It was great to fly in the same direction as the Earth's rotation, I would be able to welcome the sunrise earlier than the previous nights. None of the beautiful, sharp-looking, somewhat stern-looking flight attendants of Cebu Pacific Air asked me to take off my headphones when the plane landed. I was able to listen to my favorite song about sunrise and sunset at that time. And I saw Manila sparkling with lights, preparing to wake up, under the blue sky gradually turning red. Stepping out of the airport when the first rays of the day shone brightly, saying goodbye to sunny and windy Manila, we began our journey to explore the beautiful capital of the Philippine island nation.
Manila Bay
Manila from the very beginning gave me special feelings, far different from my previous imagination. Carrying within itself the intersection between modern and ancient, vibrant but also very quiet, Manila is a place that preserves the historical mark of the Filipino people's struggle, and at the same time is home to the most bustling and bustling shopping centers in Asia.
Up ahead is the first destination, the ancient citadel of Intramuros. The streets of Manila through the glass windows are beautiful, the ancient houses are quiet on the deserted streets. The early morning sunlight gradually spreads over each row of houses, each alley, here and there are people and strange cars. Intramuros is an ancient citadel area built by the Spanish in 1571. Although it was destroyed in World War II, what remains of Intramuros is still wonderful, with stone-paved roads and many old houses that retain the Spanish style. There is also another famous building here, Fort Santiago, a memorial to the Filipino heroes who were imprisoned and sacrificed under the invasion of Spain and Japan.
Inside the Augustinian Basilica
Right inside the walls of Intramuros is the San Augustin Church, the oldest church in the Philippines, one of four churches recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site in this country. The ancient San Augustin Church was built from 1587 to 1606, with a strong Gothic architectural style and many unique religious works of art. Far away on the outskirts of Manila is the St. Joseph Church - attractive because in addition to its ancient beauty, this place also possesses a treasure: a piano made from bamboo tubes. We heard a mesmerizing melody from this unique piano.
Tourists visiting Manila
Streets, vehicles, identity, life… are the things I enjoy, care about and want to learn the most when coming to any country or culture. I have spent many mornings in Manila, and almost all of that time I wandered through the ancient, quiet neighborhoods, interspersed with sunny alleys and colorful walls. The people of Manila I met were friendly and hospitable. Anyone could become a happy friend with stories about themselves, their family or their country.
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Jeepney is a popular means of public transportation in the Philippines.
The strange vehicles called Jeepney, I had never heard or known about that concept, until I saw them on the streets of Manila, the most unique civilian passenger vehicle I have ever seen. They were originally improved from the US military Jeeps liquidated after World War II. The front of the vehicle was kept intact, the body was extended with two benches on both sides. Each bench can seat up to 10 people. They, whether new or old, are decorated with different drawings and colors, bearing a personal mark on the street. It was great and surprising when we, on our journey, came to a new Jeepney manufacturing workshop. We were able to go around on a Jeepney and the most interesting thing was to witness all the stages to understand how the Jeepney was formed.
Along with its ancient beauty, Manila is also a large, modern and extremely developed city. We have experienced the wonderful spaces of the first 6-star Resorts World complex in the capital of the Philippines. Or the SM Mall of Asia, a giant shopping mall, the largest in Asia and the third in the world. It is impossible to describe the vastness of this place, as well as the diversity of the items sold here.
Taal Volcano
The next destination is Tagaytay plateau, which has an ecosystem and cool weather like Da Lat in Vietnam; and coming to Manila without visiting Tagaytay would be a big mistake. The distance of about 70km from Manila to Tagaytay takes about 2 hours by car. Here, we feasted our eyes on “Taal”, the smallest and lowest active volcano in the world. It was wonderful to admire from above a volcano in a blue lake, under the clouds and misty mountains in the distance.
Taal Church
Near Taal Volcano, we visited Taal Basilica and Taal Heritage Village. Taal Basilica is the largest Catholic church in Asia, built in 1867 by a Spanish architect. Spanish architecture is also present throughout the streets around the church and Taal Heritage Village through the old villas. Many of the villas here are used for residence, as exhibition spaces to welcome tourists, and some are abandoned with mysterious stories.
Sunset over Manila Bay
I am a little jealous of my Filipino friends. I love sunsets and the sun. In Vietnam, it was very difficult for me to watch the sunset over the sea. For them, it was probably a daily routine. They walked, exercised, couples sat and watched the scenery, children immersed themselves in the golden sea water every time the sunset fell on the shore of Manila Bay.
Filipino children
Manila Bay is located right in the heart of the city, a destination that attracts tourists and locals to visit and experience every day. I saw here some very funny-shaped boats called Bangka. I followed a boat controlled by two boys offshore, anchored in the golden sunset on the water. The sun on Manila Bay at sunset was round and red. We took the last pictures of Manila like that, before heading to Cebu Island.
More information:
+ About Amazing Photo Tour (APT):
APT is a program to promote new destinations for Vietnamese tourists through a variety of activities such as: reality tours, photo exhibitions, travel films, photo books, photo voting via Facebook... APT Journey No. 3 is implemented by Travellive Magazine in collaboration with the Philippine Tourism Authority with sponsorship from InterContinental Hanoi Westlake Hotel and Cebu Pacific Airlines. This is also one of the cooperation programs between Vietnam and the Philippines tourism, part of a series of important cooperation programs between the two countries in many fields recently signed. With two destinations Manila and Cebu, Amazing Photo Tour hopes to bring visitors a unique impression of an ancient but extremely dynamic and colorful Philippines.
+ Move:
Since 2012, the Philippines’ largest national airline, Cebu Pacific Air, has officially launched its first Manila – Hanoi flight, marking an important milestone, making Cebu Pacific the only airline operating direct flights between Manila and Hanoi, serving the air travel needs of the wider Philippine and Vietnamese markets. Recently, the airline has added a direct flight from Hanoi to Manila. The airline always has convenient flight options for Vietnamese travelers, with daily flights from Ho Chi Minh City and 3 flights/week from Hanoi to Manila with special fares from 69 USD.
+ Traveling in Manila:
There are many types of transportation in Manila, including: taxis, buses, motorbikes, trains. The most special is the Jeepney, a part of the street identity of Manila in particular and the Philippines in general.
+ Currency: PesoPhilippines (PHP). 100$ = 4,300 PHP
+ Hotel:
Manila has a wide range of hotels and resorts to suit every budget, including The Linden Suites Manila, Diamond Hotel Philippines and Heritage Hotel…
+ Cuisine:
- In Manila, Jollibee, Mc Donald, Chowkin chains are everywhere. There are not many street vendors and pubs like in Vietnam, mainly shopping malls and restaurants. However, food in Manila is very cheap. A good meal costs only half the price in Vietnam.
- Most of the typical dishes here have quite prominent colors such as red curry, yellow turmeric, orange annatto. The spices of the dishes are prepared quite concentrated because the people here use very little vegetables and do not like spicy taste. Some typical delicious dishes you should try are chicaron - Filipino fried meat; isaw - grilled chicken, taho - tofu sauce or chicken gizzard...
+ Shopping:
- As the economic - cultural - tourist center of the Philippines, Manila has all kinds of goods, from high-end fashion brands of world-famous brands to domestic fashion... You can go to SM - Mall of Asia, the largest shopping center in Asia...
- In addition, visitors can take a walk around Quiabo night market and buy exquisite handicrafts created by Filipino artisans. And a place not to be missed is China Town which sells many beautiful paintings, postcards, and reliefs carved with images of the Philippines.
+ For more information and tour booking support, please visit the website:http://www.itsmorefuninthephilippines.vnor contact the Philippine Tourism Authority in Vietnam at: 08. 3551 2202 – Fax: 08. 3551 3800 – Facebook: Philippines Tourism – Vietnam.
