Well, just back from AC and I can report that BFs are going strong. A fair bit pricier than before though, PHP1200-1300 on average (Atlantis excluded). Anyway, the girl gets half of that, and generally they are very happy with a PHP500-1000 tip afterwards. Beer runs from PHP65-95 and you can find a gogo bar open around the clock.
The area is gentrifying though. Things are changing. The Atlantis has had a stack of money put into it, and hundreds of girls; but it’s a souless overlit barn with higher prices and bad staff attitude to boot. Reminds me of the complaints I hear about Bangkok, but I guess that’s the way things will go eventually.
There are regular direct flights from Seoul, Macau & Singapore. Streets are now paved, credit cards can be used in many of the bars, there are a number of new guest houses, hotels and apartment blocks. To be honest, some of the tatty Wild West charm is ebbing away. Not that you’d begrudge the impoverished locals that.
At least the expat/holiday crowd are pretty much still the same for now. The alcohol raddled Pattaya Third Street types, genial overweight retirees, a few groups of younger lads on stags, discerning older Korean/Japanese salarymen. And it is a rip-roaring place to spend a few days. Atlantis and one or two of the other larger establishments excepted, the bars are fun, the stages are close and the girls are warm. It easy to walk into the Blue Nile, or the Crystal Palace and believe you’ve walked into some kind of Faustian vision. Just prior to Mephistopheles nipping in behind you and nabbing a few souls. Utterly fantastic.
Oh, and did I say the beers are cheap?
Hey Combover, so Crystal Palace is open now? It was just finishing up when I was there in April. What’s it like?
View all comments by The Ghost
Fame! And infamy to follow I’m sure (in the Carry on Cleo sense). I just posted this as a comment on an old thread and suddenly I have my very own 15 minutes. Ta smitty.
@Ghost: well, it was absolutely rocking on Saturday night. As alluded to above, if you can imagine the Devil deciding that enough was enough, and that he couldn’t quite see how Faust and the boys would top this in their quest for the pinnacle of human happiness, that would be it.
It links directly to the (quiet) Dollhouse, but you wouldn’t know what was there unless you happened upon it. Difficult to count how many girls but it’s a big amphitheatre type place and they were just everywhere, so coulda been a couple of hundred. I already had two in tow by that point so didn’t partake, but I think the quality was typical AC, a real mixed bag. Absolute corkers mixed up with some more homely but pretty girls, and some rather grim underbites about the place too. Still, friendly & fun, and young too. Mostly in the 18-23 range I would say.
View all comments by Combover
Wow! Pattaya, Chiang Mai and Angel City — aren’t we eclectic this week!
View all comments by werewolf
wats bout the chopchop any gd tukker 4 fuk sake know cpl assoc. went 2 cm at xmas said was way 2 expensive, but they had chicks in tow plus ragin habit. juz done the dry cully gai khao lunch near uni coming out,beats soi nana any day.
View all comments by tightcunt
Now I’m going to have to look up how much a PHP is. Never done the Philippines - should I?
@tightcunt: Is that even English? I have no idea what you are saying.
View all comments by Bangkok Bad Boy
@BBB: I’m pretty sure you could enjoy yourself in Angeles for a few days. Not for too long though, as it really is pretty much just girlie bars. Yes, you can play golf, or go microlighting, or hiking or somesuch, but I’d say it’s more fun to hit the place hard and get out when you feel that the delirium tremens and sleep deprivation are getting too much. There are lots of lots of sub-40kg spinners though, which you’d most certainly like.
The tips I mention above I’m certain would have the seasoned locals turning in their graves and re-examining their pension plans. See here (albeit that the article is a few months old, it’s much more authoritative than the above)…
http://www.tfs2m.com/reader-submissions/2007/11/16/city-of-angels-asian-style-by-dj/#more-536
Some girls will depart happily without any tip at all, but the level I mention is what I felt most comfortable with, ST/LT respectively.
View all comments by Combover
@ Combover — Call me a tightcunt (but not the one above this comment), but I’ve never tipped any of them over the barfine. None was asked and none was offered.
Maybe it’s because I go there only once a year, fuck every woman I can find only 1 time and then send them packing, so I really don’t care if they call me a cheap charle. But BFs are going up (1,400 now), so I feel less obliged to add to that.
Having said that, I met one girl in ‘07 on my last day who did me 6 times. I kept her number in my phoen for a year (never called, never e-mailed, never sponsored) and she was still there. Did her 4 times in 10 days and on the last day gave her like 2,000 pesos when she left.
View all comments by The Ghost
That’s easy for you to say
View all comments by doctor
I feckin hate that !!! You reply to a post and someone sneaks in between you completely ruining your comic timing
View all comments by doctor
What is AC???
View all comments by Suk Psycho
@ghost: there you go, I’m spoiling it for the others. I wouldn’t dream of calling you tight, it’s down to what you feel and I just paid what I felt was fair. Tremendous service too from all five girls over the 2 days. The tip level in my group was similar without any pre-consultation, but I’m certain the locals and regulars would protest.
I would also add that hotel costs seem a lot higher versus Pattaya.
View all comments by Combover
suk - angeles city
View all comments by smitty
Angeles City? Never heard of it but sounds good!
View all comments by Suk Psycho
AC all the best with the Big Opening smithhy I know the food will go down well, further discusion with her that knows she recons alls good with them uni girls wanting make sum cash, ooh me arms are sore now,she work landmark b4 silver srervice, shine me knob u cunt again is there gunna b any dwarfs there???
View all comments by tightcunt
Now I’ve got the City of Angels out of my system, I need another way to escape from my future ex-wife and head to BKK for a work cum uni girl fest.
Think anyone female, U-22,pale skinned and utterly ingrained in the execrable Thai system of social status might go for for a pithy, jowly, baggy eyed, 40+ sociopath?
If the answer is yes, please leave comments and invitations and I’ll do my best to accommodate all.
View all comments by Combover
I agree.
EVERYONE should go to Angeles immediately.
I’ll take care of the (soi 4) ranch.
View all comments by jack dawson
HOW DO THE GIRLS THERE STACK UP AGAINST THE THAI GIRLS?ANY GOOD LATE NIGHT DISCO TYPE CLUBS?HOW MUCH IS THE ACCOMMODATION THERE?
View all comments by zepplin
its weird. I totally hated AC. For me going someplace just to monger is boring. That is all AC has - nothing else really. no good clubbing, the food is okay but the rest of the worn down place with nothing to look at irritates me. but hey - that is just me.
View all comments by smitty
The place makes Pattaya look like a 5 star resort.
The girls? Chubby and not very adventurous in the sack.
View all comments by Kilgore Trout
Those would certainly be considered large tips. I am curious how you decided it was “fair”. Why is 1000 fair, but not 500 or 2000? You can get “sneakouts” for less than 1000 LT, without paying any barfine at all.
For those BKK guys who hate overspenders in BKK, tip half of what Combover suggests to be more in-line with the norm. If you buy lots of lady drinks, or food, you can not tip at all. If you’re nice they’ll still like you and even look forward to your return.
View all comments by Rob Woodrow
I always find this tipping thing funny. Like people are trying to set a norm so that no one overtips. Let’s be honest. I will tip whatever I want and whenever I damn well please. How can a norm be set when tipping is something we do based on the experience we had. Since we all value experiences on a different scale we will tip on a different scale. Depending on when u discovered nirvana and how much money u have will also be a factor.
BUt hey let’s establish a rate card to really take the fun out of it all.
View all comments by smitty
@rob: I guess it’s just a similar feeling I have to when I find myself haggling over pennies with a stall holder or a taxi driver.
At the end of the day, I have plenty of money and I see no problem with throwing a bit of cash the way of a girl who as been fun, skilled, enthusiatic, and would only make around GBP6.50 from the transaction by BF alone. I feel a little extra can help her quite a bit, and it is of minimal concern to me.
On occasions in any area of my life when I’ve pondered about whether I should have tipped, and not done so, I’ve almost always wished I had later.
View all comments by Combover
AC is worth going to, if only for a change of scene. I went there a couple of years ago, stayed for a week which was plenty.
I don’t think it makes sense to view it as an either/or to Pattaya, each have their pluses and minuses.
For me the advantages of AC are
1. Cheapness/VFM
The all inclusive barfine means no arguing later on. Generally all the action is LT and the girl will stay until 6am, or longer if she feels like it (or doesn’t have to rush home to attend to her kids / trike driving BF). The girls are happy with a small tip (200-300 piso) and I didn’t grudge paying it after a good performance. Drinks are very cheap, especially out at the perimeter bars.
2. Girls
The girls are pretty accommodating. Many are towards the innocent side, which is either good or bad depending on your tastes. There’s certainly an element of them wanting to find a western husband rather than short term cash, which can be used to your advantage. Looks wise, they run the whole gamut. There is a distinct simian streak in the PI gene pool, some of the girls having a “tribal” appearance, if that floats your boat. On the whole, I found their attitude good and if treated nicely, they are extremely co-operative. If you stay in one of the better hotels, many of the girls will be excited at the prospect of spending the night with you. It’s a pleasant interlude from their 8 in a bed hovel and they are suitably grateful. In fact many have never seen the inside of a decent hotel, and are fascinated by the fixtures and fittings and crisp linen.
3. Bar atmosphere
As Combover states rather eloquently, some of the bars possess what can only be described as a Faustian atmosphere. The sheer number of girls, and ratio of girls to customers (high) means you’re often spoiled for choice, with the girls competing for your attention. I just loved the sheer concentrated depravity of the place! In that respect, IMO it has an edge over Thailand. One highlight for me was the private lesbo show at Treasure Island. A must. If they’d been starved for a week beforehand, I doubt those young ladies could have dined more enthusicastically!
4. English language.
English is their 2nd language and the PI girls in general speak much better English than their TG sisters. Much easier to be understood and get stuff done.
5. Relaxed atmosphere
It’s easy to hang out with the girls at some of the smaller bars. I whiled away many afternoons there, no drinks pressure, buy the girls a few treats and they would fuss over you and fool around in the most pleasant fashion.
6. Attention
In most of the PI, tourists are a relatively rare sight. Almost everywhere I went, I got attention from women. In shopping malls, restaurants, just wandering around. Women eyeing me up, asking for my number. Plenty action there and no need to pay for it if you have the right attitude. I felt special there, whereas in Thailand, you are often just another tourist.
Disadvantages:
1. Security / safety
The PI is just not as safe as Thailand. Due to the rarity of tourists and the disparity of wealth, visitors there need to be a lot more security conscious. There are many more armed guards in evidence than Thailand. Even branches of Starbucks have a pistol packing rentacop stationed outside. Roads are poor and driving is on the reckless side. I felt less safe on the road there than in Thailand, which is saying something! Infrastructure is run down, you must be alert for potholes and trip hazards, much the same as Thailand, possibly worse.
2. Food
You don’t go to the PI for the food. Outside the top hotels, the fare is uninspiring to say the least, although some of the local stews are rather tasty. Chicken or pork adobo is excellent if done well.
3. Runners
Well documented elsewhere, but AC has always had a runner problem i.e. girls doing the bare minimum or nothing for their pay then making a sharp exit. A visit to their bar to complain can often resolve the problem in your favour.
4. Hotels
Hotels there are nothing great and the better ones are well overpriced. Poor VFM compared to Thailand.
5. Day time boredom
There really isn’t a whole lot to do there during the day in AC, unless perhaps you have some excess energy you didn’t manage to use up the night before
. Golf is an option, and I’d recommend going on a light aircraft tour over Pinatubo; very reasonable and great fun. Shopping is pitiful, very little there worth buying. I took a few books and caught up on my reading. Used English language books are readily available and cheap. Make sure to stay in a hotel with a decent swimming pool, that makes all the difference. Many girls love to swim although surprisingly for an island nation many have never been in the water.
View all comments by hoocher
hoocher - good info and u summed it up well. so well u rmind me why I have never been back after my one trip. there is just NOTHING to do but the girls and booze there. the overall setting is depressing as well. maybe with the direct flights to AC I could muster a party weekend with some of the boys but apart from that. flying there just to potentially save on some lays in hopes I might have some better experiences seems like a waste of time to me.
there are some amazing go-gos and the amount of girls is high but the overall tone to me is one of depravity at times and I felt there was nowhere to escape. no cool discos. no nice places to hang to perv on normal girls and so on.
not saying there is not appeal to some people or that those living there don’t enjoy it but it is 24×7 mongering and I am just not there really.
good info though and thanks for the write up.
View all comments by smitty
Yes, very well summed up. Seems I got it wrong on the tips though. Better go back and be extra cheap next time.
View all comments by Combover
AC sure is fun for a short visit, but any more than a week there will result in an irresistble urge to start climbing the nearest wall.
There’s an great mix of girls there, from the very innocent to the depraved. One memorable evening involved a 3some with an innocent/experienced duo. They were happy to blow me together, but when it came to screwing, they suddenly got shy and one stayed in the (small) bathroom and waited patiently until I was ready for the other and then they switched places.
It’s easy to set up 3some+ action there, and bi-girls are in decent supply if you make a little effort to find ‘em.
I also had an attempted pickpocketing incident. They have their own ladyboy (known as Backlas) problem there, similar to what you get in Thailand. Be on your guard and only keep small bills and worthless items in accessible pockets. I always use a concealed wallet in these places, hitched to my trouser belt. They tend to lurk later in the evening in the poorly lit areas. Best to go back to your hotel by trike in the evening in order to sidestep this issue.
I had decided to spend my week there trying to find a pleasant female companion to take away to Boracay. It might take a little time to find a keeper but there are plenty gems about. In the end I found a good girl who spoke excellent English and flew out of Clark to Boracay via Manila (cannot always get direct flights). The girl scene on Boracay is pitiful so don’t go there expecting to find much talent. Importing from AC is the way to go. Boracay is a great place to spend 5-7 days. The beach is fabulous, simply world class. If you have the $$$$ stay at Fridays resort. If you don’t have the $$$ stay elsewhere but go there to eat, the food is genuinely A1.
When it comes down to it, I find having a companion with a decent level of English makes a big difference. I do get a bit bored making pidgin english conversations with TGs, but then I am not expecting much from them. So if there’s one thing I can say makes the PI different, it’s the chance to find a female companion with whom you can communicate to a decent level. Of course only a smallish minority are up to that standard, but there are many more of them in the PI relative to Thailand IMO.
View all comments by hoocher
The shemales in Angeles are downright frightening. They seem to move in pairs or packs and look as if they’d knife you as soon as look at you.
I always attributed this to them being openly gay in a very macho society, and having (even more than most) to be able to take care of themselves.
View all comments by Combover