Travel Photo: Beautiful San Agustin Church from Intramuros, Manila

The Intramuros area on the outskirts of Manila is such a far cry from this bustling Asian metropolis. There are no loud jeepneys or typical mad crowds of Manila. Instead there are pedi cabs, lesser vehicles and lesser people. This is the UNESCO World heritage area of Manila and is home to some stunning structures from the colonial era. It is home to the largest church of Philippines, the oldest church, a large river side fort, a very scenic golf course and a historic museum.


One of the top sights in this area is the San Agustin church, the oldest church of Philippines and a stunningly well decorated church. Its prayer hall, its inner chambers, its paintings, wood work and much more are worth admiring. The frescoes on the ceiling of this old church is a sight to remember. Have you visited this side of Manila?

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Travel Photo: Colorful Window inside St. Agustin’s Church, Manila

The churches in South East Asia are nowhere as good as they are in the Philippines. And in my opinion, the St. Agustin’s church takes the icing on the cake. The oldest church in the Philippines has got a lot of class in it. Be its intricately carved altars, classic furniture designs, life-like paintings, heavily worked up on ceilings or its beautiful wooden doors, everything about the church makes you look at it and say ‘WOW’.


Even its colorful windows cast a special glow that decorates the already beautiful church with its colorful light. For some reason, I found these windows really special and ended up clicking some of their effects on the church.


I am sure you will understand what I am saying when you see the pictures and even better if you get to visit this church in the Intramuros area of Manila.

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Street Photo: Pedi Cab of Manila

Pedi Cabs can be seen almost everywhere in the Philippines. In fact, it is one of the more preferred and cheaper forms of public transport in this archipelago nation. It’s short wheels and low ground clearance give a different perspective to the passengers. I took a ride in one when I was exploring the Intra Muros area of Manila, which is also referred to as the walled city.


It is here that I took this photo of this pedi cab driver relaxing in his pedi cab along with other pedi cabs. Initially, he was unhappy that I took his photo. I apologized. He said he is unhappy because he did not get a chance to pose for his photo. I smiled. The people of Philippines have a good sense of humor and they seem to be smiling even in hardship.

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Travel Photo: Speed Chess from Manila

I had just gotten out of the Manila MRT train after an interesting rush hour experience where I had to push my way out. It was stifling and I was glad to be out of the crowd. As I made my way out of the Guadalupe MRT, I saw a mall and decided to see if I could get any dinner there. While I was searching for dinner, I saw this large group of people standing around people who were playing speed chess.


There were about 6 tables and each had two participants who were playing speed chess and timing their moves. I am not sure if it was a competition or it is a regular pastime. But, whatever it was, it was very interesting and the locals seemed to enjoy it as they seemed to crane their necks to see the latest moves.


While some of them played speed chess where they had to check mate the other person within 3 minutes, some others played a sub 2 minute game where the player with the most coins on the board wins. I love playing chess, but play it the traditional way. Even though, I have never really indulged in playing speed chess, I really liked watching these Filipinos play. In spite of being hungry, I ended up watching them for a good 30 minutes. That is how interesting it was!

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1 River Central Hostel: Good Budget Hostel in Manila

There are three broad pockets to stay in Manila. One is near the airport, one is in and around the walled city of Intra Muros and the last is the central Makati area, which is close to all the shopping malls and right in the heart of the city. During my stay here in Manila, I opted to stay in the Makati area at the 1 River Central Hostel on JP Rizal St, Guadalupe Viejo. The below review is based on my recent experience of staying 2 nights and 2 days here.

1) For 450 pesos or USD 10.5 per night (I was lucky to get it at $8 a night through Agoda), you get a bed in an air-conditioned 4-bed dormitory. They have safety lockers and shared bathrooms. They even offer free wi-fi and free breakfast.

2) The hostel is situated next to the main road, so noise levels are pretty high till midnight from early in the morning. The sounds don’t affect me as I am a heavy sleeper, but if you need a sound proof place, then this is not for you.

3) The place, the rooms, the walkways, they are all small, but they are very functional and clean.

4) The people running the place are also helpful in guiding you to the places and helping you with logistics.

5) Breakfast is free and served on their roof top restaurant. Breakfast includes toast, eggs and coffee. Their roof top restaurant also provides a good view of the city landscape.

6) Wifi is free and of decent speeds. I have been able to make skype calls without any trouble.

7) Except for a burger shop next door, there are hardly any restaurants close by. For food, the nearest location is the Guadulupe MRT, which is a 10 minute walk away. The same thing applies to grocery stores and super marts.

8) The closest MRT is Guadalupe station, which is a 10 minute walk away.

9) The place is about 30 minutes from the airport. It is also a short 20 minute drive to the greenbelt area. Intra Muros, the walled city of Manila is about 1 hour away.

The hostel is good for budget travelers looking for short term stays in Manila. For longer stays, you should look for a different place.

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