Explore on foot and eat your way through Chinatown on your own two feet!
Binondo is primarily populated by ethnic Chinese living in the Philippines, and is referred to as the local Chinatown, and the oldest in the world outside mainland China. Binondo's Chinatown is also listed as one of the top National Geographic's food journey of a lifetime.
Your first stop for culinary taste of Binondo starts at Cafe Mezzanine also known as the Volunteer Fireman's Coffeeshop wherein parts of their proceeds are donated to the volunteer fire fighters of Binondo. Here you will get to taste the Chinese alltime favourites like machang and kiampong - a salted fried rice mixed with pieces of pork, chicken, dried shrimp and mushroom served in a small bowl topped with peanuts.
Afterwards head to Dong Bei Dumplings, a small restaurant located in Yuchengco Street that serves the best fresh dumpling in Binondo and get to witness how they are prepared. Next stop is a small stall selling fried 'Siopao' or hot bun, a popular food in the Philippines that have different varieties depending on the stuffing and may be consumed on the go. Along the way you will pass different local food stores, Chinese pharmacies, fruit stalls...
The walking tour ends at New Po Heng Lumpia House where they serve fresh Chinese lumpia, a mixture of carrots, cabbage, tofu, shrimp and grounded pork, topped with crushed peanuts, garlic, seaweed, hot sauce and rolled in leaves of lettuce wrapped in paper-thin rice crepes. Return to the hotel at the end of the tour.
""Shoot the Rapids"" on dugout canoes and experience nature's wonder. Drive two and a half hours south of Metro Manila through the countryside to beautiful Pagsanjan, Laguna. Be prepared to board a native banca (canoe) skillfully driven by two boatmen and maneuvered upstream through rocks and boulders amidst steep gorges and lush tropical vegetation. Your destination - Majestic Pagsanjan Falls.
Take a swim or board a bamboo raft through the falls into a cave behind the veil of water. This is an exhilarating, spine-tingling, adrenaline-pumping, two hour boat ride from the Bumbungan.
Meeting/pick-up point: Hotels located within Manila Bay, and Makati City Hotels.
Pick-up: 9am-09:15am (Makati Hotels), 08:45am-09:00am (Manila Bay Hotels).
Drive through the South Expressway and typical native countryside to the town of Alaminos, and visit Hidden Valley, a virtual Paradise of Eden rediscovered. Its pristine vegetation and flora is dotted by pools of varying temperature, the source of which are the hot springs that emanate from the earth. Hidden Valley is said to be situated on a crater of an extinct volcano located some 100 meters below sea level. Spend the day soaking in one of the resort's natural spring pools or hike along its stoned pathways to reconnect with nature and be in awe of its natural beauty.
Meeting/pick-up point: Hotels located within Manila Bay, and Makati City Hotels. Duration: 8 hours. Pick-up 9am-09:15am (Makati Hotels).08:45am-09:00am (Manila Bay Hotels). Start/opening time: 9:30am. End/closing time: 5:30pm. Languages: English.
A convenient and refreshing escape from the hustle and bustle of city life, take this chance to recharge your batteries and enjoy a variety of fun filled activities in a rural setting of the Escudero Coconut Plantation. About a two hour drive south of Metro Manila, this quaint and historic villa is set amidst a pastoral grove inside a coconut plantation, a picturesque showcase of old plantation life. Guests will tour the plantation on board a carabao drawn cart while serenaded by a native band.
This resort villa also has its own museum which houses the family's vast and interesting collection of historic, religious and cultural artifacts, some dating back to pre-Hispanic times. The highlight of your day may be sitting down to a sumptuous lunch served beneath a man-made dam with your feet immersed in cool rushing waters from a nearby lagoon. A swim in Villa Escudero's spring-fed pools will complete your memorable visit.
Meeting/pick-up point: Hotels located within Manila Bay, and Makati City Hotels. Duration: 8 hours. Start/opening time: 9:30am. Pick-up time : 9am-9:15am (Makati Hotels), 08:45am-09am. (Manila Bay Hotels). End/closing time: 5pm. Languages: English.
Take an exhilarating trip to the idyllic town of Angono in the eastern part of Metro Manila. Nestles between the hills of Antipolo and famous Laguna de Bay, the town's claim to fame in the many famous visual artists who have called it home, including the legendary national artists Carlos ""Botong"" Francisco. On this tour you will have the rare opportunity to visit the Angono Caves where ancient petroglyphs dating back to circa 3000 B.C were discovered. A cultural heritage site, this pre-historic FIlipino work of art offers an evocative glimpse into the lives of the ancient Filipinos. A local tour guide will escort you along, explaining the meaning of the writing and their significance.
Our next stop is the Nemiranda Arthouse, an art gallery operated by renowned painter Nemi Miranda who has won various awards and distinctions locally and abroad for his words. Lunch will be served at the Nemiranda Arthouse Cafe.
Also, included in your day's program are visits to the Tiamzon Gallery, the Blanco Family Museum, and the residence of the late Carlos ""Botong"" Francisco.
Pick-up, 9am-9:15am (Makati Hotels), 8:45am, 9am (Manila Bay Hotels).
The tour starts with a drive up to the picturesque City of Tagaytay. Located on a ridge 2,250 feet above sea level, the city offers panoramic views of Taal Lake and Volcano, the ""lake within a volcano within a lake within a volcano"". This view is best savored from atop the Palace in the Sky, rest house of late President Ferdinand Marcos.
Enjoy a brief lunch stop at a local restaurant to enjoy some local cuisine and delicacies in an atmosphere designed for panoramic views.
Then we start our drive back down to Metro Manila. First stop is the American War Memorial & Cemetery, the largest and most beautiful of American memorials outside the Continental U.S. Have a glimpse of Makatis hustle and bustle as you drive through on your way to the capital city - Manila via scenic Roxas Boulevard (also known as Dewey Boulevard in the recent past) passing through Luneta Park (also called Rizal Park in memory of the countrys national hero) on your way to the ""Walled City"" of Intramuros.
Here you will see ancient walls, church ruins and other relics of the Spanish Conquistadors. Travel through old cobbled streets to San Agustin Church, the oldest stone church in the country. The tours wraps up at Fort Santiago, a Spanish fortress that once watched over the entrance to Pasig River. It was here that our national hero Dr. Jose Rizal spent his last days and where he wrote his famous ""My Last Farewell.""
Meeting/pick-up point: Hotels located within Manila Bay, and Makati City Hotels.
Hospitality of Filipino are known for an in atmosphere of a typical ""Barrio Fiesta"" with a wide range of exotic local dishes and delicacies for you to enjoy. The evening is highlighted by a special presentation of folk dances by graceful maidens and dashing lads in authentic native costumes.
The presentation showcases the soul of the Filipino - from the symbolic ceremonial dances of the northern mountain tribes to the romantic Spanish-influenced reels, and the expressive tribal dances of the Muslim south.
At the end of the show, the audience is given a chance to prove that they too can perform.
Meeting/pick-up point: Hotels located within Manila Bay and Makati City. Pick-up time: From Makati Hotels at 6:30pm-6:45pm, from Manila Bay Area at 7pm. Others: Dinner included.
The tour starts right in the heart of the country's financial center - the City of Makati. Drive through Nielson's Tower along Ayala Boulevard and Forbes Park, an exclusive residential enclave fittingly dubbes Millionaire's Row on your way to our first Stop: The American Cemetery and Memorial, reputed to be the largest and most beautiful of American memorial outside the Continental United States. Then proceed to the old city of Manila via Scenic Roxas Boulevard (also known as the Dewey Boulevard in the recent past), passing through Luneta Park (also called Rizal Park in memory if the country's national hero).
After then proceed to your second stop: The ""Walled City""of Intramuros, here you will see ancient walls, church ruins and other relics of the Spanish Conquistadores. Travel through the cobbles streets to San Agustin Church, the oldest stone church in the country.
Your last stop would be at the Fort Santiago, a Spanish fortress that watched over the entrance to Pasig River. It was here that our national hero Dr. Jose Rizal spent his last days and where he wrote his famous ""My Last Farewell"".
Morning Pick-ups
Makati Hotels: Between 9and 9:15am.
Manila Bay Hotels: Between 8:45am and 9am.
Afternoon Pick-ups
Makati Hotels: Between 2pm and 2:15pm.
Manila Bay hotels: Between 1.45pm and 2pm.
A day trip to Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar is like travelling back in time. Set on a 400-hectare land in Bagac, Bataan, Las Casas is a heritage resort that showcases the Filipino cultural heritage and traditions through the restoration of old, historic houses. There are about 34 houses dating from 18th and 19th centuries that have been transported from their original sites in provinces and cities in Luzon, to this heritage resort.
The restoration work on each house was done by craftsmen who painstakingly reconstructed houses by keeping true to its original designs and woodwork. The heritage resort exudes an old village ambiance that comes complete with a plaza that features sculptures depicting rustic scenes of the olden days.
It also has, apart from accommodation facilities, a swimming pool, restaurants, souvenir shops, a watersports rental shop, and an entertainment and game room featuring local Filipino games. In essence, the tour offers a glimpse of how the older generations of Filipinos lived during the Spanish era through its architecture and lifestyle.
Pick-up time
Makati Hotels - Between 7:45am and 8am
Manila Bay Hotels - Between 7:45 and 8am
A festive night of feasting on local cuisine and traditional songs and dances. The show is a production of Filipino creativity and artistic expression of tradition and culture.
From the hotel, transfer to a typical Filipino restaurant for dinner and viewing of Filipino folk dances that are performed by young university students in their colorful native costumes.
At the end of the show, participate in some of the dances and the sing-along that follows.
