MANILA - IS IT WORTH YOUR TIME?

If you ask me to point the capital of Philippines on the colour scale, Manila represent all shades of grey. For many unaware tourists and travellers, Manila is a fairly strange reality to be faced with. The life in the tropics, pearly white sand, the chill out vibe and endless turquoise water. Unfortunately, none can be found in Manila. The capital city of the Philippines is rather unappealing, one can even say it is off-putting. But when you arrive to the Philippines, it is mostly likely you end up in Manila first or last.

HOW TO TRANSFER TERMINALS AT THE NINO AIRPORT?

There are certain international flight mainly from Asia that operate to and from the beautiful and modern Mactan Cebu International Airport but most of you will be welcomed to the Philippines at one of the three international terminals (Terminal 1, Terminal 2, Terminal 3) at the Ninoy Aquino Airport in Manila. Many domestic flights use a fourth domestic terminal (Terminal 4). If you hoped for a moment you could seamlessly sneak through the airport in order to catch a next possible flight to one of over Philippines’ 7000 islands, bear it in mind: terminals are not really close to each other. There are free shuttles that run between the airport, usually every 15 minutes.

THE FALLEN PEARL OF THE ORIENT

Manila was once so beautiful, that it was once known as “the Pearl of the Orient.” WWII changed everything. The city was completely destroyed and has never recovered. Nowadays, Manila is like a dingy vestibule to the paradise. Stop by and hear its brutal story but do not stay for too long. If you hoped too that Intramuros (the Walled City), one of the Manila’s oldest district, can make up for the shantytowns, congested roads and omnipresent mediocrity, you will be only let down. There is so much sadness associated with this place. But it is important to learn the history of the city.

HOW SAFE IS IN MANILA?

Nowhere in the world is completely safe but Manila could be a bit intimidating for the foreign travellers and especially for the first time visitors. It seems like a bit dodgy place. Manila is dark, senile and dirty. The colours are only on the graffiti-splashed jeepneys and insanely contrasting with the surrounding shopping malls. Definitely keep your purse and valuable belongings in front of you if you decide to get a bit adventurous and rely on the public transportation: metro, bus, jeepneys and wander the streets. The locals are super friendly and helpful. They do want to help you even if they do not know how. Usually though if you are a tourist, local taxi drivers will double the price of the fare, therefore stick with the Filipino Uber “Grab”. Do not walk alone late at nights.

HOW LONG TO STAY IN MANILA?

Limit your stay in Manila to the necessary minimum. Those who stayed here longer than 24h regretted. I personally used Manila as some sort of transfer hub but included a short escapade to the city. There are shuttles and transfers available 24/7 and a number of great and reasonably priced hotels in Manila around the airport. 1 full day in Manila is absolutely enough in my humble opinion, but if you might want to dive deeper in the capital city of Philippines. Be mindful in which part of the city is your accommodation. Metro Manila is composed of 16 cities. For tourist, the most important ones are City of Manila (downtown), Quezon City, Pasay and Makati (business hub).

WHAT TO DO AND SEE IN MANILA?

• When waiting for you outbound flight either back home or to the next island, cycle around historic neighbourhood with Bambike ecotours or walk the city with Carlos and Walk This Way through the historic area of Intramuros (Walled City) and learn a bit of history of the city.

• Go on a crazy shopping spree to one of the Manila’s shopping malls (SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, Greenbelt, naming just a few).

• Get stuck in a traffic jam. It is a part of parcel of every day’s life for Filipinos. You will probably not avoid it when you are in Manila (It took me approx. to 2 h to get from Quezon City to NINO Airport).

• Get a relaxing and luxurious spa experience (e.g. 1 h massage - 600 PHP)

• Learn more about Filipinos Living with Dead. The capital city of Philippines is highly overpopulated. Discover the histories of people who live in the graveyards.

What Commuting in Philippines’ Capital City (Manila) is Like?

Manila has the second worst traffic in the world. The roads are usually at their worst from 7 am to 9 am and again from 5 pm to 9 pm. The traffic jam drops on Sundays. Plan your route and leave your hotel a lot ahead of your intended arrival time. I mean a lot ahead. You will probably not avoid want to spend all your time in traffic. There is no quality transportation infrastructure in the city. I was traveling solo through the Philippines with the valuable equipment and in the heat, therefore, I was testing passionately Grab and I loved it. It is still a privilege many Filipinos do not get. It is not the cheapest form of transportation but in comparison with Western rates, it is a lot more affordable and for the foreign travellers is one less problem. Uber does not function in the Philippines, it was bought out by Grab and is no longer available.