20 Cool Touristy Things That Visitors Can Do in Manila

10. Visit a church.

If your friends are a fan of churches, then there are a lot of beautiful churches to see in Manila, including Manila Cathedral, San Agustin Church and Stella Orientis Chapel. If one of them is struggling with grades, though, Quiapo Church is the place to be. According to Filipino superstition, students with poor grades should pray the rosary while kneel-walking to the altar in order to gain the mercy of their professors.

9. Watch a “midget boxing” match.

So far, the only place we have heard of with “midget boxing” matches is Ringside Bar in Makati, but it’s definitely something new and interesting that visitors enjoy when they’re here.

8. Visit a comedy bar.

If your friends have a good sense of humour, then a comedy bar would also be a good place to take them to. Comedy Cartel and Comedy Manila both have regular shows that people with a good sense of humour are sure to enjoy.

7. Enjoy the sunset.

Sunsets look different all over the world, so why not take your friends somewhere for a good view of the Manila sunset? For the best view of a Manila sunset, though, take them to Manila Bay or to Harbor View Restaurant, the latter of which is also a great place to watch the Mall of Asia fireworks display on Fridays and Saturdays.

6. Hoard stuff at flea markets.

If your friends are looking for unique and cool finds to bring back home, there are various flea markets around Manila, such as in Salcedo, Greenfield and Centris to name a few. The Escolta Saturday Market is also an awesome place to score great finds during the weekends.

5. Go to Divisoria and/or Greenhills.

On that note, Divisoria and Greenhills are also great places to shop for practically anything. Haggling is just part of the fun.

4. Get pampered.

While some people in Manila view massages, facials and nail and hair treatments as unnecessary and expensive, the prices for these things in Manila are waaaaay cheaper compared to abroad. As such, going on a full-on pampering session is a sure way to make your visiting friends happy. We’d highly recommend Nuat Thai (they’ve got hour-long Thai massages for only Php200); Facial Care Centre for thorough facials for both men and women; Nailaholics for relaxing nail treatments and hand and foot spas; and Vivere Salon for satisfying hair cuts and treatments.

3. Try Filipino fusion food.

If you want to introduce your friends to Filipino food, but they aren’t entirely sure if they’re up for it yet, start them slow with Filipino fusion food. Tipsy Pig Fort happens to offer some great Filipino fusion dishes, including the Crispy Pork Belly Roast, which is their version of Lechon Kawali.

2. Eat street food!

For the more adventurous people, Filipino street food is the way to go foodtrip-wise. There’s fish balls, squid balls, kwek-kwek, tokneneng, betamax, adidas, isaw, taho, sago’t gulaman, and of course balut! Wash everything down with some Filipino beer and top it off with something sweet like banana cue, kamote cue or dirty ice cream. Yum yum yum!

1. Go “malling”.

Coz, you know, apparently, Manila is the malling capital of the world… or so it seems. Every time someone visits, they always request to go to a mall, for some reason. Our latest pick? Uptown Mall. Since it’s fairly new, you’ll enjoy exploring it, too. Win-win!

Got any other cool touristy things to add to the list? 🙂