Welcome to Manila, Philippines!
Manila, Philippines is a busy, teeming metropolis with all the energy, bustle and confusion that a visitor would expect of a large urban sprawl with a population of 12 million. Although Manila's layout may feel chaotic to a neophyte visitor, most tourist hubs are centralized and the locals are friendly. Manila sprawls east from Manila Bay along the Pasig River. South of the river is Intramuros, an old walled Spanish town that houses Manila's historical sites. Intramuros boasts towers with colonial architecture (those that survived the WWII bombings). Further south, visitors can walk through the "tourist belt" of the Malate and Ermita districts, which are populated with restaurants, hotels and travel tour companies. The scent of incense tinged with pollution is a common Manila sensory mainstay. Visitors will be surprised by the multi-sensory tour that is Manila as they trek through the historical and modern avenues of this complicated city.