Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
1
Manila
If you like big cities you'll love Manila: it's a high-speed, frenetic place,
where you can eat, drink and shop 24 hours a day and where the Filipino
heritage of native, Spanish, Chinese and American cultures is at its most
mixed up. Like many capital cities, Manila bears little resemblance to the
rest of the country - something to remember if this is your first taste of
the Philippines. With twelve million residents, much of it is chronically
overcrowded, polluted and suffers from appalling tra c jams, yet in
between the chaos lie tranquil gate-guarded “subdivisions” that resemble
a uent parts of the US. There's extreme poverty here, with young children
cleaning car windows, dancing or just begging for food at every
interchange, while in enormous shopping malls thousands of wealthy,
middle-class Manileños are as fashionable and hooked up with iPhones as
any of their contemporaries in London or New York.
Technically sixteen cities and one municipality make up what is o cially known as
Metro Manila , covering a vast 636 square kilometres. Travelling around the city takes
some effort; its reputation as an intimidating place stems mainly from its size,
apparent disorder and dispiriting levels of pollution, exacerbated by the equally
fierce heat and humidity. To see the sights you will have to sweat it out in tra c and
be prepared for delays, but the good news is that the main attractions are essentially
confined to Manila proper, comprising the old walled city of Intramuros , Binondo
- Manila's Chinatown - north of the Pasig River, and the museums and parks
grouped along the crescent sweep of Manila Bay and Roxas Boulevard. Makati and
Ortigas to the east are glossy business districts best known for their malls and
restaurants, though the Ayala Museum in Makati should not be missed. Quezon City
on the city's northern edge is a little out of the way for most visitors, but it does
boast some lively nightlife, most of it fuelled by students from the nearby University
of the Philippines . Indeed, Manila prides itself on the quality of its restaurant, bar
and club scene and the ability of its residents to whip up a good time - for many
tourists, this will be their enduring memory of the place. The city is also a great
place to pick up bargains, from the latest goods cranked out by Chinese factories to
intricate native handicrafts.
Brief history
Malay settlements along the Pasig River delta go back at least one thousand years, with
the Kingdom of Tondo most prominent, benefiting from a profitable trade with
Ming-era China. After coming under the sway of the Sultanate of Brunei in the
fifteenth century the area was converted to Islam.
Manila orientation p.59
Walk with the locals p.62
Manila Bay by boat p.68
The Manila Film Center p.70
Top Manila food markets p.90
Gay nightlife in Manila p.94
Filipino folk arts p.97
Spectator sports p.98
Life beyond the mall: indie retailers p.99
De-stressing Manila: spas, steam and
shiatsu p.100
 
Search WWH ::




Custom Search