It is my first time visiting Manila. I am really excited before flight to Manila as I just sleep for three hours and it is not really deep sleep as my mind planning and imagining what I am gonna do in Manila. I see in the photos that Manila is similar to Jakarta in term of town scenery and also traffic. When I arrive there, I am a bit confuse about the road as they are left-sit drive, which is similar to US.

Manila has both modern and historical place. In the downtown, the heart of manila, few places are reserved as UNESCO heritage place and outskirt of it has lots of malls. I have lost count malls in manila town alone and the town is pretty big, quite similar to Jakarta.

It is my first time travel in Manila and I am quite amazed by public transport in here beside bus and lrt. which is Jeepney. Jeepney is their national public transport where you can  see them everywhere and every corner in Manila, and the price is cheap compare bus and taxi.

Another unique public transport is tricycle. Their tricycle can sit four people. I saw a tricycle can manage to carry four passenger, which I found quite risky and dangerous. Well, dangerous can be fun and thriller also. It is lucky that I can try the local transportation there to feel how to be living as local in Manila.

Kalesa is very special transport, where it is actually horse carriage. It can be found only in certain famous place, like Rizal Park monument and Intramuros. You need to pay to ride this (You can bargain the price as mostly they will charge more expensive when they know you are foreigner and does not speak tagalog).

Rizal monument is for remembrance of Philippine’s national hero. It huge park and has many little garden, like China garden and Japanese garden. It is easily access by any public transport, namely jeepney, bus or even taxi. I love to ride jeepney in Manila as they are pretty fast and convenience. When using taxi, need extra careful and keep insist to use meter rather than bargaining price, as taxi in Manila really overprice. It took me around 60 Peso from this place to Mall of Asia but the taxi driver often say it is far and need around 300 Peso.

Many Pinoy (what Philippians call themselves) tell me that if I come again, try to go out from Manila as Manila is business town where they do not offer any nature sightseeing or very less tourist attraction, but nevertheless I am really enjoy my trip in Manila.