Manila, the capital of the Philippines, is a very populated city. If you are flying into the Philippines internationally, then most likely you’ll fly into the international airport at Manila. It is a good starting point to the rest of your trip.
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Getting There
By Plane
You can fly into Manila internationally with Philippine Airlines. We flew into Ninoy Aquino International Airport since we were flying from LA to Manila. There is a smaller airport for domestic flights. We flew to Coron via Cebu Pacific Air and since it was a smaller plane, we had to take a bus to the loading area.
The traffic is really bad. If you’re going to get a GrabCar, make sure to request 15 mins in advance from when you really need it cause of traffic.
BEFORE YOU LEAVE MANILA, make sure to grab some toilet paper for the road and put on some mosquito repellent if you haven’t already. You’re going to need it starting from Coron.
You can also get a wifi/hotspot here. This is the one that we got at the airport.
Also these are the most important things to remember if you’re going to the restroom: where the bucket is for water (to flush the toilet), the water, and the trash can for your tissues.
Things to Do
We only stayed in Manila 1 night in the beginning of our trip and 1 night at the end of our trip. But we did make the most of our time here! Here were some of the things we managed to see/do while in Manila:
Manila Ocean Park
Manila Ocean Park is an oceanarium located in Manila, Philippines that is also part of a resort. There are many exhibits that you can visit here as well as a wide variety of marine life. You will be able to see manta rays, penguins, and sea lions!
Eat at Jollibee
If you’ve never eaten at Jollibee before, you definitely need to eat here while in the Philippines! The food choices are slightly different than the options in the United States. They were just as good though!
You should also try their McDonalds and Coffee Bean. We like to go to franchises like this in different countries just to see how their menu is different.
Exploring the Streets
You can spend your day walking around Manila exploring all of the different stores, restaurants, and bars. It does get hot though so bring water and put on sunscreen!
SM Mall & Marketplace
These SM Malls and Marketplaces are huge. We stopped at a SM Marketplace to buy some items that we forgot on our flight here.
Where to Stay
Of course you can always stay at a hotel in Manila, but we actually found a really nice Airbnb at the Gramercy. It was extremely spacious and fancy.
The Gramercy also has amazing amenities like a garden, a gym, and of course an infinity pool.
We thought that spending 2 days in Manila was just enough. We were able to explore and take our time and didn’t feel like we were bored. It was the perfect way to start and end our trip!
