The approach to Fort Santiago never loses its effect, no matter how many times you make it. You cross the stone bridge over the moat, the Pasig River visible to your left, the bay somewhere behind the walls to your right, and then you pass ...

I have been to San Agustín Church more times than I can count, and the approach still gets me every time. You come through the streets of Intramuros — past the walls, past the vendors, through the shade of the old city — and then ...

My mother-in-law, Rosaria, and father-in-law, Enrique, had a plan for my first day in Manila. They were going to show me everything. The bay. The boulevard. The neighborhood markets. The relatives — and there were many of those. By mid-afternoon, we had covered more of ...

From The Manila Hotel, Rizal Park is right there. Cross Roxas Boulevard in the morning, early enough to beat the heat and the crowds, and you walk straight into it. The Rizal Monument is visible almost immediately. A 12-meter bronze figure rising above the sunken ...

The first time you pass through the gates of Intramuros, you feel the shift before you understand it. Modern Manila disappears. The noise doesn’t. This is still a city, but the register changes. Cobblestones replace asphalt. Walls that have absorbed four centuries of history rise ...

The Philippines is one of the most rewarding destinations in Asia for older travelers. The combination of warm hospitality, affordable costs, good English-language communication, and an enormous variety of island environments makes it well-suited for those who want genuine travel experiences without unnecessary difficulty. The ...