Manila
For sheer vibrancy, diversity and liveliness, Manila is south-east Asia at its hospitable best. The cosmopolitan capital city of the Philippines, Manila teems with character, life and a rich multi-cultural inheritance. Its complex history is revealed in the city's rich legacy of colonial architecture, its vibrant ethnic townships and its atmospheric, walled old town - Intramuros. But this is no historic backwater - for Metro Manila, the city's pulsating downtown heart, is a city on the up: from the sleek hotels of Makati, to the steal and glass skyscrapers of the financial district.
Callout Background Image
Location
Situated at the confluence of Manila Bay and the Pasig River on the west coast of Luzon – the largest of the three main island groups which form the Philippine archipelago – Manila is split into sixteen districts, all but the Port Area originally towns in their own right. Of particular note are Binondo, formerly the Chinatown district, Intramuros with its proud remnants of Spanish architecture, and Makati, a shopping and dining Mecca for locals and tourists alike.
A little background
The most Latin-American of all Asian cities, Manila enjoys a vibrant nightlife scene, where fashionable nightclubs, Filipino showgirls and centuries-old theatres jostle for your after-dark attention.
Despite a complex history stretching back millennia, Manila still feels like a city with a spring in its step.
Callout Background Image
Five Manila Experiences not to miss
-
Bullet Background Image
Meander through the maze of Chinatown’s fascinating shops
-
Bullet Background Image
Explore the ruined majesty of Intramuros
-
Bullet Background Image
Sample the colourful, and eclectic Makati nightlife
-
Bullet Background Image
Feast your eyes and soul on the spectacular sunset over Manila Bay
-
Bullet Background Image
Touch base with the spirit of Imelda Marcos at Coconut Palace