Philippines Travel Guide: What To See And Do Beyond Manila

Manila is not the most prepossessing of tourist destinations—on the face of it. The city is a hodgepodge of neon, glass, and steel towers that rise above older quarters and barrios, with stifling traffic that makes the snarls of Delhi or Bangkok look like a Sunday morning drive, and hordes of fun-loving Manileños thronging the crowded roads.

On a previous trip to Manila, I experienced the city’s vibrant contemporary art scene and live music, partied at its many karaoke dives and speakeasies, and indulged in the favourite Pinoy pastime—shopping. So, when I revisited the city recently, I felt duty-bound to delve deeper into its history.

American and Japanese bombs flattened most of Manila’s prewar neighbourhoods and Spanish colonial buildings during World War II. Only Intramuros, the city’s oldest district, largely withstood wars, fires, and natural disasters. The Spanish built this 64-hectare walled city in 1571. A stroll through its leafy, cobblestone boulevards is a lesson in Manila’s history.

My first stop inside the walled city was Fort Santiago. Once the seat of Spanish colonial power, the fort is now a memorial to Dr. José Rizal, the father of Philippine independence from Spain. He was imprisoned here before his execution in 1896. It was sobering to walk along the brass footprints embedded in the pavement, marking Rizal’s final steps to the firing squad.

The beautifully maintained gardens and plaza of the fort stand in stark contrast to its centuries of horror. “During the brief period that the Japanese occupied Manila, thousands died in the prisons here. There were only two options for getting out—either you died of disease and starvation, or you drowned to death,” my guide for the afternoon, Boyet Sayo, explained, pointing to the dungeons beneath the fort that Japanese jailers once flooded with waters from the Pasig River.

A short horse-drawn kalesa ride away are two Spanish churches that have survived the depredations of time. The Manila Cathedral is the eighth incarnation of the city’s first cathedral, originally built with bamboo and palm leaves in 1581. Destroyed over the centuries by typhoons, fires, bombings, and earthquakes, its present Romanesque façade was reconstructed in the 1950s. Just around the corner from the Cathedral stands the San Agustin Church.

The baroque building is the only one in Intramuros to have survived the Battle of Manila at the end of World War II. Inside, it houses a beautiful collection of centuries-old, hand-carved wooden saints. I love big cities, and Manila most certainly is one. It’s a frantic metropolis where native Filipino heritage blends with substantial influences from American, Chinese, and Spanish cultures. Like many capital cities, Manila bears little resemblance to the rest of the country. To broaden my understanding of the Philippines, I took a flight south of the city to explore three different Pinoy destinations, each offering its own distinct character.

“It smells like hell but tastes like heaven,” is how my guide Sherwin described durian, Southeast Asia’s favourite fruit. He quickly recommended I don plastic gloves before trying a piece of its thick, custardy, off-white flesh. Apparently, not even all the perfumes of Arabia could make my hand smell better if I touched durian without gloves.

Singapore might have a durian-shaped building, but few places in the world love the stinky fruit as much as Davao. Now that I’ve tasted the “King of Fruits,” I’m happy to have ticked it off my list and hope I never have to do so again. Much like another Pinoy favourite, balut—the 17-day-old duck embryo that is boiled, served with rock salt or spicy vinegar, and often eaten with beer.

But Pinoy cuisine is more than just potent smells and flavors. It might not be as famous as its Thai or Vietnamese neighbors, but the Philippines is home to one of Asia’s most inimitable cuisines. Another true melting pot, Filipino food takes elements of Chinese and Malaysian cuisines and blends in massive dollops of Spanish flavors.

An excellent place in Davao to get a taste of what the locals eat is Thrunks Place, a basic roadside stall. It also happens to be a favourite of the current president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte. “He comes here on weekends when he is in town,” said the owner, Ermelita Garcia Castanieto, while dishing out portions of the president’s favourite foods—pork rib soup with taro, pinakbet (mixed vegetables in fish or shrimp sauce), pancit (noodles), gizzard and pork adobo, and mongo with pata (mung beans with pork leg). “This tastes like home food,” Sherwin declared to a beaming Ermelita.

The Pinoy love their meats, and vegetarians will be hard-pressed to find dishes without meat or fish in some form. But if you eat pork, the Philippines is an excellent place to be. Adobo (tender pork belly braised in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and oil), lechon (whole pig stuffed with herbs and vegetables and roasted), sizzling pork sisig (tiny pieces of pig’s head and gizzards, boiled then grilled or barbecued), and chicharon (deep-fried pork skin) all go down well with bottles of chilled San Miguel, the country’s favourite beer. It is entirely possible that I ate a whole pig by myself during my seven days in the country.

Endless powdery-white beaches, the happiest happy hours, hotels to suit all budgets, and every imaginable water sport—Boracay is a party island. In just a few years, the island has made a giant leap from low-key tropical paradise to Southeast Asia’s newest hotspot. It’s now a fixture on numerous “Best Beaches in the World” lists.

The four-kilometre stretch of White Beach is the island’s most popular tourist haunt. White Beach is home to beachfront resorts, spas, and bars, and is the perfect spot to enjoy Boracay’s spectacular sunsets. During the day, the beach welcomes everyone from beach bums to adventurers. But a trip to Boracay would be wasted without partaking in any water activities. From jet skis to helmet diving, and the more laid-back sundowner cruise on a traditional paraw—if a watersport exists, chances are you’ll find it in Boracay.

For me, a perfect day in Boracay started with aquatic adventures and ended at a bar. During the first half of my day on the island, I soared over the high-definition azure on a parasail, ploughed through the surf on a speedboat, and watched shoals of multicoloured fish through the porthole of a yellow submarine. Back on land, I headed straight to the spa at The Lind for hilot, the traditional Pinoy massage. After a long and much-needed R&R session, I stepped back onto the beach just as the sun began its daily descent.

As the cabanas and white deck chairs are thrust into a rose-tinted world, the beach comes alive with candle-lit sand castles, cozy restaurants, and lively bars. What’s under the water around Boracay is matched by what its nightlife offers. Bars open until dawn, fire-eating shows, karaoke singalongs, and dancing chefs—Boracay has it all and then some.

The southern island of Mindanao is home to the largest number of indigenous ethnic groups in the Philippines. Commonly known as lumad (native), tribes such as the Sama, Subanen, Tenduray, and T’Boli are distributed all over the island. The university town of Cagayan de Oro (oro refers to the gold the Spanish discovered in the river here) is a great place to understand the people and culture of not just Mindanao but the entire country.

Museo de Oro, at Xavier University, is the first folklore museum in the country. The museum traces the cultural evolution of the region over centuries. Exhibits range from prehistoric fossils and folklores of various tribes to stories of colonisation by the Spanish and Americans, as well as bottles of Pepsi and even a BlackBerry phone from the post-colonial period. The third, comparatively newer and smaller section houses memorabilia donated by the museum’s founder, Fr. Francisco R. Demetrio SJ.

Look out for the rare copy of the menu from the dinner hosted by the Philippines’ first president, Emilio Aguinaldo, on September 29, 1898, to mark the ratification of the Declaration of Independence. After spending a few hours at the museum, I headed out of Cagayan de Oro to the Malasag Eco-Tourism Village. A living museum of sorts, Malasag also showcases the dances and crafts of various tribes that live there. I was welcomed by troupes of dancers from different tribes before being quickly ushered into their makeshift craft shop to buy beaded jewellery and a capuchin skull decorated with coloured glass. It did feel like a Disneyfied introduction to these ethnic tribes, but Malasag is worth a visit—if for nothing else, then the spectacular views of the city and Macajalar Bay.

Disclaimer: This story was originally published in March 2017 and has been republished for your reading. Please note that some information may be outdated.

The Information

Getting There

The Philippines is well connected to India via direct and one-stop flights from major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai to Manila and Cebu. Airlines such as Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, and other international carriers offer regular services. Total flight duration ranges from 6 to 9 hours depending on connections.

Getting Around

Within the Philippines, domestic flights are the fastest way to travel between islands. For local travel, taxis and app-based ride services like Grab are widely available in cities. Jeepneys are a unique and economical mode of transport for short distances, while ferries connect the many islands. Renting scooters or motorcycles is popular in smaller tourist areas.

Visas

The Philippines is visa-free for Indian tourists, allowing entry without a prior visa for short stays. Indian visitors must have a valid passport with sufficient validity and a confirmed return or onward ticket. While visas are not required, travellers should check for any current health or entry protocols before travel. This visa-free status makes visiting the Philippines easier and encourages more tourism from India.

Currency

The official currency is the Philippine Peso (PHP). Currency exchange services are readily available at airports, banks, and authorised money changers. Credit and debit cards are widely accepted in major cities and tourist areas, but carrying some cash is advisable for smaller shops and rural areas.

FAQs

Q1. What are the best places to visit in the Philippines beyond Manila?
Boracay for beaches, Davao for food, and Mindanao for tribal culture are top choices beyond Manila.

Q2. What is the history of Intramuros in Manila?
Intramuros is a 16th-century Spanish walled city, home to Fort Santiago, San Agustin Church, and other colonial heritage sites.

Q3. What food is the Philippines famous for?
Signature dishes include pork adobo, lechon, sisig, and balut, with influences from Chinese, Malaysian, and Spanish cuisines.

Q4. How can Indians travel to the Philippines?
Direct and one-stop flights connect Indian metros to Manila and Cebu. Indian citizens require a tourist visa, which can be applied online or at embassies.

Q5. What are the top beaches in the Philippines?
Boracay’s White Beach is the most famous, known for powdery sands, vibrant nightlife, and water sports.