So, you are on Manila tour, well the best place to begin it would be from Ayala Center in Makati City. Close to it are some of the better hotels like Makati Shangri-La, The Peninsula Manila, Dusit Hotel Nikko, New World Reniassance Hotel, and Hotel Inter Continental. If you are lodged in any one of these, the center of the city is just at a walking distance. But if you are around Makati Avenue and Jupiter Street, you might like to take a taxi or if you like walking, a fifteen to twenty minute walk would take you there. And if you are at the Roxas Boulevard or in the Ermita and Malate Area, the best way to travel is through Light Rail Transit (LRT), if you can find a station in the vicinity. From there go to EDSA station and take the north going Metro Rail Transit (MRT). It would take you directly to Ayala Center.
For your daily dose of coffee, the best place would surely be Starbucks which is near Makati Shangri-La. They get good competition from Kapelikula and Figaro at the mall. If you like visiting the past, Ayala Museum is the place to be. How to reach there? Well, just get on the pedestrian overpass near the Landmark and then cross to the other side of the Makati Avenue. When you are inside the museum, you would find brilliant dioramas showcasing the historical and cultural evolution of Manila.
The museum also has a lobby and two separate galleries. You could also purchase memorabilia from the museum shop. Behind the museum is the Greenbelt Park. If you are on Manila tour on Tuesday or Saturday, you might find Organic Producers Market around The Source Café. There is no dearth of eateries here. Some of the better picks are Italianni's, Mario's, La Primavera, Schwarzwalder German Restaurant, Flavors and Spices, Sugi, and The Cafe Mediterranean.
Once you have had your lunch, you might like to visit the Greenbelt Mall. Book aficionados could visit the National Bookstore. Browsing for toiletries could be done at the Crabtree & Evelyn. If you exit the mall through the Paseo de Roxas and reach the corner of the Ayala Avenue, you can get a glimpse of The Enterprise Center which is a Techno Deco landmark. Besides that, The Philippine Stock Exchange Plaza is also a shining example of the architectural supremacy of modern day Manila.
If you walk continuously to the east of Ayala Avenue passing through The Peninsula Manila, Makati Shangri-La, and the Ayala Center, you would reach the Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA). McKinley Road is a lovely thoroughfare which is in the shade of old acacia trees. This road has Santuario de San Antonio, Forbes Park, the Manila Golf Club, and the Manila Polo Club. At the top, you would reach the American Cemetry and the Global city, one the memorial to the past and the other a tribute to the future.
If you are the Ayala Center, just board the northbound Metro Rail Transit (MRT) and board off at the Shaw or the Ortigas station. It would lead you the Ortigas Center, the new competitor to Makati. There is also the Shangri-La Plaza Mall, which has 3 departmental stores, Crossings, Rustan's Tower and Marks and Spencer. On the fifth level is the Ripley's Believe it or Not museum and the William J. Shaw Theatre. Behind the mall, you can avail of the deluxe accommodations at the Edsa Shangri-La.
SM Megamall and Robinsons Galleria are the two malls at the Ortigas Center. SM Ice Skating Rink and Megatrade Hall and Conference at SM Megamall and Octagon Computer City at the Robinsons Galleria are worth a watch.
