Luxury hotels in Manila

Manila guide

Manila: Intramuros, the walled city

Spanish-era walls and churches, sunset over Manila Bay and the city's food.

Intramuros, the walled city built by the Spanish in the sixteenth century, is Manila's most cited sight. San Agustin Church, the oldest stone church in the Philippines and a UNESCO site, Fort Santiago and the Manila Cathedral are best explored by bamboo bicycle or calesa, a horse-drawn carriage.

Watch the sunset over Manila Bay from the Baywalk, visit the National Museum of Fine Arts and explore Binondo, the world's oldest Chinatown, for food. Makati and Bonifacio Global City have the city's best restaurants and hotels.

Binondo: the world's oldest Chinatown

Binondo, founded in 1594, is considered the oldest Chinatown in the world, and a guided food walk there is one of Manila's most cited experiences: dumplings, fried siopao, hopia pastries and Fujian-style noodles in family restaurants that have stood for decades.

The Binondo Church and the Ongpin Street shops are at its heart, and the Escolta, once Manila's grandest shopping street, has restored art deco buildings. Intramuros is just across the Pasig River.

Taal Volcano and Tagaytay

Tagaytay, a ridge about two hours south of Manila, looks down on Taal Volcano, a small active volcano rising from a lake inside a larger caldera, and the view is the most cited day trip from the capital. The cooler air makes it a weekend retreat for Manila residents.

Access to the volcano island depends on its alert level, so we check the latest status before any visit. Bulalo, a rich beef marrow soup, is the local dish, and the gardens and restaurants along the ridge are best enjoyed in the dry season, from December to May.