Not the first time I have set foot in the Philippines, but it is a fact that I have never been to Manila, the capital of this country – which is considered one of the “shopping paradises” with dozens of commercial centers, with huge architecture. And in the last quarter of 2022, my partner and I decided to make a trip to Manila, both for sightseeing, tourism, as well as to visit customers and distributors of our business.
In the last days of the year, we decided to choose the Philippines as a destination
I have been to the Philippines, but the destination was Boracay Island – a very famous island of the Philippines. It was understandable, because the Philippines is known as the “nation of a thousand islands” with nearly 7,000 large and small islands – most in the world. Therefore, this trip was the first time that I could see and feel directly the distinct “colors” of the capital of the Philippines. At that time, it was not too difficult to enter the Philippines. Since I was coming from Vietnam, I did not need to prepare a visa, and I was automatically allowed to enter for 30 days. They just thoroughly inquired about my return date. All procedures were very simple and easy, but I had to give them the certificate of anti-epidemic Covid 19, not simply a copy online on the phone.
Manila is widely hailed as a “miniature New York”. I didn’t believe it myself at first. “What’s so exaggerated, how can there be such a lame comparison?” .But to be honest, I really had to change my thinking and outlook. The capital Manila was extremely large, being a metropolis with 16 cities grouped together. In which, 3 cities are centrally located and have the largest area, namely BGC, Makati and Pasay, forming a triangle. In the middle of that “triangle” is Manila International Airport.
Rewind memories and “bullet points” about the Philippines
The days in Manila were extremely memorable, and I also drew many extremely interesting and distinctive impressions of this place
#1 Recommended accommodation in BGC and Makati
Not only are these 2 of the 3 largest cities in Manila, and also located in the most central and busiest locations, but these 2 areas are also always recommended to stay because of their cleanliness and modernity. Other regions, as far as I know, still contain many dangers (the Philippines is considered the most dangerous place in the world according to a study by the Global Financial Journal in 2019). I think this is partly because this place has a “mix of culture” – one of the signatures of the Philippines. Many people, many cultures are intertwined, also creating complexity in Philippine society. Therefore, this nation still has plenty of very dangerous areas, especially for tourists. Therefore, my partner and I were always careful when choosing places to visit.
#2 Should go to the Philippines in December or May
Somewhere between December or May is the perfect time to visit the Philippines. Picked a nearby time frame to visit, so I didn’t have a disadvantage in terms of weather. It was cloudy, not too hot, not raining or too humid. In general, the weather was very nice, very beautiful and extremely suitable to enjoy the best of this country.
#3 Filipinos are SUPER CUTE!!!
Filipinos left a very, very, very good impression on me (it’s important to mention 3 times). They were extremely friendly, they sang on the street very well. I also often met their smiles and enthusiasm, and if they could help anything, they would definitely help out.
Their names were also extremely interesting and funny. I visited the Center and Southern areas, where Filipinos spoke three languages: Filipino, English, and Spanish. Named after that cultural diversity so sometimes even hearing the name made me have to guess what country they were from. This “mix of culture” was sometimes a special highlight that created the own tourism brand for this country.
Thanks to the fact that people use English fluently, I didn’t have too many difficulties in terms of communication, even when buying vegetables. The feeling was not strange and there was no distance, just like the atmosphere at home.
#4 Filipino food is not difficult to enjoy
The taste of Filipino food was similar to Vietnamese food. I have tried a few dishes such as braised meat, grilled ribs, even they brought the same feeling as when I ate broken rice in my hometown. They seasoned quite strongly and the seasoning was slightly sweet, so overall, it was quite suitable for my taste. With such processing, when entering a Spanish restaurant in Manila, I really enjoyed the food here even though I don’t like Spanish food at all. The chef has combined Spanish flavors with local tastes to create dishes that were most suitable, not the most original, so I ate very well and had a good impression.
#5 Airline connection of Philippines with the rest of world is limited
My partner often told me that the airport system of the Philippines was small, the airfare was expensive, and there were few time frames, so we did not have many options in terms of time. So I often have to fly early in the morning, or late at night, which is quite inconvenient but I can’t do anything else.
#6 Philippines’s traffic is the most terrible in the world
Traffic in the Philippines is terrible, this was something I have experienced firsthand and must admit that it was worse than I had imagined. I almost always traveled by foot, because I booked Grab for even a few hours without even having it, and the road was constantly congested. Public transportation was not much better, always in a crowded situation. I have observed and seen that every bus stop had a long line of people waiting in line. The traffic rush hour in the Philippines was from 4pm until… 10pm. Therefore, I often chose to work from home, and only went out when taking a walk, wandering around. Fortunately, my partner knew about this situation in advance and booked a hotel in the central area, so I was not too tired and was able to enjoy the walk.
One piece of advice for girls when coming to the Philippines: always remember to bring a pair of sandals with you, whether you like to wear high heels or for work. This is so that in case of traffic jams, if you can’t book Grab, it won’t be too difficult to walk back.
#7 Bad news for shopaholics: no refund tax in the Philippines
Being a shopaholic and a fan of Zara, I have the habit of going to a Zara store in every country I pass through and buying a shirt or T-shirt to commemorate that place. However, when I came to the Philippines, this was the “exception” when I did not buy any Zara items, because the price was too expensive. Goods when returning to the Philippines are taxed much higher than other countries, and are not tax refunded, so the price will be very expensive. Since I was collecting Pandora items in each country, I still had to “grind” to buy it, even though the price was terrible.
In general, although it is praised as a “shopping paradise”, I do not recommend people to go shopping in the Philippines.
Anyway, the “secrets” that I discovered in the Philippines are interesting things for me to continue writing in my travel diary. In the Philippines, I feel positive energy, distinct warmth and unique features that need to be further exploited by tourists. My partner and I even considered living here for a long time because the locals were so cute. It is the human personality and special stories that make the Philippines unique in Asia. And for sure, I will definitely come back to the Philippines soon!
