destination milestones

Manila A CITY TOUR WITH DESTINATION MILESTONES

BE WHERE PHILIPPINE URBAN AND HERITAGE MEET AT ONE POINT iinn tthhee hheeaarrtt ooff MMaanniillaa Make it a destination milestone to see Manila, the Capital of the Philippines. Despite being known for its chaotic city of fast-paced lives, and stubborn traffic highways, Manila offers an intimate side where one can truly enjoy its beauty and enchantment. Learn of its history while enjoying its hustle. Taste the specialty dishes that the metropolis has to offer, mostly a fusion of Spanish & Filipino, and the flavors from the country's many provinces. Explore the priceless culture that humbly lies beneath the haze. Get to the speed of the Manila lifestyle by enjoying its natural ambiance and luxury. Most importantly, experience the hospitality, the warmth, and the joyfulness of Filipinos, who will treasure you as a family!

The Itinerary FIRST DAY Say hello to Manila! As you arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, a Destination Milestones representative will be there to help you with your luggage and lead you to your transfer going to the hotel. There, your two official Travel Pals will be there at the lobby to check you in. In the evening, you'll get to meet all your fellow travelers and be formally introduced to your Travel Pals; your tour coordinators for the whole trip. A short briefing session will be done to give you a glimpse on the whole tour. Then altogether as a newfound family, raise toasts for the exciting Manila tour that lies ahead!

SECOND DAY After a delicious buffet breakfast at the hotel, prepare for your first milestone in Manila! As you board the Destination Milestones motor coach with your fellow travelers, make sure to greet everyone \"Magandang Umaga!\" You're all aboard to do your morning routine at one of the largest urban parks in Asia, dedicated to the Philippines' National Hero Jose Rizal. Listen as Andres Bonifacio walks you through a private tour guiding session through the park and learn of the history behind the monuments. To continue the thrill of the day, you will next head to Manila Ocean Park and explore through its many attractions such as the Oceanarium, housing 14,000 sea creatures from about 277 species all of which is indigenous in Southeast Asia. Then, have an on your own lunchtime at the Makan Makan Asian Food Village. In the evening, be immersed with a buffet dinner at Ilustrado Restaurant, and have your first taste of authentic Filipino cuisine at a Filipino-Spanish themed restaurant. Before heading back to the hotel, fascinate yourself with a world-class cultural performance by the Bayanihan Dance Company, showcasing the cultural richness and colorfulness of the Philippines, at the very much respected Cultural Center of the Philippines.

THIRD DAY Enjoy the breakfast at the hotel because a long day awaits you! One of the most popular tourist attraction sites in Manila is where you’ll first be heading to: Intramuros, also known as the old ‘walled-city’ during the country’s Spanish Colonization Period. A tour guide will be accompanying you on a 2-hour tour within the historic walls surrounding popular Manila sites including Fort Santiago and the San Agustin Church, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You’ll also visit the Jose Rizal Light and Sound Museum where history will be told by craft and technical effects. Before wrapping up your visit in Intramuros, you'll surely love being toured once more around the walled city on a horse-drawn Kalesa, while munching in safe and scrumptious Filipino street foods, to be given by your official Travel Pals! Have some lunch in one of the country’s long established and finely delicious Filipino restaurants, Max’s Restaurant, with your fellow travelers. Then, head a bit to the north to the world’s oldest Chinatown, which is also in Manila; Binondo. An on-board tour will happen around Binondo, where stops will be made on important sites for you to grasp learnings about the Chinese settlement in the Philippines -- and of course, grab some photos. Stops will also be made at select Chinese food and souvenir stores before going back to the Diamond Hotel.

Before the night falls in Manila, witness the famous beauty of the Manila Bay Sunset by spending the afternoon riding a huge Ferris wheel that overlooks the perfect view of the sunset, the bay, and the active city that lays by. A lot of people have marveled on the sunset's picturesque golden glow, or sometimes, its dramatic pink-sky gleam over a line of peaceful palm trees at the Manila Bay... make sure to enjoy the scenery while you're on top of the world. By evening, travel to the luxurious vicinity of Okada Manila at Entertainment City, where you can spend the evening on your own. Before ending the day, you and your fellow travelers will again join together at Okada's iconic and grand 'The Fountain' for an evening cocktail party to wrap up all the beautiful memories of the day!

FOURTH DAY After indulging on a hearty hotel breakfast, continue your Manila tour by visiting the country's National Museum where the historic, enormous, and famous Spoliarium painting by Juan Luna is displayed. You’ll also see fascinating artifacts at the National Museum of Natural History where heritage, history, art, natural treasures, tradition, belief, and all else-Filipino are exhibited. At lunch, you’ll have the perfect time to enjoy the fresh catches of seafood by the Manila Bay at the locally-loved Seaside Dampa, Fish Market at Macapagal Bay Area. Enjoy this local dining experience as you handpick the freshest seafood of your choice, which will be cooked for you by various restaurants, over a lot of recipe styles to choose from! (Note: Tourists can choose any restaurant to have their meals cooked, but the official lunch venue for Destination Milestones tourists will be at Hong Kong Master Cook Seafood Restaurant, as included in the package.)

To visit the last attraction for the tour, appreciate the Destination Milestones exclusive Presidential walk-through experience in the highly honored Malacañan Presidential Palace. Be led on a private tour throughout Malacañan, even accessing parts of the Palace not open to the public; a unique experience only given for Destination Milestones Travelers.  To close the day, spend a special farewell dinner at Barbara's Heritage Restaurant back at Intramuros. Savor your last taste of authentic Filipino and Filipino-Spanish Cuisine. This buffet dinner will be complimented by a quaint olden Fil-Spanish era ambiance at the restaurant where you'll enjoy a perfect finale of a Manila dining experience that comes along with a Filipino cultural show, leaving the night so seamlessly beautiful. Before returning home to the hotel, you'll have your last quick ride on the motor coach around Intramuros to see the walled-city gleaming golden in evening lights. 

FIFTH DAY As the tour ends with all the beautiful, unforgettable memories and priceless cultural learning, it's time to say \"sa muling pagkikita!\" and \"salamat\" to all your fellow travelers who've been part of the wonderful Manila experience.  A simple farewell party at the hotel will be conducted where photos throughout the tour will be shared, souvenir items given, and a Destination Milestones mementos distributed for the remembrance of all. Then, tourists will be transferred back to the airport depending on their flight schedules after checking-out of Diamond Hotel. Sa muling pagkikita, Manila A CITY TOUR WITH DESTINATION MILESTONES

travelling WITH YOUR BEST PAL, MAKE IT SOMETHING TO REMEMBER Book your Manila Tour now!