Orientation
The great urban sprawl of Metro Manila, home to about eleven million people, is actually a grouping of ten areas that have all been conferred city status in their own right. These cities stretch from Caloocan in the north to Pas Pinas in the south. Tourists tend to see only a few of them, usually Paranaque (where the airport is), Pasay , Manila and Makati . Manila is the key tourist district, fronting Manila Bay along Roxas Boulevard, taking in the neighbourhoods of Ermita and Malate , and stretching north to the old walled city of Intramuros and over the Pasig River to Chinatown , also known as Bindondo. On Manila Bay are landmarks such as the Cultural Center of the Philippines and, at the north end of the bay, the stately Manila Hotel. Makati is the central business district (CBD), built around the main thoroughfare of Ayala Avenue, and home to banks, insurance companies, five-star hotels and all the other paraphernalia of modern life. Leaving Makati and heading north through the heaving traffic on Epifano de los Santos Avenue (commonly referred to as EDSA ) brings you to the newer commercial district of Ortigas , which is trying to out-Makati Makati, with its hotels, malls and air-conditioned theme restaurants. Beyond Ortigas is Quezon City , which has some lively nightlife catering to the nearby University of the Philippines, but not much else. The Department of Tourism Head Office (Mon-Fri 8.30am-5.30pm), Department of Tourism Building, TM Kalaw Street, Ermita, has general information and maps , although they are not always up-to-date.
intramuros...fort santiago & san agustinandrea nicu says "a must appreciate place. just ride a quiapo pier jeep and tell the driver youre heading to fort santiago. an entrance fee of 40 pesos,less than a dollar, you can stroll the historical place. outside fort santiago, you can ride a pedicab (bicycle with side car) up to san agustin church for 40 pesos also. an entarnce fee of 75 pesos ($1.50) is needed to see the old church. its creepy inside. maybe because its so old, i can feel how strange it is. but its nice to be in history. go and see it, especially with your loved ones." manila tigersmastijack says "manila is a place for wonderful night life with music, drinks, food etc..." where to eatsupremebea says "Manila has been influenced by Spanish, Chinese, Japanese and American Culture. You can see it clearly in our food. We can never be accused of bland taste :)
Some suggestions for casual dining places:
Teriyaki Grill - They serve japanese food with filipino taste. I always always order their chizu maki (chicken roll with cheese $3), tofu steak (with wonderful sauce $3) and california maki ($2).
Chef D'Angelo - Pasta, Pizza and Chicken. Best seller is their White Pizza (seafood with lots of cheese $3) pasta paella (a different take on pasta $3) and spicy chicken (kind of like buffalo wings 3 pcs for $4). Their German chocolate cheesecake is also my favorite (and I don't even like cheesecake).
Figaro Coffee Shop - Competitor of Starbucks. I love their little "Oscar" (sansrival $1.5), Bread pudding with warm vanilla sauce ($1) and their Chorizo pasta (pasta with sausage $3). However, their hot chocolate was very disappointing since I caught a server using the regular SwissMiss.
Dencio's - If you want Filipino food, this is the place to be. Try the sizzling bangus belly (milkfish $3), nilaga (boiled beef with vegtables $4) and gambas (shrimp with sauce $3). The bottomless ice tea is the cheapest I had ($1).
UCC Vienna Coffee - It's a Vienna themed coffee restaurant home based in Japan but located in the Philippines! This cafe is pretty expensive. But their salads are pretty good ($4) with wonderful wonderful Asian dressing and my absolute favorite Samba Cake ($3). A brownie like cake with molten chocolate inside so that when you cut into it, the liquid chocolate comes puring out. Can't beat that.
Ref Crab - Value for money, this is the place. Their buffet cost around $10 and it's all you can eat crab. Not only steamed but with different sauces. Other seafood as well. My favorite is the thermidor prawns.
All of the restaurants above are usually situated inside the malls. So, it's pretty safe.
" barrybarry says "HpVuQS skfye73mg08dmadvp937fh5v1"
Your Tip for Manila
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