Would you know I learned something from Wikipedia today! I learned the tagalog word for “fort” and it’s “moog” as in Moog ng Santiago for Fort Santiago 🙂 Hehehe
Funny I knew “Fuerza” it’s Spanish translation but not the tagalog .Why I did not know of this back in my elementary studies, I have no idea lol. Oh well, thanks to Wiki, now I know.
Why this sudden interest in forts you may be thinking. Well, this blog post is about our Manila Field Trip and of course no decent Manila fieldtrip is complete without visiting these 4 popular sites: The Walled City of Intramuros, Fort Santiago, Luneta and yep I’m including SM MOA heheheh.
If you are looking for a cheap Manila tour, you don’t need to avail of a day tour package because you can do it on your own. Plan your trip itinerary with these suggestions.
Start of Manila Tour? Make it to Kilometer 0!
I have been to some of these places many times over yet I was not on a “field trip” mindset. On my previous visits it was just a simple, quick side trip from wherever it was I was really headed to. But last December when I was there with Kenneth and Titus, we agreed it was going to be a fieldtrip. We were dropped off in Intramuros and made our first stop in Manila Cathedral and then it was walking tour all the way to Fort Santiago and then to Rizal Park or Luneta. We are keeping true to this blog’s tag-line which is a Filipina blog on the hot trail of affordable Philippine travels. And what could be more cheap than walking? Heheheheh 
Yep. Good thing it was windy that day we decided to have a Manila Field Trip hehehe
Manila Top Tourist Spots and Destinations
There are many top tourist destinations in Manila which you visit for their cultural, historical and/or entertainment and recreational value. Historical and Cultural includes those sites mentioned above as well as the old buildings and institutions like the Manila Watchtower, the National Museum, the National Library, Museong Pambata, Binondo and more. The entertainment or recreations must-see places are Manila’s Oceans Park, Star City, Manila Zoo, Divisoria, Greenhills, SM Mall of Asia, Malate or Makati (for night life) and more. Even on a normal day, these places are teeming with local and sometimes foreign tourists.
Tour the walled city of Manila and visit the 7 churches inside Intramuros especially Manila Cathedral and San Agustin Church (a UNESCO Heritage Site). If you love taking snapshots of old buildings then Intramuros is a must-see for you. Entrance fee is free. If you want to check out the San Agustin Museum there is a P100 entrance fee.
Pay a visit to Rizal’s last ‘home’ in Fort Santiago. Follow his footsteps as he was led from his prison cell to his execution in Bagumbayan, now Luneta. Once in Luneta you can gaze at the giant statue of Datu Lapu- Lapu and have fun found looking for your province in the Philippine Relief Map.
If all those history lessons muddled your brain, you can go right after to Star City or SM Moa or both to relax or even all the way to Greenhills! (yep this is what we did since at that time there was the COD Christmas show and display in this popular shopping and bargain haven.)
All these can be done on one day Manila trip! =) Actually you can add more sites, we limit ourselves to those sites since we are also planning on hunting some great and cheap buys in Greenhills later that day (which we did by the way =).
Please click here to get to the post dedicated to our Field Trip Itinerary in Manila:
Intramuros, The Walled City of Manila
Fort Santiago and Dr Jose Rizal
Luneta Park, Dr Rizal, Datu Lapu-Lapu and the Philippines Relief Map
Star City: Rates and Rides for 2012
Staying in Manila? SEARCH FOR DISCOUNTED ROOM RATES here.
Want ideas for getaways near Manila? Check out these posts:
Tagaytay Day Trip: Overview and Suggestions for Your Itinerary
Lake Pandin: One of the Seven Lakes of Laguna
Pagsanjan Falls Shooting the Rapids
The Rock: A Visit to Corregidor
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