Manila tops 'Worst Place in South East Asia' survey

That's got to be a slap in the face.

Manila is the worst place they’ve ever been to, according to travelers polled by travel guide South East Asia Backpacker.

Pollution, deficient infrastructure, lack of safety, and being overcrowded are among the many factors that helped us land at number 1 on the list that no country ever wants to top, obviously.

While Manila got pogi points for its “friendly” and “lovely humans,” it’s hard to argue with 17 votes that included terrible tales of getting robbed by a taxi and getting grabbed while walking down a street.

Cebu also made the unfortunate list, landing at number 10 with six votes. Travelers described the Queen City of the South as “dirty,” “noisy,” “polluted,” and “all shopping malls and no culture.”

Someone said Cebu’s food was “bland and Americanised,” though we’re willing to argue they weren’t able to taste Rico’s Lechon, or Zubuchon, or any of Cebu’s famed pig.

Two cities from Cambodia, Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville, landed at the 2nd and 3rd place respectively.

The 13-point list was dominated by Thailand, with Phuket (no. 4), Pattaya (no. 7) and Khao San Road (no. 9), and Koh Samui (no. 13) given special mention by the travelers.

The informal survey was done on the website’s Facebook page. See the complete list here.—LA, GMA News