Many la...

"Philippines so nice ah...?"
seems to be the common question I get when I tell people the destination of my travels.
As it is with all the countries I travel to, there are the good and the bad.

While I wait til I can travel again I might as well share the few experiences I have in the places I've been.



Despite the fact there are over 7000 islands in Philippines, most people can only name a few.
I did not even know more than Manila and Cebu before I took my first flight 4 years ago.
Even Manila itself is such a mystery and so much is unknown to those who have not been there before.

Mention Manila and most people picture Makati... the business district of Manila.

 but Makati is not all about big buildings and development...
if you walk around you'll find many areas that are a stark contrast to the areas surrounding it

Everyone knows that Manila is the capital of Philippines...
but do they know that metro Manila is made up of many different little barangays?
honestly I don't even know where is the border of what is known as Manila...

But do you know that Manila wasn't always the capital?...
There was a period of nearly 3 decades in the mid 20th century where the capital was Quezon City (not to be confused with Quezon province)

I've stayed in Q.C. two times but have yet to fully explore the area
I have not even visited the famous Quezon Memorial Circle.

Manila is of course a lot more than just an administrative centre..
It is a busy city....
It is so busy that it is becoming as well known for its traffic jams as it is for its Jeepneys


Yet in all the hustle and bustle there are many serene parks filled with rich history

and the malls there are nothing to laugh at...
there are many smaller ones everywhere but when they go big... they super size it...
like the famous Mall of Asia

 

and in order to stand out, some malls have a hook,
like Venice mall in Bonafacio Global City

no prize for guessing what their inspiration was.


There are so many things going on in the city that even locals don't know many of its secrets.
I was surprised when I recently saw on youtube about a fil-am blogger who hadn't even taken the boat that traverses the Pasig river.

Then again many filipino's I've met don't even know this mode of transport exists...
I enjoyed my ride despite the smell.... the sights and experience made up for it...

I've passed through and stayed in Manila a few times but I have barely begun to scratch the surface of the place. I'll be sharing in more details in the coming days... not only about Manila but travels to other places outside of Manila and even Luzon... keep looking out for more updates as they come