Manila Travel Guide
Travel guide to Manila, Philippines with comprehensive information about events, shopping, and major Manila sporting events to help you enjoy your visit more.
Manila Overview
Manila is a vast sprawling metropolis, a city that is home to over 12 million people, and a place that is filled to bursting with skyscrapers, museums and temples. The city of Manila is a place that surprises many of its visitors who arrive not expecting a place twice as big as Bangkok when they arrive.
In truth, many visitors to the Philippines ignore Manila and head straight to one of the many beach destinations that the country offers instead of stopping off in the city for a few days of cultural sight seeing and shopping.
Manila offers great value for money, and many more thrills and spills than many of the other cities in the region. It has some of the most incredible shopping districts you will ever see, Manila is a fantastic place to spend a few days, and it makes for an excellent counterpoint to somewhere like Boracay Island, where you can relax on the best beaches you will ever see.
Top Manila Attractions
Not far from the historic area of Intramuros in central Manila, you can visit Rizal Park. This oasis of peace in the centre of the city provides a great opportunity to escape from the bustle for a short while. Most of the locals visit the park, and will extend their journey to work considerably in order to enjoy its calming influence at least once a day.
A comparatively short distance from Manila, you can visit the city of Angeles. Sitting in the shadow of Mount Pinatubo, the city was heavily damaged in the 1991 eruption of the volcano, but is starting to recover. The American Airbase in Angeles was wiped off the map when the ash covered it, but you can wander through the wreckage, and see odd shapes poking out of the ground that used to be aeroplanes.
Shopping in Manila
Manila is crowded and exciting, the kind of place that seems to move at a million miles an hour around you, and shopping in Manila can be a heart stopping experience. The best time to venture out into the department stores and market places is in the early evening after the rush hour when the pavements are quiet enough to walk along with your shopping bags.
There are a number of colourful markets to choose from in Manila where you can pick up some real bargains, although a large proportion of the goods on sale are counterfeit, and pick pockets can be a problem if you aren't careful.
Manila Sporting Events
Even though there are a number of football teams actually in Manila, the most popular topic for fans is (predictably enough), the English Premiership - with Manchester United and Chelsea enjoying large and loyal fan bases in the city.
If you are a keen golfer, there are some courses available not far from the city, although local businessmen use them as an extension of the office.