Manila

Metro Manila is also known as NCR or the National Capital Region. This is where you can find the capital city of the Philippines, Manila, and its surrounding 16 cities. Metro Manila is the seat of political, economic, education and social power in the country. It is also the primary international gateway and heart of the country's cultural and economic life.

For those who would like to visit Metro Manila may want to time their trip during the dry season and that is from January to middle of May. You will find it more convenient to explore the city by that time as traffic is relatively fluid as compared to the rainy season where frequent traffic jams occur.

Most of the Filipinos living there speak fluent English aside from the national language of Filipino or Tagalog. Most of the tourists are centered on Manila and Makati area where the big hotels, shopping malls, restaurants, bars and clubs are clumped together. People in the metro are always on the move, just like in other major cities. They are in the office during weekdays and in malls and clubs during the weekends. However, with the boom of the BPO or call center industry, you can now find groups of friends hanging out in the middle of the day drinking cold bottles of beer. May it be weekends or weekdays, you can expect the Filipino people to welcome you with a big smile as they are known for their hospitality.

Manila has been the center of political power since the Spanish occupation. You can see Spanish and American influences in Old Manila through the architectures of the remaining old buildings, especially in Intramuros, the walled city. It is also a popular tourist attraction together with Luneta Park and Baywalk. For more modern sites, you can head on over to popular shopping malls such as the Mall of Asia, the biggest mall in Asia, SM Megamall, Glorietta, Greenbelt, Trinoma, Greenhills and SM North among many others. If you want something close to nature, you can visit the Quezon City Circle. There is also a China Town in the area known as Ongpin and it can be found in the heart of Binondo near the historical Quiapo Church. Some of the new attractions within Metro Manila are the Manila Ocean Park and Resorts World Manila where you can find five star hotel, casino, high class movie theater and events place.

The cuisine in Metro Manila is varied mainly due to the influence of globalization. Aside from the Filipino delicacies you can find in most restaurants, there are also Italian, Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese and American influences.

There are two popular festivals in Metro Manila. The first one is the Feast of the Black Nazarene celebrated every January 9. The second one is the Sto. Nino Festival in Tondo every January 15. 

Getting into Metro Manila, you can catch a flight from your country of origin and land on Ninoy Aquino International Airport or in the Centennial Airport. If you are looking for a place to stay, you can choose from a variety of accommodations with price range starting from around 1,000 pesos (roughly $25) a night in small motels to 20,000 pesos (roughly $500) in five star hotels. Some of the popular choices are Traders Hotel, Shangri-la Hotel, Manila Hotel, Bayview Hotel, Hotel Intercontinental, Manila Peninsula and Dusit Hotel. Though with the overwhelming tourism boom in the country today, a lot of these hotels are giving discounts & accommodation packages to visitors. (Check out the "tour packages" link below this page for best deals).

When roaming the city, always have a spare change with you to pay taxi cabs, trains and jeepneys if you decide to try the local mode of transportation. It would be better if you have a tour guide so you can visit the tourist spots without the hassle of getting lost. If you are not part of a tour group, you can ask for assistance from the Philippines Department of Tourism. You can go to their office located at Kalaw Street, Manila or you can call them at (632) 5238411.