Manila

Local Filipinos know how to enjoy the best their country has to offer: Their lifestyles are tightly wound around the sea. Holidays in Manila, The Philippines tend to attract burned out white collar workers in search of mental and physical stasis. Exhausted westerners often approach their Manila hotel as an opportunity to let go of worries by relegating themselves to a pristine stretch of coast. Since the capital rests west of Luzon Island, visitors reach their lazy hideouts by ferry or road. Lido, Bacoor and Naic beaches are a short distance away from the city, providing the lush silence that city dwellers need to refuel. At Lido's spas, relaxation is turned into an art form. Whilst it's typical for tourists to perceive the Philippines as a beach side paradise, Manila itself displays a richer character with beautifully carved rice fields, a thriving metropolis and villages steeped in tradition. To experience the character unique to Manila, travelers need to concentrate on the terrain further inland.

Makati is the commercial core of a holiday in Manila, the Philippines, and is appropriately lively and unique. As an economic centre, it is home to some of the premier hotels in Manila, The Philippines. Whilst luxurious amenities are a treat, travelling is more enjoyable when you find the features that make up the heart of a destination. In Manila, it can be found in its citizens. Carlos Celdran is a personality who is renowned for his laugh-a-minute San Lois Show, which tells the tale of the Philippines from the beginning of history to the present day. The art scene of a Manila, The Philippines holiday extends well beyond performance: the capital reveals its aesthetic side through the contemporary work exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum. The raw energy and joviality is flawlessly expressed through the bright, almost tribal flavour of local painters. Filipino creativity can also be sampled through local folk dancing and exotic cuisine, both of which can be found at a barrio fiesta organised through your Manila, The Philippines hotel.

Manila has all the variety and tradition foodies need to fulfil their cuisine related bucket lists. Typical delicacies are given a fresh twist at fusion restaurants serving wildly imagined dishes such as cashew-humba crusted beef and popped garlic lamb. Adama food culture refers to dishes that are accomplished specifically to enhance the mood. The cuisine is founded on the legend of a mythological healing bird from Filipino folklore. After a delicious meal, it's time to take on Manila's brand of night life. Malate offers the most authentic experience of the Philippines through affordable, gritty clubs and bars that often bring in live bands. Citizens who don't want to let go of their home brew can find beer from across Europe at The Hobbit House. A walk through the streets will introduce vacationers to happening spots with an infinite range of entertainment from ballroom dancing to acoustic jam sessions and theatre.

Manila's annual climate is dominated by tropical heat waves and aridly cold winters. The fresh sea breezes bring a welcome chill to the humid summer air between December and May.

During winter, temperatures fall to a mild 25 degrees Celsius. Summer is the rainy season, which extends from June to October. May heat waves push the mercury up to 28 degrees Celsius, but the typhoons between May and November bring a welcome weather change for sweltering visitors on holiday in Manila, The Philippines.

Typhoon Season

During the wettest months, indoor destinations offer shelter from typhoons. Manila's potent colonial influences have left several historical churches behind offering a strong sense of the capital's past and present. San Agustin chapel is more than a devotional building: Its dramatic architecture and ostentatious golden interiors make it one of the most exquisite structures in the city. Over 90% of locals are devout Catholics, but Buddhist and Taoist temples are strewn throughout the city as well. Nestled in Chinatown is the Chinese Buddhist Temple which was founded in the late Seventies. Its architecture is inspired by Taoism as well as Buddhism. It is open to observers on important commemorative events, which allows travellers to gain a fresh perspective on Manila's philosophical diversity. Some say that Manila's culture is stronger than its religions, and it is the Bahay Tsinoy that documents its Asian heritage best. The Metropolitan Museum's exhibits are more poignantly centred on the culture of the wider Philippines area.

Fur and Feathers

Many westerners would not consider Manila to be an eco-tourism destination, but it is home to some of the world's rarest and most absurd species. The tarsier is one of nature's oddest creatures, and it can be found in several Bohol sanctuaries near to central Manila, The Philippines hotels. These cartoon-like primates are only one of Manila's many threatened species. Manila Bird sanctuary is one of the last surviving habitats for Manila's many feathered species and Mangroves. An urban sprawl is threatening the natural ecosystem and its 5000 bird species. Nonetheless, there remains a strong colony of waterbirds including Chinese egrets. La Mesa Reserve has a web of hiking trails that take visitors through a lush reserve surrounding a dam. Mountain bikers love the paths that wind through the reserve's lush thickets. Hikers can enjoy a slightly more eerie adventure by travelling the trails that pass Sagada's hanging coffins. Burial caves and waterfalls are dotted through the mountains, creating a ghostly atmosphere for ecotourists.

Wintery Wonderings

When staying at a luxury hotel Manila, The Philippines winters can be spent on active pursuits. Rock climbs at Mt Banahaw and Pinatubo can be arranged in groups, or undertaken with a few travelling partners. Those who prefer their sports in urban zones can join roller bladers as they race through the metropolitan markets. Pagsangjan has rapids and waterfalls choppy enough for novice canoeists and swimmers.  After the adrenalin settles, rejuvenation can be discovered at one of the metro's 24 hour spas.

Meeting the Locals

The smiling Filipinos make excellent hosts, and interactions with locals make holidays more rewarding. During autumn, when the monsoons begin to clear, it's well worthwhile to follow the residents to their local haunts. Rizal Park has some of the most vibrant people watching opportunities in the capital. Stick fighters gather to practice their skills before sun set, as do tai chi enthusiasts. An Open Air Auditorium acts as a stage for evening concerts on Sundays, and manicured gardens lead the way across paved pathways passing monuments of local heroes.