How to get to Manila
Manila is located on the eastern shore of the island of Luzon and is the world’s most densely populated city. If you are visiting the Philippines, it’s most likely you will first arrive in Manila, at Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Lots of travellers seem to skip Manila and go straight to their next destination, however we decided to spend a day here, mainly in order to adjust to the time difference and catch up on sleep, but we’d highly recommend you do so too!
Arriving in Manila, like most other large SE Asia cities, feels pretty overwhelming, especially after a long day (or two) of travelling. The airport is located around 30 mins – 1 hour from the city centre, depending on where you are staying and traffic. We’d recommend downloading Grab, it’s like the SEA version of Uber. When you arrive at Manila airport, there are lots of signage pointing you to car park where the Grab pick up zone is. Grabs are only allowed in this zone, and not in the generic arrivals bays at the front.
We used Grab to get around the city whilst we are there, as the public transport is not very tourist-friendly.
Where to stay in Manila
There are a wide range of places to stay in Manila to suit every budget.
We stayed in Makati, which is known as the financial hub of the Philippines and considered one of the safest neighbourhoods in Manila. There were plenty of bars, restaurants and shops all in walking distance from the hotel, and we felt safe walking around during the evenings.
- Budget hotel: mySTAY Hotel BGC South £20 a night
- Mid-value hotel: City Garden Grand Hotel £100 a night
- Luxury hotel: Raffles Makati
Top things to do in Manila
We would recommend visiting Intramuros if you have a few hours to spare in Manila. In this historic walled area, you can learn about the rich history of the Philippines. It is located south of the Pasig River and was built by the Spaniards over 400 years ago as their political and military base in Asia. Here you can find historical attractions such as San Agustin Church and Fort Santiago. The best way to get around Intramuros is by walking or cycling, there are some bicycle tours you can join here: XXXXX.
If you have time, you should visit one of the many malls in Manila, such as the SM Mall of Asia. This is the largest mall in the Philippines and the 6th largest in the world! It offers a good mix of local and international brands and it is a good place to cool down with air conditioning and escape from the sun for a few hours.
Have you been to Manila? Share your tips in the comments!
