Planning trip to Anilao in December, what to do for a day in Manila?

[DonnaC]

I'm flying into Manila and arriving at 9:30am, Dec 6th. I have a hotel room in Makati for that night and the shuttle to Anilao is late morning the following day. Does anyone have suggestions on what to do for that day? I am hoping to get enough sleep on the plane...

Thanks!!!

 

[Searcaigh]

Busy time to arrive Donna, it may take about an hour to get to Makati, and if it is raining much longer.

I usually arrive around 16:30 usually arrive in Makati around 18:00. The hotel I usually stay in is next to Glorietta mall, they have a Hard Rock Cafe there and usually with good live bands. I also pick up additional bits and pieces in various supermarkets / pharmacies such as mouthwash, batteries etc.

There is an old Spanish area which I visited once, I only recall it was not easy to find a taxi back from there.

I am usually on the resort transport by 09:00 the following morning.

 

[JonnieB]

If you've never been before you'll be in for a shock. Manila is basically one big "hole." Outside of the makati, malate/ermita, forbes park, and Quezon City areas, it's basically one HUGE slum. Nobody goes to the Philippines to see Manila, but to use it as a transit hub to other areas of the country. As previously mentioned, traffic is horrendous, even at the best of times and getting from different areas of town can take hours. You don't mention what area of town you're staying in. It my advice would be to just Trip Advisor the nearest mega-mall, spa, and a few restaurants. Go shopping for your essentials and some foodie treats, because not much is available in Anilao, and have a couple good meals and a massage. Believe me, there is not much to see or do in Manila.


PS: the Spanish fort mentioned, Intramuros, mildly interesting, but it's a 20 minute see and you're done.

 

[rob1967]

Donna, much better to head direct to Anilao! The airport is closer to Anilao than Makati. You will save a lot of time, and scuba diving is an excellent cure for jet lag. (I have never felt tired underwater!).

Save your night or 2 in Manila for the return. You can off-gas, let your gear dry out completely, do a bit of shopping and just generally rest up for the return flight.

 

[rob1967]

Oops, I should clarify that the airport is closer to Anilao than Makati is.

Of course the airport is only about a 20-30 min cab ride south of Makati. So once you are at the airport, you are a bit closer to Anilao which is about a 2.5 hour drive, depending on traffic and if you take the express tollway.

 

[DonnaC]

Thanks, Guys! Much appreciated! We are going on a Photo/Dive trip that includes transfers to Anilao - and the transfer picks up at (3) different Makati hotels (I asked if I could head straight there but would have had to pay lots more $$). Great advice on trip planning for next time!
The shopping trip for snacks, etc is a great tip. It brings up a question - I am doing Underwater Photography and like to use regular batteries for my strobes. How are battery prices? Should I save the weight that they would take up until I get to Manila?

 

[diver 85]

Our group(of 22 I think---from Louisiana) got into Manila @ about 5:30 AM Manila time----had about 8 hrs till our next flight to Dumaguete @ about 1 PM that day..Had prearranged a ~ 4 hr. guided tour of Manila (about 7 to 11 AM +/-)....Seems like it was about 30 bucks a person......Everyone enjoyed it & the highlight ---for me anyway---was the stop @ the US WWII Military Cemetery...here are my pics of that tour(Click link)..............................https://www.flickr.com/photos/80825593@N08/sets/72157631944699182/......................

[/URL]US WWII military cemetery...37,000 soldiers buried here by GEAUXtiger, on Flickr[/IMG]

 

[jbb]

Well I would recommend the Corregidor Tour. The is a boat ride out to the island then a open car takes you around various points on the island.

 

[DonnaC]

Wow, diver 85! You covered alot of ground in about 5 hours! This is great info. Great photos too!:glad:

Do you remember how you found the tour?

---------- Post added September 30th, 2014 at 07:43 PM ----------

Well I would recommend the Corregidor Tour. The is a boat ride out to the island then a open car takes you around various points on the island.

How long would that take?

 

[Searcaigh]

The shopping trip for snacks, etc is a great tip. It brings up a question - I am doing Underwater Photography and like to use regular batteries for my strobes. How are battery prices? Should I save the weight that they would take up until I get to Manila?

I usually buy some chocolate and keep it in the room fridge (if there is one). AA batteries are fairly cheap compared to Europe, but buy known brands such as Energiser or Duracell. Several years ago I bought 100 batteries for a few Sing$, tried them in my Garmin GPS and they only lasted 15 mins.