I wanted to visit the oldest Chinatown in the world so we made a stop here on our trip. I figured…read moresince we were on vacation we needed to visit something historical. We took a rideshare from our hotel. We crossed the Jones Bridge then drove under the Binondo Chinatown Arch. We got dropped off on Ongpin Street and walked to the Binondo Church then stopped by Eng Bee Tin for Hopia. It was crowded but a fun experience. I'm glad we got to check out the neighborhood.

The World's oldest Chinatown! (MANILA Philippines)…read more We booked a van to drop us off at Lucky Chinatown Mall and came here on New Year's Day. From there we rode a tuk-tuk cart (a 3-wheeled gas passenger novelty taxi tricycle). That thing fit 8 of us inside plus the driver and his toddler so ten total). It dropped us off at Ongpin Street. I would've thought that the place would be empty because of the holiday but surprisingly many businesses and vendors were open. We came back a couple of days after and the streets had a more vibrant and bustling atmosphere. Ongpin Street in Manila is lined with restaurants and many shops including jewelry stores. There were many shops to pop into. You can find the Ongpin Northbridge Arch, and the Chinatown Welcome Arch and the Arch of Good Will at the end of Ongpin Street (cross-street Ronquillo Street). It ends on Juan Luna Street. Review #3287

The Plaza San Luis Complex is a charming commercial subsection of Intramuros right next to San…read moreAgustin Church. Made up of five reconstructed Spanish colonial era buildings, it reminds me of the shopping area around Mexico City's Zocalo, although on a much smaller scale. We walked around Plaza San Luis a couple of times during my trip to Manila, both to absorb the ambiance and to get lunch at Barbara's and shop for souvenirs. I didn't love the restaurant, but the plaza was lovely. There was a stone courtyard with an old fountain that was particularly attractive. If you're visiting Intramuros, make sure you drop by the Plaza San Luis Complex. I don't know about all the individual businesses, but the area is quite pretty.

I am embarrassed to admit that it took me almost 26 years as a Filipino to actually set food in…read morethis beautiful, historic place. I was lucky that someone was nice enough to take me here, as I am pretty sure I wouldn't have come across this place on my own. Plaza San Luis is a great representation of Spanish colonial architecture that luckily has survived and has been revived into a well-maintained establishment that houses smaller stores, a restaurant, and a museum. Those establishments do deserve reviews on their own, so I would really, really love to talk about how beautiful this courtyard is. It's amazing how this place has retained so much of its old-world feel, with all the plants, the fountain, the stone walls and floors--it's all in the details. It's no wonder that this place is now being offered as an events place that can be rented for special occasions. You can actually do a bit of exploring. You must go up the staircase and see the majestic view of the whole courtyard from the top. It's really beautiful. I really do hope that this place remains well-maintained and taken cared of. It's a gem of a destination that our history and culture cannot afford to lose.

Downtown Manila is a place where sidewalk vendors have taken root to the point that it's almost…read moreimpossible to get rid of them. Carriedo street is just one where the stalls are not just occupying the sidewalks, but they've actually taken over the street itself. Why the local government unit tolerates this, I'll never know. But what I do know is that the stalls sell all sorts of dry goods at sometimes ridiculously low prices, so what's not to like about them? AT the foot of the LRT Carriedo station is a hodgepodge of small businesses selling street food and all kinds of footwear. The few that occupy the frontage of the now shuttered Isetann department store has a cornucopia of everything that we all need at sometime or another. The slippers are really, really cheap, practically half the price of similar slippers found in the department stores in the area. One little oddity that I was not inclined to buy were cotton buds that used sticks instead of plastic or cardboard stems. I also had some doubts about the moist towelettes which looked partially open. And I've tried the generic batteries sold there, too. Believe me, they're not worth it. But I did buy a flash light with a rechargeable battery for an incredible P300. It came with a bag too. I saw something like it in a Makati shop and the price was P499, so yes, there are some real bargains in the street stalls of Carriedo and Rizal Avenue.

I like the concept of Pasyal, and I laud Carlos Celdran and the other organizers for making this…read morehappen in Manila. I love street fairs in Korea and in Japan and it's good that Manila is catching on fast. Admittedly, the selection of participants is limited, I think it's even less this year than last year, but, I love that I can discover local crafts makers, city tour organizers, and several other startup businesses worthy of our support because they use local materials and employ more people. Looking forward to next year's. I hope it gets bigger and better!

On one of my Sunday-get-me-out-of-the-house moods, my sister told me that there was an event in…read moreIntramuros, Pasyal Intramuros. We immediately got into the car when we figured it was the best day to make a trip there since there wasn't too much traffic. When we got there we were glad that we made the trip, it turned out to be such a fun day! Every summer time on some weekends, Intramuros closes down the main street to cars and allows vendors, food and things, artists and musicians to come together for a pasyal. It was really fun to see all the different people and eat everything from dirty ice cream to taho! I felt like I was in the province when people come around and hang in the plazas on Sundays. It was a great way to celebrate our culture especially the coming together of people for a pasyal. I loved seeing people getting excited over something that didn't involve a mall or a gadget for a change! I really enjoyed the experience and I always tell my friends to check it out, it's a great excuse to visit Intramuros and a fun way to spend any weekend with family or friends!

Having an appreciation for the, let us say, more exotic and low-market things in life, I would like…read moreto think that I am helping prepare people with the eventual desire to explore the seedier parts of Manila. There is no finer place to start, I think, than Recto street, in Manila. Famous (or infamous) for being THE place to go to for spurious legal and/or required documents, this street gave rise to the local question of "Recto yan ano?", an accusatory statement regarding one's diploma. But this street is far more than that. Part of the University belt, this street touches two premier universities in the country, UE and FEU. This means that for cash-strapped students and book hunters alike tend to visit one of the many, many informal book sellers, selling everything from used textbooks (useful) to old copies of FHM (you might run the risk of getting one with pages stuck together), and all purchases made coming with the promise of the old book smell, and the old mold colony dust to boot. But the charm of Recto street for me comes in the form of the other, less reputable vendors. To name a few: confusingly-branded Starbucks canvas coin purses, cheap piercings (surprisingly hypoallergenic once properly cleaned), the somewhat menacing cut-off dreadlocks (which deserves a piece on its own), shops selling authentic death-metal concert t-shirts, even, on special occasions, a man selling monitor lizards and snakes from two grimy sacks. This street is definitely MORE than just spurious diplomas and hastily concocted aliases.

The main blvd of manilla where everyone comes out at sunrise before it is compete wicked hot and…read morefull of cars and population / pollution. Prime example of natives selling everything from sidewalk manicures and pedicure to massages in front of street laden with feces from all sorts of animals. Sweet stench of crap and full of people. Most fascinating experience for foreigners as I've been to streets like this in LA, south of France, etc. Clear example of could be an awesome place once cleaned up. Kids sleeping on the dirt on rollup pads down the street from USA Embassy makes me want to cry for humanity. Poverty, Kids begging for money, mixed with expensive hotels and fast food chains like jollibee is such a huge dichotomy.

Home to the famous and always stunning sunset of Manila, Roxas Boulevard is a strip that I think…read moredeserves more attention. I mean have you passed by it lately? The vast waters and the sunset are beautiful! It's not in every country where you can enjoy sunsets as beautiful as Manila Bays'. I try to avoid politics as much as I can. But when one Manila Mayor decided to turn this strip into a local nightlife scene, that was just too much. Roxas Boulevard was beautiful on its own - serene, vast, and well, clean. I really couldn't imagine why anyone would turn it into anything more than it already spectacularly is. Try to get there about 30 minutes before sunset to get a nice spot to watch the sun go down. Park your car at Aristocrat and have dinner there afterwards since it's the most convenient location. Make sure to keep the area clean too!

What an experience! I watched tons of blogs before coming home and I was super excited. Although…read morethe market is about 15 minutes away, the heat made it little hard to walk. Once we got there, I was overwhelmed with all the great food and flavors. I'm so glad we came, it was hectic, lots of people but the food experience made it worth it.

Must visit if you're in the area on a Saturday morning. This market is held every Saturday morning…read moreat Jaime Velasquez Park in Makati. The market offers a wide variety ranging from Fresh produce, fruits , local Filipino snacks, seafood & a ton of food vendors. I loved the pumelo & went back to buy more. It gets busy so get there early. There's so much to choose from and wanted to try a little if everything. It's a great spot for a snack or lunch. Many vendors offer free samples. There are tables to sit but you can find a seat in the park to enjoy your food. I had a great time here. They also sell beautiful fresh flowers.

The Sidcor Market I grew up with can be found in EDSA corner Main Avenue--the current location of…read moreHypermarket Cubao. As far as I can recall, it was 8 years ago when it was launched again in Centris. I often visit every Sunday morning for my favorite Empanada, Pad Thai, and Buco Sherbet. This is home to a variety of food selection from regional cuisines to international flavors. Sidcor is also a great source of fresh produce, organic vegetables, and fruits. The price is at par with local neighborhood palengke and definetely cheaper than supermarket. Sidcor is open from 6:00am to 1:00pm but fresh market's stocks runs out easily. Be sure to arrive earlier. There are a lot of parking spaces available at Sidcor as well. Commuters can take the Quezon Avenue MRT station. It's a walk away from the train stop.

Spent a Sunday morning here is fun. Here you have 2 prices,…read morelocal and expat. Unlike in salcedo sat market, here you can find avocado for 150/kg, while it's 250-300php in salcedo! You can also find quite good collection of plants to decorate your home. Super hot though!!! But will come back!

If you're a culture enthusiast like me but have seen Intramuros for a couple of times already, your…read morebest bet for a healthy dose of culture and arts is Escolta, dubbed as the Queen of Manila's Streets. I have not really been into celebrating Escolta until they had that entire craze about reviving the street to its former glory through the #SelfiEscolta event last year. What's to see there? 1. 98B Collaboratory Future Market where you can buy all artsy and vintage pieces 2. Calvo Museum which stores a lot of wonderful relics from the city's past 3. Escolta Ice Cream and Snacks which serves big scoops of ice creams and also a lot of other must-try snacks 4. The most magnificent buildings that are true testaments to the glory of Manila in the old days

Escolta street in Manila remains one of the most important thoroughfares in the city. On one side…read moreis Sta Cruz, while on the other end is the Binondo district. Up until the 1960s, this area was considered the business center of the country. It is where most if not all the big banks and insurance companies had their head offices. It was also where a number of now departed department stores were located, such as Syvel's and Aquinaldo's. The latter was owned by the family of the country's first president,Emilio Aguinaldo. There are still a few calesas that ply the Escolta to Divisoria route, but they are now an endangered species. Escolta remains an important artery and it is worth noting that most of the historically significant buildings located there are still standing, still being used as offices. There has been some upgrading of some of the buildings,mostly renovation work on the ground floors. Walking in the area can be pleasant most days.

When I want to buy local souvenirs, I usually go to Kultura Filipino or to Filipiniana. Both are…read morelocated in Makati, close to my place. And both offer all the traditional symbols of the Philippines - barong tagalogs, pinneaple fiber clothes and table runners, t-shirts, Mother Pearl picture frames, pearl and coral jewelry and so on. I particularly prefer Kultura Filipino, because I have the feeling it's better served. Actually I think the store is bigger. Anyway, I prefer it. But when I don't want to cross Glorietta to get to the SM building, I go to Filipiniana, inside The Landmark. I highly recommend it for those times you have to buy a gift for a foreigner friend or buy some souvenirs to your family when you go back home on vacations.

If you're a foreigner or balikbayan looking for authentic and inexpensive Filipino souvenirs and…read moregoods, you have to stop by the Filipiniana section of Landmark. The large section is dedication just for Filipino crafts, products and food and I love how you have so many options to choose from. I'm not a foreigner or a balikbayan and I'm not looking for souvenirs but I do love going around this section and buying things. I love being a Filipino and I'm certainly proud of our skills, talents, culture and food. In this part of the department store, you'll find any kind of souvenir you want. It's basically a one-stop-shop. You can find gorgeous handmade and local artisan crafted furniture, home accessories, jewelry, clothes, traditional costumes and even yummy Filipino food snacks like peanut brittle and the famous dried mangoes! I always bring my foreign friends and family members from the States to this store and they always buy so many things and come out of the store happy and satisfied.