FLIGHTS, ACCOMMODATION AND MOVEMENT IN MANILA
In Manila, you can get around, among other things, by minibuses, or jeeps, tuned from American wartime vehicles.
Arrived on one changeover flight
Manila is most directly reached through the Chinese cities of Hong Kong and Guangzhou, but flights can also be routed via Dubai , Doha, Istanbul or Singapore . Be prepared for the fact that it is easy to spend twenty hours on flights with your change.
The cheapest flights cost around 500-600 euros.
According to Abbreviation Finder, Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila is very reminiscent of its city: at times, a chaotic airport is under renovation to make large numbers of tourists flow smoothly through the airport.
Accommodation from side to side
Manila is a large city, consisting of several city-sized districts – so the location of the accommodation is worth choosing carefully, especially for a short visit.
In Manila you will find hotel options ranging from budget accommodation to the most luxurious luxury hotels. Luxury hotels almost always have a swimming pool to make up for the lack of Manila beaches.
Apartments are also rented in Manila, including downtown Manila and the Pasay, Makati, Mandaluyong and Quezon areas. The apartments are suitable for larger travel groups.
A budget traveler can stay cheaply in hostels with dormitories. Many of the good hostels are located in the Makati area close to nightlife.
Getting around on site
You can get cheap taxis in Manila as long as you remember to make sure the taxi driver puts their meter on. The start-up fee is less than a euro, but especially at the airport you should be careful when choosing a reliable taxi. If you are considering Uber, keep in mind that Grab is commonly used in the Philippines instead of Uber .
The most adventurous can try minibuses pimped from American wartime jeepney cars with the route of each jeepney written on the side. The Jeepney trip is paid for by the driver by passing the money on to the other passengers and eventually to the driver.
Manila also has a three-line subway that avoids the road car road. However, the subway should be avoided during peak times. The best time to use the metro is 13-15 at noon.
ATTRACTIONS IN MANILA
San Agustin Church is one of Manila’s most renowned sites. A large part of the country’s inhabitants are Catholics.
Intramuros
When the Spanish Miguel López de Legazpi arrived in Manila, he built a fort on the site of the old town of Intramuros. The fortified city surrounded by walls has been occupied by Chinese pirates, British, American and Japanese conquerors and has also been threatened by the Dutch. However, the city was badly destroyed in the Battle of Manila in World War II.
Within the walls of Intramuros, you can learn about Spanish-style buildings and the history of Manila. You should start your visit at the visitor center, where you can get a map and directions for the city tour.
Fort Santiago
The Spanish-era fortress Fort Santiago is located along the Pasig River in Intramuros and is perhaps Manila’s most famous attraction. The fortress has a garden, where you can explore different layers of the city’s history, from the life of national hero Jose Rizal to the atrocities of the Japanese during World War II.
Casa Manila
Casa Manila is a reconstructed Spanish house in Intramuros. In the building you can get acquainted with the wealthy life and architecture of the Spanish colonialism, where exceptionally stone first floors were built in Spanish houses.
Rizal Park
Rizal Park is a 60-acre park in the heart of Manila. It is suitable for walks, but there you can also visit the national hero Jose Rizal, who was beheaded on the site where the monument dedicated to the hero now stands. In the park you can also see fountain shows accompanied by music.
The park is surrounded by many of the city’s museums, including the National Museum, the National Art Gallery and the Natural History Museum.
Chinatown Binondo
Many of Manila’s wealthiest residents are partially or entirely Chinese immigrants, so Chineseness is a distinctive part of Filipino culture. In the Chinese district, you can dine cheaply at restaurants in the area and take part in a restaurant tour.
Also worth seeing in the Chinatown is a huge cemetery, which is not quite an ordinary cemetery: with its electricity, toilets and running water, the tombs are more reminiscent of a suburb than the residence of the dead.
THE BEST OF MANILAN
Densely populated Manila has many faces.
Attractions
- Intramuros
- Fort Santiago
- Rizal Park
- Chinatown Binondo
- Casa Manila
The best areas
- Intramuros and Rizal Park
- Pasay
- Makati
- Bay City
- Bonifacio Global City
