Manila Travel Guide – Visit Manila – Budget Travel In The Philippines

Visit Manila, the capital of the Philippines, to experience the most congested city in the world. Skyscrapers and malls rise from shanty towns, giving tourists an immediate impression of the wealth divide.

We only planned to stay in Manila city for 3 nights before we moved on to the island of Palawan. Having not done much research, other than into which area to stay in, we had no idea that moving around the city would prove to be a stressful and near-impossible task. With 9 and a half million people living in Manila, traffic congestion and pollution is a big problem.

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Arriving In Manila

Out flight from Kaohsiung was delayed by an hour, meaning we did not land in Manila until around 10 pm. We had hoped to join a couchsurfing social that was taking place in the city (its location even determined our choice of accommodation) but it was clear that was not going to happen. We managed to book a Grab cab fairly easy (they have a stand in the departure area of the airport) and within 20 minutes we were at our hotel.

Where To Stay in Manila

These are the best budget hotels in Manila according to user reviews on booking.com:

• ZEN Hostel Haven Backpackers
• OYO 393 Triangle Apartelle
• Stay Malate (Wanderers Guest House)
• Crossroads Hostel Manila
• Tambayan Capsule Hostel & Bar
• Food District Hostel – Ortigas Kapitolyo
• Zen Hostel Haven Backpackers
• Tarasa Hostel
• V – Rooms Hostel
• Innspired Hostel

OYO 103 Artina Suites Hotel

Choosing an area to stay was very difficult as the city is divided into 16 districts. Whilst researching, we noticed that many people were asking which was the ‘safest’ area to stay. That was not a superlative we had really come across on our travels. Further research showed that Manila has one of the highest crime rates in Southeast Asia. Thanks to the horror stories, we decided to book a room in the ‘safest’ area, according to residents and bloggers.

We booked a three-night stay in ‘OYO 103 Artina Suites Hotel’ (map). We had stayed in a couple of OYO hotels and they had been OK, though perhaps not as consistent as their business-model might have liked. At least we knew we would be getting branded towels and toiletries!

Check-in was easy and the staff were friendly. The room was huge and used to accommodating 3 people. There was a fridge that didn’t work and the shower took a while to heat up. The toilet wasn’t up to full working order either as it needed filling with water by hand after every flush. It was all a bit run down but it was clean and comfortable.

The WiFi was unreliable and a bizarre setup. They gave us a user name and password which would be active for 24 hours from our first login, after which we would have to ask again. It didn’t work the first night and when we told the staff, they gave us access to the much stronger connection that we could easily access. They also upped our active time to 5 days so we wouldn’t have to keep asking. Why it had been made so difficult, I don’t know.

The best thing about the hotel is the rooftop bar. We spent both nights eating and drinking there. On the Friday night, there was a DJ night and it was very loud. We heard it 2 floors down so how people on the same floor coped, I just don’t know! Very odd to have a bar with loud DJs on the same floor as the rooms.

Overall, it was a decent hotel. It was a bit rough around the edges but it was fine for us. The bar was an excellent bonus!

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We paid £40.26 for three nights in a triple room with en-suite bathroom.

Click here to book a stay at OYO Artina Suites.

Is Manila Safe?

By the time we got settled into our room, it was around 11 pm. We decided to chill out so we went to the local 7-eleven to buy some snacks. 7-eleven stores in Manila are pretty much the same as they are in the rest of Southeast Asia, with one notable difference. We were shocked to discover an armed security guard at the entrance. We were to discover that this is not unusual in Manila. All malls, museums and train stations have airport-style security checks. This causes big hold ups, particularly in train stations. It also gives the city an uneasy atmosphere. Just how big is the threat of terrorism here to justify such massive security? It didn’t give us the feeling that Manila was a particularly safe place.

Crime in Manila

On our first full day, we decided to go to a coffee shop to work out what we would do with ourselves. Just around the corner from our hotel, we saw the poverty in Manila for ourselves.

As I was walking, I noticed a couple of youths sat at the roadside suddenly stand up and move towards me. One of them came right up next to me and attempted to put his hand in my pocket. It was so blatant. I turned to him and he stepped back. I told him to ‘go away!’ in a tone that made it clear there would be consequences if he didn’t. I couldn’t believe it. In all of our 9 months of travel in Southeast Asia, I had never encountered this. It wasn’t the best first impression.

Manila Coffee Shop

We went for coffee at a hip cafe-bar called ‘Commune’ (map). This was a western-style coffee shop selling freshly-brewed coffee and snacks. They have a space upstairs where they host various events. Posters on the wall encouraged customers to be environmentally-friendly. This was more like it.

How To Get Around In Manila

We decided to visit the old, Spanish-era district of Intramuros. Google Maps told us we could walk for half an hour and take a public boat. We had no idea how to use jeepneys (the most popular form of transport) so this seemed the best option.

We walked for half an hour to the departure point only to discover that the boat was temporarily out of service. The woman in the office was very helpful and told us we could take a boat over the river, take any of the jeepneys to Guadalupe where we could then take the MRT to another station where we could transfer to the LRT. A boat, a jeepney, two trains and then half an hour walk to get us to Intramuros!

The boat cost next to nothing and takes locals across the river all day so there was no waiting around. We got off the boat and hopped into the first jeepney we saw which, sure enough, was heading to Guadalupe. So far, so good.

Jeepneys of Manila

The jeepneys in Manila are the most popular form of transport for locals as they are cheap and run all over the city. Most have their destinations written on the outside of the vehicles, which are usually highly decorated and named.

If you sit directly behind the driver, you will automatically become the conductor. People pass their money along the passengers until it gets to you and you will give it to the driver, who will then give you any change to pass back.

One local seemed shocked to see two western tourists on the jeepney. She asked us where we were heading and confirmed that the information we had been given from the woman in the boat office was correct. She was very friendly, though I was a little concerned about her wishing us ‘good luck’ after she’d mentioned she would be too afraid to use the jeepneys if she wasn’t local!

If you plan to use the jeepney, be extra careful with your belongings. They are prime targets for pickpockets.

Using The Trains In Manila

We got to the MRT station and this is where it got confusing. We bought our tickets and went through security and onto the platform. There was absolutely no signs or information telling us which train to take. The train we thought was ours arrived and we squeezed inside.

We departed the MRT at EDSA station where we had to transfer to the LRT. This was a little easier and there are a number of food places where we had something to eat before moving on to the next stage of the journey.

The LRT was more comfortable and we finally arrived at our final station.

Rizal Park

We exited the station and made our way to ‘Rizal Park’ (map). The park is 140 acres of gardens and occasionally hosts open-air events.

Our first discovery was a free children’s park which was free to explore. It was a little run down and had barely any children using it.

National Museum Of Natural History

We continued our journey through the park and came across the ‘National Museum Of Natural History’ (map). We didn’t know this was in the park and, having discovered it was free admission, decided to take a look.

After queuing to enter through the security search, we discovered a well-presented museum with 6 floors circling an impressive atrium. Each floor is dedicated to various categories and all the information is presented in English. We thought we’d be nipping in and out but spent at least 2 hours exploring the many exhibits.

We left the museum and explored the park a little more. We tried on two occasions to exit the park but it didn’t seem possible! Finally, we managed to get out and walk to Intramuros.

National Museum Of Natural History Opening Times: 10 am – 5 pm, Tue – Sun.
National Museum Of Natural History Entrance Fee: Free admission.

Intramuros

After what seemed like forever walking around the perimeter of the walled town of ‘Intramuros’ (map), we found our way inside, to be greeted by a number of people who were more than eager to give us a personal tour around the town. As usual, we decided to do our exploring by foot.

Intramuros is filled with some stunning Spanish-era architecture; even the 7-eleven is situated in a grand building. Our first stop was ‘The Minor Basilica and Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception’ (map). We decided to go inside and rest our tired legs for a while.

Aduana Building

We moved on and came across the ‘Aduana Building’ (map), an old Spanish customs house damaged by an earthquake, WWII and fire! Something of an unfortunate history! Unfortunately, we were only able to take photos from the outside of this wonderful, abandoned building.

We continued to explore the area, which was very run down in parts.

We found some street art as we made our way back to the LRT station.

Travel in Manila is a Nightmare!

We headed back to the LRT station only to find a queue that led down all the stairs and right out on to the street. This was the queue to get into the station, before it joined the queue to go through security. Following this, we had to queue to buy tickets. Then we had to queue to gain access to the platform. At no point where we sure we were even in the correct queue, apart from being told so by locals. Finally, we were allowed onto the platform where we had to queue to get onto the train: not an easy task.

I don’t know how the people of Manila can live like this every day. Commuting to work must be a nightmare and easily add hours to your working day. There are simply too many people and the infrastructure is unable to cope. The roads didn’t look any easier, either.

It had been an interesting day and not entirely enjoyable. We were both ready to relax with food and drinks in the rooftop bar at the hotel and take in the views.

On our second day in Manila, we decided to stay within walking distance of our hotel and just visit a couple of malls to purchase some essentials before we moved on to Palawan island. We were just not up to doing any more exploring. Manila had not won us over.

Is Manila Worth Visiting?

Many foreign visitors to The Philippines will begin their trip in Manila. My advice is to move on as quickly as possible. It just isn’t an easy place to like. Maybe it was the pickpockets at the start of our first day that left a negative impression, but also the congestion did not help. The city has a paranoid atmosphere. We were just not used to seeing armed security guards everywhere or having to be scanned to enter a mall.

There is also a sad juxtaposition of wealth and poverty. Manila has become a rich city with many skyscrapers showing off its status as a centre of business. However, it has left a lot of its people behind and you can see them living in the slum areas at the foot of these symbols of wealth.

Our Philippine adventure had not got off to the best of starts. It could only improve, right? Our next stop… Puerto Princesa.