5 things you can do and where to stay in Manila

Welcome to the Philippines! And yet even though the Philippines are famous for its gorgeous islands, what shall you do in Manila City? Let me tell you what you can do for the weekend or for a short stay #itsmorefuninthephilippines! 

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes 

Everyone who travels through southeast asia, on their way to the beautiful islands of Philippines, will pass by Manila at some point. Manila can seem quite big, loud and chaotic for first time visitors. Lets start by the two areas I would recommend you to stay. These would be Makati and Bonifacio Global Highstreet (BGC). Both areas have shopping malls and great bars and food places to offer.  

I recommend air bnb's as I only stayed once at a hotel booked through booking.com. It was OK. I also heard that the Z Hostel in Makati is very good! They offer privte rooms as well as beds in dorms. I am gonna try this out myself end of March! Will let you know after my experience. 

First thing first, DO NOT BUY A SIM CARD AT THE AIRPORT! It cost you around 1500 pesos, almost 30 USD/40 SGD. Damn expensive! Get a local sim card at any mall, much cheaper. If I would have known... 

The airport does provide wifi. Go outside and try to connect to it and order a grab car or uber. I only used these two during my trip in Manila and it was safe, quick and cheap. My friend even forgot his phone in the car and after couple of phone calls the driver came back and delivered the phone. Miracle! 

Secondly, be prepared for traffic jams. Manila is famous for the bad traffic. So it can take you 45 minutes on a sunday evening to the airport from makati or it can take up you 2 hours. Thirdly, smile! The Filipinos are very friendly and helpful and you will see how far a smile can get you in the Philippines 😁 

So, what can you do while having a long layover or being stranded in Manila? 

1. Shopping! 

Yes, you can buy anything in Manila as there plenty malls close by. If you are looking for a more local mall which doesn't have the usual interntional brands, then go to "Market Market" in BGC. You wanna shop the usual stuff and some other brands you might not know, go to the SM malls. It's basically a chain of highend malls. For the ladies out here, go and get your nails and hair done in Manila  cheap! (not in the SM malls though) But let me tell you, it's even cheaper out of Manila. 

2. EAT EAT EAT 😋

Eat local food folks! I personally loooove Filipino food and if you are a fan of rice and meat, this is your food! Try local food chains like Jollibee (duh), Max restaurant, Mary Grace and Gerry's Grill. Very popular places within the local communities. Other then that, as long as you order Filipino food, you won't be dissapointed. Try famous dishes such as:

Sinigang - a tamarind soup (FAV 😍) 

Lechon - pork for days

Crispy pata - deep fried pig trotters

Kare Kare - a meat stew with thick peanut sauce (FAV 😍)  

Chicken inasal - chicken marinated in lime, vinegar, pepper and other spices then grilled (FAV 😍)

And many, many more!  

Also check out night markets such as Mercato Centrale!

I probably have to make a food blog post to talk about delicious Filipino food! 

3. Sightseeing! 

You might think Manila doesn't have anything to offer in terms of sightseeing. Because I thought that too BUT my friends and I did a quick signtseeing trip the day we flew back to Singapore and we were all quite happy about it. We went to visit the oldest neighborhoord in town which is Intramuros. You can feel and see the spanish oldtown flair in this part of Manila. If you are into old churches, intramuros has a collection of four old spanish baroque churches which are included in the UNESCO World heritage list. It was a wonderful day with clear sky and we almost forgot that we are in Manila because of the scenery. We saw this souvenir shop alongside the road and I absolutely recommend you to go inside and take the back way out. It turns out that this is the the San Augustin museum. Very beautiful area! We were there for almost an hour just walking, resting and taking pictures. It was 8 of us ok, that can take a while 😁  There are also the usual tourist traps of people selling some souvenirs on the streets and kids coming to you to ask you for money. Just kindly say no and the kids will go away or walk with you actually. I felt safe but of course keep your belongings close to you. Defintely worth a visit! Also Manila has couple of nice museums such as the national museum of fine arts, in case you are interested. 

4. DRINK & PARTY! 

If you are into the bar scene Manila won't dissapoint you. I went to several bars during my stay and had a great time! Depending on where you are staying the most famous and popular bars are in BGC and Makati area. In BGC I recommend you the Bank Bar (don't wear flip flops for this one, entry denied!) Its entrance is hidden within the 7/11 Shop 🤫 Also try NinerIchiNana in the city centre of BGC and "Yes please" in BGC uptown. One of my personal favorites!

If you are in Makati area check out these three: Blind Pig, The curator and Alcohol by Volume (ABV). All of these three are slighlty hidden so good luck in finding them 😁 For something cheaper and for the experience itself I would recommend to check out the neighborhood poblacion. It's basically the former red light district of Manila but there are tons of bars and late night eateries. It has become more trendy and it is a good mix of shady little streets and places to hang out. Don't worry, you'll be safe. Just be cautious as per usual. There are some famous clubs like Revel, Valkyrie, the palace pool club and the newest addition Cove Manila. If you are into those big fancy clubs, hit them up. If not, stay in Poblacion. 

5. Charity!

Yes, you can also do something good if you are around for a bit longer or even just for the weekend. Unfortunately Manila is that kind of city where the rich and the poor live side by side. There is this organisation called True Manila which is run by a gentleman named Edwin. They support the homeless children and families living in poverty in different communities in the Philippines. They also buy food for the children and walk through the areas together. You can also help from abroad and send toys or clothes. Here is the link!  

I hope this little guide helped you to sort out a weekend in Manila. I personally have been there a couple of times and enjoyed it very much. Besides that, living for a while now in SEA, the Philippines have a special place in my heart. Their people and their culture is so warm and welcoming. I recommend, make friends with them! Once you have a Filipino friend, you'll be treated like family.

Thanks for reading and feel free to share this with your friends!