It’s Fine to Leave Manila as a Layover
The World’s Most Densely Populated City is a Lot
Manila is the largest metro area and capital of the Philippines - and the world’s most densely populated city. For someone like me who does not thrive in crowded, noisy chaos, Manila is tough. I tried hard to love it - from clubbing with friends, to exploring good restaurants, to singing karaoke at a house party - but I never managed to really enjoy Manila. It’s too crowded, too dirty, and too hard to move around for me. The urban planning and public transit often feel non-existent - and the traffic is awful.
Plus, the Philippines all meat cuisine is not a delight for me as vegan. I’d often walk forty minutes just to find some plants to eat.
Unless you’re the kind of person who thrives in chaos, I think a Philippines itinerary would benefit from only stopping in Manila as a layover on your way to one of the islands. If you find yourself in the city for a few days, or if you choose to go because you want the chaos, here are my suggestions on what to do.
Explore Bonifacio Global City (BGC)
While Manila as a whole suffers from a deficit of urban planning, there is one city section that is remarkably well planned: Bonifacio Global City (GBC). A commercial district with international businesses, megamalls, trendy restaurants, and clubs, this area is highly pedestrianized, well laid out, clean, and even has a robust floodwater system. This was honestly the only section of the city that truly left a positive impression on me. It’s cool, beautiful, and just fun to explore.
Start on BGC High Street and branch out from there. There’s tons to see.
Escape to Tagaytay
About a 90 minute drive south of Manila, Tagaytay is a resort town set up on a ridge above a volcano in a middle of a lake (Taal Volcano and Taal Lake). While there’s not a lot to do in the town, it offers many exquisite viewpoints and a wonderful reprieve form the dense chaos of Manila.
You can take a public bus down to the town and find yourself a good viewpoint. We chose to grab a coffee at Starbucks and then walk around Sky Ranch. There are also several spas if you want to treat yourself to a wellness day while you’re there.
Other Things to Do
Manila is an enormous, sprawling metropolis. You can get up to pretty much anything somewhere in the city. Here are the most common to-dos:
Rest in Rizal Park: Just south of Intramuros, Rizal Park is one of the largest urban parks in Asia. The Chinese and Japanese Gardens are beautiful - and offer a needed reprieve from the bustle of Manila.
Walk Through the Old Spanish Quarters: Intramuros, the walled city, is the original site of Manila from Spanish colonization. This section feels like an old European city and has Fort Santiago and Manila Cathedral - two of the most commonly visited tourist attractions. To be honest, I found this entire section underwhelming.
Take in the Chinese Heritage: North of Intramuros, Manila has one of the oldest Chinatowns outside of China. Like Intramuros, I also found this section undewhelming.
Head to a Museum: In Intramuros, there are two highly regarded free museums: National Museum of Fine Arts and the National Museum of Anthropology. Both also have good AC if you need to escape the heat.
Explore a Local Market: West of Chinatown, Divisoria Market is the busiest local street market I found. If you go to its western end near the port, you will end up in one of the Manila slums. While I found the area a bit depressing to walk through, I also think it’s a good experience to see it.
Catch a Sunset: Manila is famous for its sunsets (as is the Philippines generally). The most famous viewpoints are the Manila Baywalk and the Bayleaf Hotel rooftop bar. Many of the hotels in BGC also have rooftop bars with exquisite sunsets.
Bar Hop: Poblacion in Makati is one of Manilas trendiest, most bohemian districts. This is where most backpackers go to bar hop - and offers some of the coolest places to explore at night.
I found getting around Manila generally an unpleasant experience, even if I was in a car (because of traffic). Because of that, I would stick to exploring one neighborhood each day so that you’re not always in transit. I think it will improve your odds of having a good time.
