Exploring the city of Manila is like opening a box filled with ukay-ukay (pre-loved) clothes and other objects. It may take you quite a while of digging before you start finding things you actually like. Because this city’s gems aren’t always noticeable at first glance, it takes extra effort to discover Manila’s true allure. From the core city of Manila to the rest of its vast metropolitan area, one can find a myriad of charms hidden in every nook and cranny. By knowing where to search and expanding your zest for discovery, you can easily enjoy Manila with all its rich history, culture, art scene, food, and friendly people.

If gazes could talk, one would instantly have heard the surrounding eyes mouthing off intentions of mayhem—a bedlam not equating to violence, but rather expressed through the mischievous actions of more than 700 long-tailed macaques who called that place home. A primate habitat known as the Mandala Wisata Wanara Wana, or otherwise referred to as the Ubud Monkey Forest, was another popular tourist destination in Bali. Home to more than 700 long-tailed macaques, it was tucked deep in a forest covering approximately ten hectares with a labyrinth composed of zigzagging water streams, hilly slopes, sheltering towering trees of around 115 different species, and three sacred Hindu temples.