MANILA

ESCAPES TO MANILA — A CITY THAT WELCOMES YOU WITH PEOPLE BEFORE PLACES

Manila is not a city built to impress with one famous landmark — its impact comes from atmosphere and human warmth. You feel it in the way people talk to you as if they already know you, in the karaoke spilling out of small bars, in families gathering in parks and malls like they are extensions of their homes, and in the way the city keeps moving even when nothing “touristic” is happening. Manila is an introduction to the Philippines that feels personal, not staged.

Already imagining it? Our Southeast Asia specialists can build your Manila stay or use it as your gateway to the islands.

The city is a blend of eras — Spanish fort walls in Intramuros, American-era government buildings, old churches, jeepneys painted like moving canvases, and modern towers in Makati and BGC where cafés and co-working spaces run late. Markets like Divisoria and Quiapo show Manila at full volume, while bayfront sunsets in Roxas Boulevard slow everything down for a moment.

And Manila is just the doorway. Beyond the capital, the country transforms into islands with turquoise water, rice terraces carved into mountainsides, volcano lakes, coral reefs and quiet coastal towns. Starting in Manila gives you the cultural pulse before you head to the calm of places like Palawan, Cebu, Bohol or Siargao.

It’s easy to see why travellers remember the Philippines not just for scenery but for people. Manila gives you the first taste of that — loud, warm, honest and alive.

Click here to explore Manila and the Philippines — and let us design a journey that begins with the city’s welcome and continues into the islands.