Welcome to Manila, where vibrant culture, tantalizing cuisine, and bustling streets await your exploration. Discover a plethora of things to do, from historical landmarks to modern attractions, ensuring an unforgettable experience for every traveller.
Moreover, indulge your taste buds with the rich flavours of Filipino cuisine, from traditional favourites to innovative culinary creations found in Manila’s diverse dining scene.
Manila is the chief and capital city of the Phillippines. This city is the centre of the country’s economic, political, historical, social, and cultural activities.
Manila is a great destination, all year round. If you want to enjoy the outdoor activities in Manila then going on the sunniest days is suggested.
For first-time visitors to Manila, the best thing to do is to visit historical places and museums, and trying street food should be at the top of the list.
Moreover, Manila offers you a wide range of things to do including shopping, enjoying the nightlife, food, and culture.
Things to do in Manila:
1. Visit Rizal Park, Manila:
This park is also known as “Luneta” which was its name until the 1950s. This central park is spread over 60 hectares. On your tour of Rizal Park, you can also enjoy beautiful open lawns, ornamental gardens, ponds, paved walks, and wooded areas.
You can get a map from the Rizal Part Visitors Center that details about 40 sights within the park. The perfect time to visit this place is in the early mornings, late afternoons, and early evenings. In this park, you will find a Rizal monument which is fronted by a 46m flagpole.
However, on the one side of the monument, you will see the Site of Rizal’s Execution. On the other hand, you can see the drinking fountain shipped from Heidelberg, Germany.
Whereas, in the centre of the park, there is a Central Lagoon and a dancing musical fountain.
Other attractions in this park include an open-air auditorium, Chess plaza, statue of Lapu-Lapu, Manila Orchidarium, and a gigantic 3d relief map of the Philippines
2. Fort Santiago:
Fort Santiago was built in the late 1500s. This fort holds a great reputation among locals because the national hero Jose Rizal was imprisoned here before his execution.
Along with holding great historical importance, Pasig River and Plaza de Armas also make this place a perfect fit for a picnic.
To commemorate the final walk of Jose Rizal from his cell to the firing squad, his footsteps have been embedded onto the ground in bronze. While roaming in the fort you can see a lot of historic cannons, ammunitions, soldier’s quarters, and a canal.
To facilitate your trip this fort also serves you with theatre houses, restaurants, souvenir shops, and refreshment stands. This fort opens at 8 in the morning and finally closes at 7 in the evening.
3. San Agustin Church:
San Agustin Church is a Roman Catholic Baroque-style church and is the only building left intact after its destruction in WWII.
This is the oldest church in the Phillippines, built between 1587 and 1606. The massive facade conceals an amazing interior filled with historic and cultural touches. This church has also weathered seven major earthquakes and also the Battle of Manila.
This church also serves as a venue for weddings and other ceremonies. San Agustin Church opens at 8 in the morning and closes at noon reopens again from 1 pm and finally closes at 6 pm. You have to pay 100 Pesos to get entry to San Agustin Church.
4. Manila Ocean Park:
Manila Ocean Park is the city’s premiere marine-themed park that offers you more than usual dolphin shows and shark encounters. The main tunnel in this ocean park is 25- meters long which allows you to experience the great underwater life.
You can see sharks, eels, stingrays, and other varieties of fish gliding above your head. Major attractions at Manila Ocean Park are activities such as braving the cold to see the penguin, enthusiastic lion and bird shows, caged creepy crawlers, and the 4D ride.
In the evening you can also enjoy the fireworks display during the symphony evening show. On Monday to Friday, Manila Ocean Park opens at 10 am and closes at 8 pm. On Saturday and Sunday, it opens from 9 am to 8 pm.
5. Casa Manila Museum:
This spot chronicles the social history of Manila during the Spanish Colonial era. This museum has three floors. The topmost floor has a principal living area. Here you can admire great antique furniture shipped from China and Europe.
The major attractions on this floor are the grandfather clock, artworks, sculptures, and other fine decorative items. On the middle floor, you will find bedrooms and an office library.
Here you can see the family’s treasure chest and a double latrine. On the ground floor, you can see a decorative fountain which forms its centrepiece.
This museum opens every day except Monday and you can get an entry by paying a modest fee. No photography is allowed inside the museum.
Food to try in Manila:
1. Chicken Inasal:
Chicken Inasal is a Filipino regional dish from the Western Visayas region. Inasal means chicken marinated in a mixture of lime, pepper, vinegar, and annatto.
Chicken is grilled over hot coals while being basted with the marinade. Chicken Inasal is served with rice, vinegar, soy sauce, chilli peppers, and calamari.
2. Pork Sisig:
Pork sisig is made from chopped pig face, ears, and a generous amount of chicken liver. It is seasoned with calamansi and chilli peppers and served to sizzle on a cast iron plate.
How to reach Manila:
1. By flight:
Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) is the only airport that serves Manila. It is about 7 km from the city centre.
You can deboard at this airport and hire a private taxi from outside the airport to reach your hotel or city centre.
2. By bus:
Manila is well connected to the neighbouring cities through roads.
You will get plenty of regional buses that operate from their terminals dispersed all over the city. Approaching Manila by bus is a good option if you are not in a hurry because most of the cities experience traffic congestion problems.
To reach Manila from Quezon City by bus, you have to take a bus from Quezon Avenue to Taft Ave, Manila. This journey will take 49 minutes.
You can also take a jeepney-LTFRB to reach P. Noval, Manila.
3. By train:
Manila has a great railway network that connects Manila with nearby cities. It extends from San Fernando in the north to Legazpi in the south.
To reach Manila from Calhoon City by train you can get a train of route number 1458 from Asistio Avenue Station that will drop you to Blumentritt Station.
Other train routes to reach Manila by nearby cities include 1638, 1738, 1916, and 2016.
How to get around:
The cheapest and easiest way to get around Manila is by hiring a taxi. You can also book the Filipino version of Uber which is super cheap.
Another way to get around is to rent a bike taxi having an open side cabin where you can sit and paddle all across the city.
Jeepney is the favourite way for locals to commute. A Jeepney is similar to U.S. military jeeps that pick up passengers from the stops and drop them across the city.
It would be best if you also tried the Manila train they are a bit more expensive than hiring a taxi or a bike taxi but it is the best way to skip the traffic congestion on the roads.
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