In biblical terms there are some who think that the “City of Angels” has more in common with Sodom and Gomorrah than with anyplace else except perhaps Dodge City and the wild, wild west. Let’s just say it is an “interesting” place.

Angeles City which has a colorful history of its own, lies adjacent to the former Clark airbase and now renamed the Clark Economic Zone in Pampanga province some 75 kilometers north of Manila. It came to fame during the days of the American forces, when young ladies from all over the Philippines flocked to Angeles in hopes of finding a rich husband or at least of making a few bucks. The bars, bath-houses and brothels that seem to accompany the US forces wherever they go, blossomed. In short, Angeles was known as the sex capital of the Philippines.

Times now are a lot tougher. Firstly came the end of the US Forces Agreement in 1991. Then to make matters worse, the adjacent volcano of Mount Pinalubo blew its top and covered the city in ash. Still Angeles lives on and, indeed, continues to flourish albeit at a lower level of activity than in its heyday (or at least so we are told).

You can see it all in Angeles. There are of course the young studs (and some not so young) looking to make their mark on the beer and the girls (not necessarily in that order) through to the eighty year olds from Melbourne stretching their invalid pensions and sporting their 20 year old “wives” on their arms. In between you have the fifty-somethings trying to look twenty somethings and we are talking more about the ladies than the guys – who don’t seem to care that much about their looks judging by some of the stomachs we have seen. Seeing a woman of mature age with bleached hair, barrel top and six inch platform shoes is breathtaking and somehow makes the trip worthwhile.

Most of the action is on Fields Avenue and the adjacent side streets and there are bars that cater to all tastes and some even go 24 hours. Beer is cheap – around P35 during happy hours and rising to the dreadful price of P50 of an evening. If you in Manila and are serious about a drinking binge then it is cheaper to catch the bus to Angeles after work, drink there and then take the bus home than it is to have your bash in Makati. You work out ahead after about 4 drinks.

Recommendations? – Always a difficult task though if you are after class then we suggest you start with the “Roadhouse” or (next door) “Illusions”. Both of these are very well run bars that have been around for a long time. After that – go with the flow. There are plenty of websites promoting the various bars. You can find them.

If you are intent on doing the strip there are a number of reasonably priced tourist hotels on and off Fields Avenue. We recommend the Europhil (up the road a bit and on a quiet stretch of the street) or the Orchid Inn (at the hub of the bar area) as good places to start. Room prices start around P900.

If you want to go a little more up market and want to be a little more secluded then the Woodlands Park Hotel or the Swagman would be good options. Both are more like resort hotels with good swimming pools and other amenities. Woodland is American owned while the Swagman is an Aussie chain (could it be anything else?). Prices are from P1200 up.

If you are not there for the bars but for serious business then the Clark Holiday Inn is the place to head for. It is the only truly international standard hotel in the area – but of course you are in a different price league.

There are other good reasons to go to Angeles besides the bars. Whether a construction worker from the provinces or a banker from Manila, Angeles offers an excellent low-cost weekend getaway from noise, congestion and pressures of work. The area sports a number of first class golf and country resorts as well as a flying club located at Clark airport. There are some very good duty free stores for shopping in the Clark Economic Zone that offer a wide range of grocery, fashion and household goods from all over the world.

There is also an interesting “thieves market” towards the Dau end of McArthur Avenue that is worth a visit. Your hotel will give you directions.

How to get there? Locals will take the bus. Victory buses ply the route between Manila and Dau (pronounced Dah-oo) adjacent to Angeles. Buses leave from the EDSA Victory terminal in Pasay City every twenty minutes or so. Fare is around P100 for the air-conditioned bus and less for cattle class. From the Dau terminal you can take a trike to your hotel. Pay no more than P50.

The no-hassle alternative is to “fly the bus”. The Swagman hotel runs an air-conditioned bus service to Angeles at regular intervals throughout the day. The fare is more pricey at P350 one way but the service is good and, more importantly, safe. Buses leave from the Swagman hotel in Ermita and will drop you at a number of points in Angeles depending on where you are booked. They also offer to drop you at the airport on return for an extra P100.

For those in a hurry you can always take a taxi but you need to negotiate to get a reasonable price. Local residents would not pay more than P1300-1500 for the ride (depending on traffic) although at the airport drivers will probably ask for P2000 or more depending on perceptions of your affluence and urgency to get into it.

As they say, “yer pays yer money and yer takes yer choice”. Indeed that sums up Angeles.