Manila
© OpenStreetMap, CARTO
Maynila | Manila
Why visit
Intramuros is the only place in Asia with intact Spanish colonial walls. Rent a bamboo bike for tours of Fort Santiago (José Rizal's prison cell) and San Agustin Church (1607, oldest stone church in the country). Binondo, founded in 1594, is the world's oldest Chinatown, come hungry for hopia, dim sum, and lumpia. Ride a jeepney at least once. Sunset over Manila Bay along Roxas Boulevard is the city's traditional rite of passage.
When to avoid
Do not visit Manila expecting every worthwhile stop to be close together or easy to improvise. In Manila, a good plan starts with the constraints, not with the number of sights. A safer and clearer day in Manila usually comes from grouping nearby sites and avoiding unnecessary late or awkward transfers. If the main interest is one nearby site, it may be better to treat Manila as a base rather than the whole destination.
