talking about, it's those 'official' looking yellow cabs on queue at the arrival area of all three airports in the city. There was actually a time when they did not bleed us dry from their strange metering system so imagine the horror when all of a sudden, a traffic-less (very early in the morning) trip to Ortigas cost us close to a thousand pesos. We already have a point of comparison (it should be less than 300 pesos), being frequent travelers of the same route so it was very annoying, you don't even want to argue with the cab driver.

After this heartbreaking ordeal I figured out that you can actually get a regular cab from the departures hall, a floor above. Okay, so some people with lots of luggage won't like that (there's actually a lift somewhere), and convenience unfortunately comes with a hefty price. Of course you still have to practice caution and be sensible, but come to think of it-- you can screen for cabs.

If all this is too much, how about summoning one? The Grab the Cab app is both in itunes and android, yes you'd have to pay an extra 70 pesos for the reservation, but it's got a positive reputation among users.

Or just take the metered cab. What are balikbayans for, anyway? haha.






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