Alternative ways to go to Binondo by car

Binondo managed to keep its charm amidst the emergence of modern shopping centers and chic restaurants. I was moved by its unique appeal but as much as I love the place, the traffic and lack of parking space makes me opt for the nearest mall.

Our Binondo trips are always scheduled because our residence is far from Manila. I’ve only been to the place quite a number of times but want to visit it more often. We explored 3 ways to go to Binondo by car + some public transportation.

Option 1: From our residence to Binondo wherein we have to pass through the traffic and experience the parking hassles. (Booooo!)

Option 2: Park car at SM Manila then take a cab to Binondo Church

Option 3: Park car ar ResortsWorld Manila then take the free shuttle to Lucky Chinatown mall

When we tried option 2, we made sure that we’ll be at SM Manila by 9:45AM. We parked the car at the mall then took a cab to Binondo Church. (Cab fare was only Php70.) We went to have brunch at Tasty Dumplings, mirienda at Wai Ying then brought home fruits and vegetables. We decided to call it a day and tried to hail a cab back to SM Manila but to our dismay, all cabs already have passengers so we took the jeep to City Hall instead. Since it just rained, there was flash flood outside SM Manila and people are pushing each other because only a few can fit on the rocks to cross the street without getting their feet soaked in flood water. To make it worse, a pedicab driver is trying to squeeze in his small transportation in a very crowded and flooded area. To cut the long story short, my feet got wet and muddy. :(

We explored other options and found out that ResortsWorld Manila offers free shuttle service to Lucky Chinatown Mall. We immediately signed up for a membership at Eastwood City Mall and were given a temporary card and flyer with list of shuttle schedules. To date, we had two experiences with their shuttle and learned a lot from the first incident.

First attempt: (October 06, 2012; Saturday)

We were at ResortsWorld by 9:50AM to take the free shuttle scheduled at 10:20AM. The shuttle station is easy to find, it is located at the big open parking space fronting Remington Hotel. The shuttle was already half-filled when we arrived. We handed our temporary membership card to the driver but were informed that we have to go inside the Casino to get the actual membership card. To our surprise, there were so many people wanting to acquire their membership. The attendant told me that they expect heavy foot traffic during weekends because they have visitors from the province. We are hoping to get our membership card before the 10:20AM bus leaves but time passed and we are still waiting in line. I told my husband that we can take the 10:40AM bus instead and we became optimistic again. Funny thing was our membership cards were released at 10:38AM, we ran hoping to catch the 10:40AM shuttle but we failed. Therefore, we have to wait for the next van schedule.

We arrived Binondo at 12:45PM, did what we’re supposed to do and decided to take the 5:40PM shuttle back to ResortsWorld. Boy we were wrong, the line was so long and they have preference for those who have vouchers which can only be acquired if the passenger played in the casino. After 2 shuttle vans and 1.5 hours of waiting (in the dark, beside the plants), we were able to get a seat. (Yey, I just want to go home and rest!) We arrived at ResortsWorld at 8:30PM, left the parking area and paid Php165 parking fee. It was a loooong day.

Second attempt: (October 14, 2012; Sunday)

Armed with knowledge from our experience last October 06, we now know better. Contrary to our previous Binondo visits, this trip was impromptu because after weeks of checking prices of cooking ranges we made a decision to purchase from SM Appliance Center at Lucky Chinatown Mall due to the discount from the actual product and delivery charge. We arrived ResortsWorld at 12:45PM and took the 1:10PM  shuttle. There was minimal traffic and we reached Lucky Chinatown mall at 2:00PM (20 minutes earlier than the expected time of arrival). Because we want to veer away from long lines and more than an hour of waiting in the dark, we decided to take an earlier shuttle schedule — 4:10PM. We were at the waiting area by 4:05PM but the van was already full. We waited for the next shuttle to arrive and after 20 minutes, we were able to get our seat and left the mall at 4:40PM. We were lucky to ride with an old man who requested to pass through Skyway and shouldered the toll fees. Yey, we made it to ResortsWorld before sunset and still have enough energy to shop and have dinner.

ResortsWorld Manila Free Shuttle Tips:

1. Ensure that you have your membership card with you because you will not be allowed to ride the free shuttle without presenting it to the driver.
2. Have temporary cards validated and exchanged for actual membership cards.
3. Arrive at the waiting area at least 15 minutes before the departure time.
4. You may request the driver to pass through Skyway to avoid traffic, provided that you will shoulder the cost of toll fees.
5. Taking the shuttle from Lucky Chinatown Mall to ResortsWorld Manila can be toxic, it is best to leave prior to peak hours to veer away from long lines and extensive waiting hours.

Taking into consideration that a person needs approximately 4 hours to enjoy Binondo, my suggested schedules are as follows:

Click on the link to know other shuttle schedules.

http://www.rwmanila.com/contact-details/getting-here