There has always been many talks lately about the freelancers in Manila, and whether or not they are the best value in town. Well, the short answer is a definite yes, but there is much more to know about this topic, which is why I wanted to write a whole article on it.

In this guide I wanted to give the complete guide on freelancers in this city. We will learn about the best places to meet them, prices, safety concerns, and much more useful information to help you along in Manila.

Introduction

When you really think about it, Manila is arguably the best city in the Philippines in terms of nightlife, bars and entertainment for gentlemen. Yes, Manila does have some frustrations like traffic, inflated prices, and aggressive business oriented mindset of bar girls. However, the sheer amount of Filipinas in this city is a great equalizer in this regard.

So now you can imagine, with that population there will naturally be a large percentage of freelancers, who are not associated with any girly bars. They too are trying to make some money off the tourism industry, specifically the single male foreigners who are in Manila as tourist, business travelers or expats. The benefits for them is that they work independently, on their own schedule, and build there network of clients.

The benefits for the gentlemen is that they save money by hiring a freelancer.

In doing so, they can avoid paying highly inflated barfine and ladydrink costs in Manila. So over-all, it is a win-win situation. The guys get to save some money, and the girls can make a living by leveraging the competition with girly bars. The main thing to consider is safety, which I will get to later in the article.

Here is how to find freelancers in Manila

La Cafe

LA Cafe is by far the best freelancer bar in Manila. It is located in Ermita district.

The establishment is really a sports bar, and has been around for quite some time. It is open 24 hours a day, and has lots of freelancers. Were talking upwards of 100 or more on Fridays and Saturday nights. Even during the days you can always expect a decent amount of girls at this place.

Another great thing about this place is that it can be a good place to just chill out during the days. Why? because Manila does not really have many daytime girly bars, like Angeles City as an example. So LA Cafe is one of the best places to go when you feel like seeing some cute Filipinas, having a nice cold beer, eating, and watching some sports on TV.

In terms of physical appearance, the freelancers at LA Cafe are decent. You can usually find many worth going with, most of the girls fall in the average to above average category.

Every once in a while you may even find a super hot Filipina who just happens to be there to make some quick money. The place has a surprise factor with, and the variety of the freelancers is something many guys including myself appreciate.

Nightclubs

Your next option to find some P4P filipinas is to head to one of the nightclubs, specifically the ones that are known to have freelancers in them.

Royal Club in Makati is good in this regard, especially from Thursdays to Saturdays, and any other times they got special DJ events.

A great thing about this club is the facts that some of the go go bars girls come here to party after their shift is over at the go go bars in the nearby P. Burgos area. So yes, some of them are super hot, and you can expect them to want high prices for their services. In any case, this club is a great spot for listening to some music, dancing, drinking, and being around girls in Manila.

You also have Exklusive club, which is located in the Malate area. Like Royal, this place attracts many of the bar girls and freelancers in the area. Going here after 1am should be a good time to get comfortable, have a couple beers and see what you can find.

Other places to keep in mind are Chaos Club, Palace Pool Club, and Valkyrie. These clubs will have mostly normal girls, with very small percentage of freelancers. I mentioned them here as they are worth checking out anyway, since they have many cute filipinas, with a handful of working girls in the mix.

Street Freelancers

Sometimes we may forget that just hanging around the red light areas is a great way to run into freelancers. The areas with girly bars, KTVs, and gogos, will always have freelancers walking around.

P. Burgos Street and the surrounding areas is great this regard. It is also great to find some massage girls who will come to your room for massage services. .

You also have Malate red light district, which is full of KTV hostess bars. Just a few blocks is the Ermita area, which is where LA Cafe is. These nightlife areas will always have potential independent freelancers who are looking to find some customers.

Malls

The malls in Manila are also an option to find freelancers. Just keep in mind that the percentage will be low, and you may need to do some searching. The best place in this regard would be the Robinsons Mall in the Malate/Ermmita area. Generally, if they are freelancers they will make some eye contact with you, and smile. In any case, just don’t always assume she is a freelancer until you talk to her more.

Online

Going on the dating sites is actually one of the easiest ways to meet freelancers. And to be quite honest, it may even be the preferred way now in 2023. The reason is because so many girls are on their smartphones, and they have accounts on these types of apps. And the freelancers use these platforms to meet single male foreigners who are in town, or just living in Manila.

Freelancers Prices in Manila

Before letting you know of the price, I must say now that the prices in Manila for these independent ladies varies quite a bit. The reason is because Manila is a major business city, and there are many business travelers and short term travelers who use the city as a gateway to other cities in the Philippines. So the prices the freelancers throw out are not consistent sometimes. Use my guide here as a good reference point. Expect these prices:

• Short Time: From 1,500 Peso to 2,500 Peso
• Long Time: 2,000 Peso – 4,000 Peso

The higher end of the prices are for the most attractive ones. These are usually the top tier ladies, and they know there worth. They could also be KTV or go go bar girls that freelance on the side for extra cash.

Expect the lower end of the prices for the average looking ladies, or the ones a bit older (age 30+).

Safety With Freelancers

As with other things, there are pros and cons when it comes to getting the services from the independent ladies rather than just going to a girly bar.

The main thing to remember is that the freelancers are not associated with any businesses (bars). So you are on your own to do some due diligence, and get to know her a bit before spending private time together.

When you take a bar girl out you have some assurance at least. You know where she works, and can track her down in case of any issues. Bar girls also have mandatory health checks to pass before being allowed to work. Freelancers don’t.

Just be aware of these types of things, and again, be proactive in asking questions before hiring the freelancers in Manila.

RELATED READING

• Angeles City Freelancers Guide and Prices in 2020

A great source of nightlife entertainment in Manila is the girly bars, which also includes the popular go go bars in Burgos and EDSA areas. And the reasons are simple, these types of bars will give you a chance to enjoy a few drinks, chat up with some cute Filipinas, and even have the chance to take them out with you.

In this guide I wanted to give you a clear understanding of the best bars in Manila for gentlemen, and also give you a briefing about the different vibes of each place, the prices to expect, and also some personal tips on how to have some good experiences in them.

Intro to the Girly Bars

By now, most of us know that Manila has a frustration factor that comes with it, and it can be a hectic place. The traffic is horrible, and the prices are more expensive than other cities in the Philippines. The city has some pros and cons. But nevertheless, many guys still come to Manila. Why? Because the go go bars have some of the prettiest Filipinas you will see, and the other sports bars like LA Cafe have a huge number of girls there each and every night.

There are 3 Types of bars for gentlemen to enjoy in Manila:

Go Go Bars

Also called Bikini Bars in the Philippines, these are the places which have attractive dancers on stage.

At most bars, the girls wear bikinis or similar type outfits, they also do some dance shows for the audience. The customers can buy the girls Lady Drinks, and also pay a fee to the bar to take them out.

The prices at most of these places is expensive, especially for Philippines standards. But keep in mind, you are getting some great entertainment in return, and also have the the chance to meet some of the sexiest bar girls in all the country. So most guys will at least visit a few of the go go bars whenever they happen to be in Manila. They are also very popular among business travelers who want to get the most attractive girls, in a convenient way.

KTV’s

These bars are very popular among the Korean and Japanese business travelers.

As with the the go go bars, the KTV’s also have some of the best looking girls in Manila. These establishments have private Karaoke rooms which allow the customers to spend some private time with the Filipina hostesses. You can easily relax, have some drinks and enjoy the company of these beautiful girls.

These types of bars in manila are also considered pricey, but can be worth it since most of the have all you can drink policy.

Sports Bars

These are the places which have the freelancers working in them, in hopes of finding some nice foreign man to spend some personal time with.

Unlike beer bars in Thailand, who have girls associated with the bar, these girly bars in Manila do not have them employed by the establishment. You can relax, enjoy your drinks, eat, and see which girls you want to talk with.

In most cases they will make eye contact with you, smile, or even flat out approach you. So yes, they can be very fun, and also less expensive since you deal directly with the girls, and not pay for lady drinks, and barfines.

Plan B

This bar is easily one of the best girly bars in this city. The main reason is because of the dancers, they are some of the most attractive go go bar girls you will see in Manila. PLan B is a place where you can always expect to have a good time.

Another great thing about Plan B is the location. It is right in the middle of P Burgos Street. Not only are you where all the action is, but you can easily visit some other places nearby, or do some pre drinking at the lobby bar of the Royal Bellagio Hotel across the street, which is also known to have freelancers.

As you enter the Plan B bar you will usually see around 10-15 girls dancing on stage, and more of them scattered around or sitting and having drinks with company. The place also has some solo dance acts which can be fun to watch.

Over all the Plan B is one of the best girly bars in P Burgos Street, and possibly all of Manila.

Bottoms

Another great bar is Bottoms, which is just across Plan B, and next to the popular Royal Bellagio Hotel. Although the location the great on P Burgos Street, the main feature of this place is the beautiful Filipina bar girls. They are simple some of the hottest in all of Manila. Most are very young, have nice figures, and attractive faces.

Bottoms is a very popular bar, it has been around for quite some time. Many of the clientele are repeat visitors, business travelers, or expats. This is a good sign, since it usually means the service and girls are consistent, with an emphasis to make customers feel happy and entertained.

LA Cafe

Although LA Cafe is officially listed as a Sports Bar, it can also be considered a girly bar since it consistently has the most freelancers under one roof in this city. You can easily walk into this bar on any given night and find 100 or more girls sitting around waiting for some single male foreigners to come pick them up — of course for a price.

Location is in Ermita, which was once considered to be the cities legendary red light district. These days the area has been cleaned up by the authorities, but is still considered to be the “seedy” part of town.

It is one of the my favorite bars, not only just to find girls, but also to hang out and watch some sports on TV. The reason is because this place is open 24 hours. So no matter what time it is, you can always expect to go to LA Cafe and expect there to be freelancers around. This is a great thing since you always have a “daytime activity” available in case you want it. Keep in mind, there isn’t much bar action in manila in the day time, almost all the go go bars are evening activities.

Cotton Club

One of the better go go bars in this city, the Cotton Club has a good amount of hot girls working each and every night.

It is one of seven bars in the EDSA Entertainment Complex, which is a dedicated building for go go bars, similar to Bangkok’s Nana Plaza, but much smaller.

Once you step inside you will notice about 15-20 girls dancing on stage, and other scattered around or with customers in the VIP rooms upstairs. The great thing is that the rooms upstairs have views to the stage below, so you can still watch the action below.

Keep in mind to check out the other bars in the complex as any one of them might be better on any given night. It also depends on which girls are still available and haven’t been taken out yet. A great time for visiting the EDSA Entertianment complex in Manila is right around 8-9 PM. That is the time most girls will be around.

Cafe Havana

Cafe Havana is not a girly bar, it is a normal restaurant/bar located in the Greenbelt 3 terraces in Makati. But I still wanted to list it here because it can be a great place to find freelancers at night.

Usually after 11 PM you will notice some Freelancers sitting alone or in groups of 2 or 3, having drinks on the patio. There is also an inside area with a bar and dancing. The vibe here is actually quite nice, and I even recommend it just to have some drinks and relax. The food here is excellent too.

Another thing worth mentioning is that some of the freelancers here can be hotter than the girls at LA Cafe in Ermita. But LA Cafe has a huge quantity of girls every night, where Cafe Havana has less quantity.

Definitely worth checking out. The best time to find freelancers is usually from 11 PM onward.

Prices at the Bars in Manila

Below are the prices to expect that these bars, generally speaking, the prices are more expensive around Makati, and less expensive in Ermita. And Malate is somewhat like in between those two in terms of prices. Here are the prices to expect:

Freelancer Bars
Drinks: 80-135 Pesos (beers and spirits)
(No Barfine or Lady drinks)

Go Go Bars
Drinks: 140-200 Pesos (beers and spirits)
Lady Drinks: 250 – 390 Peso
Barfine: 2,500 – 3,000 Peso

Reminder: Some bikini bars have happy hour specials up until 8 PM, with drink prices in the 80 – 100 Peso range.

RELATED READING

• Guide to Go Go Bars in Angeles City

There are so many nightlife activities in Manila that it may be a bit overwhelming to first time visitors to the capital city of Philippines.

Manila is one the most entertaining cities in all of South East Asia, but the place does have some frustrations that come with. The higher prices, and less than desirable attitudes of some the businesses and bar girls can make some guys prefer to visit other places in the Philippines.

In this article I wanted to give you full overview of the nightlife in Manila. You will get a clear understanding of the most popular tourist locations, the types of bars and nightclubs to expect, and much more.

Intro to Manila

Having the best nightlife in all of the country, Manila is the best spot to be if you want to experience a wide variety of things to do at night, which for most guys includes checking out the fun girly bars and other entertainment designed for the single male travelers.

The Philippines has become more “travel friendly” the past few years. So more and more guys are making Manila a stop on their holiday, even it is just for a few nights.

What was stopping them before? Higher prices, Traffic, and Safety.

While it is true that Manila is a very fun city, just expect to spend a bit more money, be stuck in traffic longer, and be alert with regards to your safety.

On the positive side, the nightlife areas of Manila are now safer than years gone by, but you may not feel 100% safe at all times, especially in certain “dodgy” locations.

But keep in mind that it is also about perspective. Some travelers feel fine, while others may feel uncomfortable. It depends on how much travel experience you have. If you have some Southeast Asia travel experience under your belt, than you may fit right in here in Manila.

Even though Manila has some of the frustrating things about it, I still highly recommend the place. In my humble opinion, the good things outweigh the bad things. It is still one of the most fun cities in the region, and is reasonably more affordable when you compare it to other expensive cities like Bangkok, Tokyo, or Hong Kong.

Manila has some great:

• go go bars (girly bars)
• nightclubs
• rooftop bars
• KTV’s
• massage shops

Makati

This is the main financial district of the city. Makati city is mostly famous for its naughty nightlife area of P Burgos Street, which is a neon filled street full of girly bars, hotels, restaurants, nightclubs, etc.

P. Burgos Street is where you will find some the best looking Filipina bar girls in all of Philippines. Not only do they come working here because of the higher demand of tourism, but the bars in this area usually only hire the best looking and youngest women.

A few recommended go go bars are:

• Plan B
• High Heels
• Bottoms

Makati also has a few great nightclubs:

• Royal – is one of the most popular, with good crowds, especially on weekends. It is also one of the best places to meet Filipinas, including the freelancers and bar girls who get off their shift from the girly bars.
• Valkyrie – A huge and modern venue. Good crowds, with very attractive girls here.

Keep in mind that Makati is home to Greenbelt 3, which is huge and popular shopping complex. It also has some bars and restaurants that you can enjoy at night. Cafe Havana is a great place to have a few drinks or cocktails, it is located at the Greenbelt terraces. As the evening progresses you will also find many Filipinas here, many of them freelancers who come looking for single male foreigners for some company.

Malate

This area of Manila is very popular among the Korean and Japanese crowds who want to experience the Manila nightlife. The reason is because they seem to be the top clients of the popular KTV bars, which are Karaoke style hostess bars.

The KTV bars also have some very attractive Filipinas working as waitresses and hostesses. Here is how these bars operate: you usually pay from 400 – 600 Pesos per 1 or 2 hours of unlimited drinks. A lady drink will cost around 300 Pesos, and purchasing a girl one will make her come and spend time with you at your table.

Not a bad concept, and can be entertaining. The KTV’s are also a great way to network with girls, get some phone numbers/contacts. Most of these types of bars are located on Andriatico Street with more bars in the surrounding area and side streets.

The best nightclub in Malate is Exklusive. The best time to go is on the weekends. On weekdays it can be hit or miss, and the crowd can be less than inspiring. In any case, if you enjoy clubbing and are in the Malate area then definitely check it out.

The rest of Malate is mostly restaurants and some massage shops worth checking out. Just keep in mind that the main nightlife activities in this area of Manila are the KTV bars as was mentioned above.

Ermita

This part of Manila was once a dedicated red light district, and although the authorities have done a major clean up of the place, the vibe and seediness still exists to this day.

A handful of bars are worth checking out, with the most popular being the famous LA Cafe. This bar is almost like an institution in Manila. It is a sports bar at heart, with a live band stage on the upper level.

The place is almost packed every single night, with a large crowd consisting mostly of Filipinas looking to meet some nice single male foreigners for some company.

EDSA Entertainment Complex

This is a huge complex consisting of only girly bars. The EDSA complex is only worth checking out if you only want that go go bar experience. The surrounding area does not have much else in terms of nightlife activities. But the bars are entertaining enough, and have some very attractive dancers, so I must include this place in this Manila nightlife guide.

The city of Manila in the Philippines is yet another fun spot in the Southeast Asia region. Not only does it have one of the best nightlife in all of Philippines, it is also reasonably inexpensive, especially when you consider the fact that it is a major capital city.

In this brief intro I wanted to give you guys a introduction on Manila, and why it can be an excellent place for your exploration. The truth is that there are some pros and cons about this place, and I will give you a better understanding of what to expect, and my personal thoughts about the place.

Pros and Cons of Manila

A lot can be said about this place, some guys even have a “love and hate” relationship with this city. And the reasons are quite obvious, there is both good and bad things about Manila. Check it out.

Pros

• Has arguably the most attractive women
• The best bars (including girly bars) and nightclubs in all of Philippines
• Amazing nightlife, with lots of things to do
• A great online dating scene (including freelancers)
• Large quantity of hotels, at reasonable prices
• Many things to do during the day

Cons

• Can get expensive, especially at the go go bars in Makati city (Burgos Street)
• Traffic is really bad
• Does not always feel safe, especially in certain areas at night

My Personal Thoughts on Manila in 2019

Although there are some frustrations with Manila, I still do recommend the place, especially for a few days. The city has many Filipinas girls, and most of them are very attractive. There are also many normal girls who are not in the P4P scene who you can meet and date.

Safety is a concern, but only in certain areas. In most tourist areas or financial districts like Makati it is quite safe, especially in the last few years with the president of Philippines doing a great job with getting rid of criminals and drug pushers. Manila is as safest as I have ever seen.

Being close to Angeles City is also convenient. You can easily spend 2 or 3 days in Manila before heading on to explore Angeles or other cities. Just keep in mind that Manila is very hectic, and it may take you a couple days to get used to. If you like the laid back “vacation” vibes, then you may not enjoy this city very much. But for those of you that like the “city life”, you might even fall in love with Manila.

The traffic is horrible, and is one of the worst in all of Asia. Expect major delays during rush hours.

That being said, the city is still one of my favorites in Southeast Asia. The great nightlife, bars, and attractive girls makes the visit worthwhile, even if it is just for a few days.