Manila holidays

The capital city of the Philippines, Manila is actually a combination of 16 smaller cities that make up an area more accurately called Metro Manila, and home to almost 12 million people. Of the 16 smaller cities, Makati and Manila are the most commonly visited. Makati is the city’s financial centre, home to the stock exchange, banks, upmarket shopping malls, luxury hotels and restaurants, while the city of Manila encompasses the tourist sites of Intramuros (a Spanish colonial walled city), the National Museum, the landmark Rizal Park and the historic Manila Hotel. The city started to grow from Manila, based around its seaport, which has been a trade centre since the 9th century, and it is famous for sunset views over Manila Bay. After periods of Islamic rule in the 15th century, British, Spanish and American colonial rule and Japanese occupation, true independence came in 1946 after Quezon city in Manila became the seat of government. The city today is vibrant and continues to grow, with the Parañaque and Taguig areas being developed for tourism and shopping.

Explore Manila

Click on your destination of interest