Manila: a Mega City With Soul, Charm and a Lot of Rubbish.

Everyone we have talked to told us: “Get out of Manila as fast as you can”. We ended up spending 6 days in Manila and loved the city. Actually, one of the favorite spots on our month of exploring the Philippines. Manila is a pulsating, vibrant, giant city with smog, smelly allies and people everywhere. But the city has a soul and just the right kind of a soul. Beautiful skyline piercing the hazy sky, and man-made constructions as far as the eye can see. This is truly a chaotic megacity.

Manila

When you put on your comfortable shoes and walk around you meet the most helpful people in the Philippines. When you get caught in a pouring rainstorm, the locals help you get a tricycle. When you are lost, they walk you to the big street. When you want to take idiotic touristy pictures of their slum houses, they smile and wave to the camera. Whats not to love?

What to do and where to go:

My favorite day-long to do when I get to a city is to put on my comfortable runners and start walking with a destination in mind and to just explore the surrounding areas. The first day, we stayed in Mandaluyong, we decided to exit our flat and turn right. We were planning on ending up at Divisoria, the big market everyone told us to go to. We didn’t, primarily because someone put in the wrong location on our mapsme. But we went into narrow allies and slum quarters. Everywhere we went people were smiling, happy, helpful, and in good spirits. We felt safe and welcome, and we saw places in Manila tourists would not normally explore. We got caught in the rain and ended up getting our nails done in an alley to she-males more concerned with watching their drag-queen show on the telly than doing our nails. They sang along to the songs better than they colored our nails.

Makati Skyline from Mandaluyong riverside

As the capital of the Philippines and one of the most populated cities in the world, Manila is huge. It is by far the most densely populated city I’ve visited, and as a tourist, you cannot explore everything. Most people do not even try. I think Manila is one of the most underrated cities, but one of the coolest.
Besides being polluted, corrupted, and overpopulated, Manila has an urban and hip new wave of restaurants, nightlife, and galleries, especially if you go to Makati in the evenings. Here you can find chic restaurants, live music, rooftop bars and fine dining. If you stay in Mandaluyong it is just across the bridge. Despite the reputation for high crime, I did not feel unsafe once during our stay, and we were hanging out in pretty poor places. I even felt like people tried to cheat me less than in other places in the Philippines.

About the city

Being a city that has fallen victim to almost any disaster in the book, Manila still remains one of Southeast Asia's best metropolis for culture and big-city sightseeing.
Manila is located on the eastern shores of the Manila Bay and consists of 16 districts, but that is just the metropolitan Manila. When referring to Manila most people include Quezon City, Makati Central Business District, and many more of the surrounding districts.

Smoggy sunset from Mandaluyong

Most of the city is fairly new because Manila was pretty-much wiped flat during WW2. Though if you search Escolta street, you can still find buildings from different ages and visit the Escolta Museum for a map of the remaining buildings and how to find them.

Divisoria

Shop until you drop: Divisoria is the biggest market in Manila and it is located on the border with the old Chinatown. You can buy literally everything and for a decent price. You are not buying amazing quality but like most places in Asia, you get what you are paying for. I, for once, was happy with the market. You need pointy elbows because there are millions of locals both working and shopping here. Of course, you are being presented with the white-prices, but when visiting a 3rd world country you are expected to be cheated a little everywhere you go - it is part of the game.

Divisoria Market on a Saturday

Insider tip: remember to bring cash. No credit cards are accepted here.
After buying everything you need and do not need, you can walk around the block and enter Chinatown.

Chinatown

Manila is home to the oldest Chinatown in the world. Exploring Binondo district gives you a feeling of authentic Chinese history blended in with Filipino history. Streets are covered with Chinese lanterns of various colors and covered with shops selling holistic Chinese medicine, moon cakes, Min and Hokkien food stalls, and paraphernalia belonging to Chinese and Buddhist traditions.

Entering China Town, Manila

In the mood for a different kind of cultural visit? Walk through the Chinese Cemetery. This surreal ghost-like town includes luxury tombs, some with running water and air-conditioning, just to be comfortable in the afterlife. And just to be sure the spirits do not get lonely, the North cemetery houses thousands of living residents who live, work and shop amongst the tombs. Genius or mad? I guess no one will have any noise complaints - on either side.

Another popular sight is The Intramuros, The capital under Spanish rule, and now a walled area with old dungeons and gunpowder rooms, but with the makeover and added art galleries and theatres.

China Town, Manila

Food

Filipino food, both street-food, and restaurants, aren’t really a gourmet experience if you ask me. Filipino food dishes range from the very simple, like a meal of fried salted fish and rice, to more Spanish inspired dishes like cocidos. Because Filipino food primarily consists of meat, it is nearly impossible to hunt down vegetables or vegetarian options. Lechón, longganisa, tapa, mechado and kaldereta are all very traditional dishes that you should try when visiting Manila, but when trying to find any non-meat options even 7/11 looks at you strangely and send you on your way.
We hunted down a few vegetarian restaurants and would recommend the Corner Tree Cafe for quality and delicious food, and Hummus Elijah for a cheap lunch option.

What to Avoid.

Peak hours and Taxies without taximeter: Manila is famously known for the horrendous traffic jams and every taxi driver in the city will tell you he needs at least double payment and no meter because of this awful traffic. To tell you the truth we didn’t experience the traffic as a big problem. All big cities have traffic and all big cities have traffic jams. Manila was not worse than many other places like Paris or Sydney. If you are a tourist you do not NEED to take a taxi between 4 and 6 pm so you do not really need to experience it. Maybe we were lucky for the entire week, but even going to the airport went smooth and without more traffic than expected, and after trying 3 different taxies, without extra money.
Remember to make it very clear to the taxi driver that you want to be on the meter before getting on because you might end up paying 5 times the price if you do not.

Walking along the riverside in Mandaluyong

All in all, Manila is a differently-shaped pearl than most, but not any less precious. If you give yourself the chance of actually liking the city you will meet friendly and caring people. You will get caught in the rain with your fellow none-umbrella-carrying wet mice and you will give whatever pocket money you can spare to the old men or women on the street or even better, invite them out for a meal. Feel good about helping an old woman to another meal and wear comfortable shoes so you avoid taking transport during peak hours. All cities are best discovered by foot.

Wondering if people always walk their dog like this (roof)

Residential area, Manila

View from our room in Tivoli Gardens, Mandaluyong

Makati Skyline, Manila

*All photos are private and taken by me