Tourist Attractions in Manila - information provided by TravelMart.net |
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Manila Attractions Manila, the capital of the Philippines is its heart and soul. It sets the rhythm of life in this archipelago and is a pulsating hub that blends the Oriental with the Occidental, the quaint with the modern, the mundane with the extraordinary. An anchor tourist destination, Manila is the very core of the 7,100 plus islands that make up the Philippines. It is a center for the performing arts in Asia. Intramuros At the turn of the 20th century, the great American architect and city planner Daniel Burnham noted that "the old walled city of Intramuros at the mouth of the Pasig River is one of the best preserved medieval cities anywhere in the world." It was ruined during the Pacific War (World War II), but after reconstruction, a few of the gates and ramparts have been turned into parks and performing venues, including Puerta Real and Baluarte de San Diego. Chambers found along its gates are now occupied by art galleries, souvenir shops, restaurants, even a cyber café. Fort Santiago, the site of torture chambers and dungeons where political prisoners from Spanish to Japanese times were kept and executed, is now a lush park with flowering trees and homing pigeons. Here, one may enjoy a leisurely ride aboard a horse-drawn carriage. San Agustin Church is one of four Philippine Baroque Churches listed in the World Heritage List. Its monastery has been turned into a museum housing priceless religious artifacts. Adjoining it are the restored gardens of Fr. Jose Blanco who studied Philippine botanical life during the Spanish period. Barrio San Luis along Juan Luna Street is made up of five faithfully reconstructed colonial houses - Casa Manila, Casa Urdaneta, Casa Blanca, Los Hidalgos and El Hogar Filipino. Rizal Park Just off Intramuros' walls is the world-class Club Intramuros which offers day and night golfing. Adjacent to it is the 58-hectare Rizal Park, which runs from Taft Avenue up to the seawalls of the fabled Manila Bay. Binondo Across the Pasig River from Fort Santiago is Binondo, or Chinatown. Not much has changed in terms of lifestyle in this quaint district although, now, high-rise buildings have started to appear in its skyline. Ermita and Malate A stone's throw away from Rizal Park is the Ermita district which, together with the Malate district, forms what is known as Manila's Tourist Belt. Ermita is known for antique and art galleries, curio and souvenir shops while Malate is best known for its cozy cafes, music lounges and performance theaters. Quiapo At the heart of Manila is Quiapo. What has caught the fancy of many bargain-hunters is Ilalim ng Tulay - literally, "Under the Bridge" - where stalls sell an array of handicrafts at prices that are practically a steal. San Miguel Near Quiapo is the genteel San Miguel district, with its ancestral homes and Malacanang Palace , seat of the Philippine government. A museum of presidential memorabilia is open to the public. The Sunset Strip Roxas Boulevard, which extends from Paranaque City through Pasay City to Manila, is the Bay Area from where one can have a view of the famed Manila sunset. Many landmarks are found in this area, including the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Philippine Senate buildings. Within the stretch is the International Trade Center complex, the Philippine Trade Training Center and the World Trade Center. Further back is the Government Service Insurance System building which houses an art gallery by the bay. The boulevard is also home to the country's premier performing venue, the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Within its complex are the Philippine International Convention Center, the Product Design and Development Center, the Folk Arts Theater, the Coconut Palace and the Westin Philippine Plaza Hotel. Adjoining the complex is the Manila Yacht Club and the Philippine Navy Headquarters. A little farther is the US Embassy. Across the Yacht Club is the Bangko Sentral (Central Bank) complex which houses the Money Museum. The bank has Asia's biggest and finest gold collection at the Metropolitan Museum, a home for the modern masters. Roxas Boulevard is lined with posh hotels, casinos and lively nightspots. City Lights Greater Manila is where the country's most prestigious business addresses and the trendiest leisure establishments are found. By day, it hums with the bustle of commerce and, by night, throbs with the excitement of varied, high class entertainment. Makati City is the country's financial center and the most prestigious business address. Many foreign embassies and multinationals call it home. Fashionable hotels, restaurants, discos, music bars, boutiques and specialty shops converge around the sleek Ayala Center. In Makati is Forbes Park, home to the rich and famous. The most elite country club, Manila Polo Club, and golf course, Manila Golf Club, are nestled within the village. Giving Makati a run for its money is Mandaluyong City, with Ortigas Center an impressive alternative to Ayala Center. Home to the Asian Development Bank and the Philippine Stock Exchange, it is also the site of three of Metro Manila's gigantic shopping malls - SM Megamall, Robinson's Galleria and Shangri-la EDSA Plaza. San Juan is the hometown of former President Joseph Estrada. Built on a hilly terrain, a drive along the old residential section can be a pleasurable diversion. Its Greenhills Commercial Center houses some of Metro Manila's vibrant music halls. Quezon City was envisioned by the late President Manuel L. Quezon (after whom the city was named) to be the country's government center. Many of the national government offices are located here as well as the country's leading educational institution, the University of the Philippines. Dominating Cubao, Quezon City's commercial center, is Araneta Coliseum, the country's biggest enclosed entertainment arena. For nightlife, the Quezon Boulevard, Timog Avenue, Tomas Morato Avenue and West Avenue strips offer varied, colorful fares. Marikina City is the Shoe Center of the Philippines. The city takes pride in its 75.6-hectare River Park. Paranaque City is generally associated with its dry goods and seafood market and restaurants, and Redemptorist Church, a pilgrimage site which houses the Shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Las Pinas City has retained much of its provincial appeal. Visitors flock to this city to see the world's only bamboo organ, housed at the picturesque St. Joseph's Parish Church. Alabang Center is the business and commercial capital of Muntinlupa City. It is also the home of many elite industrial and manufacturing companies, and a fast-rising haven for upper class residential communites. City Flavors Metro Manila is one big gastronomic trip of many cuisines. In Intramuros is Illustrado Restaurant with its colonial ambiance and Spanish provincial cuisine. The old Malate district, with Remedios Circle at its core, is the favorite watering hole of artists, designers and the café society who are only too willing to try the varied international flavors offered by the many restaurants in the area. Authentic Chinese cuisine can be had at the old financial district of Binondo. Aside from Ayala Center, many fine and theme dining establishments line Jupiter Street and Pasay Road in Makati City. From theme restaurants to beer-and-grill gardens, Tomas Morato Avenue, Timog Street, Quezon Avenue and West Avenue in Quezon City have them all. Interesting clusters of restaurants and bars are found in San Juan's Greenhills and Mandaluyong City's Ortigas Center. Click here for day trips in Manila. Outskirts of Manila The outskirts of Manila offer many places of interest that are easily accessible by day excursions. Many of these destinations can be reached in an hour or two. Corregidor Part of the province of Cavite, Corregidor is a tiny tadpole-shaped island lying across the entrance of Manila Bay. Also known as "The Rock," it was the focus of a protracted battle between Filipino-American and Japanese forces during the Second World War. The shell of the Mile Long Barracks still stands. Within the Malinta Tunnel, a light-and-sound show is staged for day tourists. It can be reached by de-luxe cruisers from the CCP Complex jetty in Roxas Boulevard. Laguna Laguna boasts one of the most beautiful country-sides in the Philippines with a plethora of waterfalls, springs, seven big rivers and the lake from which it got its name spanning all of 90 hectares, making Laguna de Bay the biggest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. The town of Los Banos ("The Baths") has numerous resorts fed by hot and cold springs. Standing guard over the resort town is Mount Makiling which houses at its slopes a botanical park and the National Arts Center, a high school for budding artists. The quaint town of Pagsanjan was the setting of the Francis Ford Coppola's "Apocalypse Now." Its star attraction is the Pagsanjan Rapids and Falls. In the town of Alaminos is found Hidden Valley which is actually a volcano crater. A number of hot, cold and soda springs lace a forest of towering fruit trees, tropical shrubs and flowering plants. Also in Laguna is the historical town of Calamba where the ancestral house of Dr. Jose Rizal has been turned into a museum. In San Pablo City are found seven lakes. For a taste of plantation living, visit Villa Escudero. Here, bamboo cottages gird a river that flows into a dam. Cavite The province of Cavite abounds with great objects, and subjects, of culture and history. But a province not constrained with living in the past, Cavite teems with natural resources and fantastic landscapes. It is home to Tagaytay City, the Philippines' second summer capital, next to Baguio City. Tagaytay City A one hour drive south of Manila is Tagaytay, a city perched on a ridge. From the Tagaytay Picnic Grove, there is an unobstructed view of Volcano Island, a volcano within a lake with a volcano within a lake, which is the standard description of the 406 meter-high Taal Volcano, the smallest volcano in the world. Batangas The heritage town of Taal in the Southern Tagalog province of Batangas features the largest church in the Far East, the Ionic-columned and Gothic-designed Basilica of Saint Martin of Tours. In the southeast area of Batangas is the resort village of Anilao in Mabini town, the nearest scuba diving center to Manila. Anilao is also a jump-off point for island-hopping expeditions. Clark Clark, in the Central Luzon province of Pampanga, is the former homebase of the United States air fleet in Southeast Asia. A short hour and a half drive north of Manila, Clark is a special economic zone that has a recreation network which include an 18-hole golf course, an aviation school, a de-luxe hotel, and duty free shops. Subic An hour's drive from Clark is Subic, the 18,000-hectare former US naval reservation in the province of Zambales. Subic's recreation area includes an 18-hole golf course, horseback riding trail, firing range, casinos, restaurants, duty-free shops, bowling area, a bungee jumping area, and a marina complex. Also within Subic is a virgin forest where one can go on a 12-hour trek, visit a tribal village, and take a jungle survival course. Subic Bay is a rich hunting ground for both professional and Sunday anglers alike. Click here for day tours within and from Manila to its outskirts. |
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