My travel buddy Hamish and I arranged a trip to the main Filipino island of Luzon for late 2023, to be followed by a few days in South Korea.

Practicalities

Philippines is 8 hours ahead of U.K. time, with South Korea an hour further ahead. The big difference was the temperature. Low 30s for Philippines being near the equator but likely to be zero or below for Korea much further north.

We would need to pack carefully!

We decided that we would only tour the main Filipino island of Luzon – loads to see and slow going from A to B.

In fact the travelling around was an undoubted highlight – stunning scenery whilst witnessing daily life in town & country.

Manila

We started in the Filipino capital, staying in the China Town area in Binondo.

It claims to be the oldest china town outside of China and it was certainly amongst the most chaotic I have visited.

Street vendors jostling for trade alongside large shopping malls, eating places & stalls every few steps, motor bike taxis and jeepneys vying to transport you away.

A rather unpleasant waterway/dumping ground wound its way through the whole district.

Despite its pong and unsightly grey water, it didn’t stop many a local enjoying al fresco dining in the vicinity.

Our hotel was also walking distance to Manila’s most famous district of Intramuros, just over the iconic Jones bridge.

Intramuros is a walled district containing Spanish-era landmarks like Fort Santiago, the ornate Manila Cathedral and San Agustin Church.

All the attractions were worthy, however the best part was just strolling around taking in the colonial architecture and stopping for refreshments at the many cafes & bars.

Perhaps the best known thing about Manila (apart from the 1975 Muhammad Ali v Joe Frazier world heavyweight boxing fight if you are of a certain age – the so called Thrilla in Manila), are the iconic jeepneys.

When American troops began to leave the Philippines at the end of WWII, hundreds of surplus jeeps were sold or given to the Filipinos.

The jeeps were stripped down and altered with metal roofs added for shade, and the vehicles were decorated in vibrant colours.

The back part was reconfigured with two long parallel benches with passengers facing each other to accommodate more passengers.

We clambered aboard a few and for just a few coins weaved through Manila’s notoriously congested streets, sometimes with no particular destination in mind. Not the most comfortable rides of my life but great fun.

Nowadays jeepneys are custom built and there seems to be quite a competition to have the most vivid decor.

After 3-nights we would be up early to start our tour into Mountain Region, including the world famous Banaue rice terraces.

Read about the amazing Thrilla in Manila here.