Top Attractions of Manila – The Pearl of The Orient
In popular culture, Manila is the place, where the famous 1975 Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier bout took place. This Filipino city, however, is so much more than that. It’s actually one of the top tourist destinations in Asia and by reading this article you will learn why.
Below you will find some of its top attractions so you can start planning an unforgettable trip.
To get you started, here are just a couple of interesting facts about Manila:
- The city is based in the southern part of Luzon – the biggest of the Filipino islands (there are more than 7000 of them!)
- Basketball is the top sport in Manila – you can regularly watch games in the famous Arenata Coliseum.
- 3,5 meters below the streets of the city you can find secret tunnels which are now open to the public. They were built at the beginning of the XX century and served for military purposes.
- The capital of Philippines has more than 1,7 million inhabitants and highest population density in the world (42,000/km2).
The city has a long history – first evidence of human activity in the region has been dated at 3000 BCE. In modern times it was ruled by Spanish colonialists and then, in 1898 it was ceded to the United States, then it was ruled by Japan and finally gained independence in 1945.
Now it’s one of the hottest tourist hotspots in Asia where you can find some of the most amazing nightlife events and go on Filipino food frenzy with dishes such as lumpia (something between a spring roll and a burrito) or Paksiyo Baboy Bisaya (Pork and Banana Claypot).
What are top sights and attractions if you’re in town just for a couple of days? You can start by visiting some of the most amazing temples from the colonial times. Some of them, like San Augustin Church or the Manila Cathedral are over four hundred years old and a nice remainder of the city’s colorful past.
The next must-do thing on your list should be taking a stroll along Intramuros. It’s an antique neighborhood which served as a center of power for Spanish and American colonial rulers. It’s best to take advantage of one of the walking tours available, to get more historical perspective on this magnificent area.
Another thing that you absolutely cannot miss are Manila’s bustling street markets. If you ever thought you’re an experienced haggler, think again – Manila’s traders will drive a hard bargain each and every time. The most popular street markets are Divisora, Quiapo, and Baclaran. In these spots you’ll surely find great offers and purchase cheap items almost impossible to find back at home.
And if you’re not a big fan of super-crowded street markets, you can still enjoy shopping in one of the air conditioned malls such as Robinsons Place.
At the end of a long and busy day, you should definitely head to the Manila Bay area. Besides quaint port restaurants and numerous ships, you can enjoy one of the most marvelous sunsets Philippines has to offer. That’s a proper way to finish the day in this ever-surprising city.
Cool post, i hve been in 2012 in Manila, these church are one of the oldest churches of asia .It’s worth to see . It’s a strange filing – you are in asia – but inside the church you are like in europe .The only thing you must know, that it closes at about 6pm , and while wedding ceremonies tourists are kindly invited to get out .
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