Top 5 things to do in Manila

Manila is a massive city and there are plenty of things to do; but these are some of the top rated things to do with a bit of variety.  Here are 5 things to do in Manila:

Intramuros

Did you know there is a Spanish Colonial city right in Manila?  This city is called Intramuros; it has cobblestone streets, is surrounded by concrete walls and has a fort.  The fort has history from the Spaniards, history from WWII with the Japanese such as a dungeon where the Filipinos were kept,   and the fort has mini-golf inside it.   Fort Santiago was originally used to protect Intramuros from enemies coming up the Pasig River. 

You can spend a full day walking through Intramuros, learning history and marveling at the architecture and protective barriers built by the Spaniards in the 16^th century.  It will be hot, so enjoy some fresh Boku juice served in the street, ice cream (try the Pinoy Classic) or some craft beer at Batala Bar.  There is also a famous restaurant, Barbara’s, which was once the headquarters of the Spaniards.  The food is excellent, it feels like you’re in an old Spanish restaurant with live music that will be played to you beside your table.

You can watch my video about Intramuros here.

Food Tour in Binondo

Binondo is famous for the food tour which has went viral on YouTube and TikTok.  It is also the world’s oldest Chinatown.  There is also a really cool church, believe it or not, at the start of the area.  The food is excellent and authentic, but be prepared to wait in line.  There is street food, snacks, old authentic grocery stores, fast food and dine in restaurants.  You can read about my tips and tricks for doing the food tour here.

Shopping, dining and snacks at the Mall of Asia

In addition to having a historic walled city and the world’s oldest Chinatown, Manila also can brag about having the 6^th largest mall in the world, the Mall of Asia.  The mall is massive and there are plenty of stores to explore.  To explore the whole thing you’re going to need more than a full day.  Still, despite the overwhelming size there are lots of cool stores and restaurants to check out.  I got a new suitcase at a very cheap price and several nice shirts for a bargain.  There are also cool structures outside the mall, including the massive globe, a massive IMAX and concert hall.  There is street food outside of the mall if you want a snack, a multitude of restaurants inside and a number of restaurants just outside the mall along the bay.  In addition to shopping, take a stroll along the bay, get a bite to eat or even ride on one of the amusement park rides.

Dinner and drinks in BGC

Bonifacio Global City, also known as BGC, is a modern neighborhood in Manila that is extremely developed and loaded with skyscrapers and nice buildings.  In addition to strolling through the streets to appreciate the modernity of this neighborhood, there are plenty of shopping and dining options.  There are also several places where you can just grab a drink.  The options are endless on Bonifacio High Street.  After 3 plus weeks in the Philippines it was time for a change, and we decided to eat in Wild West Roadhouse Grill.  The food was pretty good.

Nightlife in Makati

 After eating in BGC you can head on over to the adjacent neighborhood Makati.  Makati is developed with skyscrapers but it has some gritty parts to it.  There are an endless number of bars and there are also a number of dining options that are cheaper than BGC.  And depending on your tastes, there are other options for entertainment.  See my video for what to expect on Burgos Street in Makati.

The metro Manila area has more than 13 million people, it is also the capital of the Philippines.  These are just a taste of things to see and do there, but with travel time and traffic and unless your time is endless, sometimes you need to narrow down your activities.  Exploring these 5 options will give you a good variety of what Manila has to offer.