Category: Metro

Backpacker Haven in Manila: MNL Boutique Hostel

With its comfortable rooms, convenient location and hip vibe, MNL Boutique Hostel is an ideal place for backpackers to spend a night or two in Manila.

LOCATION

The hostel is centrally located near Makati’s tourist center, right behind a mall, with banks, convenience stores, embassies and easy modes of transportation just around the corner. But what sets it apart is its fun vibe that just oozes with character and its mission to let travelers experience local Pinoy culture and hospitality at its best.

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Binondo Food Trip with Ford

Binondo is a vibrant district in Manila and is the world’s oldest Chinatown. This historic Chinese quarter is known for its affordable eats, heritage sights and rich culture. While the place itself is very interesting, getting to and from here and finding a space to park is usually not that pleasant when you have to drive. The traffic in general and congested alleys makes Binondo one of the most difficult places in Manila to drive a car. If I have to go here, I’d rather commute or take a motorcycle instead. But a few days before Chinese New Year, I found myself driving through Binondo’s streets and actually enjoying it.

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Zombie Run: Nightmare Mode

Last July 28, we participated in Outbreak BGC, a 5km zombie-themed night run in Bonifacio Global City. The event proved to be the Nightmare Mode of Outbreak Manila, the fun run held in Nuvali in April this year. While the first run had a rural setting of mostly dirt trails and fields with a backdrop of perfect sunny skies and shambling zombies hiding in the grass, this time we were being chased by zombie sprinters in dimly lit slippery roads, at night, in the the pouring rain. Fun!

We ran in the same wave as Shaun of the Dead, Wolverine and a Jedi Knight!

Being the great procrastinators that we are, Art and I were left scrambling for last-minute costumes the day of the run. Our criteria for “costumes” was simple: 1) should be related to the zombie genre (movies/games) ; 2) should not impair our ability to run; 3) could be put together with stuff lying around the house.

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Fun Runs: More Fun with Zombies

I’m not a runner and normally hate jogging or joining marathons since I find running boring in general. But throw in zombies and obstacle courses and you’ve got me hooked. On the first week that registration for Outbreak Manila opened, I trooped to Toby’s to make sure we got slots and obsessively checked updates on their Facebook page on the days leading up to the run.

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Manila by Motorcycle

Mention Manila and the most common image that comes to mind is heavy traffic, smoke-belching jeepneys, swerving buses and congested streets. Our country’s capital city hardly seems like an ideal place to visit, and even more so by motorcycle.

But if you give Manila a chance, it may just surprise you. On a Sunday morning ride, when the traffic was relatively light, I found it extremely satisfying to be able to zip along Roxas Blvd. and visit various tourist spots and cultural and historic landmarks. Though I wasn’t expecting it to be a great ride, I have to say, Manila does have a unique charm. Here are  just a few scenic spots you can easily ride to and a rough guide of what you can do there. Continue reading “Manila by Motorcycle”