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Angeles City Tourist Information |
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Angeles City Tourist Information |
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UPDATED June 2008 Margarita Station is accredited by the Department of Tourism.
Due to the numerous questions received in the past, we have compiled this tourist information for individuals planning to travel to Angeles in the near future. We hope this answers any questions you may have about a trip to Angeles City. This page is reviewed every 30-45 days, but it is only updated when something significant changes. If you have any questions not answered here, just send us an email at manager@theville.com
International Flights into Clark (Angeles City) Asiana Airlines now flies direct into Clark from Korea. with five flights a week. All flights go through Seoul and some have long layovers there. For example the flight from Clark to LA leaves Clark at 1:35 am and gets into Incheon (Seoul) at 6:35 am, but the connection to LA doesn't depart until 4:30 pm. TIGER AIR Tiger Asia has three flights a week to Clark from Changi airport in Singapore. AIR ASIA Air Asia has daily flights (or 14 flights a week) to Clark from Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu. Daily flights from Kuala Lumpur will reach Clark at 10:30 a.m. and leave 30 minutes later. Daily flights from Kota Kinabalu will arrive at 2:30 p.m. and leave by 3 p.m. An Air Asia representative said "If these flights prove successful, there will be additional flights to and from Bangkok or any other point in Thailand." NOTES: 1) These flights are still classified as TEMPORARY?": "Luciano says the two budget carriers have been allowed to operate flights to and from Clark based on loose agreements under the EO 219’s liberalized aviation policy in Clark. The formal agreements under a country-to-country air services agreement, which require a political process of negotiating for entitlements, public hearings, and the like, will be done afterward. The budget carriers have been given temporary operating permits, renewable every month—a tedious process in an uncertain environment. Generally, airlines sell tickets that can be used for a period longer than one month. “There are more airlines interested in Clark, but they want permanent permits. They want to feel secure. What we have for now is a shortcut to the process because time is of the essence,” Luciano says. “Our neighbors are leaving us behind.”2) Both Tiger & Air Asia are "No-Frills" flights. They don't serve food & drinks for free, but you can buy drinks on board. I've seen some people that say bring your own food and others say you cannot bring food on board. They are short flights, just tough it out. NOTE: Baggage allowance is limited on these flights (generally 10 kilos). 3) Airport Departure fee at Clark is currently P 500 (?) vs the P 750 at NAIA (Manila). 4) PICK-UPS at CLARK Not yet a great business to bring a driver in at an odd time for a 1 hour job as we must pay them for a set number of hours. We currently provide the service for P350. We use our air-conditioned service vehicle which isn't a limo by any means, but it is good enough to get you to your hotel with a great air-conditioner. Space Available Military Air: The RAO in Angeles will be managing space A for outgoing flights, and you should check with your local MAC Terminal for more information on inbound flights. Lots of guys have gotten excited after reading this message. Space A flights do occur, but they are so rare that you should not plan on them at this time. All military flights into Clark are subject to last minute cancellations due to politics, typhoons, maintenance, etc. Domestic SEAIR no longer operates between Angeles & Manila. They currently have daily flights from Clark to Boracay (and to Cebu through Boracay). Flight Schedule is subject to change. See http://www.flyseair.com/flightscheda.htm for current schedule information and ticket prices.
Private Car Margarita Station is now using a Toyota van for airport pickups. This is the top of the line van that we could find in the Philippines. It has two big comfortable bucket seats and a single bench seat in the rear. The passengers have control of the air-conditioned and stereo (with CD/VCD player) from the rear. When our van is busy, or if customers want a smaller vehicle we can contract vehicles from a reliable company in Angeles City. The cost for a airport pick-up are on our PICKUP page. For more detailed information about our airport pick-up service, please see our AIRPORT PICK UP PAGE. You can email your reservations for an airport pick-up by using the form available on the airport pick up page, or contact our reservations department at reservations@theville.com Rental CarAvis and several other car rental agencies have cars available at the airport for approximately $80-130 per day. I strongly recommend against the use of a rental car if you are unfamiliar with driving in the Philippines. If you select this option, your home country license is good for 90 days, but you are better off to get a International Drivers License before you leave home. In the USA you can get them from AAA. Some agencies offer rental cars with a driver for an additional fee (usually P 800-1000 per day). Taxi The taxi's outside the arrival area of the airport are notorious for high prices and not using their meters. If you elect to take a taxi into Manila, or direct to Angeles, I recommend exiting the terminal building and climbing the stairs (one level) to the departure entrance. The taxi's in this area are ones passengers took to the airport (vs. the "airport taxis" downstairs). In the departure area you should be able to get a taxi to go downtown that will use his meter. A taxi to almost anywhere in Manila should be less than P125 (about $2.50). A taxi from the airport to Angeles will be between P1800 and P2700. The driver probably won't start his meter as at this price he isn't telling the owner of the taxi that he made the trip. I do not recommend taking a taxi to Angeles if: a) you are alone, b) you have never been to the Philippines before, or c) at night.
Southern Cross Shuttle The Southern Cross Shuttle now provides daily bus service between Angeles & Manila and Angeles & Subic. This is a nice new motor coach with a very comfortable interior.
Fly the Bus There is a non stop bus service between Manila & Angeles called Fly The Bus. In the past we have received numerous complaints about this service so we stopped recommending it. A while back it was sold and we have had no feedback since it is under new management. If you have used this service recently, please give us some feedback at manager@theville.com Air Con Tourist Bus The major bus companies have several busses to Angeles every thirty minutes to one hour, 24-hours a day. The two best busses are the Rabbit Bus or the Victory Liner. Simply take a taxi to the proper terminal and when you purchase a ticket, the agent will tell you which bus to board. Cost is approximately $2.50 (in pisos). **BEWARE that several of these busses have been subject to armed robberies in recent times. Is it really worth saving a few dollars to take a chance??
Exchange Rate For the last six months the piso has has been falling due to the weak US dollar. It is currently about P 44 :$1 (US). Most major currencies can be changed at money changers throughout Angeles City. Margarita Station currently changes US$, Aust $, British Pounds, and Yen and American Express Travelers Checks. Historically, it has been hard to find anyone that will change travelers checks in Angeles City. There continues to be people cashing stolen travelers checks in Angeles. Since we do not get reimbursed for these checks even if we have evidence that it was redeemed by the individual that purchased the checks, the rate for travelers checks is significantly lower than cash. We are currently exchanging American Express travelers checks from 9 AM until 5 PM only. However, our current rate for travelers checks is usually about 2 pisos per dollar less than we give for cash because our bank holds these checks for 30 days. We do require you to leave a photo copy of your passport and the purchase receipt. Cash Advances on Credit Cards/ATM's There are a few places in Angeles to get a cash advance on a credit card, but all will charge you 7.5 to 10 percent. ATM machines: several banks in downtown Angeles and on Clark have ATM machines. Additionally there are now ATM's in the SM mall only a few blocks from Margarita Station. Reports on what machines work at which banks change almost daily. If you are planning onusing ATM's in Angeles, I recommend you contact Rick at angeleswizard@gmail.com for the latest information.
Hotel information is now on a separate page.
Angeles City is a fairly safe town with very little major crime problems when compared with an American city of the same population. It is generally safe to roam the tourist district even after dark as long as you practice the same precautions you would at home. There are occasionally assaults on dark side streets in town. Therefore, we recommend that you take a trike or taxi from the tourist district to your hotel or apartment after dark. Brownouts are still a common occurrence in the Philippines. The power may be reliable for weeks, but you can still expect a loss of power during heavy tropical rains - most common Jun to Nov, and at any time. If you like to watch TV or stay up on world news, we have cable TV with over 30 channels including: CNN, Fox News, HBO, Cinemax, VH1, MTV, Star, and Star Movies. This is far more channels than you will receive anywhere else in the Philippines, including Manila.
If you are planning to be in Angeles City for awhile, you can have mail sent to Margarita Station. Have your friends address your mail to you at Margarita Station, 940 Fields Avenue, Balibago 2009, Angeles City , Philippines. When regular mail arrives the cashier will post the addressees name on the notice board. There is no charge for this service.
The internet has been available in Angeles City tourist district since Sep 1996. There are now internet cafes throughout the entertainment district. Some of the major hotels have internet connections available in the rooms, and several have wireless internet available in their restaurant & bar area. Some internet cafe's offer faster speed at a real premium price. (Heck, I can only type so fast!) Still others have a minimum charge. It pays to ask before you sit down.
Angeles City has one of the most active night-time entertainment districts in the country. There are approximately seventy five bars concentrated into about five city blocks in Balibago. And no, they are not all "girly" bars. These establishments range from quiet pubs, to top-of-the-line "Manila style" bars like the Blue Nile Executive Club. If you are a frustrated singer, there are about forty karaoke's spread throughout Angeles. And yes, if you are looking for "girly" bars there are plenty of them in Angeles, but it is a town where you can bring your wife or girlfriend and enjoy the town. If you do have a companion with you, check out Klub Class or Atlantis. If you are looking for a girly bar, give La Bamba, Dollhouse, La Pasha, or Atlantis a visit. Use these bars to judge the rest.
Angeles University Hospital offers us good quality medical care. About 2 hours away, Makati Medical Center the best hospital in the country -- offers a complete regional medical center. Health insurance policies that include basic dental checkup, an annual physical, emergency medical treatment, private room, etc. are available starting at P 5,500 per year. (Yes, that's about $150 per year). |
