OH MY, PLACES!

OH MY, PLACES!

MY TOP 5 TOURIST DESTINATIONS IN MANILA

Manila is the capital city of the Philippines and one of the two main places that you would likely to visit when you are traveling to this part of the world. Manila really is a large area and one of the most thriving portions of the Philippines so you can bet that there are a lot of things to see and places to visit when you travel here.

For the traveler who wants to know the “must-see” things in this area, here are the top 5 hot spots to hit up when you visit Metro Manila for the first time.

1.    Rizal Park

This historic park has been the site of some very important moment’s in Manila’s part and is a great place to start if you really want to learn about the history of the area. Memorial plaques & monuments will give you this type of education throughout the park. There are also more leisurely things to enjoy here including the Chinese & Japanese gardens, the Orchidarium & Butterfly Pavilion and a chess plaza. In fact, if there’s only one thing you get to experience during your stay here in Metro Manila, you’ll want it to be in this park because there is simply so much to see and do in this one area.

Chinese Garden

Lapu - Lapu 's Statue across Rizal Park

Confucioius (Lao Tzu) 's Statue inside Chinese Garden

I’ve been here when I was kinder maybe? It’s our field trip in Museong Pambata and the part 2 of our field trip was to tour around Rizal Park. I remember the time that we’re laughing about the guards who were guarding the Monument and we imitated them. As time went by, I was able to understand the story behind the monument, like why it was built and other things.

It was built in honor for our Philippine national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal who used literature in order to set the Filipinos free. He wrote Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo.

Now that I’m older, I encouraged myself to go to Rizal Park with Rafael, my boyfriend, and appreciate this historical place. We also went to the Chinese Garden and the scenery was stupendous. Unfortunately, we didn't had the chance to go to the Japanese Garden and other tourist attactions because we still need to go somewhere else. :( Overall, I still felt great after seeing these sceneries and it so nice to be in this historic place and it makes me so proud to be a Filipino. :>

Me & Rafael :)

Happiness in Chinese Garden :)

2.    Baywalk

Daytime!

There will be times during your stay when you don’t necessarily want to “do” anything but you do want to continue to experience Metro Manila. For those downtimes, a walk along the Baywalk is ideal. It’s particularly known as a great place for watching the sun set into the Manila Bay but you can also just watch and enjoy the scenery here.

NIGHT!

The last time I went there with my parents was when I was around 9 or 10 years old? There were street performers, bars, stores, and even a tour around Manila Bay riding a cruise ship. You can also be accommodated with a dinner. The experience was awesome. But the last time I went to baywalk was right after we went to Rizal Park. Unfortunately, the clubs and attractions were not there anymore because of the former Mayor of Manila who ordered that they’re the one responsible of the pollution in Manila Bay. But overall, it is still a great place to visit and your Manila tour wouldn’t be complete without Baywalk J

3.    Intramuros

ONE OF THE GATES IN INTRAMUROS

Visitors who are truly interested in the history of the region will want to make sure to check out this district which is the oldest district of Manila. It’s a “walled city” which harkens back to the days when fortresses were required to keep the people on an area safe from outsiders. Just exploring the old architecture (particularly the churches) here can really help you gain a great understanding of what this region was like years ago. Various forts, statutes and monuments can also be enjoyed here.

I always go to Intramuros in any occasion, like attending a wedding reception, school stuffs and many more. I remember my cousin’s wedding reception in Intramuros. I can’t remember the hotel though. When the ‘party’ was over, we decided to roam around Intramuros. Intramuros is awesome and very historical. We can see the Historical Plaque or marker where the historical background of the place is written everywhere. AWESOME = INTRAMUROS ♥♥♥♥♥

Historical Plaque

Marker in Plaza Mexico, Intramuros

4.    Manila Zoo

Entrance :)

Many people have expressed some sense of disappointment with the Manila Zoo as compared to some of the other great zoos around the world. However, it’s something that other visitors think is worth checking out because of the fact that it is the oldest zoo in Asia. They say that the zoo is a 5.5-hectare (14-acre) zoo that opened on July 25, 1959.

Giraffe! Zebra! :>

Again, I can’t remember the time. HA HA. The things that I only remember are the ones I’m with, the animals and the memories. I remember seeing monkeys, turtles, birds, different types of snakes, giraffe, especially the zoo’s most popular resident, Mali, an Asian elephant who arrived at the zoo as an orphaned calf donated from Sri Lanka. Mali is the only elephant in the zoo, and in fact the only elephant in the Philippines. Manila Zoo is an amazing place for learning. Unfortunately, the zoo has been criticized due to its inadequate animal care and dirty surroundings, that is why there is a decrease in terms of the visitors, but I know that the zoo is responding with efforts to make the animal habitat as comfortable and natural as possible, such as by adding trees and vegetation, and expanding the enclosures.

Mali the Elephant!

Hippo! :3

5.    Star City

Star City is pioneer in introducing the concept of mixing retail with amusement, a trend being followed by most malls today where they integrate rides with shopping. Star City combines maximum shopping with maximum enjoyment attractions all focus on serving our target market, the Filipino family, schools, and companies. Here, our visitors will escape to a friendly stimulating sequence of worlds field with a mixture of maximum value shops and spectacular world-class attractions. (according to Star City ☺)

Map if you're going to Star City :)

Star City is old and has been operating since 1991. Most of the kiddie rides are old but functional. The rides are not photogenic at all but they get the job done in entertaining the kids. It’s noisy inside. The noise and screams in the roller coaster are magnified because they are indoors. In fact, I don't understand the Carnival Layout. In the effort to bring everything indoors, they sacrificed the zonings and location of the rides.

Beep Beep!

The last time I went to Star City, I was like 9 or 10 years old. I can't barely remember anything. But the things that I remembered is riding the teacup, the Dragon and the Caterpillar. But I didn't had the chance to ride every ride I want. I was too tall for kiddie ride, and too short for teen or adult rides, apparently, I'm in the middle. It kinda sucks though. Anyways, I still had fun while we were in Star City and I want to re-visit it because they have new attractions that I really want to see.

Teacuuup! oh uh, I fell dizzy already @_@

I know that I can't barely remember the time I went to these places, but one thing's for sure, is that the experience and memories that I have in that place is quite priceless and I know that it will be a part of me wherever I go. :)

Exploring the world or just a country is pretty much awesome, but being in this one city, you can have the chance to have fun and make every moment so memorable. :)