For vacationers, backpackers and province-based vacationers, Manila is commonly simply regarded as a stopover between flights on the way in which to a different vacation spot. The massive metropolis may be overwhelming with the heavy site visitors and crowded streets. It’s usually seen as gritty and chaotic, particularly in the event you go to the areas of Quiapo and Divisoria.
I usually take the vacationer sights in Manila without any consideration as a result of I dwell right here. But when I have been a first-time vacationer within the Philippines or if I needed to take round international vacationers, balikbayans, expats or province-based buddies, what would I do and the place would I am going?
NOTE: This listing options primarily issues do within the Outdated Manila / Pasay space that are geographically close to the airport and a few areas in Makati & Taguig, which you’ll be able to attain by MRT. I’ve additionally tried to zero in on the distinctive and enjoyable actions which are distinctly Filipino or consultant of the native tradition in Manila or the preferred points of interest you possibly can solely discover right here.
For many who need to discover Manila and past, guided excursions to all of the Philippines’ must-visit locations like Bohol, El Nido, Siquijor, and extra supply a easy expertise by means of the nation’s breathtaking landscapes.
Intramuros is the oldest district and historic core in Manila, Philippines. It’s the one district of Manila the place previous Spanish-era influences are nonetheless plentiful. High vacationer spots right here embody Fort Santiago, a well-maintained park, the Baroque San Agustin Church and Manila Cathedral. Guests can stroll round Intramuros or experience a kalesa (horse-drawn carriage).
BOOK A GUIDED WALKING TOUR HERE
A singular approach to go across the historic walled metropolis of Manila is by bamboo bicycle with Bambike Ecotours. The bicycles with bamboo frames are handmade by Gawad Kalinga villagers, a social enterprise within the Philippines. Vacationers can cowl extra floor than if on a strolling tour and it gives a extra energetic approach to get round in contrast touring round by motorized transport.
Worldwide vacationers who need the providers of a educated information and a background on the historical past of every vacation spot can avail of the Intramuros Expertise, a 2.5 hour lengthy tour to go to 10 key websites (P1,200 per particular person). The price is inclusive of motorcycle & helmet rental, bottled water and entrance charges. Tour schedule: 10:00 am – 12:30 pm and three:00 pm – 5:30 pm.
The Categorical Tour is a 1 hour tour the place you possibly can select your individual journey for P600 per particular person per hour. When you need to discover by yourself with out a information, you possibly can merely hire bikes for P100 per Bambike per hour. For inquiries, contact Bambike Intramuros. Plaza San Luis Advanced, Actual St. cor. Common Luna St. Intramuros, Manila. Open 9 am to six pm. Contact: 5258289.
Remember to cease by the San Agustin Church of Manila, certainly one of 4 Philippine church buildings constructed through the Spanish colonial interval designated as a World Heritage Website by UNESCO, beneath the collective title Baroque Church buildings of the Philippines. It was named a Nationwide Historic Landmark by the Philippine authorities in 1976.
BOOK YOUR INTAMUROS BAMBIKE TOUR HERE
2. Spend the day exploring museums
When you’re into historical past and tradition, there are lots of museums, each conventional and fashionable round Metro Manila which you could go to relying in your pursuits. Within the previous Manila space, this contains the three Nationwide Museums, Casa Manila, San Agustin Church Museum, Museo ni Jose Rizal-Fort Santiago, Bahay Tsinoy and extra.
One of the crucial standard museums you possibly can go to free of charge is the Nationwide Museum of Pure Historical past in Rizal Park, which affords a number of galleries that includes the nation’s wealthy biodiversity. The “Tree of Life” elevator, its central characteristic, is an attraction by itself. This museum additionally comprises the skeleton and stays of Lolong, the world’s largest saltwater crocodile ever captured (size: 6.17 meters; weight: 1,075 kilograms).
Makati and BGC even have quite a few notable museums together with Ayala Museum, Metropolitan Museum, Yuchengco Museum, The Thoughts Museum and extra.
3. Expertise iconic landmarks and meals in a single house
Meals Wanderer x Lakbay Museo is an interactive museum in Ayala Malls Manila Bay that can enchantment to worldwide vacationers. This museum offers guests an opportunity to stroll by means of replicas of iconic landmarks discovered across the nation, style samples of regional delicacies, see uncommon handwoven textiles, and participate in conventional folks dances.
The museum offers guests an opportunity to journey throughout the Philippines and study extra about its wealthy historical past and tradition in slightly below two hours. It additionally options one of many largest collections of meals replicas, focusing of regional specialties and native delicacies of the Philippines.
4. Go liquor-tasting on craft spirits
When you like ingesting and are searching for one thing distinctive to do after the common vacationer circuit in Intramuros, how about going alcohol tasting at a Liquor Museum? Destileria Limtaco, the oldest and largest distillery within the Philippines based in 1852, opened their liquor-themed museum in Intramuros in February 2018.
The museum affords optionally available liquor tasting of their brews and craft spirits after guided excursions. They’ve their very own line of craft spirits together with sugarcane wine, mango rum, premium lambanog or coconut vodka, and occasional liqueur highlighting native flavors and elements.
5. Chow down on native specialties
Probably the most well-known conventional Filipino dishes that first-timers ought to attempt are Adobo (often hen or pork cooked in soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic), Sinigang (Filipino soup or stew seasoned with tamarind), Sisig (grilled pork face, ears, brains, snout, cheeks, and hen liver and many others.) and Kare-Kare (Oxtail stew).
Commonest road meals (all kinds of cheap delicacies which you could purchase from distributors or peddlers on the streets) could be a little bit of a shock to foreigners. The most well-liked Pinoy road meals contains fish balls, kwek-kwek, kikiam, adidas, taho, sorbetes (ice cream), and the notorious balut (duck embryo).
For a extra upscale eating expertise the place you will get road meals platters, attempt Locavore Kitchen & Drinks, which serves nice Filipino comfort meals made enjoyable and artistic (like Scorching Sinigang and Oyster Sisig!) Locavore initially began in Kapitolyo, Pasig however now has 4 branches together with one in Mall of Asia advanced in Pasay Metropolis.
One other great spot to get Filipino meals is Manam, which has numerous branches in malls and a great flagship department in Ayala Triangle Gardens.
Sampaguita (Jasminum sambac) is the nationwide flower of the Philippines. It’s a really candy smelling tropical flower which distributors often promote in garlands or necklaces to function air fresheners for automobiles or to hold in spiritual statues. When you’re within the Intramuros/Manila space, you possibly can go by Ilustrado restaurant to attempt their distinctive model of Sampaguita Ice Cream.
Seaside Dampa, the place you possibly can pick contemporary seafood from a market stall and have them cook dinner it for you might be additionally standard with vacationers searching for a distinct type of eating expertise. The Seaside Dampa in Macapagal is an effective possibility for these based mostly in motels within the Manila space.
Halo-halo is among the hottest Filipino desserts with mixtures of shaved ice and evaporated milk added numerous elements, together with boiled candy beans, coconut, sago, gulaman (agar jelly), tubers and fruits.
6. Hunt for road artwork
Avenue artwork or public artwork is an enormous a part of city tradition. In contrast to artwork you discover in museums, this sort of media staged within the streets, walkways and buildings makes artwork extra accessible to the general public. The most effective locations to see massive scale public artwork in Manila is Bonifacio World Metropolis (BGC) in Taguig, the place worldwide and native artists painted giant murals on buildings as half of the Artwork BGC Competition.
READ MORE: Artwork within the Metropolis: Murals in BGC
DIY strolling excursions round BGC are FREE. For guided excursions, go to the Alveo Showroom on Bonifacio Excessive Avenue, the place strolling excursions will depart each day at 5:30PM.
You can even spot numerous fascinating road artwork made by native graffiti artists in Manila across the Intramuros space.
READ MORE: 5 Locations to Spot Avenue Artwork within the Metro (ALBUM: Biking x Avenue Artwork)
“Ang Bakunawa at Minokawa” by Ang Gerilya on Gen. Luna Avenue nook Anda Avenue, Intramuros options Philippine mythological creatures. The Bakunawa is a huge sea serpent that swallows the moon inflicting an eclipse. The Minokawa is a huge hen from the dragon household that swallows the solar.
7. Go food-tripping round Binondo
“Wok your manner” round Binondo, the oldest Chinatown on the earth, established in 1594. Binondo is a widely known cultural and foodie haven in Manila the place yow will discover over 100 + restos from genuine hole-in-the-wall haunts to upscale family-style buffet Chinese language eating.
Outdated Manila Walks affords guided meals excursions round Binondo known as the Large Binondo Meals Wok, which permits friends to eat their manner round essentially the most intimate alleys of Binondo, Manila’s historic Chinatown. My top 5 suggestions in Binondo are:
- Dong Bei Dumplings (kuchay and pork dumplings, deep-fried scallion desserts, tofu Burger, xiao lengthy bao)
- New Po-Heng Lumpia Home (lumpia)
- Sincerity Cafe & Restaurant (fried hen, oyster cake)
- Cafe Mezzanine (Kiampong, stir-fried tofu, wintermelon tea)
- Eng Bee Tin Chinese language Deli (take-out goodies, crispy mikiron)
BOOK THE BIG BINONDO FOOD WOK TOUR HERE
READ MORE: Meals Journey: Binondo
8. Go bargain-hunting
Discount hunters and shopaholics would possibly need to take a look at the assorted weekend markets, bazaars, thrift shops and vintage outlets across the metropolis. Fashionable locations for buying embody Quiapo, Divisoria, Greenhills, Bangkal, Tiendesitas, Dapitan Arcade & the Salcedo Weekend Market.
Quiapo is known as the “Outdated Downtown of Manila.” It’s dwelling to the Quiapo Church, the place the feast of the Black Nazarene is held with tens of millions of individuals attending yearly.
Quiapo has additionally made a reputation for itself as a spot for market for cut price searching. It might get fairly crowded round Quiapo although, which is likely to be a tradition shock for international vacationers.
You will get your fortune advised from conventional fortune-tellers proper exterior the Quiapo church. You can even discover distributors promoting anting-antings (or amulets) that are believed to battle evil spirits. The charms are believed to deliver luck to people’ lives, from curing all kinds of sicknesses to including monetary blessings.
For classic furnishings, thrifted garments, vinyl, secondhand books and extra, take a look at the group market within the First United Constructing in Escolta.
9. Go to malls and casinos
When you’re actually into buying, you possibly can go to the SM Mall of Asia or MOA, a buying advanced within the Bay Metropolis, Pasay space that’s thought-about one of many largest buying malls on the earth. In the back of MOA, yow will discover the MOA Eye, a 55 meter (180 toes) tall Ferris wheel that gives a 360 diploma view of the SM Mall of Asia and surrounding areas of Pasay Metropolis.
There are lots of casinos comparatively close to the airport together with Resorts World Manila, Metropolis of Desires and Okada Resort Manila, the biggest ultra-luxury built-in on line casino resort within the Leisure Metropolis.
One of many prime attracts in Okada is The Fountain, presently the most important multi-colored dancing fountain on the earth which rivals different spectacular fountains in Dubai and Las Vegas. Fountain reveals, which run each hour are free for the general public to look at. The Fountain is open from Monday to Sunday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
For leisure vacationers searching for a celebration vibe, the Cove Manila, an indoor seashore membership by day and a membership vacation spot by evening, affords an upscale social gathering hub and is presently essentially the most glamorous social gathering vacation spot in Manila.
10. Pattern the native beer
The most well-liked mainstream beers within the Philippines, out there in most eating places and bars in all places embody San Miguel Pale Pilsen, San Miguel Mild and Crimson Horse. You will discover these virtually wherever within the nation. These are sometimes paired with pulutan (bar chow) favorites like sisig, crispy pata, chicharon or hen pores and skin.
However except for the business beers, the craft beer tradition is booming in Manila, with numerous small microbreweries across the nation producing small batches of craft beer. Extra broadly out there craft beer manufacturers yow will discover in bars and eating places embody Engkanto, Loopy Carabao and Boondocks. When you’re within the previous Manila space, Fred’s Revolucion in Escolta affords a great spot for drinks.
When you have time to spare, seek out Elias Depraved Ales and Spirits in Santa Mesa Heights in Quezon Metropolis, which is a couple of 20-minute drive from the Intramuros space. In addition they have a brand new department positioned in Alabang for these basing within the south.
READ MORE: Craft Beers within the Philippines
Nonetheless, the most effective place to drink and luxuriate in nightlife in Metro Manila is Poblacion, the oldest district in Makati. There are a selection of standard spots and bars right here together with El Chupacabra (low-cost beer and road tacos), Agimat at Ugat (mythology impressed cocktails), Dr. Wine (elegant rooftop bar), and The Spirits Library, to call a couple of.
READ MORE: Craft Beer Bars in Manila
For a wide array from totally different brewers and an area that’s distinctly Filipino with a contemporary aptitude, Alamat Filipino Pub + Deli in Poblacion focuses on reinvented Pinoy road meals paired with native craft beer and Pinoy cocktails.
The bar, serves conventional Filipino meals like Kare-Kare and Tokwa’t Baboy in skewers and a variety of artisanal sausages together with sisig, bopis, dinuguan and adobo and salted egg sausages.
NOTE: This text was initially written in 2018 and up to date in 2024 to mirror new institutions.
