Taking a person to a new country can be a thrilling occasion, particularly when it happens to be a country that you cherish. This travel story presents the first-time visit of Lisa to Philippines, after traveling from Jakarta with her fiancé. The trip comprises of a rainy arrival in Manila, staying in Bonifacio Global City, riding in a jeepney, trying out Jollibee the local fast food chain, and relaxing in the beautiful Manila Bay.
The trip is more of an experience than a vacation, which will help first-time travelers understand what to expect from a trip to Philippines.
Traveling from Jakarta to Manila Via Singapore
The story starts from the couple’s travel arrangements from Jakarta to Manila. They have opted not to take the available direct flight to Manila and have instead decided to fly through Singapore.
The first leg of their journey takes approximately two hours. However, the flight is delayed by half an hour which raises concerns regarding the duration of their layover in Singapore.
Everything goes surprisingly well. Upon their arrival at Singapore, the couple realizes that their next departure gate is located very close to where they had just reached. The next flight takes them straight to Manila, which means they will spend around four hours in the air.
For Lisa, everything is new. She is visiting the Philippines for the first time and she can’t wait to see the beautiful islands and enjoy Jollibee food, one of the most reputable fast-food restaurants in the country.
Coming to Manila: Rain, Traffic jams, and a Busy Airport
The couple arrives at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila finally. The immigration process is quite nice and smooth as they don’t have any checked-in bags, thus their processing time is shorter.
However, they immediately face the first challenge outside the airport – heavy rain. They arrive at around 6 p.m., right in the middle of the Manila rush hour. The combination of the evening traffic with rainy weather makes their journey to the hotel far longer than they had thought.
Once outside, the travelers have a choice of several modes of transport. Instead of opting for unofficial drivers offering rides, the couple opts for Grab. The video advises the travelers to use official transport companies and be careful about people approaching travelers because taxi fares vary.
The couple finds that getting to their destination takes about 50 minutes instead of the 15 minutes they were led to believe. They pay a total of 391 Philippine pesos, with an extra tip for the driver on top.
Instead of going to central Manila, the couple opts for Bonifacio Global City, also known as BGC. BGC is portrayed as one of the best places in Southeast Asia. Compared to some of the areas in Metro Manila, BGC is relatively modern, organized, clean, and surrounded by modern tall buildings.
The couple stays in an Airbnb at Uptown Park Suites that boasts three bedrooms and three bathrooms and is more than enough even for two persons.
The apartment is furnished with a kitchen, dining area, and living room with a big screen TV and balconies looking out on BGC. Being located on the 40th floor guarantees a spectacular view of the city.
The price of the accommodation is almost $140 for each night for the whole apartment.
For travelers looking for a place to stay in BGC, the place is very accessible to restaurants, shopping areas, transport, and modern Metro Manila.
A Special Dinner at The Peak
On the first night, Lisa receives a surprise. The plan is to have a rooftop dinner where the sunset can be seen, but the weather does not support the idea at all.
Rain and thick clouds make it impossible to enjoy any sunset dinner outside. However, the couple moves on with their plans – they go to The Peak at the Grand Hyatt Manila.
The restaurant offers many different dishes with multiple steak varieties. The choice for the meal is corn-fed chicken breast for Lisa and Australian Wagyu strip loin steak for the boyfriend.
The steak receives a lot of compliments while Lisa finds her dish satisfying enough.
After finishing their meal, the couple orders New York cheesecake. A nice surprise appears when an unexpected birthday surprise is brought to the table. Apparently, the restaurant crew knows that the birthday of their guest was not long ago, and they bring a special cake.
Jason, being the waiter, later reveals that he is aware of the traveler’s YouTube channel. A recent post in the community celebrated the milestone of 500,000 subscribers on the YouTube channel and featured an announcement about an upcoming birthday celebration, which probably informed the restaurant.
The cost of the complete meal is around 7,740 pesos, excluding the tip.
Considering that it is a special occasion, the experience is definitely worth it, especially due to the food, service, and ambiance.
BGC Exploration During the Rainy Season
The next day, it’s cloudy and raining. This is caused by the tropical rainstorm that could become a typhoon.
Instead of staying in their apartment, the couple goes to walk around the city to look for things to do. The first thing they need to do is find a store where they can buy an umbrella.
Once they have found a small pocket-sized umbrella, they get ready for a truly Filipino experience – riding in a jeepney.
Taking a Ride on a Jeepney for the First Time
Because the jeepneys do not operate in the area of BGC, the couple has to walk out. Lisa associates the idea with the local means of shared transportation in Indonesia. People can stand on the side of the road, stop a jeepney, and get a relatively cheap ride.
In the end, they do catch one.
The cost is equivalent to 26 pesos for three passengers, which is extremely cheap. The ride turns out to be one of Lisa’s highlights of the experience due to its unique and very local flavor.
The jeepney is known to be an indispensable component of the Filipino transportation history due to its many connections to the U.S. military equipment left after the WWII.
For people who visit the Philippines for the first time, taking a jeepney gives them a completely different experience compared to taking a taxi or renting a car.
Why the Philippines is different: welcoming people
One of the most important reasons why people love this country is that they are very friendly and hospitable to visitors.
During the journey, the locals smile, say hello, approach visitors, and even greet Lisa, which makes her look like a local sometimes because she understands their language.
That encounter becomes a noteworthy aspect of the journey.
The kindness of the people is regarded as one of the traits that makes traveling to the Philippines attractive. The feeling of being accepted in a new country can play a huge role in being at ease during the trip.
Lisa’s First Jollibee Experience
After getting off the jeepney, Lisa and her partner go to Jollibee, which makes one of Lisa’s dreams come true.
Jollibee is a well-known fast food company in the Philippines, which is famous for its fried chicken. The menu has a lot more, which includes burgers, spaghetti, rice meals, desserts, etc.
The menu they choose includes Chickenjoy, burger steak, Jolly Spaghetti, rice, and peach mango pie.
When Lisa takes the first bite of Jollibee fried chicken, she is impressed. The chicken is amazing in terms of juiciness and flavor, which is appreciated by both people.
Following the fried chicken is the burger steak which is nice but does not impress as much as the chicken.
Now it’s time to try Jolly Spaghetti, which has a sweet taste. There are sweet tomato sauce, cheese, and sausages in it. The traveler says that Jollibee spaghetti
The peach mango pie becomes one of Lisa’s favorite desserts. The outside is crunchy and the inside is filled with sweet mangoes and peaches.
When asked to rate the food, Lisa picks the dessert first before the chicken.
A Filipino atmosphere in Jollibee
During the meal, the couple spots a birthday party for kids at the restaurant.
The mascot of Jollibee makes its entrance, causing the kids to get very excited.
The traveler remembers the time played birthday parties at McDonald’s in Germany. Even though its different from the German experience, the traveler feels something familiar about celebrating kids’ birthdays in a well-known fast food restaurant.
However, as far as Lisa is concerned, the experience is totally new to her.
How expensive is Airbnb in BGC?
When at the apartment, the traveler shares details about the apartment with the audience.
The apartment has three bedrooms, which is a lot bigger than what the couple needs. It has three bathrooms, a kitchen and a dining room, a living room, a TV, and two balconies.
The balconies offer a view of BGC from the 40th floor, even though it is hard to see anything due to rain.
When planning a visit to Manila, one can see the variety of accommodation options one can find in BGC, ranging from small apartments to large, multi-bedroom units.
The journey from BGC to Manila Bay
The couple is now headed towards Manila Bay.
This time, the intention is to treat Lisa with the amazing sunset. But unfortunately, the weather has sought to ruin those plans as well.
Rain continues to fall in the afternoon, and by the time the couple arrives at Manila Bay, the sunset is already gone.
Instead, they find a different way to spend their evening. There is an amusement park adjacent to the Mall of Asia, where the couple can enjoy a variety of rides and attractions.
They choose to ride the Ferris wheel, instead.
Rainy Night Over Manila—from the Ferris wheel
The Ferris wheel gives a new viewpoint on Manila.
They choose a VIP cabin with the glass floor. The ticket is 250 pesos, with an additional 50 for the VIP cabin.
On this occasion, the glass floor didn’t serve much point as the rain makes the glass wet and blur the beautiful views of the surroundings. At the same time, the city still looks beautiful at night.
Yet instead of watching the anticipated sunset, they see Manila all lit up under the blanket of night.
The experience turns out to be unpredicted but a wonderful means to conclude Lisa’s first trip to Manila.
The Attraction of the Beauty of the Philippines
The third significant reason for the love of the Philippines is its beauty.
The country is famous for its islands, beaches, blue sea waters, and tropical scenery. From the traveler’s point of view, some of the places they saw across the country belong to the most beautiful spots that they have visited.
Although Lisa’s first day was mostly spent in Manila and BGC, this is just the beginning of the trip.
The next part of their adventure is going to take them to one of the islands of the country that is going to give Lisa another look at the Philippines.
Lisa’s First Impression Of The Philippines
It is worth noting that she observes resemblances between the Philippines and Jakarta. She believes that the cities and even some features of the people remind her of Indonesia.
She notices that people quite often smile at each other and greet their neighbors.
Moreover, another amusing thing she encounters is the locals constantly mistaking her for a Filipino. Since she resembles some of the local people, they often address her in the local language first before finding out that she is actually from Indonesia.
In general, she finds her experience entertaining and fascinating.
What Makes the First Tour to the Philippines Special?
Lisa’s first trip proves that traveling can be memorable even if it does not proceed just as planned.
But unexpected experiences are part of your adventure.
Rainy arrival means a taste of Manila traffic jam. Simple umbrella shopping turns into jeepney ride. Meal at Jollibee is an introduction to fast-food culture in the Philippines. Missed sunset is substituted by the night view from the Ferris wheel.
All these experiences give first-time tourists a realistic idea of life in Metro Manila. It is a busy city, rainy, crowded, modern, traditional, cheap, and hospitable at the same time.
Most importantly, this journey illustrates why the Philippines remains one of the most attractive tourist destinations. The blend of friendly locals, amazing culture, and breathtaking natural beauty gives the country a unique character.
The journey has just started for Lisa. After having experienced Manila and BGC, she will next visit one of the islands of the Philippines, where the trip is expected to show the country from a different perspective.
