A curious mixture of old and new, Manila is a city of several parts and the closest Philippines gets to a cosmopolitan city. Manila is made up of 15 cities that were originally seperated but were conglomerated into the Metro Manila. Its multi-centre arrangement means that every area of the city has its own shopping centre, entertainment and diversions, so you'll never be far away from some sort of activity.
On arrival, your senses will be bombarded by the usual sights and sounds of big city living with a heady mix of pollution and enormous throngs of people bustling around the busy shops and markets. But if you can manage to look beyond the dense population, there are many charming and rewarding nooks and crannies you'll find worth exploring.
Once the political and economic centre of the city during the Spanish regime (1571-1898), the walled city of Intramuros has been refurbished and converted. It now stands as a refined old town filled with entertainment and attractions. Old prison chambers intact with iron railings are now occupied by restaurants, bars, art galleries and souvenir shops.
Horse-drawn carriages with cocheros (coachmen) well-versed in the city's history can easily be contracted for quick tours. Just PHP250 (or around USD5) will buy you an hour's worth of moving from one historic spot to another, passing ramparts, museums and churches as well as lush gardens, warehouses and even torture chambers.
Most poignant is the memorial marking the death of 10,000 non-combatants (women and children) during the bombing of Manila in World War Two. You should make the effort to see the unique baroque San Agustin Church and its small museum as well as Fort Santiago.
It's the most fascinating relic in the Intramuros and a must-see. This fort was built over 400 years ago and has had a role to play in almost every significant event since then. It was originally the home of the last Filipino king before the Spanish usurpers invaded, replacing the wooden structure with a stone stronghold at the mouth of the river. The British used it during their occupancy and in 1896 the Spanish incarcerated José Rizal here. At the park's centre is a small shrine to the revolutionary, which contains some of his relics and samples of his writing. Footsteps on the floor around the garden allow you re-enact Rizal's final steps to "martyrdom".
The fort was most notoriously used as a wartime prison by the Japanese, and according to some of the more gruesome stories American soldiers and Filipino guerillas were tortured and executed here. Plaques mark mass graves where hundreds of bodies were found following the war. Interestingly the fort was also one of hundreds of sites on the islands where the Japanese hid their war wealth, huge amounts of gold bullion valued at billions of dollars.
Rizal Park is the city's largest open space, and is a pleasant place to stroll. There isn't a great deal to do here except relax among the formal gardens - the Japanese and Chinese gardens are particularly beautiful - and idle away the day. Locals flock here on the weekend, and on Sundays there is usually some form of entertainment, either impromptu music from buskers or scheduled concerts at the park's auditorium. The park is named after the Filipino revolutionary hero Dr José Rizal, who was executed here by the Spanish in 1896. The bronze statue in the middle of the park is of him. If you come here early in the morning you'll find locals going through their Tai Chi routines.
