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About

Manila is the capital of the Philippines and was founded on June 24th, 1571 on the harbour now known as Manila Bay on the east coast of Luzon, the Philippines largest and most northerly island. It is the second largest city in the country with a population of 1,581,000 trailing second behind Quezon City with 2,173,000. Manila started out as a humble village and has grown to become the governmental, commercial and educational centre of the nation.

Metropolitan Manila on the whole has officially 6 million inhabitants (unofficially 9 million) and it is one of the most exhausting cities in Southeast Asia. Don't expect to get any rest, for that kind of thing you need to take a plane or shuttle boat from manila Bay to one of the smaller islands.

More information

A good travel resource can be found here: http://wikitravel.org/en/Manila

 

Places to visit

Intramuros

The oldest part of Manila is the medieval Spanish walled enclave of Intramuros on the southern bank of the Pasig River, packed with historic buildings and churches, many of which are being or have been restored. The reconstruction of Intramuros has allowed for the inclusion of several parks and performing venues, art galleries, souvenir shops and restaurants, so that the area has become an attractive, entertaining and interesting tourist Mecca. Fort Santiago, for example, was where political prisoners through the ages, from Spanish to Japanese occupation, were held, tortured and sometimes executed. Today it is a lush park full of flowering trees and homing pigeons where visitors can take a ride along the promenade on a horse-drawn carriage. Then, in the Barrio San Luis along Juan Luna Street there are five colonial residences that have been beautifully restored

Rizal Park

The 58-hectare (143 acre) Rizal Park is named for Dr Jose Rizal, renowned Philippine anti-colonialist, writer and philosopher. The park is one of the largest in South East Asia, and is a green lung much used by the residents of Manila for recreation and entertainment. The park features numerous ornamental gardens, a chess plaza and a skating rink. In a pond on the east side of the park the Philippines archipelago has been recreated in miniature. There are also some museums and public buildings within the park, and after sunset a sound and light exhibit featuring the martyrdom of Dr Jose Rizal is to be seen. On Sundays there is a free concert in an open-air auditorium.

San Agustin Church

Within Intramuros stands Manila's oldest stone church, San Agustin, which was completed in 1606 and has since survived the ravages of time and successive invasions. The church has a magnificent intricately carved door, Baroque pulpit, and an 18th century pipe organ. A museum is housed in the Monastery alongside the church, which holds a collection of paintings of saints and other religious art. The Sacristy houses a collection of richly embroidered vestments and Philippine notables are buried in the crypt.

National Museum of the Philippines

The large and comprehensive National Museum of the Philippines preserves and showcases the cultural, historical and natural heritage of the islands with collections housed in two different buildings (within Rizal Park). Exhibits are categorised in five divisions: art, botany, zoology, geology and anthropology. Among the many archaeological exhibits is the skull of ‘Tabon Man’; the oldest human remains found in the archipelago. The section devoted to the Filipino People includes the preserved remains and treasures of the San Diego Spanish galleon that sank in Philippine waters in 1600.

Malacanang Palace

The name of this Palace, now the seat of government and official residence of the Philippines head of state, comes from the vernacular ‘May Lakan Diyan’, which means ‘there lives a noble man’. This gracious villa has been a noble residence on the north bank of the Pasig River since the 18th century, when it was built for a Spanish aristocrat. In 1825 the Spanish Government bought the property as a summer house for the Governor General, but it later became the permanent seat of the head of state. There is now a museum housed in the palace that features mementos from each of the Philippine's presidents, including the notorious Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos.

Shopping

There are generally two kinds of shopping destinations in Manila: the mall and the tiangge ("chang-ghe"). The Manila mall is more than just a shopping experience but a cultural destination as well. The largest malls in Metro Manila are practically their own cities within the city: complete with boutiques, supermarkets, department stores, restaurants, cinemas, medical facilities, hotels, schools, offices, gyms, serviced apartments, spas, convention centers, art galleries, bowling alleys, museums, ice skating rinks, and even a chapel for Sunday masses.

There are numerous malls around Metro Manila. Most of them are actually in the heart of the city and commercial districts which on the positive side makes them so accessible. Due to their location, they also tend to create huge traffic jams.

In Makati, there is the sprawling Ayala Center: an interconnect shopping complex comprised of Glorietta Shopping Mall, LandMark, Shoemart and Greenbelt. Ayala Center is accessible via the MRT Ayala Station. Several major hotels such as the Makati Shangrila, Hotel Intercontinental, Mandarin and Manila Peninsula are either within or a short distance away from the Ayala Center. You should allocate at least half a day for this shopping area as the whole shopping area is much larger than you think. It appears that the interconnected malls are much larger than SM Mall of Asia.

Getting around

Public transport is very cheap however but may get very crowded during the rush hours in the morning and early evening (7 AM to 10 AM and 4 PM to 7 PM). Traffic also tends to crawl during these times so best avoid being on the move in these occassions. Driving in a private car is not recommended for people who are unfamiliar with Manila because many drivers there ignore such things as stoplights and lane markings and most also have no idea what right of way means.

Jeepneys

They are everywhere in the city and available 24 hours a day. These brightly coloured jeeps are decorated with tassels, decorative horns and mirrors. They are chaotic, garish, exuberant and totally insecure. However, a ride on one is a must and an educational experience. The inexpensive jeepneys transport about one-third of the city’s commuters. You can flag these vehicles anywhere and the destination is shown either in the window or on the side of the vehicle. The cost can be between P4 and P10.

Taxis

Taxis accommodate everywhere from seven to ten people and can be caught anywhere throughout the city. It is advisable to make sure the taxi meters are on to avoid being over-charged. A couple of the better known and reputable companies are EMP, white taxis with yellow stripes; and R&E, yellow taxis with green stripes. Starting rate is P25 and P2 for every kilometre. Avis Taxi (telephone: (02) 532 5758 or 844 4884) is a trustworthy radio-cab company and P35 is added to the meter rate as a pick-up fee. Tipping is at your discretion.

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