seightseeing

hi!

my husband and I will be in philippines for only 2 days. We will be staying in edsa shangri la hotel .

this will be our only taste of philippines...at least for now...

so,

any suggestions of what to do/see around. any sites to see?

2 days is not much so we will have to stay in manila vicinity ....

plese throw in some ideas!?

things we like:

people watching, markets, parks, nature , water, etc...

thank you

biki

seightseeing

in manila? edsa? for 2 days? there%26#39;s not much to see, but enjoy your stay!!

seightseeing

The Edsa Shangri-La Hotel is located in between 2 shopping malls -- the Shangri-La Mall and SM Megamall -- lots of chances for people watching and shopping. Head to Greenhills or Tiendesitas (about 15 mins by cab from your hotel) for bazaar-style shopping (clothes, decor, pearl jewelry) and be ready to haggle. Edsa Shangri-La hotel also has the Chi Spa Village which is a great place to get a massage and other relaxing spa treatments.

well, at least I can catch a massage and do some shopping...

my husband is going on a business trip and I am tagging along, that is why manila and edsa and only two days...

so i guess the location is the best for shopping...:)

how about evening, night life...any nice areas to go to: boat rides? traditional dance? something romantic? something authentic%26gt;?

ano=yone with tips?

best,

bixi

Actually, the hotel itself is located near the EDSA-Shaw Boulevard crossing and pretty sure, you could see people right from your hotel window if you book a room at EDSA wing.

People watching: walk to the train terminal (50 meters away) at Shaw, plenty of people coming and going

Markets: you can try Pasig Palengke (Pasig Market), a 20-minute jeepney ride or Mandaluyong Market which is two rides from your hotel or Q-Mart which along EDSA. To go, ride a bus going to Fairview or Monumento and drop at Q-Mart.

Parks: Try Rizal Park in the City of Manila, Quezon Memorial Circle, La Mesa Ecopark, and Quezon City Wildlife in Quezon City. Metro Manila has very few public parks.

Nature: Ecopark is for nature adventure. But going out of the metro is always the best option and the nearest ones are Pagsanjan in Laguna and Taal Volcano in Tagaytay City, Cavite. These two places are short distance ride from the city yet you%26#39;ll have a great time appreciating nature in them. Tagaytay is 2 hours while Pagsanjan is 2 1/2 hours depending on time of travel. The best time to travel is early morning so you%26#39;ll still have enough time to go back to your hotel on the same day. All buses going to and from these two places pass through EDSA (E. de los Santos Avenue).

Water: there is no water adventure in Manila except probably a ride of the Metro Ferry along Pasig River but the river itself stinks. Anyway, the ferry is fully airconditioned so you%26#39;ll never smell the stink.

Boat rides?

Yes.

Take a taxi from your hotel to Guadaluope Ferry Boat Station. Take the ferry - a 45 minutes ride along the scenic Pasig River.

It will take you to 7-8 stations ending up in historical Intramuros district. You may opt to visit Intramuros (a wel-known tourist spot) or to return to Guadaloupe Station to your hotel.

Ferry fare = 2$ US

I suggest you get a massage, facial treatment, manicure %26amp; pedicure from Chi Spa inside Shangri-la Mall. This mall is a bit on the high end. If you want to try Filipino food, try Via Mare or C2 (5th level) restaurants inside the same mall. You may also want to try The Spa inside The Podium Mall also within the vicinity of your hotel.

To get local souvenir items and to see local handicrafts, take a cab and head to Tiendesitas.There are also local delicasies being sold in this tourist haven. I highly suggest you go here for a more local feel

For people watching I suggest you go to SM Megamall and sit in a Cafe. This is just walking distance from your hotel. Here you%26#39;ll see more of the ';ordinary'; Filipino. If you wish to chance upon some local celebrities or other well-to-do Filipinos, go to Serendra or Boni High Street located inside Fort Bonifacio in Makati. Here, you%26#39;ll never think that the Philippines is a third world country..hehehe.

There%26#39;s not so many nice parks, lakes or rivers in Manila.

I hope you enjoy your stay.

Brenda

thank you so uch for wonderful ideas!

it will be definitely a lot of shopping since nothing else in vicinity :))

bixi

With only two days, I%26#39;d suggest not to stress yourself with too much traveling and avoiding the crowds (public markets, avoid public transpo, etc). I%26#39;d narrow it down to two destinations:

A good and safe alternative to the local markets would be

http://www.tiendesitas.com.ph/

One of the best places to sample anything Filipino would be to take a cab to Tiendesitas in Pasig which is about 15 minutes from your hotel, not during rush hour though. It is a one stop destination for Filipino food and delicacies, fresh fruits, furniture, handicrafts, souvenirs, clothes (both locally made and export overruns), and even plants, pets, etc. It opens around midday til late, and in the afternoon you can enjoy a ';kalesa'; ride (traditional Filipino horse drawn carriage) around the complex. I go here regularly when I crave for hard to find Filipino delicacies and pastries or just for easy shopping without the crowds. You%26#39;re also free to bargain with the prices when shopping. There are a lot more places that can be cheaper, but not as safe and comfortable as it is there.

On your second day, just walk across the parking lot from your hotel to Shangrila Mall. A food court and a well stocked supermarket is found at the lower levels, a good department store (Rustan%26#39;s), bookstores, electronics, and lots of designer shops. Lots of good restaurants there too. For a good sampling of Filipino food, as mentioned abouve, go to C2! Its probably one of the best, newer restaurants serving very good Filipino food, a bit on the expensive side but definitely worth it! There are salons and spas there too (';Wellness Zone'; is found on the upper floors). Correction though re one of the above posts: Chi spa is located within Edsa Shangrila Hotel, and not inside the mall. There are smaller spas that are also reputable within the mall (Urban Spa, and in case you need, there%26#39;s also Nail Spa!).

check out http://www.shangrila-plaza.com/

There are actually day trips to see the sights within and outside the city. You can combine your Tiendesitas and Shangrila Mall visit in one day and go with an organized or private half day city tour of Manila (visiting Intramuros which is the ';walled city';, Luneta Park and the monument of Jose Rizal, and some other sights) which am sure is offered at the tour desks in your hotel. It would be definitely expensive than visiting the sites on your own, but with limited time to get your bearings, it would be best to go with an organized tour than waste time getting lost or opening yourself to errors and mishaps.

A full day tour to consider is a trip to Tagaytay. About 2-3 hours away from your hotel, the highlight of the trip is seeing Taal Volcano, one of three sights featured in Patricia Schultz%26#39; 1,000 Places to See Before You Die (page 493). During the trip, you%26#39;ll get to see fruit stalls along the way, and a sampling of beautiful countryside sceneries. Check with your hotel%26#39;s tour desk, or if you still have time, check out internet rates for these tours and compare. (Just google ';Tagaytay day tours'; and ';Manila City Tour';.)

There are popular walking tours of Manila (http://www.oldmanilawalks.com/), but given that you only have a brief stay, you might opt for a more relaxed, comfortable way of seeing the sights.

Unlike impulsetraveller, I recommend that you travel on at least one of Manila%26#39;s three elevated metro style electrified rail lines.

The trains are pretty efficient, cheap (P15 a trip or P100 multi-ride card to minimise queueing) and much faster than a taxi. They are also environmentally friendly, but don%26#39;t expect a seat unless joining at a terminus.

Why not visit Manila Ocean World: taxi from Pedro Gil station on the Baclaran to Monumento rail line.

Then as suggested previously walk or taxi the short distance to Intramuros. Take a calesa ride (horse drawn cab). Look at Manila Cathedral, and many other attractions.

Have lunch at the historic Manila Hotel near Manila Ocean World.

In the afternoon go shopping at the fantastic Robinsons Place Mall near Pedro Gil station (short taxi trip from Intramuros)(lunch at Savory Chicken or Mr.Choi Kitchen in Robinsons Place Mall is a cheaper alternative) and then have dinner at the fantastic Sofitel Phillipine Plaza or Hyatt Ermita buffets (both are close to Manila Bay: the latter includes free unlimited soft drinks and beer, but the former has a larger range - fantastic quality of food at both!)

Also visit Mall of Asia: train to Taft or EDSA stations then short minibus (P9.5) or taxi (P50) ride. Loads of restaurants there, including some either in the shopping centre or closer to Manila Bay with sea views (not much good when it%26#39;s dark though).

You will have a great time: just don%26#39;t carry wallets or purses in back pockets, and when you step in a taxi say %26#39;meter salamat po%26#39; or just %26#39;meter po%26#39; (as in %26#39;please turn on your meter, thanks.%26#39; Make sure you roll your %26#39;r%26#39;s: easy for an American, harder for those of us who speak the Queen%26#39;s English as Australians do.

Hi Victorianlad! Actually you%26#39;ve mentioned a lot of my favorites as I live in the Malate area - so Robinson%26#39;s Place Manila (specially the new Midtown wing!) and the Mall of Asia is tops on my list, and I always enjoy Sofitel%26#39;s buffet. I%26#39;m glad you enjoy the attractions this side of Metro Manila. My above suggestions are based on Biki%26#39;s location, and with tons of choices in Metro Manila, I always make it a point to suggest places considering the base of the traveller, given that they only have 2 days...

dermalogica