5 Things You Must Know Before You Visit Manila

Manila, capital and chief city of Philipine. The city is the center of  the country's economic, political, social and cultural activity. It is located on the island of Luzon and spreads along the eastern shire of Manila Bay at the mouth of the Pasig River.

What to Know Before You Visit Manila

1. You won't need a lot of pocket money

Cheapest Flight.

Unlike other tourist destinations in the world, traveling to Manila won’t break of your account bank. 

Plane ticket you can take a part in the 1 Peso from Cebu Airlines Program.  If you're lucky, you may encounter specials price.

Plan your trip well in advance and make Sure you take plane ticket promotion. the cheapest ticket price I got was 50 usd for a return flight from Jakarta-Manila with direct flights

Cheapest Hotel

Get the best deal on Online Travel Agent. For most travel planning, the best overall strategy is to compare prices from multiple sources including the hotel’s own website, as it will sometimes offer deals not shared with third-party sites.

First accommodation I have stayed was a three-starred hotel. I have been staying in this hotel for almost all my trips in Manila. I’ve been a loyal guest to them coming back every 2 to 3 times a years. 

The name is Kabayan Hotel. The Hotel has offered an affordable price per capsule room. Great thing about Kabayan Hotel is, it offered free wi-fi connection.

When you get in the room you will be provided with a pillow, a blanket and a towel. However, you need to have your own set of toiletries, which is fine with me.  They were absolutely clean and fresh! 

Room situation

Capsule Room

The star of Kabayan Hotel is of course the staff have made acquaintances from the receptionist to the security staff to the housekeeping staff. They always wear a smile and that is what I like about Kabayan Hotel. You felt that you are welcomed and they are pleased to see you

Rate : PHP 600 (With Breakfast)

2. Prepare for adventurous modes of transportation

Jeepney

The iconic Filipino Jeepney is one of the country's main modes of public transport and the cheapest transport. First-timers however are bound to find themselves puzzled at one point or another, attempting to get from origin to destination via these anachronistic vehicles.

Light Rail Transit/Metro Rail Transit

For backpackers it was a 'special' ride with the MRT/LRT.
Everyone gets frisked before entering the MRT/LRT due to security reasons. The fare range could be from PHP 10 to around PHP 15/20. It depends on your destination and how many stations you pass. Logically, the more stations you pass the more you will pay.

Bus

Although I always travel to Manila, I have never used a bus to get around the city. I prefer LRT and Jeepney. This is the information I was looking for on the internet some time ago before I went to January 2020.

The city buses plying the major routes are divided into three types: A, B, C. The first two have alternate stops, while the last stops at every loading/unloading area.

Taxi

If you are the type of backpacker or commuter who has a limited budget. I do not recommend a taxi to get around Manila. except when you’re on a rush or it rains all of a sudden and you forgot to bring your umbrella, then chances are, you’ll need to take a taxi.
Taxi fare is a lot higher than the Jeepney, MRT, or bus fare.  Ordinary taxi charge a flag down rate of PHP 40 and PHP 3.50 per 300 meters. Airport taxi charge much more, at PHP 70 flag down and PHP 4 per 300 meters.

Image : www.bloomberg.com