Metro Manila

5 Reasons Why I Love Birdwatching with the Celestron Trailseeker 8×42 Roof Binoculars

Posted on December 3, 2024

With 743 species recorded in the country thus far and a third of them found no where else in the world, the Philippines is without a doubt a birdwatcher’s paradise. Since I moved back to Manila last year, birding or birdwatching has become my way of getting my necessary dose of nature during my free time while living in the urban sprawl of the Philippine capital. A pair of quality binoculars – or “bins” for short – are essential toRead More→

Hop Inn Hotel Makati Avenue: Cheap Hotel in Poblacion, Makati City

Posted on June 26, 2023

If you’re looking for a cheap and comfortable hotel room in the Poblacion neighborhood, then Hop Inn Hotel Makati Avenue Manila is just the perfect accommodation for you! Poblacion – the historic center of Makati City – has become one of the trendiest neighborhoods in Metro Manila. Over the last decade, the side streets around P. Burgos Street and Kalayaan Avenue (which used to only attract foreign clientele with their girlie bars) have become hip and happening spots dotted withRead More→

El Camarín de la Virgen: Hidden Cultural Treasure of Santa Ana, Manila

Posted on June 2, 2023

Most of the well-known heritage gems of Manila are concentrated in the historic walled district of Intramuros, but the neighborhood of Santa Ana in the southeast portion of the city, near the Makati City border, hides a exceptional heritage structure also worth visiting. Constructed from 1720 to 1725, the Santa Ana Church – officially the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Abandoned – stands out among other Spanish-era churches in the country – for having the Camarín de laRead More→

Fort San Antonio Abad: The Hidden Spanish Fort of Manila

Posted on April 20, 2023

Fort Santiago, the Spanish-era fortress of Intramuros, is one of the top destinations in the city of Manila. No tour of the Philippine capital is complete without exploring this famous landmark and heritage site. But did you know that Fort Santiago isn’t the only colonial-period fortress in the city? Another one stands in the district of Malate, outside the walls of Intramuros, albeit hidden away within the central bank complex. Fort San Antonio Abad, also known as Fort Malate orRead More→

Savoy Hotel Manila: A Snazzy Stay Across NAIA Terminal 3

Posted on November 10, 2018

Metro Manila’s notorious traffic jams sap the fun out of any visit to the frenetic capital, where navigating around vehicle-choked streets to your hotel can take far longer than your flight. Do not fret, there’s a snazzy new place to stay that will take you from touch down to plopping onto your private well-appointed suite in a flash! Fly in and out of NAIA with style and ease when you stay at Savoy Hotel Manila, a brand-new accommodation with modern,Read More→

The Mini Suites at Eton Tower Makati: Cozy and Convenient Stay at Legazpi Village

Posted on August 5, 2018

After having reviewed The Mini Hotel, an affordable boutique hotel by Eton Properties on Hong Kong Island, I was thrilled to hear that the Mini hotel brand was opening in Makati City, Philippines! Housed in the 40-storey Eton Tower Makati, The Mini Suites is the only hotel conveniently linked to the Dela Rosa Pedestrian Overpass, providing easy, direct access – rain or shine – to neighboring office towers like The Enterprise Center and the Greenbelt shopping malls. Greenbelt 5, for example,Read More→