The capital of Philippines, Manila is a bay side city on the island of Luzon presenting a heady combination of the East and the West. It is where a majority of tourists visit all throughout the year to explore a fine mix of Spanish colonial architecture and ultra-modern high-rises.

If you plan a holiday to Philippines anytime soon, do not forget to visit Manila where you’ve a lot to discover. Here’s the list of top things to do in the city:

Discover the marine world at Manila Ocean Park

Tourists of diverse taste and preferences are welcomed at Manila Ocean Park all year round. It is the first world-class marine theme park in the Philippines ensuring a fun time around its aqua-themed hotel and marine life attractions. Sharks and Rays Encounter, and Birds of Prey Kingdom are a few prominent attractions of the park whereas mermaid swim experience, trails to Antarctica and Symphony Evening Show are another major draws. This place also delights food lovers with wonderful delicacies served at the restaurants such as Afford-a-bowl, Magic Stick, Foss Coffee, and Shawarma Station.

Visit the iconic and religious “Manila Cathedral – Basilica”

History lovers, architecture enthusiasts as well as spiritual seekers – all can spend an ideal day at the iconic “Manila Cathedral – Basilica”. It is the first Cathedral of the Philippines, and is the mother of all Churches, Cathedrals and Basilicas of Philippines. The statues of famous saints chiselled in Roman travertine stone placed at the front of this monument are a treat for sore eyes. Visitors would love to discover here six chapels alongside the right lateral nave, two on the left lateral nave and two sculpted angels along with a marble altar on the central nave.

Go on Manila Bay Dinner Cruise

An ideal way to enjoy the sights and tastes of Manila is to take a dinner cruise that takes you along the shoreline of Manila Bay. The cruise draws a large number of nature lovers from all over the world to Manila for a perfect excursion. Along with the spectacular scenery of Manila Bay, you will also get a chance to admire the surroundings against the backdrop of a colourful sunset. The amicable crew members give a warm welcome to the visitors in the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Moreover, a delicious Filipino dinner accompanied by live music is certain to amaze the foodie in you.

Learn about the History of Philippines at the National Museum

The National Museum is a must-see for history as well as art enthusiasts. It is an educational, cultural and scientific body collecting safeguards, displays and documents, and promoting scholarly study and public appreciation of works and various artefacts. You can discover here the cultural heritage of the Filipino people and the natural history of the country. The museum has multiple divisions such as Zoology, Anthropology, Botany, Geology, and Archaeology. Visitors need to keep in mind that firearms, food, bottled water, ball pens and smoking are strictly prohibited here.

Enjoy shopping at SM Megamall

With an array of shopping malls and markets, Manila is a perfect shopping place in the Philippines. The city is home to SM Megamall, the fourth largest mall in the world that has a maximum capacity of four million people and draws the attention of shoppers from all around. Situated in Ortigas Center Business District of Metro Manila, it has 800 stores selling everything from clothes, bags and shoes to watches, jewellery and accessories. You can enjoy free Wi-Fi access and valet parking within the mall. Besides, there are a number of dining options that will leave foodies spoilt for choice.

The Philippines has a rich cultural heritage that appeals to travellers of all ages from all different parts of the world. If you are planning a holiday to the Philippines, make sure you explore the many cultural treasures of this country!

Baroque Churches of the Philippines

Baroque Churches of the Philippines are a collection of four Spanish Colonial-era baroque churches drawing the attention of the visitors with their unique architecture. The churches were included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1993 and played an important role in the colonial past and identity of the country. Paoay Church in Ilocos Norte, Santa Maria Church in Ilocos Sur, San Agustin Church in Manila and Miagao Church in Iloilo are the four Baroque churches visited by a large number of architecture and history lovers.

Historic City of Vigan

Vigan is best known for its preserved Spanish colonial and Asian architecture. Situated on the west coast of Luzon Island, it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999 and is one of the only five heritage sites in the country. Make a visit to the city and go back to the old Spanish colonial days as you explore the cobblestone streets and the ancient houses.

Chocolate Hills in Bohol Island

Chocolate Hills are a geological formation covered in green grass and are named so for its colour during the dry season. They turn brown during the dry season and seem to resemble the famous Hershey’s Kisses chocolates! Scattered across a 50 square kilometre area, these thousands of cone-shaped hills were declared the National Geological Monument of the country by the National Committee on Geological Sciences in 1988.

Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras

Sometimes referred to as the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’, Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras developed 2000 years ago on the island of Luzon. Situated at the foot of the Cordillera mountain ranges, these terraces were named UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995 for their cultural importance. The terraces with an altitude of up to 1500 metres and steep slopes of maximum 70 degrees are sure to impress the visitors.

Intramuros in Manila

Situated within the city of Manila, Intramuros is a 0.67 square kilometres historic walled area. Founded in 1571, this ancient walled city takes you back in time to the Spanish colonial period. The city is popular for its cultural performances and historical walking tours, and grabs the attention with its cobblestone streets and conserved ruins and architecture. For a unique experience in the city, you can enjoy a ride on kalesa – horse-drawn calash.

Manila is one of the most beautiful cities in the Philippines. A former colony of the Portuguese, the capital city today is known for featuring historical monuments and cultural sites dating back to the pre-colonial period.

Preserving and honouring the history of the region are prominent museums in and around the city. For those of you willing to know more, here is a guide to the popular museums in and around Manila.

Ayala Museum

Located in the Makati city, Ayala Museum is one of the most visited museums in Metro Manila. Established in 1967, the popular site features rare artefacts and historical items dating back to the pre-colonial era. Popular objects on display at the museum include ancient boats, finely crafted ships and other maritime vessels. Paintings by prominent artists like Juan Luna and Fernando Amorsolo are among the museum’s famous art collection. Exhibitions and workshops are conducted on a regular basis for tourists to learn about the history and culture of the city.

Lopez Museum

Located in the Pasig district, Lopez Museum is a famous art and history museum in Manila. Founded in 1960, it displays a wide collection of manuscripts, books, literary works of prominent writers and scholars, academic treatise, archival photographs, cartoons, microfilms and Filipiniana titles. Paintings and sculptures made by prominent Spanish artists and painters are among the popular attractions at the museum. Exhibitions, workshops, educational and publications programmes are organised regularly for tourists.

UST Museum of Arts and Science

Situated in the Sampaloc area, UST Museum of Arts and Science is a famous museum in Manila. Established in 1871, it features a collection of documents and inscriptions related to botany, medicine and pharmacy. Visual arts images, coins, medals, ethnographic evidences, documents, and manuscripts are among the popular collectables at the museum. The museum also has a library and a laboratory.

Ateneo Art Gallery

Situated in Quezon City, Ateneo Art Gallery is a famous modern art gallery of the Philippines. Formally established in 1960, the art gallery is known country-wide for housing over 500 artworks including sculptures, paintings, drawings, photographs and posters. Works of notable artists from across the world including Fernando Amorsolo and Fabian de la Rosa are also exhibited at the gallery. Some of the paintings of prominent present day artists can also be spotted here. The regularly-held workshop at the gallery is an ideal workshop for budding artists and painters to show their creative side to the world.

Music fans who are spending on flights and hotels for holidays to Philippines capital city of Manila during the month of June must brace themselves up as they are up for a good time. The colourful Filipino capital city is all set to play host to the popular American singer-songwriter, Tailor Swift.

Tailor Swift is expected to perform live in the city during her new album’s worldwide concert – The RED Tour. The 7-time Grammy winner’s tour will be held on June 6, 2014 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila.

The 24-year old music honcho will make audiences groove to her country-pop music hit singles including Love Story, You Belong with Me, Fearless, We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together, I Knew You Were Trouble and many more. In addition, she will also play the electric guitar, a banjo, the piano and an acoustic guitar to entertain both local and foreign musos spending on flights and accommodation in the city in the month of June.

Furthermore, this much talked about musical extravaganzas promises multiple costume changes over the course of the evening and will feature several songs from her new album RED as well as new takes on other fan favourites.

Tailor Swift, 24-year-old country singer from Pennsylvania who shot to fame with first self-titled album in 2006, recently announced about her tour to some of the most popular Southeast Asian cities via her website.

Besides Manila, the country music princess is expected to perform live in Indonesian capital, Jakarta on June 4th 2014; Thailand’s capital city, Bangkok on June 9th 2014; Malaysian capital city, Kuala Lumpur on June 11th 2014; and the Lion City, Singapore on June 12th 2014.

Foreign musos investing on Manila flights and hotels for holidays during the dry month of June may explore panoply of attractions, indulge in a motley assortment of fun activities and treat their taste buds to some of the most authentic Malay flavours, in addition to singing along the tunes of Taylor Swift.

This promising event is sure to become a landmark musical extravaganza in the travel itinerary of those on Manila flights during the month of June 2014.

Philippines’s capital city, Manila is a popular Far Eastern destination and thousands are often found scrambling for Manila flights, almost all year-round. Also called Manila International Airport, Ninoy Aquino International Airport (IATA: MNL) is one of the busiest airports in the country and makes for the major gateway to Philippines. With its sheer grandiosity and a slew of passenger friendly facilities and services, the airport often pleasingly stuns even the most seasoned of flyers on Manila flights. Here is an insider guide to the airport for those booking flights to the Filipino city of Manila.

Location & Connectivity

Located along the border between the cities of Pasay and Parañaque and around 7kms south of Manila city centre, Ninoy Aquino International Airport is fairly well connected to the rest of the city by a host of public transportation including private shuttles, public buses, taxis and car rentals. The airport is also connected to the Light Rail Transit by 2kms taxi ride to Baclaran station.

Lounges

The state-of-the-art Ninoy Aquino International Airport features several lush lounges including Delta Sky Club Lounge, Pagstop Lounge and VIP Lounges to ensure premium passengers on Manila flights are pampered with superb hospitality, fantastic facilities and services during their stay at the airport. Premium passengers on flights to the airport are privy to superb facilities such as magazines, newspapers, WIFI & free Internet access, fax, TV and much more.

Dining & Shopping

The airport features a staggering choice when it comes to dining and shopping. There are several restaurants, bars and cafes peppered across the terminal building to make sure that epicureans on Manila flights are a happy lot. With several duty-free shops, a four-level shopping mall and scores of retail outlets, this cutting-edge airport in the capital city of Manila remains a port of call for most visitors booking flights bound for Philippines.

Other Passenger Facilities

Ninoy Aquino International Airport also features a range of other passenger-friendly services and facilities. There are several ATMs / Cash Machines, Car Rental Booths, Chapels & Prayer Rooms, Currency Exchange Booths, Tourist Information Desks, Luggage Storage / Lockers and Internet & WiFi connectivity for passengers on Manila flights.