Asia > Southeast Asia > Philippines > Luzon > Metro Manila > Manila
Manila
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The City of Manila [1] (Filipino: Lungsod ng Maynila) is the cosmopolitan capital of the Philippines located in the west coast of the island of Luzon. Up until World War II, Manila was considered one of the most beautiful cities in Asia but the war put the city into complete ruins. It was the second most destroyed city after Warsaw, Poland. But this modern capital-city is the premier Christian city of Asia and considered as one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world with a population of over 1.5 million people. Historic, bustling, awe-inspiring, Manila is a blend of cultures and flavors that offers an endless serving of places to see, sights to behold, and experiences to never forget.
[edit] DistrictsManila is distributed into 16 territorial districts, which are all original towns except one, the Port Area District. All of these original towns except Port Area have their own churches and several of these districts have attained identification in their own right.  The eight districts north of the Pasig River are:
The other eight are:
[edit] UnderstandManila has the usual developing world city problems of choking smog and traffic and appalling poverty. This however should not dissuade any traveller from visiting this city for it is a warm, exciting and diverse place that is ripe for discovery by any adventurous tourist. English is widely spoken, prices are cheap and you get more than your fair share of sunshine. All in all, Manila is a fun and exciting place to be. Together with the warm and friendly people of the Philippines, tourists will find their Manila experience an enjoyable and unforgettable one. [edit] History  Manila, as with a lot of major cities in the world, began as a settlement on the banks of a river, the Pasig River. The name Manila originates from the term "Maynilad" which refers to the mangrove plant known as Nilad, which was abundant in the area. Prior to the arrival of westerners in the 16th century, Maynilad was populated by Hindu, Buddhist, and Islamic community descended from the Indians from India, Arabs settlers from the Middle East who sailed to the Philippines, and Chinese and Japanese people that crossed over from the Asian mainland several times before the Indians and Arabs came, and after as well in successful waves. In 1571, 50 years after Magellan's discovery of the islands, Spanish conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legaspi claimed the Philippines as a colony and established Manila as its capital. [edit] OrientationManila is but one of 13 cities and 4 municipalities that comprise the area known as Metro Manila or the National Capital Region (NCR) of the Philippines. The NCR is located in the southern portion of the island of Luzon, in between the Central Luzon and Southern Tagalog Regions, between Manila Bay and the inland lake of Laguna de Bay. The City of Manila, where most of the historical attractions are located, lies at the confluence of Manila Bay and the Pasig River. The City of Manila is in the western part of Metro Manila. It is bordered to the west by Manila Bay, to the north by Quezon City and Kalookan City, to the east by San Juan and Mandaluyong City and to the south by Pasay and Makati.
[edit] ClimateThe Philippines is a tropical country that has basically two seasons, a wet season and a dry season. Typhoons and tropical storms are a common occurrence during the wet season particularly in the northern part of the Philippines where Manila is located. The wet season lasts from June to early November. Late November to May is then the dry season with the Philippine summer months of March to May being the hottest. December to February is still relatively pleasant particularly if you are coming from the northern hemisphere where this is the winter period and sub-zero temperatures prevail. Temperatures during this time would range from 24 to 30°C (75 to 86°F) at its peak. From March to May, temperatures heat up but as Manila is by the coast, it rarely goes beyond 36 to 37°C (97 to 99°F). [edit] TalkEnglish and Filipino (Tagalog) are the common languages in the northern mainland of Luzon. If you speak English, you will have no problem being understood everywhere because it is the language of instruction in schools, as well as in business. Most Filipinos speak English well, no matter their level of education. This is because Filipinos learn the English language at home, and more formally when they start school. It is not unusual for school children to speak impeccable English. Moreover, many Filipinos love American movies, television shows, music, food, and fashion. [edit] Get in[edit] By airFrom overseas, most visitors arrive by plane. Manila is served by three international airports. Philippine Airlines (PAL) has its own terminal, called Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 (NAIA 2), that serves both international and domestic flights. PAL usually provides seamless transfers between their international and domestic network whereas you would generally not be given this service on other carriers. All other international airlines use NAIA Terminal 1, which is due to be replaced by the newly built modern NAIA Terminal 3 (NAIA 3) in the near future; while other domestic airlines use the old domestic airport which is about a 5 to 10 minute ride from Terminal 1. Be wary of this if you have a connection between a domestic and international flight arriving/departing from these airports. Coupon (pre-paid) taxis are available at the airports to bring you to your hotel or wherever you may be going. Rates are fixed and dependent on the destination and generally are more expensive compared to what you would pay in a metered taxi. Coupon taxi counters usually are found immediately after exiting customs in both Terminals 1 and 2. Expect to pay somewhere between 10 to 15 USD for destinations within Metro Manila. The usual metered taxis are generally not allowed at the Arrival Terminal so you would either need to catch one unloading at the Departure Area or outside the airport complex. This may be easier said than done however, particularly when lugging around kilos upon kilos of baggage. Apart from taxis, there are no regular public transport services to the airports except for buses and jeepneys plying routes that pass nearby. It will take a few minutes' walk however before you get to a place where you can board and all this effort may not be worth the hassle so most opt to take the coupon taxis. Low cost carriers such as Air Asia[2] and Tiger Airways utilize the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) in Clark, Pampanga, said to be a THREE HOUR drive north of Manila. These airlines have dedicated bus transfer services that transport passengers to and from the DMIA via newly renovated toll roads. You can catch the bus by Philtranco [3] either from it's terminal in Pasay City, Manila or from SM Megamall (behind building A) in Mandaluyong, Manila. From Pasay the fare is 350 pesos and from SM Megamall 300 pesos. Departure tax for this airport has been increased to 500 peso. Air travel between islands is reasonably priced, with tickets averaging P4,000 to P5,000 round trip to most popular destinations. Promotions, particularly the "Go" fares offered by Cebu Pacific airlines, have pushed domestic roundtrip prices to the P2,000-P3,500 range. Cebu Pacific[4] are the Philippines' principal Low Cost Airline. They use the main Ninoy Aquino International Airport. International routes include:- Bangkok, Guangzhou, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Hong Kong, Koahsuing, Kota Kinabalu, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Macau, Shanghai, Singapore, Taipei and Xiamen. [edit] By boatFerries run all over the Philippines, but should you not reserve a first class cabin be prepared for uncomfortable cramped conditions. There seems to be lax enforcement of Western safety standards. Supercats and fastcrafts connect short distances between islands on high-speed air-conditioned hydrofoil crafts. Not only do they provide a faster option than ordinary ferries, they are also much better maintained and have a remarkable safety record. Among the major routes serviced by fastcrafts in and around Manila are: Manila-Bataan, Manila-Cavite and Batangas-Puerto Galera. [edit] By busThe Strong Republic Nautical Highway has made inter-island travel by bus possible. Major islands are connected by Roll On - Roll Off ferries which can carry cars, buses and cargo trucks. An example is the Manila to Boracay route which goes via Batangas, Calapan and Roxas in Mindoro then Caticlan. Philtranco [5] and ALPS The Bus, Inc. [6] serves various inter-island routes and has a terminal in Cubao, Quezon City. Needless to say however that these trips can take quite a bit of time and may not be worth the savings if you have only a few days to spend in the Philippines. Normal provincial buses serving other parts of Luzon also have terminals in various portions of Metro Manila. The Cubao area in Quezon City and the Bonifacio Monument area in Kalookan City is where buses serving the northern portions of Luzon (e.g. Baguio, Zambales) have their terminals. The Buendia Ave. cor Taft Ave. intersection in Makati and the area near the Taft Ave. and EDSA intersection in Pasay is where buses to the south (e.g. Batangas, Laguna) have their terminals. [edit] See The main tourist sites of Manila are located along Manila Bay.
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[edit] City TourManila is extremely rich in history, the city started off as a muslim settlement before being colonised by Spain, Britain and the United States. During WW2, Manila was involved in fierce fighting and was the most bombed city in Asia. The American Manila Cemetery is a stark reminder of the fighting that took place in the Philippines.
[edit] BuyApart from the bustling Philippines capital as is a remarkable melting pot of Asian and Latin cultures, which was thick with history and flavor upon most of travelors interests. The best way to get a feel for Manila shopping is to go to a ‘tiangge’, a market of stalls, where everything can be bargained. Market! Market!, St. Francis Square, Greenhills Shopping Center and Tiendesitas are examples of such. [edit] Learn
[edit] WorkThe workforce in Manila covers everything from daily, minimum wage earners to expats being driven in Beemers. Standard working time varies, especially with the proliferation of Call Centers, but the usual working hours is from 9AM to 6PM. Given that the traffic within the Manila escalates exponentially as the day begins, it's always better to leave early for meetings. There is also a local saying known as "Filipino Time" wherein it was expected that the attendee would be late by up to one hour. However, this has been significantly reduced through the years, although the bad traffic is usually (and realistically) cited as the main cause for missing one's appointment. Makati City is the country's main CBD, or Central Business District, and, on every given weekday, it seems that all roads lead here. Multinational firms and big businesess hold offices here. Ortigas Center, which cuts across the borders of Mandaluyong City, Pasig City and Quezon City, seems to be the alternative CBD, with companies such as the Asian Development Bank headquarters and the World Bank Manila office located in this vicinity. [edit] EatTemplate:Districtify Manila has most of the usual American fastfood chains such as McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Pizza Hut, Subway, Dairy Queen, Shakey's Pizza, Taco Bell, Dunkin Donuts, TGIF, Italianni's, Outback, and KFC. Jollibee, the Filipino version of McDonald's is very common in Manila. There are also other pure Filipino restaurants across the city such as Kamayan (Filipino food), Mannang (Filipino food), Mann Hann (Chinese food), Dencio's (Filipino food), Gerry's Grill (Filipino food), Goldilocks (bakeshop), Red Ribbon (bakeshop), Greenwich (pizza and pasta), Go Nuts Donuts, Tokyo Tokyo (Japanese Food) and Chow King (Chinese Food). Coffeeshops such as Starbucks and Seattle's Best have also recently become quite common in malls and commercial centers. KrispyKreme Doughnuts has recently opened in 7 sites in Metro Manila Meals could be had for as low as 2 to 3 US$ in most fast food joints. A typical burger meal with fries and a drink would fall under this range. Being the only former Spanish colony in Asia, Manila has the best Spanish food in the Far East. Street food peddled by ambulant vendors is quite common and can usually be found in places with high amount of pedestrian traffic. Note however that street food in Manila and elsewhere in the Philippines may not be as clean as what you would find in Bangkok or hawker centers in Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia. There is very little (if any) regulation and hygienic practices of these establishments vary from place to place. The variety of street food available is tremendous however and may reward the truly adventurous traveller. Some notable examples are the following:
For a taste of street food without the accompanying risk, try out the following establishments:
[edit] DrinkBohemian Malate, the older Ermita neighborhood and the Baywalk that stretches between them contain a variety of venues serving a combination of food, comedy, alcohol and live music. [edit] SleepTemplate:Districtify Manila has a lot of hotels, inns and apartelles. Most of these accommodations can be found within Roxas Boulevard overlooking Manila Bay, or in the districts of Ermita and Malate. Manila's hotel accommodations are 20 to 30 minutes away from the international and domestic airport. [edit] Budget
[edit] Mid-range
[edit] SplurgeThere are many major international hotel chains which have a presence in Metro Manila. Rates are still generally cheaper here compared to the same class of hotels in western cities. A stay in these hotels however, would be considered a luxury by Philippine standards particularly since these rates would represent a month's income for some Filipinos.
[edit] ContactPayphones are very common in the city center and to make a call, it will cost around US$0.02 per minute for a local call, slightly more for a national call and US$0.40 per minute for an international call. The use of mobile phones is also very extensive among the locals of in Manila. To use your mobile phone, it has to be at least a dualband GSM phone. Globe and Smart are the Philippine's largest mobile carriers and they invite you to use them as a roaming partner (inquire from your home carrier if they have Globe and Smart as a roaming partner). To call anywhere within Metro Manila, simply dial the 7-digit telephone number from a payphone or a landline. If you need to call anywhere else within the Philippines, dial 0 + area code + telephone number. To make an international phone call, dial 00 + country code + area code + telephone number. Internet cafes have become a common sight in Metro Manila. Most malls would have at least one internet cafe. Most internet cafes provide broadband speeds. Netopia and Pacific Internet are common chains. Netopia also has a branch at the MRT Ayala Station. Rates usually run at less than US$1 per hour. Cheap overseas calls can be made at Netopia branches via their VOIP service. Most coffee shops now also have WiFi services available so you can surf the net while sipping a cuppa. Airborneaccess.net and WIZ are the most common WiFi providers. Ask around if usage is free of charge, otherwise, as the case is often, you will have to buy an internet access card at the counter for around US$2 per hour. Theft is common as well as pick pocketing. Manila, Philippines and other cities in Asia are of course more safe than say Los Angeles, Chicago, or New York and safer than any other big U.S city. But if you are a 6 ft+ Caucasian with blonde hair you are bound to stand out like a sore thumb. Travellers from other Asian nations especially South East Asians should have no problem blending in with the crowd however. One has to use common sense of course. Don't wear valuable jewelry or anything else to broadcast your wealth. Displaying that expensive mobile phone or digital camera out in the open is also a good way to attract the undue attention of petty thieves. Tourists often find it a slightly overwhelming when they initially arrive in Manila. Unfamiliar smells and sounds, crazy drivers with beeping horns, different customs and unfortunately like most other international hubs a number of petty pickpockets where crowds gather. [edit] Get outAround the capital are numerous attractions for people desiring a quick daytrip away from the hustle and bustle of this mega-metropolis.
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