Manic Manila in two days flat
Soak in the restaurants, music and quirky characters of Makati and Pasay in just a couple of days.
10 years ago
Manila is not for the faint of heart, but it’s also full of hidden gems. With busy bees in mind, we focus on Pasay, which houses many of Manila’s tourist faves, and Makati, a burgeoning commercial district known for its cool bars and restaurants. Here’s what you can do on the fly:
Day One
9am: Visit Intramuros (Bonifacio Dr.), known as the Walled City because of the imposing stone walls constructed by Spanish colonialists to protect the city from foreign invasion (oh, the irony). Next, head to San Agustin Church (General Luna St., Intramuros, +63 2 527-2746, www.sanagustinchurch.org), a UNESCO heritage site that boasts intricate baroque architecture.
1pm: The SM Mall of Asia (J.W. Diokno Blvd., Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City, +63 2 556-0680, www.smmallofasia.com) is supposedly the 10th largest shopping mall in the world, with high-street labels like Mango, Warehouse and Zara. Grab lunch at one of the 360 F&B establishments including Yabu (+63 2 511-7202, www.yabu.ph), a safe bet for delicious Japanese katsu. For dessert, try the traditional halo-halo from fast food chain Razon’s of Guagua (+63 2 556-0277, www.razonsofguagua.com) for PHP100 (B75).
6:30pm: Pick fresh seafood from the stalls at Dampa (Diosdado Macapagal Ave., Pasay City), and have it cooked to your liking at nearby restaurants (PHP380 or B283 upwards for a kilo of shrimp). We especially liked the lobsters grilled with garlic butter and the battered calamari.
8:30pm: Have a fun cocktail, like A Girl With Violet Eyes (an interesting concoction of mixed berries, honey, apple rum, lychee and mint, PHP225; B168), at Rocket Room (G/F Bonifacio High Street Central, 7th Ave., Taguig City, +63 2 621-3222, www.facebook.com/RocketRoom). The place does weekly DJ parties from Thursdays to Saturdays.
Day Two
9am: For breakfast, tuck into waffles, red velvet cookies (PHP50; B38 upwards) and a 12-hour cold brew (PHP160; B120) at the quirky, not-crazily-packed Yardstick Coffee (106 Esteban St., Legazpi Village, Makati City, +63 2 845-0073, www.yardstickcoffee.com).
12pm: Local fare like herb-roasted pork belly (PHP685; B512) and milkfish braised in vinegar, sea salt and pepper corns (PHP365; B273) at XO 46 Heritage Bistro (G/F Le Grand Building, 130 Valero St., Salcedo Village, Makati City, +63 2 553-6632, www.facebook.com/pages/XO-46-Bistro-Filipino) make for a good midday meal.
3pm: See ethnographic and archaeological exhibits at Ayala Museum (Dela Rosa St., Makati City, +63 2 759-8288, www.ayalamuseum.org), a small but well-curated gallery.
7pm: Popular roadside joint El Chupacabra (5782 Felipe St cor. Polaris St., Makati City, +63 2 895-1919, www.facebook.com/Elchupacabraph) has some of the best street tacos (PHP80; B60 upwards) in town—the spicy chipotle shrimp version is especially tasty. Word of advice: book ahead.
9pm: Catch live music performances at cozy boho hangout SaGuijo Café + Bar (7612 Guijo St., San Antonio Village, Makati City, +63-2-897-8629, www.saguijo.com).
Q&A
Carlos Celdran
Born in Makati and educated in New York City, the intrepid guide of Walk This Way walking tours (www.celdrantours.blogspot.com) is also a health activist and creative director at Manila arts space The Living Room.
Describe Manila in ten words or less.
Manila is a Rorschach Test and a state of mind.
Your favorite local dish?
Sinuglaw, Philippine ceviche made with fresh fish, vinegar, chillies, and topped with grilled pork. It is taken best with a freezing San Miguel Beer.
Why is Manila such a mess?
We never got over the destruction of the entire city at the end of World War 2.
How has the city changed in the past 10 years?
It’s become more hospitable. Believe it or not, smoke-belching levels from automobiles have gone down and traffic is not as much of a nightmare as it was. The creative scene has also exploded and hotels have improved. But we still have a long way to go. There’s always room for more improvement.
Interview by Mrigaa Sethi
Essentials
WHERE TO STAY
Sofitel Philippine Plaza
Sofitel Philippine Plaza (CCP Complex, Roxas Blvd., Pasay City, +63 0 551-5555, www.sofitel.com) is one of the most established in Manila, located 7km away from the airport and with glorious views of Manila Bay. Furnishings are luxe—think lots of marble and mahogany—and service is stellar. Plus, in-house restaurant Spiral serves a buffet with 21 live cooking stations.
Rates are from PHP6,552 (B4,890) upwards for a superior room.
Alternatively, there’s the Fairmont Makati (1 Raffles Dr., Makati Ave., Makati City, +63 2 555-9888, www.fairmont.com/Makati), located within walking distance of many cool cafes. The furnishings are all made from locally sourced materials, and their cute Writers Bar is styled like a library. A Fairmont room costs around PHP9,200 (B6,865) upwards.
GETTING THERE
Thai Airways (www.thaiairways.com) offers daily direct flights to Manila at fares starting from B11,280 for a round-trip. Or you can check out the Philippine Airlines (www.philippineairlines.com), which offers two flights daily at fares from B7,160 for a round-trip.
VISAS
Thai citizens do not require a visa to enter the Philippines (30 days). For visa enquiries, contact the Embassy of the Philippines in Bangkok at 760 Sukhumvit Road, corner of Soi Philippines (Sukhumvit 30/1), 02-259-0139/40, www.bangkokpe.com
EXCHANGE RATE
PHP 1= B0.75
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