Manila is the cosmopolitan capital of the Philippines full of historical sites dating back to the 16th century. I planned to visit this beautiful city after booking cheap flight tickets online.
What to see
I started my tour of Manila in the old district housing the ruins of Intramuros, the restored Spanish part of town on the South bank of the Pasig River. I took a tour of the district and was shown the ruins of the Fort Santiago and the restored Casa Manila, a former nobleman’s house. The entire area is the artistic hub of Manila with plenty of restaurants art galleries and venues for cultural performances.
I visited the National Museum and was amazed to see a sunken galleon dating back to the 17th century among other exhibits and got a peek into the country’s history at the Ayala Museum. Another fascinating place I visited was the Malacanang Palace; the home of country’s the head of state and the American Cemetery an oasis of peace, where lie buried American soldiers who died during World War II.
When checking out flights to Manila I chanced upon a description of Chinatown and also visited it when in Manila. Chinatown had a number of good restaurants serving authentic Chinese and I also picked up some exotic Chinese goods while I was there. Being a primarily Catholic country there are several ornate and beautiful churches in Manila like the San Augustin Church dating back to 1606 that I visited.
Moving around in Manila
There are plenty of private buses that ply within the city but I found the best way to move in the city by modified jeepneys or jeeps. Other modes of transport that I tried for short distances were sharing a ride on the side car of a two wheeler that is a cheap and easy way to get around especially in congested areas of the city. My trip to Intramuros was also memorable as I took a ride on a calesa or horse-drawn carriage.
Shopping in Manila
Manila is also a shopper’s paradise with plenty of malls for purchasing branded items like clothing and footwear. Since I wanted to get a feel of the local population and the way they bargain I headed to the Diviros flea market where everything from antiques to furniture is available at unbelievable prices.
When checking out cheap flights to Manila I read about the Tiendesitas shopping centre having 12 pavilions. I took a trip down there to pick up some authentic souvenirs for my friends back home. This market had plenty of handicrafts like barong tagalog or shirts made from pineapple fibers, painted papier-mâché horses from Laguna, pearls from Mindanao, and other locally made exquisite handicrafts made from rice from Cordillera mountains.
Nightlife in Manila
There are plenty of trendy nightclubs in Manila offering the best of live Filipino bands and karaoke. This is known as videoke and I tried singing during my visit to one of the popular nightclubs in a trendy part of the city.
From my experience I felt that the economy of Manila is booming and offers great value for money for anyone even on a modest budget. So it makes sense to plan in advance and to book flight tickets cheap to this beautiful city.
What to see
I started my tour of Manila in the old district housing the ruins of Intramuros, the restored Spanish part of town on the South bank of the Pasig River. I took a tour of the district and was shown the ruins of the Fort Santiago and the restored Casa Manila, a former nobleman’s house. The entire area is the artistic hub of Manila with plenty of restaurants art galleries and venues for cultural performances.
I visited the National Museum and was amazed to see a sunken galleon dating back to the 17th century among other exhibits and got a peek into the country’s history at the Ayala Museum. Another fascinating place I visited was the Malacanang Palace; the home of country’s the head of state and the American Cemetery an oasis of peace, where lie buried American soldiers who died during World War II.
When checking out flights to Manila I chanced upon a description of Chinatown and also visited it when in Manila. Chinatown had a number of good restaurants serving authentic Chinese and I also picked up some exotic Chinese goods while I was there. Being a primarily Catholic country there are several ornate and beautiful churches in Manila like the San Augustin Church dating back to 1606 that I visited.
Moving around in Manila
There are plenty of private buses that ply within the city but I found the best way to move in the city by modified jeepneys or jeeps. Other modes of transport that I tried for short distances were sharing a ride on the side car of a two wheeler that is a cheap and easy way to get around especially in congested areas of the city. My trip to Intramuros was also memorable as I took a ride on a calesa or horse-drawn carriage.
Shopping in Manila
Manila is also a shopper’s paradise with plenty of malls for purchasing branded items like clothing and footwear. Since I wanted to get a feel of the local population and the way they bargain I headed to the Diviros flea market where everything from antiques to furniture is available at unbelievable prices.
When checking out cheap flights to Manila I read about the Tiendesitas shopping centre having 12 pavilions. I took a trip down there to pick up some authentic souvenirs for my friends back home. This market had plenty of handicrafts like barong tagalog or shirts made from pineapple fibers, painted papier-mâché horses from Laguna, pearls from Mindanao, and other locally made exquisite handicrafts made from rice from Cordillera mountains.
Nightlife in Manila
There are plenty of trendy nightclubs in Manila offering the best of live Filipino bands and karaoke. This is known as videoke and I tried singing during my visit to one of the popular nightclubs in a trendy part of the city.
From my experience I felt that the economy of Manila is booming and offers great value for money for anyone even on a modest budget. So it makes sense to plan in advance and to book flight tickets cheap to this beautiful city.
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