Overview Located at the mouth of the Pasig River, on the shores of Manila Bay, Manila is the metropolitan capital city of the Philippines.
Manila was a colony of Spain from 1565 all the way until 1898. From that point in time the United States occupied and controlled the Philippines (as a territory), until 1946. Because of its history, the Philippines still has may influences from, and ties to, the West.
The city of Manila is a busy and bustling city, but the locals are actually quite laid back. There are some problems in the area with poverty and because of that you may notice some beggars around the city. Despite those problems, shopping is actually quite popular in Manila. Some cruisers choose to check out nearby cities, such as Marikina and Tagaytay (see below for more details).
Destinations Manila is included on several Asia cruise itineraries.
Cruise Lines Departing Here
Manila is not a cruise departure port.
Currency The official currency of the Philippines is the peso (PHP). Using a credit card whenever possible is a great way to avoid having to exchange currency. ATM machines are available, but make sure you use one that works with the card you're using.
Language The official languages of the Philippines are Filipino (a standardized version of Tagalog) and English. Spanish was an official language of this country until 1973, so there will be a few fluent Spanish speakers as well.
Tourist Attractions Taal Volcano, located on the Philippine island of Luzon, is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the Philippines. It's an active volcano that is located about 50 km from Manila. Over its history this volcano has had many violent eruptions.
Rizal Park, also known as Luneta, is the most popular park in Manila. There are many popular attractions in this area. Among them are the Rizal Monument (made in tribute to a national hero, placed at the location where his remains were buried), a Chinese and Japanese Gardens area, the National Museum of the Philippines (established in 1901), a children's lagoon, a butterfly pavilion, an open-air auditorium (for cultural performances), a planetarium and the National Library of the Philippines.
This park is located right in the heart of Manila.
The Manila Zoological and Botanical Garden is the oldest zoo in all of Asia, as it was built in 1959. It houses over 800 animals from over 100 species.
There are not really many major museums in Manila, compared to other major cities you'd visit on a cruise.
Popular shore excursions at this port of call include city tours (usually focusing on either the historic Old Manila section of the city or the more modern sections of the city) and boat trips to the island-fortress of Corregidor. Corregidor is an island located right in the entrance of Manila Bay.
Over the years it has been the location of many important battles in the history of the Philippines, and is a popular tourist attraction today.
The city of Tagaytay is located about 55 km (about a 90-minute drive) from Manila. It's a popular tourist destination during the summer, because of its cooler temperature (because of its high elevation) and great views of Taal Lake and the Taal Volcano.
Marikina, which is about 21 km from Manila, is one of the cleanest and urbanized cities in the Philippines. It's known as the "Shoe Capital of the Philippines" because of its well known shoe industry, and is a really charming place to visit. The Shoe Museum houses a lot of shoes and is an interesting place to check out. SM City Marikina is a huge shopping mall, located by the Riverbanks Center in Marikina.
Port Location The cruise terminal is located within walking distance of Old Manila (by Rizal Park).
