I joined Dustin's God, Gold and Glory (3G) tour together with the rest of the international…read moredelegates from a research convention and peace dialogue that was put together by the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde. I was blown away by how informative the tour was, and it wasn't even that strenuous because it only focused on three main attractions in Intramuros. We first went to San Agustin Church for some really interesting trivia on the religious artwork, the construction of the church and the history of the Spanish conquest in the country. Then we went to other different parts of the nearby streets to learn more about the identity and the psyche of the Filipinos. Considering that most of the people on the tour were foreigners who are new to the country, I think the 3G tour is an excellent way to introduce the uninitiated to the values, the quirks and the psychology of the Filipinos. I highly recommend this tour to anyone who wants to stay in the country for a while, but wants to speed up the adjustment process. Dustin's intelligent insight on the way of life of the Filipinos will bring a certain level of understanding as to how we act, think and behave the way we do, and even as a Filipino, I learned a lot about our culture and history that I didn't learn from textbooks. It is such a refreshing take on our crazy Filipino complex of dealing with things. The rest of the delegates enjoyed the tour tremendously, and had a lot of wonderful things to say about the clever guide, the depth of the tour program and the way everything was set up. The logistics were smooth despite the rain, and the tour ended on time as Dustin was very timely in his delivery. Well done!

My colleagues and I had the pleasure of experiencing Dustin's 3G (God, Gold and Glory) tour of old…read moreManila two weeks ago. Our group was a mix of backgrounds (Chinese who grew up in Canada and Indonesia, Australian) so they came with a genuine interest in learning more about Philippine history and culture. Dustin did not disappoint. He is not only extremely knowledgable about Philippine history, he uses it to contextualize the country's present culture and values. Even if I grew up in the Philippines, I learned so much from Dustin on this tour. He is an engaging and dynamic storyteller with a special talent for connecting the past and the present seamlessly, and has fun while doing so. All in all I would say this was an unforgettable experience and I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to understand and appreciate Manila more.

We found this tour online when Google foodtour in Manila... When I asked some of my local friends…read moreabout the tour... Apparently, it is a popular tour for tourists as well as locals... Especially after featured on CNN'S Anthony Bourdaine No Reservation, Manila episode! For about $25 USD per person (depending how big is your group, our group is about 15 plus), the tour is including a walking through Manila chinatown, learning about the history, the culture and food tasting at 5 places. We met at the Binondo church. Our tour guide was Ivan Van Dy who was the guide for Anthony Bourdain. Ivan is very knowledgeable about the history and food and very funny... Everyone in our tour is local! 1. First stop was the new Po-Hung lumpia house. We had the fresh or unfried veggie lumpia. It is very different from the usual lumpia. This lupmia is eaten with dipping in cripy rice, hot chilly sauce, soy sauce and other types of sauce. It is savory, crunchy, salty and spicy! 2. Second stop was Quick snac or Amah's kitchen. Here, we had empanadas with chives, Pilar tofu, punsir satemi dado. Empanadas are fresh. Pilar tofu is fried tofu served with special sauce, cilandro, chives and sriracha hot sauce. It is perfectly fried outside and melted in your mouth. Punsir satemi dado is egg noodles sate with beef and kngkong. It is also very spicy! 3. Third stop was Dong-bei dumpling house. We had chive dumplings and brown pork dumplings. These are very fresh and tasty! At the entrance, we watched a lady making fresh dumplings! 4. Fourth stop was President tea house. Here, we tried their salted duck egg custard dumplings and mango soup! Probably this is my favorite stop of the tour... Not only it is different but also very light and delicious desert! The duck Egg custard dumplings were served hot and the filling melted in your mouth, savory, cheesy but light! The mango soup is very refreshing after having other salty and spicy dishes! 5. Last stop was the Chinese Holand Hopia and Bakery. I never had hopia before... So, I don't have any frame of reference... It is a pastry type desert with different fillings like mung bean paste, jack fruit, duran, etc. We also stopped by market and tried out different dried foods. Ivan also took us to one of the Chinese associated house. We enjoyed our tour very much and met some very cool people on the tour! I definitely would recommend this tour!

The tour itself was okay. Nothing great, but okay. The big issue was the lack of communication that…read morethe Binondo food tour was going to start early. The original confirmation email stated that the tour would start at 9:30am and to arrive several minutes early. We received an email at 9:06 on the morning of the tour telling us they decided to start early at 9:05, so we literally had a -1 minute heads up. This started a game of cat and mouse. It took several text messages, a phone call, wandering aimlessly around Binondo, and finally arriving 45 minutes after the tour started. We missed a decent portion of the tour and no apology was made or any effort to rectify the situation. For 2000 pesos, spend your money elsewhere.

Overall the tour was an amazing tour. The tour leader Janet brought an enthusiastic vibe to the…read moretour, that lightened up the mood. Janet was a local of the slum, making everyone doing the tour feel like a local as well. She give us the opportunity to connect with the people that live there. Her ability to give information and knowledge to the people on the tour is extremely expansive. Everybody should go to the flagship Baseco tour.

From the owner: Our flagship tour is the Slum Tour in BASECO. Baseco is considered one of the poorest areas in…read moreMetro Manila. We also offer a Cemetery Tour, Market Tour and Family Tour. All our tours are guided by local Smokey Tours tour leaders, who are from the slums. This makes our tours sustainable by supporting the local community through Talent Development and Livelihood. Smokey Tours are not just bricks and mortar tours. We offer a special experience. Believing that deep experience equals deep insight. Our tours are unique and honest; a testimony of changing times and our global 'interconnectedness' It is possible to do two tours in one day, depending on the availability and tours of your choice.

My husband and I are staying at the Manila Hotel. We booked our trip to Villa Escudero thru…read moreconcierge. This review is for the tour itself, especially our driver Jude. Our trip was fantastic! Jude picked us up on time, even a few minutes earlier than the scheduled 7:30 am time. There was another couple that we picked up alstaying in Makati Astoria. They got picked up on time, too! I intentionally booked a Sunday tour to avoid traffic as well as on the weekend schedule, a cultural show is included with the entrance fees. The cost of our tour is pretty steep; however, I believe that you get what you pay for, including the excellent tour guide and driver coming from Jude, and that our mode of transportation is a 2019 or 2020, air conditioned Toyota 12- passenger van. The tour included, of course, pick-up & drop- off times. Entrance fees to Villa Escudero, generous sized portions of lunch, & of course, the amazing historical talent of Jude. We really enjoyed his company for the day. On driving Roxas Blvd, he gave us facts about Metro Manila, as well as Makati, and pointed out sights, such as Mt Makiling on the way up to Villa Escudero. We would go again, using this tour company, and request for Jude as our driver and tour guide.

The Jeepney is one of the Philippines' most popular cultural icons. Originally left here by the…read moreAmericans after the war, it formed a big role in public transportation in big cities as well as in the provinces. Most tourists find that they can't leave the country without giving it a try. Well how about you try a Jeepney Tour, you get the jeepney experience, a tour around the city and to top it off, some karaoke while you're at it! Jeepney Tours offer charted tours in their fully air conditioned Jeepney and comes with a karaoke television on board. It's practically like squeezing in some of the Philippines' best experiences in one activity! It's fun, different and worth the ride!

The Pasig River Ferry is a unique way of seeing Metro Manila. The service has come and gone over…read morethe past few years, and the current incarnation has been active since late last year. The ferry service's resumption was so under the radar that a lot of locals aren't even aware that it's up and running again, and fewer still have actually taken it. That's a shame because it's a gorgeous, gorgeous experience. Okay, the Pasig River is not known for its cleanliness, which is a damned shame. However, rehabilitation works on the river have been undertaken intermittently through the past few years, and the river's quality has improved a lot. Which is good because the ferry's open air. The boats the ferry service uses are slim and sleek, and should fit around 40 passengers. There are seven active ferry stations from Intramuros in Manila to Pinagbuhatan, Pasig City, although most of the people who use this service get off at the Guadalupe station in Makati. The trip from Intramuros to Guadalupe takes about 40 minutes and gives you a glimpse on how important the Pasig River is to Metro Manila, in terms of livelihood, commerce, and interconnection. The fare varies depending on your embark and disembark points; Intramuros to Guadalupe costs P50 (roughly a US Dollar). Whip out your cameras as you pass by the Manila Post Office, as well as some old buildings and quaint riverside residences. Tuck that camera in as you pass by Malacañang Palace, the residence of the President of the Philippines, for security blah blah blah whatever. Seriously, it's a shame you can't take pictures of the Malacañang Palace because it's grand and majestic in the way most structures in Metro Manila aren't. The approach leading to Circuit Makati and Rockwell Center is picture-worthy and gives us a glimpse of the future of the river.

A less-popular and actually very convenient way of getting yourself from Makati to several parts of…read moreManila is via the Pasig River Ferry. If you're a local and you know what Pasig River is, then this mode of transportation won't exactly sound enticing. But you know what? It's cheap, comfortable, fast, and not bad at all. Fellow scout and cousin Ronan E. and I have just finished scarfing down double vegan cheeseburgers at a cafe nearby, and we had absolutely nothing to do. We've already walked along EDSA, went fruit-shopping in Guadalupe, took sneaky pics of that obscure park no one goes to at Guadalupe, and naturally, this was the next, obvious activity. We're both in our late twenties and until now have not been on the river AT ALL. They have several stops that can take you to Pinagbuhatan, San Joaquin, Sta. Ana, PUP, Escolta and Intramuros. For Php 50, you can get your butt to Plaza Mexico, Intramuros, the furthest stop in this ferry route to Manila and it will take you around an hour or more, depending on how many stops the ferry has to make because if you were a boat and you had to ply through Pasig River, that only means A LOT of things can get stuck in the engine/motor thingy (honestly I have no idea what this should be called). We had to stop several times to fix these small issues. But DON'T WORRY, this thing happens normally, so you won't actually get stuck in the middle of a trash-filled river. The only pre-requisites for anyone who wants to ride the ferry are as follows: you are definitely not 'maarte', and you can handle scents that vary from normal canal to very bad toilet to chemical/sulfuric fumes. Operated by the MMDA, the stations are actually quite nice, clean and well-maintained. But as for the river itself, Pasig River's 'cleanliness' varies from point to point as we saw during the trip. There are areas where it actually looks pretty 'okay', and there are other, horrifying areas that are floating with mounds of plastic, styro, and other non-biodegradable crap (I even saw a floating, dead cat! :( Huhu). The river has been in worse states, but it still needs some major rehabilitation. I also do think this ferry ride is quite educational, as you really see where OUR TRASH goes. Here. It will really make you think of switching to a more sustainable lifestyle. Even with those things being said, I still HIGHLY recommend everyone to give this ferry route a try if you'd like to experience a different, more rugged side of Manila. You get nice views of the several bridges, the Post Office, and Malacañang, too. NOTE: This route passes by Malacañang Palace and you can see how beautiful it is and not exactly orange like the bill (Haha), like Ronan. E here kept joking about. Though, don't take photos! It's prohibited. I was scolded by the boat crew. Haha. TIP: Try to avoid getting splashed by the water. You don't want any of that on you.

This is conveniently located next to the saint augustin church. Renting a bike was easy and my…read morebike was easy to use. You fill out their waiver online and then leave them an ID. They took my Alaska drivers license and held on to it the duration of my rental. It's 100 Pecos an hour. What a deal! They take 100 Pecos as a deposit and even charge by half hour increments. It was very hot the day I rented the bike and was so glad there is a breeze while riding vs walking in the heat. Service is great and best value.

Nice to have a refresh on Philippine history, specifically what happened inside the walls of…read moreIntramuros. JD was a very good tour guide, maybe just a suggestion that it would be nice if they have a better way of showing us the photos they're carrying. I was honestly surprised by the very good condition of the bikes they were using. Will definitely take this tour again in the future (with our guests).

probably the worst travel agency in Manila. You would think that with their years of experience…read morethey would have advised my sister not to get 2 visas given the time frame. NOPE , they still went ahead with it ONLY TO BE INFORMED THE DAY BEFORE LEAVING FOR KOREA that she can't go . How UNPROFESSIONAL FOR THIS TRAVEL AGENCY . It means that they are not for the welfare of the client but to get sales at ALL COSTS

I've booked many a flight through this travel agency based on recommendations from several friends…read moreand family. Among all the travel agencies that I've tried, Fine Travel and Tours is the one that really goes out of its way to make my trips easy and hassle free. Yes, it might be cheaper to book hotels or apartments and find cheaper tickets on your own. Yes, you can fix visas by yourself. But sometimes these things can really be a pain (especially the damn visas). This agency really help me out with arranging my documents and application forms, giving me advice on when is the best time to apply for visas and what the requirements are. They can also customize sightseeing tours from you, ranging from select few sights to fully pre-packaged deals and meals. Sometimes you have to make them kulit, as they really get so many clients, but as long as you are on top of that, they will really take care of you. I would really recommend this agency when you want to travel in a pinch. Ask for Ms. Genevie.