Tag Archives: Travel

Destination

Attractions you must see when visiting Manila

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Manila is an interesting place to say the least. But so are an many other cities throughout the world.

So, why should tourists use the time and resources to visit the Philippine Capital?

Personally I feel Manila has a lot of depth. It is a city which can be enjoyed on many different levels. The city is filled with many classic entertainment options such as bars, theme parks, amazing malls amongst many other things.

For tourists who want to dig a little deeper, Manila is filled with cultural relics hinting at the rich history of the city which has made it what it is today.

So now lets have a look at some of Manilas tourist hot spots as well as some lesser known attractions in Metro Manila.

Fort Santiago

Situated at the mouth of the Pasig River, the scenic Fort Santiago is one of the premier attractions of the walled city of Intramuros.

Fort Santiago began its life as the headquarters for the Spanish military. It was a part of  a larger collection of Spanish infrastructure which collectively made up the walled city of Intramuros.

This spanish base was established due to Miguel López de Legazpi who was a prominent Spanish explorer. He was was working to re-establish Manila as the centre the Spanish empire in the east.

After the ousting of the Spanish imperialists, Fort Santiago was home to the massacre of thousands of POWs during WWII. This violence during the Japanese occupation was shortlived after their hold on the city was removed during the Battle of Manila.

Today Fort Santiago is a much more peacefulplace. It features beautifully manicured gardens, plazas and water features, which perfectly compliment the dated stone features of the structure.

Amongst the beauty you can see hits of the colourful, but violent past of the strucutre. From the odd bullet hole, to the dugeons below in which the Filipino national hero Dr. Jose Rizal was held. There is a lot to be discovered within the walls of Fort Santiago.

The Binondo China town arch marks the entrance to the Binondo district of Manila.

Binondo

On the surface the Binondo district of Manila can easily be brushed off just another Chinatown. But reality is, this district of Metro Manila highlights the rich history of relations between Chinese natives and the Philippines.

Dating back as far as the early Spanish Colonial period, Binondo is commonly known as the oldest Chinatown in the world. It was once a vibrant hub of commerce and trade, but has now descended into the all too familiar urban decay seen across Manila.

Modern day Binondo is still very much the centre f the Filipino – Chinese community. To this day you will still hear various Chinese dialects and see various stores advertising their goods with Chinese signage.

Any visitor to the Binondo district must experience some of the local cuisine. You can find cuisines from various regions across China, as well as a mix of local Filipino foods. There are many tours which will take you through some of the famous eateries within the area.

Binondo also continues to be a centre for commerce, as it is home to a wide array of consumer goods. During the Chinese new year the area comes alive as many of the stores offer bargains which attracts many savy shoppers.

With the delicious food, Chinese New Year and celebrations, and the historical architecture of the Colonial buildings and temples, there is a lot to be experienced within the Binondo district of Manila.

Cubao Expo

In our world of mass produced goods, pockets of individuality where quality is valued over quantity are becoming scarce. Thankfully Manila maintains a community of like minded individuals who still see the appeal in offering unique, quirky goods.

This community found in Cubao Expo – a small complex developed in 1972, formerly known as Marikina Shoe Expo. The complex, found alon Gen. Romulo St. in Araneta Center, was originally used to showcase the wares of Marikina Shoemakers.

This lasted until 1997 when the complex closed down, but this turned out to only be a short hiatus. In the early 2000’s the thriving DIY and art scene began to take hold of the quarters and transform it into what it ias today.

Eve4n though over the years, different stores have come and gone, the theme of the complex remains the same. It is a melting pot of quirky vintage goods, and wares from the music and art scene.

You can find merch from local bands, dig through stacks of local and international vinyl, experience the local art through paintings and art books. Cubao Expo has a lot to offer those who love to indulge the arty side of life. 

Manila Baywalk

Now for a personal favourite, Manila Baywalk. In fast paced environments like Manila, getting away from the hustle of city life and enjoying nature can be quite theraputic.

I think this is why I find myself strolling down Manila Baywalk so often. Its really at its best in the late evening, taking in the beautiful sunset across the ocean and the cool sea breeze. 

The Baywalk is basically in full operation from early in the morning to all through the night. It generally begins with health conscious locals who walk and cycle up and down the promenade throughout the morning. 

The 2km stretch of land running along Roxas Boulevard joins some of Manilas tourist hot spots which adds to the popularity of the Baywalk. At one end you have the infamous Rizal Park, US Embassy, and Manila Ocean Park.

As you travel down the baywalk you will pass by many bars, restaurants, cafes and much more. Eventually you’ll come to the other end situated by the Manila Yacht Club, also a short trip away is one of the largest malls in Asia – SM Mall of Asia.

Thriving gardens and beautiful architecture is found throughout the Greenbelt complex.

Greenbelt Mall

I’m aware that the love of mall culture in the Philippines has been pointed out ad nauseam, but I feel like I can not pass on highlighting this staple of mall culture in the Philippines.

When it comes to shopping, dining, and entertainment in the Philippines Ayala Malls are one of the biggest players in these industries. The brand is known for going above and beyond when it comes to customer experience – the Greenbelt Mall complex is no exception.

I have found Greenbelts appeal comes its ability to excel where a lot of other malls in the area fail.  In one case malls in Manila tend to be very chaotic and fast paced, you are basically only there to spend money.

The Greenbelt complex has a completely different atmosphere, the vibrant open air architecture, and lush gardens throughout the area create a relaxed feeling.

Another uncommon feature amongst other malls in the area are the small plazas found throughout the area, where patrons can sit, unwind in areas often adorned with gardens, water features, art work and sculptures.

Greenbelt malls offer a host of common and uncommon shopping outlets, a wide array of restaurant and cafe options as well as many different entertainment options. I think visiting Greenbelt is a must for anyone spending time in Manila.

Destination

El Nido, Unrestrained Beauty With A Dash Of Isolation

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El Nido, the “promised land” of Palawan. Thousands of pilgrims make the journey to Palawan each year to witness the somewhat unadulterated beauty of the tropical municipality. Tourists across the world are lured in by the breathtaking images of places like El Nido, which have spread virally across the Internet.

Palawan is one of the tourist hotspots in the Philippines. It is situated between the South China Sea and The Sulu Sea; separating the central cluster of Philippine Islands from Malaysia. There are three main destinations in Palawan which seem to attract most tourists. These are Puerto Princesa, El Nido, and Coron.

So, how do you get to Palawan?

For those wanting to visit Coron, you simply have to book a ride on a ship leaving from Manila which will take you directly to the island. For those wishing to visit El Nido, it will require a little extra work.

El Nido, despite its reputation, is still a relatively small town. It does have an airport there, but the airport only accommodates smaller airlines – which can be expensive. Unfortunately, there are no regular flights to El Nido made by the countries large commercial airlines. The next option is to travel to El Nido by land which is easily the more popular choice.

Flights leave daily from Manila to the largest city in the region, Puerto Princesa. Once you arrive there, you can either arrange to be picked up by a van the following morning and be taken directly to El Nido, or you can take a bus from the terminal which also goes directly to El Nido. Although the bus can take slightly longer, as it frequently stops to pick up passengers along the way.

Our journey to Puerto Princesa

Once we arrived in Puerto Princesa, I spoke with a few of the locals. The consensus was that we should take the van to El Nido, despite the price being almost double that of the bus, the van was able to save us a significant amount of time.

So after staying several nights in Puerto Princesa, we were picked up by a van outside of our hotel which would then take us to El Nido. We were the first ones in so I had no idea of what lay ahead. After about 15 minutes we had driven to a couple more locations to pick up the rest of the passengers. By that time I was not feeling very confident about the journey at all.

I was sandwiched in the backseat with three other people. My legs were pushed hard up against the seat in front of me. I’m 6’3 – these seats were not meant to accommodate somebody my size. The vans took minimising leg room to a whole new level. I had to try and distract myself from the realisation that I would be stuck in that position for the next 5+ hours; minus the brief stopover along the way.

By the time we got to El Nido, I was about to crack. The muscles in my legs were cramping up from being in such an awkward position for so long. I was also starting to feel sick from so many people being in such a small space for that period of time. I have never felt more relieved to leave a vehicle and just be standing out on the street breathing fresh air. It felt amazing to move my arms and legs freely after that trip.

We then went on to spend seven days in the social media photography, Mecca. I had the time of my life in El Nido, though I just couldn’t shake the feeling of the inevitable moment where I step back into one of those vans to make the journey back to Puerto Princesa.



Revelation – Is the bus the best means to travel Palawan?

The day eventually came when we had to leave. I couldn’t do it, I woke up that morning not caring if I have to waste 2 – 3 hours; I was taking the bus. All I cared about at that point was having the room to move. I was not going to spend another 5 hours jammed in one of those vans with 12 other people.

We went to the bus terminal and spoke to one of the drivers. The bus fare is almost half the price of the van, so that was our first win of the day. I went and bought some snacks with the money we saved and then walked back over to the bus.

It was such a relief to be on the bus, we sat in the front seat, so I was able to stretch my legs out in front of me and then have all my stuff laid out across the dashboard. Once the bus ride began, I was able to lay back in my seat spread myself out and enjoy the ride.

5 hours and 45 minutes later we were back in Puerto Princesa! I could not believe it, I was expecting a 7 – 8-hour ride. After everybody telling me how slow the buses were, I had assumed they take significantly more time than the vans – not just 45 minutes!

So the bus had been a lot cheaper, more comfortable, uncrowded and only took 45 minutes longer than the van. For me, I feel like the bus is undoubtedly the better option. I thought maybe the bus driver had been driving a little faster than how the bus drivers usually drive. But, I was then talking to some other tourists who told me that they had taken the bus to El Nido and it had taken them 5 hours and 30 minutes to get there.

If I ever find myself travelling back to El Nido, I will be taking the bus, without question, I feel like travelling in comfort while you are on holiday is ideal.

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Culture

Planning Is Not Your Priority

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Before my first exposure to The Philippines, I spent several weeks leading up to my trip trying to plan out where I would be going, what sites I wanted to see, what’s the best way to get to these places… the list is almost endless. It’s hard to know what you should be expecting and in turn what you should be planning for when you are about to travel somewhere completely new to yourself.

Once you arrive you quickly realise that the extensive planning is a pointless pursuit in The Philippines. For example, on one visit I had a late afternoon flight from Cebu to Manila. After the flight, I had planned on going to my hotel for an hour or two then meeting up with some friends later on that evening. I arrived at the airport a couple of hours ahead of my flight, checked in and then begun to wait.

As the flight time approached, an announcement came that our flight would not be leaving for another 2 hours due to bad weather. 3.5 hours later an announcement came over the address system saying that our plane had just left Manila. By the end of this, I arrived in Manila over 5 hours later than I had planned.

Another experience was not negative as such, but it just displays how unnecessary any sort of extensive planning really is. We were about to stay on a small island off of Cebu, at the time I had again been browsing the internet looking for tour groups operating on the island. I knew the Island was a popular holiday destination so I wanted to make sure I got a spot on a tour. Again this ended up being a complete waste of time, as the island was infested with tour group operators trying to get customers for their tours. When walking along the beach to our hotel we had a constant stream of tour guides asking us if we would join their tour group for the following morning.

I am now at the point where if I plan on travelling somewhere in The Philippines I will book my flights and 2 or 3 nights stay at my destination and then leave the rest of my planning for when I arrive. I always travel off-peak, during this time all the hotels are quite empty, so extending my stay has never been a problem. Booking late has also allowed me to stay in some extremely nice hotels at a very low price. I think a lot of the time it’s better to have somebody in the room at a low price than having nobody in the room at all.

Once you are at your destination you can then talk with the locals, the hotel staff, other tourists and find out more about what the best sites and activities are in the city. The tourism industry in The Philippines is quite big so most of the time there are always plenty of people around ready to accommodate tourists.

I have booked tours half an hour before they commence, I turn up for bus rides minutes before they leave and I generally book my flights the day before I take them.

My point is to not stress when travelling the country as there are so many options available to you. If you miss a flight, there will be another in a few hours. You may miss a bus ride, just get on the other bus leaving for the same destination an hour later. If plan A does not work out there’s always a plan B, C, D… you are in a country with some of the most hospitable people in the world, so you will be well looked after during your visit.

 

Culture

Is The Philippines safe for travellers?

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Is the Philippines safe? A question which has no doubt been on the mind of many foreigners planning on visiting The Philippines. They are drawn by the beauty and culture this country has to offer but may remain hesitant due to the very real risks present in some areas of the country.

There have been many highly publicized cases involving foreigners getting in trouble while travelling The Philippines. Unsurprisingly this can deter tourists from wanting to spend time in the country due to concerns for their own safety.

Further to this, a quick google search will also bring up plenty of news articles covering the frequent terrorist beheadings, vigilante murders, and the rampant corruption throughout the country.

Safety in the Philippines: My personal experience

I remember the very first time I travelled to The Philippines. I had no idea of what I should be expecting. The majority of the travel websites I visited would only show me the picturesque beach and jungles scenes which lure so many tourists to the country.

The thing is if you’re visiting as a tourist, that is all you really have to experience, there really isn’t much of a reason to go outside of these areas. Generally speaking, if you stick to those “touristy” areas, you’ll never have a problem.

Personally, I can’t say I have ever had an issue in The Philippines. The most trouble I have had was dealing with people trying to scam me out of ridiculous amounts of money.

So maybe the country is safe or maybe I am just lucky?

After all, a lot of my close friends have had negative experiences where people have pulled out knives of them, another has been robbed at gunpoint and others have been victims of snatchers.

The Philippines is full of friendly, welcoming people who will always greet you with a smile and a wave.

So how safe am I in the Philippines?

For me, it all comes back to is common sense.

Don’t put yourself in situations where you become vulnerable – walking the streets alone late at night, carrying valuable items out in the open such as jewellery or your mobile phone.

It requires a mindset of vigilance, keeping points in mind such as –

  • be aware of your surroundings when you’re out and about, and try not to draw too much attention to yourself.
  • Try to avoid crowded areas.
  • Do not acknowledge, or get too involved with beggars, although they are not bad people they can be opportunistic due to their circumstances.
  • Limit the amount of cash you carry on you during days out, always try to leave cash and valuables at your accommodation, ideally locked away.

 So is The Philippines safe? Well, it is as safe as most other cities in the world, it is certainly not a hotbed for criminals. For me putting off a visit to The Philippines due to safety concerns is definitely not warranted. The country has so much to offer in beauty and its unique culture. Remaining safe is as simple as using your common sense and always remaining alert. As long as you stick to that you will have one of the most unique, memorable holidays of your life.

Thinking of visiting the Philippines? Click here for amazing deals on accommodation in the Philippines!

Destination, Uncategorized

Sunlight Hotel Is A Rose Amongst Thorns

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We were flying through the dimly lit afternoon sky heading towards the small exotic island of Palawan, nested between the Sulu and the South China Sea. At that point in time, I had an idea of how I imagined the island to be fixed in my mind. The stereotypical white sandy beaches with palm trees and fallen coconuts littering the shoreline. As for the city itself, I was completely clueless as to what I should be expecting.

As the captain announced that we would soon be landing, I began staring out of the window trying to see the island. I was staring, looking for the white sandy beaches with palm-filled shorelines but they never came. An island eventually came into view, a small land mass covered with vegetation with the occasional small houses poking through the tree line.

As we flew over the city, I couldn’t help but think about how rural this town seemed. After spending my time in The Philippines always travelling between the urban sprawls of Cebu and Manila, this city seemed so small in comparison. Then I began to realise how low the plane was flying at that point; I started noticing how easily I could easily see the people walking through the streets. I could watch everything that was happening in the streets of Puerto Princesa in detail, as we made our way to the airport.

Once we landed, we quickly walked from the plane got our bags, then set our focus to getting to the hotel. A young man greeted us outside the airport, then went on to offer to take us to where we would be staying, the Sunlight Hotel. I have come to realise anybody who is enthusiastically offering you a ride outside the airport is generally trying to get a bit of extra money from you.

I would love to think that I have stopped falling for these tactics, but unfortunately, this guy managed to fool me and get double the standard fare for that particular route.

After a short 5-10 minute tricycle ride we were there standing outside a multistory supermarket. Our hotel lobby occupied a small section of the supermarkets ground floor as the hotel itself held the top story of the supermarket building. As I entered the building, I let out a sigh of relief. I knew Palawan was an isolated place, so I had no idea what to expect from the mid-range hotels. But from the look of the Sunlight Hotel lobby, I could tell straight away that this would be comfortable there.

After spending the previous sleeping on the floor of a friends condo, it was nice to be in our own room again. The room was beautifully decorated and was so much bigger than an average hotel room. We were only there for a few days before going to El Nido, if I hadn’t planned other activities in Puerto Princesa I could have easily just stayed and relaxed inside our room.

The first morning I was awoken early in the morning by a whistling sound which quickly built to a loud roar, it was the last thing I had expected to hear at that time in the morning.

As soon as it had come the sound disappeared leaving the dull sound of heavy wind. I immediately remembered how low we had flown over the city when coming into the airport; I had in no way imagined that the noise from the plane would be as loud as it was. But this, for me was a minor inconvenience for our stay in the Sunlight Hotel.

After our spending several nights in Puerto Princesa it came time for us to move on to El Nido. I had loved our stay in Sunlight Hotel; I actually would have liked to stay there and enjoy it a bit longer. But our primary reason for visiting Palawan was to see the beautiful scenery of El Nido, so we had to move on.

All in all our stay at Sunlight Hotel was extremely positive. It exceeded my expectation when it came to the quality of the hotel. I liked the hotel so much that we returned there another time, but I think I will save that story for later…

 

 

 

Destination

Its A Pleasure Staying At Hotel Elizabeth

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In no way would I classify myself as being a wealthy man, I have enough to live comfortably off of but I still have to be conscious of living within my means. This means that while I am travelling through The Philippines my accommodation is mostly restricted to the mid-tier hotels as I don’t fancy having to empty my bank account to pay for what might be an extended stay in a high-end hotel.

This allows me to stay somewhere reasonably nice. The rooms are clean, all the services you expect are available, and the common consumable products like tea, coffee and soap are supplied to you daily. Recently I stepped outside my usual string of “go to” hotels in Cebu and decided to try something a little more upmarket.

I was staying at my usual hotel in Cebu, a small hotel within walking distance of Fuente Circle. One evening I was browsing travel websites when I realised something was up with my booking. I had booked the next hotel I would move onto on the wrong date. Meaning that there was a period of a few days where I had nowhere to stay.

I instantly sprung into action and began browsing travel sites, looking for a place to stay for those few days.

Due to the late notice a lot of the popular places had no rooms available, then I noticed one of the high-end hotels in Cebu, Hotel Elizabeth was offering its rooms at a large discount. Without hesitation, I booked it, as you rarely get to experience a hotel of that calibre at such a low price.

Staying at Cebu Cities Hotel Elizabeth

The next day we arrived at the hotel, I immediately went into a mindset of comparing it to other hotels I frequently stay in.

The external presentation of the hotel trumped almost anything else I had seen in Cebu. On approach you know you will be staying somewhere nice, the hotel looks almost immaculate. I was impressed by the quality and attention shown by the presentation of the exterior of the building.

Once I was in the lobby, I unfortunately had the displeasure of having to line up at the check-in counter behind what seemed like an older entitled European man. This changed my mood quickly after having to listen to him shouting over to the porter to take his bags to the room. This made no sense to me as the porter was already in the middle of putting the man’s bags on a trolley to take to the room.

Seeing people treating service industry staff as if they are beneath them always puts me in a bad mood, but this quickly changed as the staff at Hotel Elizabeth were pleasant to deal with. Within minutes they had me checked in and had arranged someone to escort me with my bags to the room.

On arrival, I realised why this hotel is generally priced at about double the rate I would normally pay for a room. It felt more like a house than a hotel room, the bathroom alone was almost as big as the entire hotel room I usually stay in.

The room had everything you would need plus more. Several couches, a large desk to work from then another desk with a mirror and light for makeup, a large king sized bed, a mini bar with fridge and serving area etc.

It had everything you would need to feel at home while being away from home.

It felt amazing being in a hotel room of that size. Once you fill an average hotel room with the bed and desk there’s not much room left for anything else. After being in so many small hotel rooms I appreciated the feeling of not being confined to a little box. I loved the feeling of being in a large open space, it made the room feel a lot more fresh.

Overall my stay in the hotel was extremely positive. I will be watching travel websites like a hawk now, waiting for the prices at Hotel Elizabeth to drop into a range which I can afford. I have had a taste of the next level of hotel living, I’m am now keen to experience it again.

If you can afford the extra cash, I would not hesitate to book at Hotel Elizabeth. I think the comfort and convenience are worth the small financial sacrifice.

Food, Uncategorized

My Breakfast Buffet Induced Gluttony

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,My stay in The Philippines has now reached a tipping point. I feel I’ve been here long enough to no longer consider myself simply a tourist or visitor. Although I still have people regularly assume that I have just arrived in The Philippines. They will inform me that a new president has just been elected or tell me to plan my travels carefully as delays are common due to traffic.

With spending significant time in the country comes quite a lot of experience with living out of hotels. I took this route as opposed to renting an apartment or condo due to convenience. Earlier I had tried renting condos as the initial price was a lot cheaper than staying in hotels for long periods of time. Though I quickly realized that a hotel is what suits my needs; I am happy to pay extra for the convenience that comes with services such as the housekeeping and room service.

One thing the hotel lifestyle has made me accustomed to is waking up to the buffet breakfasts. When I was younger not a lot got me more excited than my parent telling me we would be dining at a buffet restaurant. The thought of an unlimited spread of all the food you love available to you in a supply only limited by the size of your stomach was overwhelming for such a young mind.

As I have grown older I have usually chosen to have the hotel buffet more due to the financial advantage. To get the buffet a small charge is added to the room; this is a lot less than the cost to get breakfast outside of the hotel. I usually wait until just before the buffet closes to have breakfast; having a late breakfast means that I don’t feel hungry for the majority of the day. Basically, I’m just cheap, also I hate having to eat all the time. So having one big meal later in the morning is ideal for me.

I am starting to realize that there is a trade-off between eating the buffet and dining at a traditional restaurant. What stands out to me is that it feels so informal. I walk in, I am greeted by a waitress who then escorts me to a table. Then I simply take a plate and begin helping myself to what is available. Most of the time I am too lazy to change out of what I wore to bed that evening; it usually seems like the rest of the people in the restaurant made that same decision.

The quantity also becomes an issue; a lot of the better buffets offer seemingly every type of breakfast food available. For me breakfast food is one of my guilty pleasures. I love having coffee and orange juice with a plate of crepes and some fruit. Maybe I can grab a bowl of cereal and some toast once I finish? The possibilities are all there which makes self-control important when you are in the presence of a good breakfast buffet.

One thing I do love about having the option to choose what to eat is that it allows me to grab exactly what suits my diet. Although a lot of the vegetables are not usually the best quality I still love having that option available to me. I have so many dietary restrictions, so seeing buffets which cater to a wide variety of dietary styles makes me extremely happy.

The breakfast buffet for me has become a fairly important prerequisite as to whether I book a hotel room or not. The buffet is an important part of my morning as I can spend the time waking up, getting myself into a relaxed positive frame of mind and take in the energy I need to get the most out of my day within The Philippines.

 

Destination, Uncategorized

Why I Love Manila PT II

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We were now making our way through The Manila international airport NAIA. Alongside us was a pool of passengers who had also left the flight from Singapore. Our first job was the usual checking in with the immigration department.

Then we needed to find a taxi to take us to our condo so we could finalize our journey. While walking through NAIA my head was flooded with different thoughts of the airport. It was mostly just me noticing how bare and empty it felt. We had just left Changi airport in Singapore, so after that experience NAIA seemed a little more underwhelming than usual.

As I got to immigration I became slightly anxious. I had been told that immigration would ask to see a return ticket, which I did not have. The lady at the counter signaled me through, asked for my documents, and then began checking everything. She asked how long I would be staying, I answered two weeks as that seemed like an average holiday length. Without hesitation, she simply handed me back my passport and gave me a nod.

This is it, we were finally free in Manila. We stepped out of NAIA and were immediately hit with the warm humid air, along with the dull background noise that comes with the chaos of such a densely populated city. I felt like our sweat glands had almost immediately went into overdrive. Most likely because we had just left winter in Australia, this seemed to amplify the feeling of the tropical weather of The Philippines.

Once we had left the restricted area I was immediately overcome by a feeling of entering the lion’s den.  Within seconds of leaving NAIA, we were swarmed by taxi drivers trying to get us into their vehicles. It was overwhelming being surrounded by so many drivers shouting out their prices. It was a stark contrast to what we had experienced in Singapore where we had been approached by one man who directed us toward a driver standing a few meters away leaning on his taxi.

We finally settled on a price with a driver, which I later realized was roughly 3 times the price of what it should have been. We then began our journey to the condo, this was right at the same moment I realized I was desperate to have some rest. This also quickly became the moment in which my mind was blown.

We left the immediate premises of NAIA, I felt a rush of excitement as we were finally on our way to our final destination after roughly 12 hours of flying. Within minutes my spirits were quickly dampened as we came to a dead stop. We had hit a traffic jam, cars lined the streets ahead as far as I could see. I quickly learned that this was just the current modus operandi of Philippine traffic. It also wasn’t exactly a negative experience as that is what gave me the opportunity to really take in my surroundings.

As I began to look around I began experiencing the feeling of being in another world. I was struggling to take in everything that was happening around me. I was in a stupor sitting staring out of the window in a taxi. My first shock came once we were in among the traffic itself. I had been told the driving was unique, but I never thought it would be as unique as it was. We were regularly driving into oncoming traffic, lanes seemed to mean nothing to our driver and he like every other driver on the road seemed desperate to jam the car into any space available in order to keep the traffic flowing.

My other observation was the people walking around on the highway selling their goods. Where I came from walking on the highway was illegal, so I was surprised when somebody walked past the car selling steering wheel covers, I then saw another man further down selling pillows. Something which now seems so normal seemed so crazy to me at the time.

The final 20 – 30 minutes of our drive to the condo still consisted of me having my head jammed out the window staring at the different areas of the city we were driving through. I was still trying to take in the different layout of the city as I had never seen this degree of high-density living. I loved the chaos and freedom of Manila, especially after spending my life in a quiet sheltered town. Now I was ready to shake things up, experience living at the opposite end of the spectrum. Manila certainly was able to accommodate these needs.

Manila was not able to offer a completely sheltered way of life. But it was able to offer the excitement which I was craving. So that is why I love Manila.