Below are five great things about Manila and reasons to visit.
1. Food
One of the most common questions you’ll hear a Filipino ask is “Kumain ka na?” (Have you eaten?) Eating is a central part of the Filipino culture and it shows in the variety of food that is available throughout the country.
There is street food like chicharon (deep fried pork rind), bituka (deep fried intestines), isaw (barbecued chicken or pork intestines), taho (soft tofu with syrup and sago) and balut (fertilized duck egg); more conventional food such as sisig, crispy pata (pork leg), inihaw; and Western food — pasta, pizza, burger and ribs. There’s definitely something that will satisfy everyone’s cravings.
2. Nightlife
Manila is awash with bars, clubs and other places that cater to a wide range of clientele.
Greenbelt or The Fort attracts the clubbing, wine-sipping and whiskey-swirling set while Saguijo or Casa Nami in Makati is preferred by the more laid-back, chilled crowd.
Or, for anyone in the mood for something totally different, there’s Hobbit House in Malate where all the staff are dwarfs.
3. Arts Hub
They say that art feeds the soul, and Cubao X is a thriving arts hub in the heart of Cubao that embraces galleries, art shops and an authentic Italian restaurant with live music.
Cubao X is frequented by artists, photographers, writers and hippies.
For more art, there’s the Yuchengco Museum and the Ayala Museum in Makati. The UST Museum, which is located in the University of Santo Tomas campus (the oldest university in Asia, founded in 1611) is also worth checking out.
4. Intramuros and Luneta
Intramuros is an old walled city in Manila. It has managed to keep its cobblestone paths and Spanish-style houses intact. You can even hire a horse-drawn carriage to take you around for an old-world experience.
Fort Santiago, located within Intramuros, was originally built as a proper fortress. Bullet holes and bomb damage from the war are still visible on the walls of the fort.
This is also where José Rizal, a 19th-century national hero, was imprisoned before his execution. Follow Rizal’s footsteps from Fort Santiago to where he was executed in Luneta for a feel of the the country’s tumultuous colonial history.
5. Manila Bay
Watch the most awesome sunsets in the city from Manila Bay.
This was reposted and the original piece from the author can be found here.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
