Manila is the capital and the biggest city in Philippines. It is a great city to start your journey in Philippines. The city has domestic flights to every corner of Philippines. I would recommend to spend no more than 2 days in the city. The city is overcrowded and the transport system is terrible. Jeepney is probably the best mode of transport but it was very difficult for foreigners to figure out the route. The best place to stay in manila is Makati area. The place is only 15-minute drive from airport and lots of affordable hotels are located here.
Rizal Park– Early morning I took a taxi to visit the famous Rizal park in Philippines. It was around 30-minute taxi ride from Makati area. The taxi driver usually tries to overcharge the tourists so be careful when taking the taxi and make sure that the meter is working properly. The park is one of the largest urban park in Asia. The park is named after Philippines national hero Jose’ Rizal who played a huge role in Philippines independence against Spain. Rizal monument can be seen at the center of the park. The park is really crowded during weekends and national days. National museum of history is located very close to the park.
Intramuros – Our next stop was the walled city Intramuros. The place is situated by only 10-minute walk from the Rizal park. The small city was situated inside a defensive wall and it was constructed during the Spanish colonial era at Philippines. The wall haw an irregular shape and at some point the height of the wall is around 6 m. It was used as a defense structure and it is made from stone. It was a great experience to walk along the walled city. The walled city had some of the best display of ancient Spanish architecture. Two more important tourist sites San Augustine Church and Fort Santiago are both located inside the walled city.
San Augustine Church – San Augustine church is a roman catholic church and it is located inside the walled city. The church boasts very prominent roman architecture. It is listed in the UNESCO world heritage site. You have to purchase tickets in order to go for a tour inside the church.
Manila Cathedral – The cathedral is situated just 5-minute walk from San Augustine church. It is situated at the center of the walled city of Intramuros. The cathedral is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception. Inside the cathedral there is seating for more than 1000 people. The architecture of the cathedral is inspired from European architecture.
Fort Santiago – The fort is located towards one end of the walled city. It is situated very close to the sea. It was used as a prison during the Philippines independence movement against Spanish. The fort was destroyed during the world war two but it was reconstructed later by the Philippines government. It is one of the prominent historical landmark in the Philippines.
Manila Ocean Park – Manila Ocean Park is located very close to the Intramuros. It is a great place to see sunset along the manila bay. The ocean park attracts a lot of tourist and it requires a day to cover the park. I skipped the ocean park because I had less time.
SM City Mall and Bay walk – I took a taxi from the ocean park and reached the SM City mall in 30 minutes. The mall is one of the biggest malls in entire Asia. Manila Baywalk is situated just in front of the SM city mall. It was a great 2 km walk along the seaside. It is a famous place in manila to see sunset. The place is widely visited by locals till late night and there are lots of restaurants and pubs situated in the area. I had to face lot of problem in order to take taxi from SM city to Makati area. There was heavy traffic and no taxi was willing to go Makati area. Finally, I had to spend some time inside the mall and took a taxi after 9 pm in order to reach my hotel.
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