Things to do in  Philippines

The tour was great, the driver and the tour guide were friendly and personable. Their English was very good as is the case with most people in the Philippines. I got to see beyond the usual metropolitan area and got a history lesson on the country and the national hero Dr. Jose Rizal.

Manila was a port on our cruise itinerary that we probably were unsure of but this half day tour with Don’t Skip Manila certainly changed our minds and it became our favourite port of call. The tour takes in most of the same things a cruise ship tour will but with a locals insight, Ann our guide was an enthusiastic advocate for Manila. It’s mainly a walking tour with a short drive to the start point and back to the ship but the pace is relaxed and we got to see way more than the ships tour who we saw being regularly hearded on and off of coaches and rushed around attractions. Anna’s enthusiasm was infectious and we learned so much about the history of Manila and the Philippines under different rulers and the love they have for Jose Rizal, we were also able to visit Casa Manila which was a fascinating insight into the way people lived in Manila years ago. Don’t miss Manila and certainly don’t miss this tour!

Our tour guide Richard was excellent. He was very knowledgeable about Manila and the history of the Philippines. First stop was the American Cemetery. It is beautiful and serene. It's humbling to see the markers and know how great the sacrifice of Americans and Filipinos was during the Second World War. The drive to the American Cemetary through the Forbes Park area isn't that spectacular. The houses are walled and gated so there's not much to see. Next stop was Rizal Park. It's quite a place. It's quite large and there wasn't enough time to walk the entire perimeter. You do get to see the monument to Dr. Jose Rizal, the national hero. The park is well maintained. It was raining at this point so the park wasn't very lively but that's ok. Then we went off to Fort Santiago and Intramuros. There was some renovations works ongoing so parts of the park were closed down. What was open is a nice step back in history. I'm sure one the renovation works are complete, the area will be exceptional. You can get some good views of the Pasig river and bordering cities from the old fort walls. There are several restored buildings where you can see a movie on Filipino history. Last stop is the Church of San Agustin. It's an impressive piece of architecture and certainly worth a tour around. The reason I didn't give the tour a five, even though our guide almost warranted a five himself, was the renovations works, the relative lameness of Forbes Park and the rain.

Our guide and driver picked us up at our hotel on time. We were given a tour with one other couple in an air condition small van with large windows. The guide had in depth knowledge of history of the area. He was able to answer any questions concerning the history, economics, and politics of the Philippines. Having a separate driver helped tremendously. We were able to see and experience Manila in the limited time we had available.