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GUIDE: Museums in Metro Manila

October is Museums and Galleries month in the Philippines. If you’re looking for something new to do in the metro aside from visiting malls, why not explore museums instead. Whether you’re on a museum date with friends or exploring solo, there are many notable museums around Metro Manila worth your time. Some of these are completely free to visit.

Here’s a reference list of museums in Metro Manila for those who want to learn more about history, culture, or appreciate art. I’ve included their location, business hours and entrance fees if any.

NOTE: This list is based on museums that I’ve personally visited in Metro Manila. I’ll update this post whenever I visit a new museum.

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Classic and new cafes to visit in Intramuros, Manila

Intramuros, the historic walled city of Manila, is one of the country’s top destinations for international tourists and locals alike. While most tourists visit mainly for the churches, museums, and historical sites, some dining spots also offer unique destinations to grab a bite or drink in between all that sightseeing.

Along with classic restaurants serving Filipino-Spanish cuisine, a few new cafes have popped up in the past few years, giving locals a reason to revisit.

Here’s an ultimate guide to the classic and new restaurants in Intramuros currently operational as of October 2024.

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Lonely Planet Philippines 2024 guidebook is now available

If you got bitten by the travel bug before the digital era, chances are you’ve relied on Lonely Planet for your explorations.

For the past five decades, globetrotters have considered Lonely Planet’s classic guidebooks a “traveler’s bible” to help plan in-depth country trips and pick the best things to do, where to stay and where to eat in each country.

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Travel Guide: 82 Provinces of the Philippines

UPDATE: In September 2022, the province of Maguindanao was split into two, so the Philippines now has 82 provinces. This travel guide was originally completed and written in 2019 before the split and the pandemic, but has been updated to reflect the new province and newer photos from more recent revisits.

The Philippines is made up of 82 provinces, spread out under three major island groups: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanano. Currently, there are 38 provinces in Luzon, 16 in Visayas, and 28 in Mindanao. The provinces are grouped under different regions based on their geographical, cultural, and ethnological characteristics.

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Things to do in Escolta, Manila

Calle de la Escolta or Escolta Street is one of the oldest and most historic streets in Manila, Philippines. Located in the old downtown district of Binondo, it was once dubbed as “The Queen of Streets.” In fact, Manileños used to flock to Escolta to shop, work, and dine, making it a leading commercial district during the 1800s to the early 1930s.

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10 unique & fun things to do in Manila

For travelers, backpackers and province-based tourists, Manila is often just thought of as a stopover between flights on the way to another destination. The big city can be overwhelming with the heavy traffic and crowded streets. It’s often seen as gritty and chaotic, especially if you visit the areas of Quiapo and Divisoria.

I often take the tourist sights in Manila for granted because I live here. But if I were a first-time tourist in the Philippines or if I had to take around foreign tourists, balikbayans, expats or province-based friends, what would I do and where would I go? 

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ITALY | Free things to do in Venice

Venice needs no introduction. The world-famous floating city in Italy has been featured in so many Hollywood films, TV shows, books, video games and modern media, that everyone knows what it looks like. Theme parks and malls around the world build artificial canals just to replicate the look and feel of Venice.

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Data roaming, pocket WiFi or local SIM: Connectivity options for international trips

Staying connected online when traveling overseas is now a necessity. With all the travel apps people use for booking hotels and activities, filling up online forms and health declaration cards, scanning QR codes, getting access to e-tickets, and essential communication with travel companions, it’s essential for travelers to stay connected as soon as they land.

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CZECH REPUBLIC | History hopping at the Beer Museum in Prague

Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, was one of my favorite cities during our trip to Europe visiting 10 countries. And while in Prague, one of the places that I enjoyed the most was the Czech Beer Museum. I like beer and I like visiting museums. So what better way to soak in the city’s beer culture than to visit a place that explains Czech beer history and brewing traditions?

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Klook Travel Fest 2024: What to expect

Looking for deals and discounts for your next trip to Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong and more?

You might want to sked a mall visit this weekend for the Klook Travel Fest 2024. Activity booking platform Klook is launching great deals for Klook users at the Klook Travel Fest 2024 happening this September 14 (11:00 AM to 7:30 PM) to 15 (10:00 AM to 7:30 PM) at the SM Megamall Fashion Hall.

You can save up to PHP 8,000.00 on your purchases, avail of Buy 1 Get 1 deals, win hourly hotel stay giveaways, and meet special guests and favorite travel icons at the two-day event. 

Here are some of the highlights to look forward to at the event.

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ITALY | Historic hotel on Lido Island: Home of the Venice Film Festival

While in Venice, we got to stay in a historic hotel on Lido de Venezia or Lido Island, which hosts the Venice Film Festival every year. The 1st Venice Film Festival took place on Lido Island in August 1932. The 81st film festival is happening from August to September 2024, with stars congregating at “Palazzo del Cinema,” a 1937-era theater just five minutes away from the hotel we stayed in.

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ITALY | A taste of ‘La Dolce Vita’ in the Tuscan countryside

After a full week of sightseeing in Italy’s capital city Rome and Vatican City ticking off all the big-name attractions for first-timers and biking along Rome’s ancient Roman roads, we got a taste of “La Dolce Vita” (the sweet life) in the Tuscan countryside near Florence on our way to Venice.

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