When heading for the other business center in the Philippines that is not the one in Makati, the…read moreMetro Rail Transit (MRT) makes a stop in Ortigas through the (aptly named) Ortigas Station. One of the busier stations in the line, this is a favorite not just among shoppers (who can also take this to go to the other end of the malls that are accessible through the neighboring Shaw Boulevard Station) but also for those who want to commute further through the FX terminal that can take them as far as Marikina if you look closely, as well as the nearby Robinson's Mall, too. However, for many, it's also the portal to the working day, as many major offices and corporations are in Ortigas as well. This busy place is certainly one of the major places that commuters go to when they want to take up their options in the MRT line, and it also helps that it is near the EDSA Shrine and ESDA Monument, which are both influencial and important parts of the nation's history (not to mention the station looks over the EDSA road itself, which is very busy on regular days, indeed).

We found this tour online when Google foodtour in Manila... When I asked some of my local friends…read moreabout the tour... Apparently, it is a popular tour for tourists as well as locals... Especially after featured on CNN'S Anthony Bourdaine No Reservation, Manila episode! For about $25 USD per person (depending how big is your group, our group is about 15 plus), the tour is including a walking through Manila chinatown, learning about the history, the culture and food tasting at 5 places. We met at the Binondo church. Our tour guide was Ivan Van Dy who was the guide for Anthony Bourdain. Ivan is very knowledgeable about the history and food and very funny... Everyone in our tour is local! 1. First stop was the new Po-Hung lumpia house. We had the fresh or unfried veggie lumpia. It is very different from the usual lumpia. This lupmia is eaten with dipping in cripy rice, hot chilly sauce, soy sauce and other types of sauce. It is savory, crunchy, salty and spicy! 2. Second stop was Quick snac or Amah's kitchen. Here, we had empanadas with chives, Pilar tofu, punsir satemi dado. Empanadas are fresh. Pilar tofu is fried tofu served with special sauce, cilandro, chives and sriracha hot sauce. It is perfectly fried outside and melted in your mouth. Punsir satemi dado is egg noodles sate with beef and kngkong. It is also very spicy! 3. Third stop was Dong-bei dumpling house. We had chive dumplings and brown pork dumplings. These are very fresh and tasty! At the entrance, we watched a lady making fresh dumplings! 4. Fourth stop was President tea house. Here, we tried their salted duck egg custard dumplings and mango soup! Probably this is my favorite stop of the tour... Not only it is different but also very light and delicious desert! The duck Egg custard dumplings were served hot and the filling melted in your mouth, savory, cheesy but light! The mango soup is very refreshing after having other salty and spicy dishes! 5. Last stop was the Chinese Holand Hopia and Bakery. I never had hopia before... So, I don't have any frame of reference... It is a pastry type desert with different fillings like mung bean paste, jack fruit, duran, etc. We also stopped by market and tried out different dried foods. Ivan also took us to one of the Chinese associated house. We enjoyed our tour very much and met some very cool people on the tour! I definitely would recommend this tour!

The tour itself was okay. Nothing great, but okay. The big issue was the lack of communication that…read morethe Binondo food tour was going to start early. The original confirmation email stated that the tour would start at 9:30am and to arrive several minutes early. We received an email at 9:06 on the morning of the tour telling us they decided to start early at 9:05, so we literally had a -1 minute heads up. This started a game of cat and mouse. It took several text messages, a phone call, wandering aimlessly around Binondo, and finally arriving 45 minutes after the tour started. We missed a decent portion of the tour and no apology was made or any effort to rectify the situation. For 2000 pesos, spend your money elsewhere.

The Pasig River Ferry is a unique way of seeing Metro Manila. The service has come and gone over…read morethe past few years, and the current incarnation has been active since late last year. The ferry service's resumption was so under the radar that a lot of locals aren't even aware that it's up and running again, and fewer still have actually taken it. That's a shame because it's a gorgeous, gorgeous experience. Okay, the Pasig River is not known for its cleanliness, which is a damned shame. However, rehabilitation works on the river have been undertaken intermittently through the past few years, and the river's quality has improved a lot. Which is good because the ferry's open air. The boats the ferry service uses are slim and sleek, and should fit around 40 passengers. There are seven active ferry stations from Intramuros in Manila to Pinagbuhatan, Pasig City, although most of the people who use this service get off at the Guadalupe station in Makati. The trip from Intramuros to Guadalupe takes about 40 minutes and gives you a glimpse on how important the Pasig River is to Metro Manila, in terms of livelihood, commerce, and interconnection. The fare varies depending on your embark and disembark points; Intramuros to Guadalupe costs P50 (roughly a US Dollar). Whip out your cameras as you pass by the Manila Post Office, as well as some old buildings and quaint riverside residences. Tuck that camera in as you pass by Malacañang Palace, the residence of the President of the Philippines, for security blah blah blah whatever. Seriously, it's a shame you can't take pictures of the Malacañang Palace because it's grand and majestic in the way most structures in Metro Manila aren't. The approach leading to Circuit Makati and Rockwell Center is picture-worthy and gives us a glimpse of the future of the river.

A less-popular and actually very convenient way of getting yourself from Makati to several parts of…read moreManila is via the Pasig River Ferry. If you're a local and you know what Pasig River is, then this mode of transportation won't exactly sound enticing. But you know what? It's cheap, comfortable, fast, and not bad at all. Fellow scout and cousin Ronan E. and I have just finished scarfing down double vegan cheeseburgers at a cafe nearby, and we had absolutely nothing to do. We've already walked along EDSA, went fruit-shopping in Guadalupe, took sneaky pics of that obscure park no one goes to at Guadalupe, and naturally, this was the next, obvious activity. We're both in our late twenties and until now have not been on the river AT ALL. They have several stops that can take you to Pinagbuhatan, San Joaquin, Sta. Ana, PUP, Escolta and Intramuros. For Php 50, you can get your butt to Plaza Mexico, Intramuros, the furthest stop in this ferry route to Manila and it will take you around an hour or more, depending on how many stops the ferry has to make because if you were a boat and you had to ply through Pasig River, that only means A LOT of things can get stuck in the engine/motor thingy (honestly I have no idea what this should be called). We had to stop several times to fix these small issues. But DON'T WORRY, this thing happens normally, so you won't actually get stuck in the middle of a trash-filled river. The only pre-requisites for anyone who wants to ride the ferry are as follows: you are definitely not 'maarte', and you can handle scents that vary from normal canal to very bad toilet to chemical/sulfuric fumes. Operated by the MMDA, the stations are actually quite nice, clean and well-maintained. But as for the river itself, Pasig River's 'cleanliness' varies from point to point as we saw during the trip. There are areas where it actually looks pretty 'okay', and there are other, horrifying areas that are floating with mounds of plastic, styro, and other non-biodegradable crap (I even saw a floating, dead cat! :( Huhu). The river has been in worse states, but it still needs some major rehabilitation. I also do think this ferry ride is quite educational, as you really see where OUR TRASH goes. Here. It will really make you think of switching to a more sustainable lifestyle. Even with those things being said, I still HIGHLY recommend everyone to give this ferry route a try if you'd like to experience a different, more rugged side of Manila. You get nice views of the several bridges, the Post Office, and Malacañang, too. NOTE: This route passes by Malacañang Palace and you can see how beautiful it is and not exactly orange like the bill (Haha), like Ronan. E here kept joking about. Though, don't take photos! It's prohibited. I was scolded by the boat crew. Haha. TIP: Try to avoid getting splashed by the water. You don't want any of that on you.

As much as we Filipinos have been so westernized, there is but one small part of our history left…read morein the city - it's found in the old capital of Manila which is Intramuros. If you have a friend visiting Manila, I suggest you take him to the Intramuros Tour of Carlos Celdran. The tour lasts about three hours and trust me, you won't get some typical tour where Carlos has a boring script and is tight with time. Carlos maps out Intramuros by sections and while the participants walk along with him he theatrically explains the history of the Philippines. He talks about the country in such a comic way. For sure your foreigner friends will laugh at some his jokes. Carlos' way of discussing is very interactive. He sometimes may need participation from the audience when it comes to things. Other than that, his company is surely enjoyable. At the end of the tour, you get a sweet surprise of halo halo to quench your thirst.

There's no better way to understand history a bit more than doing a literal walk-through with the…read morepioneer in walking tours of Intramuros, Manila - Carlos Celdran. Armed with a clearbook, a lapel, and mobile speaker, this man clad in his barong and hat will take you through time. The tour has several stops consisting of San Agustin Church, Manila Cathedral and Fr. Blanco's Garden, and lastly, Fort Santiago. I've taken this tour twice - once as a college student and again when I brought foreign friends to see Intramuros. On my second tour, Fr. Blanco's Garden was being renovated so it was replaced by a quick tour of the courtyard of San Agustin Church. This tour is best for adults (as opposed to teens or kids) as he talks fast and gives jokes that have underlying meaning, or need a bit of quick analysis. We were also advised that the tour works best for big groups as participants try to focus more and gives better interaction dynamics between the tour guide and the group. I personally saw truth in that. All in all, it's a great crash course or a nice refresher on old Manila's history. If (Intramuros) walls could talk, it would probably agree, criticize and laugh with Carlos Celdran.

This cruise line takes you to Corregidor island. I would highly recommend that you get the island…read moretour with the buffet package if you're there only for the day. It was a fairly quick ride at about a 1hr 15min. Seats were comfy as well. I would try and refrain from laughing when the crew does their "sunset tours" dance before leaving port. For the life of me, I don't understand why they had to dance but it was a good laugh for me.

When I booked for our first Corregidor tour with my dad, a World War II Veteran, at first I felt…read moregiddy, but then I began to worry about my dad, who is already 96 yrs old. I started to think of worst-case scenarios like : is the weather too hot, or like will it rain, to like are there enough rest rooms, knowing my dad frequents the toilets, and etc.. When the day arrived and we were whisked by our ferry boat to our destination, all my fears subsided the moment we hit the shores of Corregidor. The weather was perfect, and the tram ride was relaxing. Our tour guide was very fluent in English, and shared with us a few anecdotes, stories, and jokes along the way. The tour was very educational of our historical heritage and there were a lot of photo opportunities during every stop. We had a buffet lunch at the lone hotel in the island and the food was great. The meat dishes were very tender to the bite while the rest of entrees were also delicious. I'm so happy that my dad enjoyed the trip and so did I. After our first trip, I'm looking forward to more trips in the near future.

A lot of people are into hiking and camping nowadays. It is somewhat what they call an "in" thing…read morebut this hobby takes guts and a lot of passion for adventure. One experience I will never forget is hiking Mt. Balingkilat in Zambales. It was an 8-hour hike/climb (with my pace) going up to the campsite. It was really rewarding because the view was definitely amazing, day or night. We witnessed the sunset, the night sky full of stars, and eventually the sunrise. We stayed there over night and the next day we traversed to Nagsasa Cove. We relaxed by the beach while waiting for the boat. When it arrived, we went island hopping and visited Capones Island which was beautiful as well. Clear waters and an amazing horizon was just the perfect way to end the trip and go back to Manila. This great experience was all possible because of a group of people who arranged everything from the round trip transportation down to the meals, boat rides and of course the mountain climb itself. Vincent Sy, a graduate of DLSU and has great passion for anything outdoor-nature related, started DTF - Da Trekking Friends together with his brother Vernon Sy last April 21, 2015. It is a Manila-based service group who organizes trips that involve a lot of outdoor adventure for those who want to hike/trek (to anywhere in the Philippines) but don't know what to do and where to start. They basically offer the service of helping you organize where, when and what you want to do in this trip. They even have affordable packages to choose from! To them, customer convenience matters. With the lead of Vincent, anyone who wants to experience what I have experienced can finally do so without the stress that comes with the planning! Of course you may wonder if you're in the right hands. My answer would be, yes! This guy really knows what he's doing. He has hiked 22 mountains, trekked to 12 falls/rivers, and explored around 10 islands/beaches/coves all of which are in the Philippines. DTF is indeed qualified to be your planner and tour guide. If you want to see more of the beauty there is in the Philippines, see what else it has to offer and want a change in terms of fun and adventure, give DTF a call. I promise you'll have great time! I know I did. With their lead, I was able to see a different side of the country. Facebook page - DTF: Da Trekking Friends Email Address - datrekkingfriends@gmail.com Mobile no. - 0926 681 8620

I've booked many a flight through this travel agency based on recommendations from several friends…read moreand family. Among all the travel agencies that I've tried, Fine Travel and Tours is the one that really goes out of its way to make my trips easy and hassle free. Yes, it might be cheaper to book hotels or apartments and find cheaper tickets on your own. Yes, you can fix visas by yourself. But sometimes these things can really be a pain (especially the damn visas). This agency really help me out with arranging my documents and application forms, giving me advice on when is the best time to apply for visas and what the requirements are. They can also customize sightseeing tours from you, ranging from select few sights to fully pre-packaged deals and meals. Sometimes you have to make them kulit, as they really get so many clients, but as long as you are on top of that, they will really take care of you. I would really recommend this agency when you want to travel in a pinch. Ask for Ms. Genevie.

Amazing experience touring Corregidor island. Day started bright and early for 7:00 boat to the…read moreisland. The trip on the M/V Sun Cruises ll was a pleasant experience the crew was professional, friendly, and extremely helpful. We arrived at the dock and boarded our trams. (Note there are separate tours for Japanese tourists and all others). Our tour guide Armando is very knowledgeable, funny and sobering at times. The tour it self is very interesting. We visited 7 or 8 sites with a buffet lunch at the Spanish museum- lighthouse complex. The lunch is included. Food is tasty. Our day we had pasta carbonara, rice, pasta salad, salad station, adobo chicken, pork loin medallions. Etc. The island itself is amazing. The relics of war are sobering to say the least. The tour ends at 2:00 for a 4:30. Return time. Tour cost approximately 3300P with a separate 30P government dock fee. Please ask for Armando. We have found out later he is the most experienced guide, 28 years of experience. Note beware of monkeys. They are fearless, and fling poo.

January 4, 2018, the only day that I could go to tour Corregidor during my visit to the…read morePhilippines, turned out to be the worst experience. My friend and I paid in advance, arrived on time, and that was the end of the fun for that trip. We were told to board, so we walked to the ferry and were told that we could not board for another 15 minutes even though the waiting area announced boarding. Once we were aboard and seated (enjoying the recorded Scorpions concert on the tele), the worst part of the trip began. The ferry was supposed to depart at 7:30 am, but was still sitting at the dock at 9:30 AM because of a film crew and a missing actor. The cruise line held up the whole boat for one person, and they were not communicating with the passengers. Most of the touring passengers left the boat and went for a refund, as the cruise line's plan was to take the paying customers on a shortened tour and still charge full price. What a waste of time. We received a refund, but with no consideration for the extra time to get there, or the cost of getting there (PHP400 each way). I don't even know if the boat departed that day, as it was still at the port at 10:00 am when we got the refund. I will never recommend this company to anyone, and will never see Corregidor as a result of the company's monopoly.