Los Angeles, California

[scents01]

^thank you sis! I downloaded the LA metro train map, useful din ba to take the train? Where is the nicest spot to stay in LA?

[mooncake and leaves]

^ plenty of areas are accessible by public transportation but like what was mentioned, because of the schedule, it can take awhile to get from point a to point b. some lines run every 15-30 minutes. some run every hour. to be honest, downtown la is the only part of la that has an effective public transportation system if you will just be staying within it or close to it. and even downtown, namimili ng oras and araw when it's fun to go around.

the other advantage of renting a car is you can stay in hotels around la county as they are typically cheaper. but if you really don't want to rent drive, my suggestion is to stay in downtown para you're centrally located.

figuring out the routes is easy. ang mahirap is some local buses and train lines are iffy. but the map is good, can be handy.

[melodymedley]

Got back from LA yesterday!

I took the Supershuttle going to my hostel for the first 3 days.

Accommodation: My hostel was USA Hostels located in the Hollywood area. Isang tumbling lang from the street with stars. Very pricey for a hostel which costs $50 a night! Di ako sanay. Even the expensive hostels costs around $38 (35 euros). Very basic lang naman yung place. Then I stayed another 3 nights in my friend's house in Norwalk.

Transportation: UGH. As mentioned here, LA is a driving city and it is so spread out. I was lucky that I have friends who drove me around places. I wasn't able to ride the metro. Parking can go as low as $2 to $20. Ang saya mag-car-sightseeing kasi andaming cars na wala dito sa Pinas. In some of the freeways, may "Carpool" lane, kung saan cars with 2 or more passengers lang yung pwede dun. A lot of the cars that I saw on the road had only one passengers. Ang wasteful lang. I also booked Supershuttle going back to airport kasi nahiya nako sa friend ko to drive me there eh may pasok na sya. Shuttle from Norwalk to LAX is $39.

Food: Tried out chains like Chipotle (Mexican), Five Guys (burgers) , In & Out (burgers too), Applebee. The servings were HUGE!

Tours: The hostel offered Beverly Hills Tour for $15. We rode the bus from Hollywood to Rodeo Drive & Beverly Hills then we walked from there. The rest of the time, my good friend drove me around. We went to viewing points for the Hollywood Sign, Getty Museum, watched the Phantom of the Opera in Pantages ($50 lang in good seats. I didn't catch this when it toured in the Manila), and one day was dedicated to shopping  - we did Camarillo!

Shopping: Awesome timing because may 4th of July sale! We had fun shopping in Kate Spade in Citadel. I am not a fan of Kate Spade pero napabili ako because the bags were realllyyyy nice. I scored 3 bags which costs $95-$110 each (Loden, Goldie and something). Mas madaming brands sa Camarillo compared to Citadel. I got some Burts Bees lip balms ($3; Kiels lip balms were at $7 lang), the cookie butter from Trader Joes ($4ish) and a bunch of other items as well.

Parang tinamad tuloy ako i-explore ang US. Unlike in Europe, public transpo is efficient and you can just walk or take the train/tram. In LA particularly, you have to drive. I drive pero pang Pinas driving ang skills ko. hehe. In LA, wala akong narinig na busina.

Now back in Pinas, sinalubong ako ng maulan at matraffic na Pinas. Nevertheless, I am still glad to be back. I'd rather have wet armpits than chapped lips, cracked heels and dry skin. 

[TysLolakins]

"..Now back in Pinas, sinalubong ako ng maulan at matraffic na Pinas. Nevertheless, I am still glad to be back. I'd rather have wet armpits than chapped lips, cracked heels and dry skin."
[/size]
[/size]^ natawa naman ako dito sa 'baskil' mo.  i'm the opposite, i'll take dry heat anytime over too much humidity
[/size]
[/size]too bad you didn't seem to enjoy your trip here.  yes, kailangan may tutuluyan ka at mag-drive to take you places. 
[/size]gawin ko na lang kaya business ito, tutal madami kayong gustong maglibot dito sa LaLa-Land.  for a fee, i will let you stay at my house and drive you around...hahaha, joke lang po.
[/size]

[melodymedley]

^ I think I was surprised that the gravity of the "wastefulness" ba. Sure, the freeways are huge (and free too!) pero one person per car! I was observing. Sayang sa gas. Also, as a solo traveler, naisip ko ang hirap naman i-explore if ako lang at wala akong kilala. I've always thought LA (and the US too) was something fascinating. Pero ang masaya for me was the shopping portion. Good thing I had good friends with me.

And ibang level pala ang homeless people sa LA! Yung hostel near Hollywood, talamak ang homeless people around the area. When we passed by 7-11 in the neighborhood, may isang homeless man na nanghihingi ng tubig:

Homeless man: Hey man, can you buy me a bottle of water?
Guy: No man
HM: Come on, just a dollar for water
Guy: No
HM: Oh f*** you! *Walks away*
*our group nervously looked away*

After two minutes, he walked back and threw a lollipop at the guy. Nganga kaming lahat. And that was during my first day in LA!

When I was walking around Hollywood Rd naman the next day, naglipana ang homeless checking out the trash cans. Some of them approached me and asked me for money, food or offered a tour. One got really aggressive and followed me til the next block. I looked at him and said "No English". He left me alone. I was exploring the street alone I think that was one of the very rare moments na natakot talaga ako while I was traveling alone. Sabi ko sa friend ko, ang aggressive ng pulubi nyo dito!!!


Pwede mo ngang business yan sis! Pwede kang mag-offer ng routes around LA. Yung airport, Citaldel & Camarillo, Hollywood tour, Beverly Hills Tour, Santa Monica & Palos Verdes.

[mooncake and leaves]

^ natawa din ako sa observations mo. but i can't blame you haha. i don't think la is the only driving city or that it's the only driving state. the US as a whole, i think, is a driving nation. pronounced lang ang kabaliwan over driving in la because out of the major cities in the US, in terms of walking and public transpo nga, it really has to be the worst. ang laki laki tapos kalat kalat.

the bums in hollywood are really something, no? ako din dati, some bum told me he was gonna kill me lol.

but i hope this didn't turn you off. i've traveled around the US and la is just a small part of the entire country. it's beautiful especially the national parks.

personally i love la-- downtown, pasadena, santa monica, miracle mile, etc. places na medyo mas immersive. sana you could have visited those. baka your experience would have been better. hollywood kasi talaga, without a guide, is a tourist trap.

[sarsingkit]

^pero ok naman sis sa Hollywood area? Dun kami magstay eh.

We are flying on the 19th na pero sa Vegas muna kami then drive to LA on the 21st. Excited na ako makaalis ng opisina.

[mooncake and leaves]

^ it's ok as long as you're not reduced to that area for your entire stay. i think that stretch of hollywood & highland to hollywood & vine, you can see in under an hour. but maybe that's just me. for me, any longer and i feel like blowing my brains out. sobrang crowded kasi and wala ka naman talaga makikita masyado unless you do those historical tours or you know someone who can take you to the oddities around the area. the good thing about hollywood is madali dali kahit papaano to navigate it even without a car because of the metro red line stations.

have fun!

[gas6183]

hi mga sis... tanong ko lang po kung pwede bang mag drive ng philippine drivers license sa L.A ? papuntang San diego. Hindi namen kasi alam e. Kasi 1st time ng kapatid ko pumunta ng U.S   Ako hindi pa nag da drive dito hehe. Kelangan ba ng international license? o pwede ng hindi? non pro ang license niya. hehe mahirap kasi kasama namen ang parents namen kaya mas gusto ko sana mag drive kung pwede hehe . Saka kung san po ang link na pwede po ang license para ma print namen din if ever. Salamat mga sis.

[bagaholic_chewy]

^ my husband used his regular PH driver's license lang naman when we rented a vehicle in NY and Vegas/LA. allowed naman yata for tourists. Pag extended periods (like monthSSS), i think yan yung kelangan na ng international license..

[gas6183]

^ my husband used his regular PH driver's license lang naman when we rented a vehicle in NY and Vegas/LA. allowed naman yata for tourists. Pag extended periods (like monthSSS), i think yan yung kelangan na ng international license..

       thanks sis

[mama squeak!]

You can use your PH driver's license for up to a year.

[scents01]

Flight na namin this monday.. We'll be staying in Koreatown for a month, heard it's in Downtown area so hoepfully we made the right choice lol drive na lang siguro over the weekend in SFO and Las Vegas.. Im excited to do Camarillo!

[simang]

Just finished backreading. I'm actually just waiting for my flight to LA. Will be staying in Glendale for 4 nights, then 2 nights sa downtown LA.

Okay ba yung mga free LA walking tour? I'm thinking of joining the downtown tour and the hollywood tours. Free naman eh, haha! Also planning to watch a concert at the Roxy Theater.

Natakot naman ako sa mga homeless -_- Medyo creepy for a solo traveler. Hay.

Anyway, how bad is the public transpo? Like anong horror stories to? Trains and buses ba hindi okay? Kasi i'll be commuting from Glendale to LA. I'm reading about how accurate the google maps public transpo suggestions are and they said fairly accurate naman, but kinakabahan pa din ako. Haha! Renting a car is not an option since I don't know how to drive. Haha. But i'll be meeting a friend naman in LA and she'll tour me around. Yung commute lang from Glendale ang inaalala ko.

[TysLolakins]

^Glendale is adjacent to Downtown LA so I'm guessing one bus ride lang yon.  Sorry sis, wala ako masyado experience as regular bus transpo, at most lang na experience ko ay yung  FlyAway from VanNuys to LAX.
Yes, in Downtown LA marami homeless but I don't think they're any creepier than the beggars in Manila.  Just make sure you're always with a crowd and don't roam the streets at night by yourself. 
Hope you enjoy your stay here, again kahit naman saan, just be aware of your surroundings.
And good luck on your exam!!!

[mooncake and leaves]

scents01: koreatown is not exactly in downtown but it's close enough. about 15-20 minutes.

simang: use this: www.metro.net
that should give you better directions as to which buses to take, where to stop, etc. know your cross streets and know the stop before your actual stop. this is because you need to ring the bell before your stop. if you're not sure, when you board the bus, let the driver know where you need to get off and just tell them you're not familiar with the area. drivers are generally helpful naman.

here's another tip for riding the bus -always take the aisle seat, preferably by the back/the ones close to the rear door. this because if it's crowded, people typically crowd in the front. also because if there are disabled passengers, if you're sitting in the front, they'll ask you to move. also, people you don't want to sit next to are usually aware that they should sit by themselves (lol) and they usually go either to the very back of the bus or the front. so if you're blocking the window seat, 95% of the time, they will not attempt to sit there. but if you're occupying the window seat, they will just sit next to you.

glendale is close din to dtla. the only disadvantage is there are no trains and there are only a handful of buses connecting it to downtown. i've tried a couple before- metro 28 (but this one, its last stop in glendale is the boundary between glendale & eagle rock) and the metro 603, which you can take from glendale galleria. parusa nga lang, sobrang tagal ng biyahe.

don't worry about the bums. they usually mind their own business.

[simang]

Thanks sis TysLolakins!! Medyo kinakabahan talaga ako, parang first time ko magtravel abroad na hindi okay ang public transpo, haha pero hopefully everything goes well

Sis mooncake, thanks sa tips!! Will definitely keep those in mind. Will take a look into metro.net din. Thank you!!! flight is in 40mins, excited na ko

[byutijunkie]

Hello!  Has anyone tried joining an LA to San Francisco tour?  Like sa tours4fun and starline?  Any feedbacks?  Hubby and I are planning to take this para wala na kaming gagambalaing mga relatives or friends to take us around.  Plan is just to meet them after the tour.  Okay ba magjoin ng mga tours dito? Tia!

[sarsingkit]

Just came back from South California.

Accommodation: We stayed at an Airbnb flat walking distance to Hollywood Blvd. and very close to Hollywood Freeway. If we are early, less than 1 hour ang Anaheim. Glad we stayed near Hollywood Blvd kasi if ever we get back to LA, hollywood blvd is not something na pupuntahan ko ulit or sasadyain. So glad we stayed there, so nakita na din namin while looking for places to eat or just walking in the morning. When we arrived, we ate at in and out sa Sunset Blvd so medyo mahabang stretch din sya of walking and it was like 7 pm so naglalabasan na mag tao doing "shows" and we went to Madame Tussauds na din.

Transpo: we rented a car so hindi problema ang transpo but the driving, oh boy! Almost like Manila na, hindi na ako sanay. Drivers are changing lanes ng wala lang and swerving too. Parang  nasa Disney ride pa rin kami. Hehe. Speed limit is almost moot. Kung sobrang traffic, para saan pa ang speed limit. Kung hindi naman traffic, wala naman sumusunod. When we get to LA, syempre sumusunod pa kami sa speed limit  sumosobra pa kami ng mga around 5 mph pero binubusinahan lang kami so go with the flow na lang si hubby. Masaya naman sya, feeling fast and the furious lang. Also, one thing na hindi namin na expect is rental cars are quite far from LAX, may free shuttle naman going to terminals pero something to allot extra time lang.

Food: We ate at in and out, Jollibee and chowking (syempre), PF Chang, Boiling Crab, Thunder Ranch sa Disney at hindi ko na matandaan yung iba. We bought pasalubong from Red Ribbon and Porto's . Sa nagsuggest ng Porto's, thank you! Potato balls is so so for me but the Cheeserolls, ah heaven! Ang mura pa, less than 1 dollar ang isa.

Attractions: Syempre Universal and Disney. Buti sa Universal may fans with mist, sa Disney wala. Ang init, jusko. Nakakadrain. Hindi pa kami nagCalifornia Adventures nyan. Kaya bilib ako sa nga bata and even some moms na nakadisney princess costume pa. Napaka init. Peo sabi nga nung taga Arizona na kausap namin habang nasa pila is, "is this hot for you?" Big yes naman kami ni hubby. On our shuttle ride going back to the parking lot, yung mga kids, punong puno pa rin ng energy. Kausap namin yung isang family, sabi ng mga kids, babalik pa daw sila tomorrow. Sabi ng parents,3 days yung ticket nila. Nanghina si hubby, iniisip pa lang daw nya, pagod na sya. Buti maaga kami sa Disney, nakaka 5 rides kami agad in 4 hours. Halos walang wait time yung 1st 2 rides namin. A couple ask us to take their pictures in front of the castle castle. Aba, ang guy biglang naglabas ng engagement ring. I was shocked and happy. Hehe. Sayang nga hindi kami nakapagpapicture na 4 eh. Okay, i'm not saying all but some tourists coming from China are talaga naman! walang pakialam sa mga tao sa paligid nila especially sa Disney and Universal. Jusko, isa lang ang pila tapos tipong 10 pala yung kasama nya na papasingitin sa line. Sana naman pumila na sila lahat diba, ang dami daming family with toddlers na nagtitiis sa init at pumipila. Nababalewala kasi yung wait time na nilalagay sa mga rides eh. Tapos, kakausapin ko or magtatanong ka,parang walang naririnig. But we met, 2 Chinese students at Thunder Ranch na ok naman. Katable namin sila and very responsive naman. Ang yaman lang nila. Tour daw for the school yung trip nila in South California and 14 days sila. Tinanong pa kami kung magkano daw usual na tip sa waiter. Sabi ni hubby, nung HIghschool ako, wala ng tip tip sa kiin.Tumatayo na lang ako. Lol. One bonus at Universal, we saw Mario Lopez shooting a segment for Extra. Nasa background pa kami. Feel na feel naman namin ang pag-applause pag sinasabihan kami nung segment director. Hehe. 

We also went to SanDiego and Long Beach - favorites places ko of the entire vaacation.

We also watched the Angels game against Texas Rangers. We were supposed to watch Intl cup - LA Galaxy vs FC Barcelona kaso yun pa lang yung day ng dating namin eh ayaw namin masyado magmaali. Buti hindi kami bumili ng ticket kasi past 6 na kami nakadating ng LA eh 7 ang start. I wont pay 150 usd ticket kung hindi ko masisimulan.

Shopping: Hindi kami masyado nag shopping, we only went to Carlsbad ng saglit. I only bought Nike shoes and si MIL (they were also visiting) bought Michael Kors. Sayang nga, ngayon ko lang naisip na sana bumili din ako. Next time na lang. Mostly souveneirs ang binili ko. I'm saving luggage space for starbucks mugs and tumblers.

Overall, masaya naman sya. At least naka LA and Disney na kami without kids. Alam na namin ieexcpect namin once may kids kami na kailangan dalhin sa Disney. It is a battlefield out there. Hehe. Siguro, pag bumalik kami, magstay na lang kami ng downtown LA or Anaheim na lang. Kasi if you want to go to SanDiego too, parang nasa gitna na yung Anaheim.

[simang]

Now home from my 1 week cali trip! Stayed in Glendale for the first few nights, glad that our hotel in Glendale was just right across Americana at Brand, and Galleria. May target sa Galleria, so basic groceries were very accessible. And of course, shopping and restaurants galore naman sa Americana.

Eto yung restos na natry ko:

Porto's, walking distance lang from the hotel. Nakakatuwa kasi lahat ng friends na mineet ko sa Cali, highly recommended nila ang Porto's. The best ang cheese rolls!!! Nung last day ko my friend and i had lunch din at Porto's and we ate their Cuban sandwich, ang sarap din!! Cheap pa. Nag-uwi ako ng 2 dozens ng cheese rolls haha. Kebs na sa hassle na malaking box na bitbit ko the whole time pauwi. Buti na lang masarap pa din kahit 1 day old na sya.

The place was also very near In n Out, syempre on my first day triny ko agad. Burger is okay pero i was disappointed with the fries, kahit sabi nila fresh cut daw yun and hindi frozen.

I also tried another burger place calles Habit. I liked it better than In n Out.

Friday Mexican Grill. Walking distance lang din from the hotel. Medyo pricey (15-30 usd price range) pero bongga yung soft tacos nila, super sarap! So worth it and 30 dollar dinner for me.

Flame Broiler, common Chinese fastfood to around the area. Sakto lang, madami yung serving and masarap yung chicken toppings but the veggies di ko nagustuhan. Pero pwede ng pang satisfy ng kanin-craving haha.

Bottega Louie in downtown LA. I tried their Hanger Steak, okay naman pero siguro better kung medium lang yung pinaluto ko instead of well done. But i love their macarons! Ang cute pa ng packaging

The Cheesecake Factory, of course! Haha. Masarap yung food and relatively cheap na since sobrang laki ng serving. And the cheesecake, heaven! Sobrang melt in your mouth literal.

Pink's Hotdogs. triny namin yung nasa Universal and not the original one in La Brea. So-so lang, lasang hotdog naman haha. The fries is okay

Square One in Fountain Ave. I ordered the egg's benedict and i loved it. My friend had pancakes and hindi daw masarap. Hehe. But i loved the place sobrang back and according to my friend, para lang kaming nag maginhawa.

Gwang Yang Korean BBQ. We're supposed to eat at the Boiling Crab pero 2 hrs waiting time daw. Kumusta naman male-late ako sa flight ko haha. So we ended up in this korean bbq place. The bbq is pricey, pero the food is good naman. I had spicy cold noodles and super dami ng serving didn't even finished half of it. But it was really tasty.

Katsuya. I had ramen and so-so lang. Haha! Parang mas masarap pa ramen ng yoshinoya (and i dont even like their ramen). Pero masarap yung salmon sashimi.

Among all the food places Porto's won my heart. Haha. And The Cheesecake Factory comes second.