As much as we Filipinos have been so westernized, there is but one small part of our history left…read morein the city - it's found in the old capital of Manila which is Intramuros. If you have a friend visiting Manila, I suggest you take him to the Intramuros Tour of Carlos Celdran. The tour lasts about three hours and trust me, you won't get some typical tour where Carlos has a boring script and is tight with time. Carlos maps out Intramuros by sections and while the participants walk along with him he theatrically explains the history of the Philippines. He talks about the country in such a comic way. For sure your foreigner friends will laugh at some his jokes. Carlos' way of discussing is very interactive. He sometimes may need participation from the audience when it comes to things. Other than that, his company is surely enjoyable. At the end of the tour, you get a sweet surprise of halo halo to quench your thirst.

There's no better way to understand history a bit more than doing a literal walk-through with the…read morepioneer in walking tours of Intramuros, Manila - Carlos Celdran. Armed with a clearbook, a lapel, and mobile speaker, this man clad in his barong and hat will take you through time. The tour has several stops consisting of San Agustin Church, Manila Cathedral and Fr. Blanco's Garden, and lastly, Fort Santiago. I've taken this tour twice - once as a college student and again when I brought foreign friends to see Intramuros. On my second tour, Fr. Blanco's Garden was being renovated so it was replaced by a quick tour of the courtyard of San Agustin Church. This tour is best for adults (as opposed to teens or kids) as he talks fast and gives jokes that have underlying meaning, or need a bit of quick analysis. We were also advised that the tour works best for big groups as participants try to focus more and gives better interaction dynamics between the tour guide and the group. I personally saw truth in that. All in all, it's a great crash course or a nice refresher on old Manila's history. If (Intramuros) walls could talk, it would probably agree, criticize and laugh with Carlos Celdran.

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.

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.

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!

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).

I would recommend this service hands down. I coordinated with Erwin weeks before our Manila trip…read more He was responsive and very transparent with their rate. Kuya Alfred, our driver, took very good care of us and our family. He was very safe in navigating around tricky Manila roads and can be counted with insider knowledge on where to go when we went to tagaytay. A true stress free way to see the beautiful country of the Philippines. Thank you Kuya Erwin and Kuya Alfred. Till next time!

I just wanted to take a moment to express my appreciation for such a wonderful trip. The planning…read moreand phone calls with Erwin in the beginning made the trip an easy decision, the guidance leading up to the trip from him was very reassuring and nerve settling and Alfredo, our driver guide was absolutely amazing!! I traveled alone and was very anxious about the trip. I couldn't have picked a better tour company to tour Luzon with. I felt very safe being in the hands of Alfredo. I travel often and have left my country a handful of times and this was behind the best trip of my life and I have Alfredo and Erwin to thank for that. To see the sites beyond the itinerary and gather as much of north and south of Luzon as possible in 12 days was truly amazing. Alfredo made this trip enjoyable and the whole team is so well organized with each day thoroughly planned out. Thank you so much!

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.